Earlier in the year I had a close call, the Flarm was going off with multiple targets most of which I could visually identify. One I did not see, we both had to turn sharply left to avoid a straight on collision. Apparently Flarm calculates the potential collision taking into account all...

Hello all! I am trying to gather information on replacement options for my club's aging Grobs. So far I have reached out to SZD for the SZD-54-2 (probably not a factor with no US certification or dealer), the HpH Twin Shark, Shempp-Hirth Duo Discus XL, Schleicher for the ASK-21B and DG for the...

Interesting home-brewed investigation into the drag between the fin-type and rod-type transponder antenna by one of our friends in The Netherlands. Seems like the fin type antenna - unless mounted exactly on the centerline of the glider, where the flow is expected to be parallel - may produce a lot...

Why not just winch launch the thing and leave all this FAR bible pounding behind? Bill Daniels

Thanks to people like Ian, Robert, Herbert, Jack, Ruud, Janos and other respectable guys, I am very much convinced now that it cannot be that an excellent 1000 km performance is japordized by an FAI rule of which the true intention has been fulfilled in a very convincing way. I am talking again...

I was curious so went to Hobbs and copied scores from the Score Shack window. I probably made mistakes, sorry. I was told these scores will likely change. 2004 Region 9 Hobbs Final Preliminary Scores Sports 1 4407 BAD Kaewert Nimbus 2

Just sent a note to Dennis to voice my disappointment with the current SSA website. I preferred less splash and more functionality (and reliability). It has been several months since the switch over, and I'm still unable to access the photos section, one of my favorites. Today was the tipping point...

Who is using a motorglider as a tug? Please send details! Your location. Country. Field surface, length, elevation, temperatures. What type of tug? What gliders towed? Good, bad, and ugly of using the motorglider.

Robert Mudd took two aluminum panels from our workshop to build a trailer for his apis. In return me promised to replace those with two 12 foot sections of similar material. I reluctantly agreed to this trade but Robert has never given us those panels. I reminded him just before he left for...

On the second day of this year's 15 Meter Nationals, Karl Striedieck chose the best direction for his flight and smoked the rest of the field. He made 63.7 mph, 8 mph better than the second pilot and 14 mph better than the third. Did he get 1000 points for this outstanding performance? No, he...

2003 Ventus 2C Never flown other than factory test flight 18 meter tips Blue tinted canopy

Many pilots here use petrol-guzzling sport-utility vehicles to tow their trailers. I'm trying to get some input as to whether my new VW Jetta turbo-diesel is up to the task. You forgot to tell us the weight of your trailer incl.discus... I'm towing a trailer, total weight 780 kg, with a...

Complete and unused Windrose I and II plans and building instructions. Includes extra plans and instructions for 15 meter wings. $300 + you pay shipping. Contact Doug Hoffman at or 248-576-5580 Mon-Fri 7:30am-4:00pm ET 248-693-8835 evenings and weekends.

Just curious - anyone ever heard of a US glider with a TCAD (such as Ryan's 8800 Gold) installed? Love to get a "user's report" if so . . . Jim Kellett, Resident Curmudgeon Chief Flight Instructor, Skyline Soaring Club Captain and CFI(G), Civil Air Patrol Chairman, Classic Division, Vintage...

It struck me the other day that the materials used to cover R/C models these days could be used to 'refinish' ships on which the gelcoat had deteriorated. We are already 'happy' to stick .5m wide pieces of orange tape to the surfaces of gliders and do so with impunity. Solarfilm ( a trade name ) ...

Can anyone familiar with the WinPilot product tell me whether my DeLorme Earthmate GPS Receiver (with DB-15 serial interface) will work with it? If not, what advice would you offer regarding iPac (or other pocket PC) models, and portable GPS devices to use with WinPilot? -ted

Start your New Year with a New Pez. www.soaravenal.com click on What's New button. Pez is almost ready to start work on his diamonds and tell his many landout stories, which are really your landout stories and my landout stories.

Looking for some help from the group... I'm putting together a presentation (might be overhead viewgraphs and/or a series of posters) for the general public on soaring and I want to catch their interest and imagination. For instances might be: the world altitude record for a glider is close...

I Googled r.a.s and found posts about water beds, truck inner tubes and collapsible plastic cubes from Wal-Mart. The plastic cubes will transport 50 gallons and fit inside my Jeep Grand Cherokee but nothing else will fit and I don't want to unload the Jeep just for this chore. Full 10...

Given the lesser density of air on Mars what would be the glide ratio of a PW-5 starting at an altitude of say 5000 feet? (lesser gravity, too) Is it worth book a trip in next few years?