Hi All, An SSA 'Master' CFIG I know is perpetually hammering it into his students that to initiate a turn in a glider, the FIRST thing you do is feed in rudder. On his 1-5 list of making a turn in a glider, #1 is rudder (as it's own separate input). While this may be aerodynamically acceptable...

Damn, a two seat side by side self launch version of Eric Raymond's solar motorglider. Too interesting of news to merely throw into the 2 seat self launch discussion... http://solar-flight.com/news.html -Paul

....is actually pretty nice. In addition to a clean layout with lots of large and clear color photos of interesting things and good writings to tie it all together, it physically feels like higher quality paper and mine even came wrapped in plastic, in mint condition no less. This issue is very...

This confirms my long held suspicions that some clouds DO have a sense of humor: http://i.imgur.com/tpMeN.gif -paul

Yesterday at Urs's FLARM presentation at the PASCO seminar, he demonstrated some of the the fallibility of the human eye/visual recognition system with a few videos, which were really ....eye opening. Hopefully a recorded (and edited, since it almost spiraled into a ras debate a few times...)...

Well, sorta... it's a motorglider. While VR flying is nothing new, this is one of the cutest little FPV cockpits I've seen yet, (some functioning instruments & moving stick!) in the virtual pilot scene, enjoy... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=va0vEY8CKVc&feature=related -Paul

Hi All, I think my installation of SYM I'm using on my 310 is corrupted. My update privileges ended as of March of this year, so I can't just download a new one from Naviter. Does anyone have an archived copy of the SYM download from last March or around thereabouts? TIA, -Paul

http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-03/video-watch-swiss-quadrocopters-awesome-tennis-moves Sorry to keep throwing OT things up, but I'm sure other pilots will appreciate this as well... -Paul

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_Cp2anHN3U http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20090922-0 -p

It appears that there has actually been progress on the Saqqara microlift glider: http://www.diloren.com/index01.htm as is evidenced by this pic: http://www.vole.ch/matmambo/diloren.jpg of a completed(?) example. Does anyone have anymore info on this? I've scoured the Dilorean site many times,...

Gotta hand it to Johan Bosman on this one... look at pg 5 of this pdf: http://www.streckenflug.at/news/js_communication_2010_07.pdf Personally I think his take on the exhaust vent is simply ingenious. The opening on that thing is immense and has got to allow much air to pass, but flow is organized...

Subject line says it fine, but I'm looking for someone in Newport Beach CA to assist me with a simple glider related affair I cannot effect from Oakland. PM/call me is so, and thanks in advance! -Paul paul at eaglebrandproducts dotttt commmmm (510) 535-1946

I googled a bit but came up with nothing very useful as of yet. Does anyone know of a (preferably US...) supplier of Interglas fabrics? I only need a few yards of both 92125 and 92145, for which I can find no direct alternative equivalents for. Alternatively, if anyone has some of this stuff on...

Hi all, We've secured a primary tug/pilot for all but Friday May 15. We still need a backup, in addition to a primary for Fri. Contest dates are May 13-17, with the 13th being practice day. TIA! -Paul Hanson contact info:

It's short, but... http://www.gizmag.com/solar-powered-hybrid-aircraft-sunseeker-ii/11121/ -Paul

Stemme has finally announced thier 4 place 'stretched' version of the S10, called the S10-4VT that they have been quietly developing. It will be available as a self launch or pure sailplane, with only 3 more meters of wing to deal with, but otherwise the performance figures remain about the same,...

I'm having difficulty getting the portrait driver to correctly work on my 310. I've followed the installation and uninstallation directions as carefully as possible, but continue to get only half a screen in protrait after the install. I've tried to join the Naviter forum to clear this up there,...

Anyone know? All this 'ultimate soaring adventure' talk got me thinking how cool it would be to do X/C- without the benefit of aerotow/winch/noisy thing... Also called 'slope launch' or 'rolling launch'. For those unfamiliar with this launch...

I just bought a new solar vent for my trailer from North-Star Marine for a very reasonable price, $60 for a stainless day/night model that moves 1100 cubic feet/hour. The ABS model is even cheaper at $50... Shipping was $15 for the first but would be free on a second unit. My first one got busted...

This July, 11-17, there will be a NASA sponsored green flight challenge involving alternative fueled motorgliders with a $1.65million prize at the Sonoma Co airport in Sonoma, CA. It might be a good day to try a 320km out and return from Sonoma if you have an Electro-Taurus, etc (I think it needs...