Bill Daniels wrote:
Thermals are thermals, some are bigger than others. What you fly and when,
where and how you fly are determined by what you want to do. If you want to
fly high, far and fast, you need a big, heavy glider - and a place to fly it
where big thermals live - like the high deserts of North America.

You really, really should go listen to Gary the next chance you get.
Thermals are thermals, but they aren't microlift.


If all you want to do is play around the gliderport, then any glider will
do.

Microlift ISN"T just about playing around the gliderport; it is also
about going cross country when the heavy gliders can't. I'm beginning to
think you didn't read the article.

An excellent pilot like Gary Osoba can so wonderful things in any glider.

He can't do microlift in a Sigma - ask him when you see him next!


I once did Silver Distance at altitudes under 500 feet AGL in a 1-26. It
took me five hours. I don't ever want to do that again. (I really wanted
that Silver C)

I'm sure these ultralight gliders are wonderful machines but they are aimed
at something I don't want to do anymore. Very low altitude (Under 300')
dynamic soaring works - I've done it in several gliders. Just glide down
wind and as you get lower, chandelle back up into the higher wind speeds to
regain energy.

Microlift isn't dynamic soaring, though dynamic soaring can be part of
using it.

Fine, if you are over a dry lake, want to go downwind and
make no mistakes - I'm not about to do that out of range of a landing spot.

Read the part about "microlandings". I think you missed it. A Carbon
Dragon isn't as hard to land as your Nimbus!

The "Mini-glider" idea has been bubbling just under the surface for as long
as I have been around soaring. I remember Irv Prue's 215 and others like it
that were built in the 1950's. Oh sure, today they can be built lighter and
smoother out of advanced composites - but so can big gliders. Both benefit
about as much.

With 6 pound wing loading, the 215 doesn't even come close to being an
ultralight glider. It's just a smaller conventional glider, and inferior
to the even smaller SparrowHawk of today. No one claims the SparrowHawk
is an "ultralight" in concept, only in category. Take a look at the
LightHawk, and you will see what I mean about a different glider,
designed for microlift.

http://www.glidersport.net/default.htm
Glidersport.net - Home of the LightHawk Ultralight 15m glider


I expect that ultralight sailplanes will succeed but I don't see them as a
paradigm shift in soaring. It wouldn't surprise me if we eventually find
that we are kidding ourselves about microlift.

Ask yourself this; if you had dumped ballast to get home in weak conditions,
would you also trade your 20 meter wing for a 12 meter at the same time? I
doubt it.

If I were at 500 feet without a thermal, I'd trade my 18 meter wing for
the 15 meter wing of the LightHawk (and it's 2.5 pound wing loading).
And were did the 12 meters come from? Even the Carbon Dragon is 13.7 m.
Microlift isn't about small sailplanes, it's about light wing loading.

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Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA