At 02:50 20 August 2009, ryanglover1969 wrote:
On Aug 18, 8:52=A0pm, flgliderpilot wrote:
Out of curiosity, I searched but found no similar thread...

So what was your first glider, how did you find it, how long did you
fly it, did you keep it or quickly out grow it? =A0Would love to hear
your stories...

My first glider was a Ka6-CR first imported into this country by Rudy
Opitz who, as many of you know, was a test pilot for the Germans
during WWII. I did a couple 300km FAI triangles with the ka6. Then I
bought a Standard Cirrus N3450G which belonged to Roy Mcmasters. At
one time it held the World Out and Return record of 807 statute miles.
I have done a couple 500km triangles with it and it is the current
holder of the Oklahoma Out and Return Record of 240 nautical miles. I
love my Standard Cirrus!


Mine was a Slingsby Dart 15/17 MK II B, Works #1471, built in
Kirbymooreside, Yorkshire, England in April 1965 (how's that for a
description!). It was originally made for Phillip Wills (so the logbook
says) and has a unique paint scheme unlike any other Darts. From research
I've done it appears to be the only 15 mtr Dart ever made with wingtip
extensions to make it 17 mtrs. It somehow found its way to Colorado and
was owned by John Brittingham. Then it came to South Carolina in the
early 70's. A good freind of mine, Mike Hoke, bought it and flew it out
of Bermuda High Soaring in Chester, SC. He let me fly it on numerous
occasions and I got my Silver Distance in the Dart, in 1975. In 1976 Mike
and I both moved to Reno, NV (working for the same company). From 1977 to
1979 Mike and I flew Sports Class competitions as a team where we won
twice and placed 2nd on another occasion. In 1980 I bought the Dart from
Mike when he purchased a Diamant HBV (a great glider that I had the
priviledge to fly). I kept the Dart until 1984 when I got a Ventus B (and
then a Ventus C in 1995). From 1977 to 1984, I was fortunate enough to win
numerous Sports Class competitions in the Dart. To make a long story
longer, Mike and his wife Janice bought the Dart again in the late 80's
and they still have it. I still get to fly it once or twice a year and it
is a great handling plane! It has been refinished in the original paint
scheme and has modern GPS/Flight recorder instrumentation, radio, xpndr
and oxygen. Mike's twin boys have flown it cross-country and in
competition. If anyone would like to see a photo of this beautiful
machine, send an email to me with "Dart Photo" in the subject field and
I'll email the picture back to you.

Jimmy Hamilton
JLH
Reno, NV