On Scott Richmond's third flight in his newly purchased ASW-24E, at about 500ft, the motor stalled. He had already turned 90 degrees to the right, he turned another 90 towards the airport, did several PIOs, maybe pulling on the manual starter cable, then stalled and spun into an orchard 600 yards...

Is it legal/possible/reasonable to install just Mode A transponder (No altitude reporting)? Whenever I hear "Traffic 12 O-clock 3 miles, altitude unknown" I look EVERYWHERE. ahead. Might this provoke more visual scanning by aircraft crews which could spot gliders without transponders in the...

Is there any new news about the status of Seminole? Are all the legalities regarding the owner finally cleared up?

Some time ago potential purchasers of the (US) PowerFLARM brick were offered the choice of the bundled display or the 57mm panel mount display. No information on either seemed to be available from US dealers so it was impossible to make an informed choice. Butterfly has advised me that no English...

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2013/jul/13/pilot-ok-but-under-arrest-after-glider-goes-down-on-badger-mountain/

I recently bought a 1972 ASW-15B. I am on a budget to fix this up. I'm looking for stuff that works, doesn't look flashly, but fits the need. I need a: 1. GPS data logger thats contest worthy 2. PDA device and connections

With all the drama in the 2012 WGC Open Class, here's how the various designs compared by total average points, followed by the total number of ships flown through the end of the contest (for calculating statistical variance): 11427 JS-1C (4) 11316 Concordia (1) 11240 EB-29 (2) 11089 ...

I decided traveling with a tablet computer in a touring motorglider would be easier than lugging around my 6+ pound Windows laptop, so I took advantage of a good deal on an iPad mini. I thought it's wealth of aviation apps, including soaring apps like iGlide, and others was a plus. It's a...

It might an old message, but I ran across it and would encourage instructors and those who haven't to at least experience two flights with no reference to instruments, at least to pattern altitude. Learn to use the wind noise and pitch attitude on a glider you know well. One of the more rewarding...

Notice from Gavin Wills: "Please note that all Glide Omarama services will be suspended from 15 April 2020. After 20 years of flying from the Omarama Airfield without a Trial Flight incident the Civil Aviation Authority of NZ requires GlideOmarama to re-certify its operations from being a...

Dear US-gliding community, it seems likely that I am going to spend about 2 year in the US (NJ area) starting next spring and I would like to bring my German registered glider along. Given it is for 2 years only, I would like to keep the ship under its German flag and keep any changes to glider...

I am trying to help a friend find a glider that he can fit into. He is looking for a club class glider or slighty higher cost. What gliders would he be able to fit into?

I am wondering how many others suffer from a mental disorder such as Bipolar or Schizoaffective disorder seek out soaring because of it's lack of medical certification requirements. Also, I am wondering what options there are to taking medications which state, 'to avoid heatstroke it is important...

Hi guys, It has been a while since I have posted here. I have finally narrowed my search to 2 gliders. I am aware of the following on each glider: Jantar - Visibility during tow, and tight cockpit (I am 5'10' 148 lbs so I fit ok). Pik 20D - Thick wing mold, parts support, and flaps.

Hi, Does anyone perhaps have an electronic version of an ASH-25 flight manual, or know where I might find one? I'm renting one for a week in December (South African summer). Flying it will be a new experience for me, and I'd like to be as prepared as possible. I found one electronic version by...

Soaring Safety Foundation Seminar, Wednesday evening at the SSA Convention Three guest speakers will inform and entertain early arrivals to the SSA Convention in Atlanta on Wednesday, February 4th at 6:00 PM. Each year, the SSA Convention traditionally begins with the SSF Seminar on Wednesday...

What would be the consensus for the minimum number of flights to get a ground launch sign off for an experienced glider pilot? How many cable breaks and at what altitude? Of course it would take more for some and less for others, but I would think at least 15 launches with 5 cable breaks at various...

Has anyone done calculations for takeoff distances for various density altitudes, weights and winds for their sailplane-towplane combination? Every powered plane POH has a table but there are none in the glider books for obvious reasons (HP of towplane for one). The Arizona Soaring Assn flies...

Surprisingly no one has posted this before now. There is a high plateau just north of the airport. A basalt cliff drops several hundred feet to the valley (and airport) below. Most soaring is done on the plateau. There is a temptation to try to squirt over the rim if you get low, even though there...

What's the minimum realistic climb rate that should be acceptable for self-launch? I've heard things like 1:4 ratio of thrust to MTOW (where thrust is approximated as 3x motor/engine power), but planes like the Silent 2 Electro and miniLAK FES seem to exceed this somewhat, with the miniLAK FES...