On Aug 23, 7:47*am, J-Soar wrote:
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 students at a far-away club, so should be OK for me to fly.

I have built and flown a number of powered ultralights over the years, some of my own design, and have always started out doing lots of crow-hops in them before the actual first flight. The crow-hops have helped me get used to the feel of it, operating the controls, and to get some experience in takeoff, touchdown, roll out, and dealing with mild cross winds, before taking on the whole flight and it's associated risks.

My instructor, nor any one around, have had experience in the particular glider that I own. For various reasons I can't let anyone else fly it first to advise me about how to fly it. So no help there.

So I'm thinking that doing crow-hops in it might be a good idea before my actual first flights in it. They would be by auto-tow, on a 5000' runway, accelerating quickly to the normal touch down speed of the glider, getting no more than 3 feet high. Then right away releasing, pulling on the air-brakes, and landing straight ahead. Of course I would be using a driver who knows about glider towing issues and would get out of the way.

Any thoughts or comments about this idea?

Thanks in advance,
Jerry Booker


Did you ask your local instructors about this idea? Or did they tell
you it was a terrible idea already so you're asking for a second
opinion?

Near the ground is a lot more dangerous than way up high. It's not
like there's a shallow end or anything when you're flying! Most first
flights are done by taking a high tow in still air, working out how
the glider flies a long way from anything hard, and then doing a
proper pattern to land.

Find somewhere an instructor familiar with the flying characteristics
of this glider. Find an instructor who is good at helping people to
make transitions. Instructors have a lot of experience with how to
make transitions, even to gliders they don't know much about. That you
are asking this question at all suggests you aren't talking to
instructors. Read the "transition to new gliders" section of textbooks
or manuals. They all suggest the right procedure and syllabus which
your instructor will follow. Crow hops aren't on it.

Soaring is a social and organized sport. The build it yourself, figure
out how to fly it on your own culture of some kinds of powered
ultralights is not how we do things. We have lots of good instructors
and work with them when taking new steps. They can pass on lots of
hard-won experience so you don't have to figure out a good transition
plan on your own.

John Cochrane