I am a newly soloed student pilot, still flying the club's 2-seat trainer. I'll be moving to the club's single-seater soon. Then I hope to be allowed by my instructor to make solo flights in my own mid-performance sailplane that I bought before starting glider lessons. It was flown by advanced solo...

Seems to be a common thing at contests or any other time you are flying something different than what the pilot is use to pulling. How about the next time it happens to you, have your radio call be 'Towplane pulling Glider (Insert your callsign here), please speed up 5 MPH' or some such if you...

With all the new (and some of the older - SN10 for example) vario-computers having accelerometers and settings for ballast and polars, would it be possible to compute and display the optimum thermalling speed adjusted for wingloading and bank angle (as a function of instantaneous G-loading)? Since...

From time to time I check the iPhone app store for soaring apps. I just came across GlidePath. The developer claims it's OLC compliant. I havent purchased it yet, but it looks like a good backup for OLC flying. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/glidepath/id383714417?mt=8# Pete

Grob 103 Twin Acro 1984, N54554 Nice two seat trainer and glider. Beautiful finish on both wings, Installed oxygen with regulator for both seats, Flight Line FL-760 radio, Front seat equipment; Winter pneumatic vario, LX-16 audio vario, & Cambridge electronic vario. Rear Seat: LX-16 and Cambridge...

One of the event participants patched together a good marketing video for our club from this years Winchfest at 29 Palms California. Three winches, four clubs participated in a "best practices" styled event. Watch the Video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0hDZa41rVc HoUdino

Are IGC approved loggers too expensive? What is there cost point compared to a Barograph and camera setup? I.E. The cost of a Colibri logger compared to the cost of an approved Barograph (in 2008 dollars). I don't know the cost of a barograph 20 years ago (in there heyday) but they could not have...

Does anyone know of a source of any statistics that might indicate the effectiveness or otherwise of FLARM in reducing the rate collisions between FLARM fitted gliders in those European countries in which it is in widespread use? Thanks in advance. John Galloway

If you were pulling up stakes, where would one move to find: 1. The longest soaring season. 2. The best x-c conditions, on average. The OLC would suggest Blairstown, NJ... Any other opinions, with or without objective data? Erik N.

I'm wondering how much the modern reluctance to land out and desire for collision avoidance technology is driven by an underlying fear that if society knew about soaring, society would ban it. Granted no one wants to die or have anyone else die but we've been recreational flying for 100 years and...

I read the recent article in Soaring and it has got me fired up. I have been a member of a small club in Washington State for the last 2 years, learning to fly. The club has a 2-33 and a Lark and a Pawnee. That's it. Badge flying has not been an emphasis, even though one qualifies for at...

I purchased a glider that came with a PZL Vario (WRs-5D). All of the instruments had been removed from the panel. I do have all the components for this system, but I am looking to see if anyone has a manual on how to correctly set this up. http://web.me.com/rgteel/Site/PZL_Vario.html Randy N184N

Her name is Anna, she is a teenager in Poland, now graduating high school. Anna wanted to fly gliders very bad. I have never met a person in my entire life that wanted to learn to fly that bad. The problem is that she has no money to learn to fly. Today the cost of flying in Poland is as high as it...

Looking at getting a new vehicle this spring, and am currently looking into a Jetta Sportwagon TDI. Any of you guys use one to tow your ship? Good or bad? Peter

I fly a lot in the mountains and find MacCready speed-to-fly information, completely worthless. Let me explain; Before crossing a ridge, I will fly slower (below MC), so that I'm assured of making the next ridge. After crossing the ridge, I may fly faster than MacCready. If I set the proper MC...

I am making a new instrument panel for my ASW27. The original panel appears to have a textured overlay that looks similar to leather. As far as I can tell the panel was made from carbon fiber over a plug and then the texture was bonded to the panel most likely using a vacuum bagging method. It...

I am trying to get honest and accurate information on the general handling characteristics of a couple of 18 meter class sailplanes. Here is what I am interested in. I would appreciate some honest feedback, preferably backed up by some experience in the sailplane that you would like to give...

Hi Gang Like you all I have questioned what the best L/D of my 3 (now 1) gliders - DB800B, Stemme S10-VT and SparrowHawk were in reality suspecting that real L/Ds would be lower than the manufacturers published values. I have used a PDA for many years switching it between gliders. Software is...

I know I will get replies on each end of the spectrum... but for a first glider, low time pilot, it seems like a 1-26 would be a good choice. Easy to fly, easy to land in tight spaces, cheap to maintain, and very common and there are a few 1-26 groups, so help is available. It's inexpensive (well...

I know this is a silly question, but I was reading an article by Dick Johnson that talked about holding a slight slip while thermally. This article was written before winglets and I was wondering if the same idea applied to gliders with winglets. Also, as for slipping to lose altitude for landing...