My first flight in a glider... finally!

I realize this is old hat for most of you guys, but I figured I'd post
something for lurkers who are interested in this sport but have yet to
take the first step.

I posted here about a year ago asking about flying gliders, and I was
pointed to a local gliderport (www.soarfl.com). Here is the follow
up.

I've been flying R/C gliders for the past 20 years, always dreaming of
flying the real thing. Well, many jobs and a child later, here I was
a 37 still having not even attempted to achieve that goal. Time is
running out!

I took the first step.

I signed up for that intro flight.

Then, I spent some time flying on a simulator and reading the glider
flying handbook. I wanted to learn as much as I could before the
intro flight so I would have a good idea of what was going on and
why. I spent a few months flying on the simulator, learning to
thermal, take off and land.

Last weekend the day had finally arrived and I made the drive to the
glider port. The weather was perfect. Blue sky with small puffy
cumulus clouds scattered across the sky. Within a mile of the
gliderport I could see a glider circling and then disappearing into
the distance. Incredible. Something about the shape of a glider is
just beautiful.

When I finally arrived, the instructor, welcomed me in shorts, t-
shirt and no shoes. It is sunny Florida after all, so this is not
unusual but I still got a chuckle out of it. The laid back and
relaxed attitude sort of took me off guard. This attitude reminded me
of sailing more than the uptight instructor attitude I was expecting.
I was immediately comfortable. I was also taken back by the
gliderport. Nice grassy field surrounded by just a few houses (all of
them with hangers) and very quiet. This was also not at all what I
expected. This was a place you could just hang around, watch, and
relax.

We pulled the glider onto the runway, I got strapped in, and within a
minute or two the towplane was there and we were off. I was
frantically snapping pictures with my disposable camera as we towed up
to 4000'. After circling in a few thermals he asked me if I knew how
the controls worked at which point I naturally said YES YES YES!!

Well, sort of, I hadn't used rudder pedals on my simulator. The lack
of rudder pedal experience became immediately obvious as the nose
oscillated back and forth every time I tried to bank into a turn.

After some practice and tips from the instructor I finally managed to
get a few coordinated turns and also managed to catch my own thermal.
I felt that bump in the rear, started circling, and up we went. Whooo
hooo. cool!

After eventually losing the thermal, the instructor took the controls
back and worked a few more thermals to buy us some more time in the
air. I was handed the controls a few more times and of course did
some more poorly coordinated turns. :P

Regardless of my absolute lack of coordination, I was having a great
time. I expected to be a bit nervous in the air but I wasn't at
all... we did a few "roller coaster rides", and then came in for the
approach.

I looked at the altimeter... just over 500'. half spoilers ...
Downwind leg ... base leg... (at this point I am proud of myself for
knowing how to land even though I am not the one flying) ... approach
and touchdown.

While I may not have expressed my excitement enough to the instructor
(I'm a fairly quiet guy) this was an amazing experience. I thanked
him and I was so excited and so busy replaying the flight in my head I
forgot to hand him the gratuity I had for him in my pocket! Argh! No
problem I will be back soon and he will get it then

When I arrived home I installed a set of rudder pedals on my simulator
and practiced winch launches, coordinated turns, and landings all
night long.

I've also planned out a budget so I can start my flying lessons. I
guess that means I am hooked.

I posted some pictures he
http://www.floridakiteboarder.com/soaring/1/

-tom

On Oct 24, 7:35*am, vic20owner wrote:
I realize this is old hat for most of you guys, but I figured I'd post
something for lurkers who are interested in this sport but have yet to
take the first step.

I posted here about a year ago asking about flying gliders, and I was
pointed to a local gliderport (www.soarfl.com). * Here is the follow
up.

I've been flying R/C gliders for the past 20 years, always dreaming of
flying the real thing. *Well, many jobs and a child later, here I was
a 37 still having not even attempted to achieve that goal. *Time is
running out!

I took the first step.

I signed up for that intro flight.

Then, I spent some time flying on a simulator and reading the glider
flying handbook. * I wanted to learn as much as I could before the
intro flight so I would have a good idea of what was going on and
why. *I spent a few months flying on the simulator, learning to
thermal, take off and land.

Last weekend the day had finally arrived and I made the drive to the
glider port. *The weather was perfect. *Blue sky with small puffy
cumulus clouds scattered across the sky. *Within a mile of the
gliderport I could see a glider circling and then disappearing into
the distance. *Incredible. *Something about the shape of a glider is
just beautiful.

When I finally arrived, the instructor, *welcomed me in shorts, t-
shirt and no shoes. * It is sunny Florida after all, so this is not
unusual but I still got a chuckle out of it. * *The laid back and
relaxed attitude sort of took me off guard. *This attitude reminded me
of sailing more than the uptight instructor attitude I was expecting.
I was immediately comfortable. *I was also taken back by the
gliderport. *Nice grassy field surrounded by just a few houses (all of
them with hangers) and very quiet. *This was also not at all what I
expected. *This was a place you could just hang around, watch, and
relax.

We pulled the glider onto the runway, I got strapped in, and within a
minute or two the towplane was there and we were off. *I was
frantically snapping pictures with my disposable camera as we towed up
to 4000'. *After circling in a few thermals he asked me if I knew how
the controls worked at which point I naturally said YES YES YES!!

Well, sort of, I hadn't used rudder pedals on my simulator. *The lack
of rudder pedal experience became immediately obvious as the nose
oscillated back and forth every time I tried to bank into a turn.

After some practice and tips from the instructor I finally managed to
get a few coordinated turns and also managed to catch my own thermal.
I felt that bump in the rear, started circling, and up we went. *Whooo
hooo. *cool!

After eventually losing the thermal, the instructor took the controls
back and worked a few more thermals to buy us some more time in the
air. *I was handed the controls a few more times and of course did
some more poorly coordinated turns. :P

Regardless of my absolute lack of coordination, I was having a great
time. *I expected to be a bit nervous in the air but I wasn't at
all... *we did a few "roller coaster rides", and then came in for the
approach.

I looked at the altimeter... just over 500'. *half spoilers ...
Downwind leg ... base leg... (at this point I am proud of myself for
knowing how to land even though I am not the one flying) ... approach
and touchdown.

While I may not have expressed my excitement enough to the instructor
(I'm a fairly quiet guy) this was an amazing experience. *I thanked
him and I was so excited and so busy replaying the flight in my head I
forgot to hand him the gratuity I had for him in my pocket! *Argh! *No
problem I will be back soon and he will get it then

When I arrived home I installed a set of rudder pedals on my simulator
and practiced winch launches, coordinated turns, and landings all
night long.

I've also planned out a budget so I can start my flying lessons. *I
guess that means I am hooked.

I posted some pictures hehttp://www.floridakiteboarder.com/soaring/1/

-tom

Glad you got out to the field and got your first flight! 37? Not
that old. I didn't make the jump to full scale until I was 47, and
many others have come to it later in life. I flew model planes (U/C,
FF, RC) for 40 years before finally getting into a glider. As fun and
addictive as that was, full scale soaring is more fun and more
addictive. Enjoy!

Hmmm...T-shirt, shorts, and no shoes...must have been Jim Gager at
Seminole-Lake Gliderport. Cool guy. I spent a week there and only saw
him wear shoes once...when we went to a restaurant.

On Oct 24, 11:18 am, wrote:
Hmmm...T-shirt, shorts, and no shoes...must have been Jim Gager at
Seminole-Lake Gliderport. Cool guy. I spent a week there and only saw
him wear shoes once...when we went to a restaurant.

Hah! Yes, it was Jim. Great guy. Too funny.

vic20owner wrote:

I realize this is old hat for most of you guys, but I figured I'd post
something for lurkers who are interested in this sport but have yet to
take the first step.

Thank you very much for posting this. I'm no lurker, and I've been flying
for a couple of years, but it's always nice to hear a great story from
someone who's just getting into it. I hope that your continued lessons go
well and look forward to hearing more about them from you.

--
Mike Ash
Radio Free Earth
Broadcasting from our climate-controlled studios deep inside the Moon

Congratulations on that first flight! It's an experience you'll
probably never forget, even after hundreds of flights. I never did.

If it's any solace to you (beg!inning to soar at 47), I began soaring
at age 70. I'm now seven years in the air (800 logged hours) and going
strong. Never look back!!!

Fly safe, and best wishes for future flights.

Matt

On Oct 24, 8:35*am, vic20owner wrote:


Congrat's on your first flight and thanks for the pictures. Just a
couple of things caught my eye, and may be nothing, but I thought I
would bring them up. First, I have heard over the years that it is
very hard on the spar system of a G103 to pull the glider using just
the wing tips. The spar and connections were not made to bend that way
and the leverage caused by pulling forward may cause damage. Also I
notice that your instructor seems to be flying the pattern at about 53
knots in a fully loaded G103. This seems way too slow to me, not that
far over stall speed. Just my opinion for what it's worth.
Thanks.

On Mon, 27 Oct 2008 14:14:39 -0700 (PDT), st4s03
wrote:

Also I
notice that your instructor seems to be flying the pattern at about 53
knots in a fully loaded G103. This seems way too slow to me, not that
far over stall speed. Just my opinion for what it's worth.

53 kts is the perfect approach speed for the G-103 (stall speed 39
kts) with calm winds - how fast would you fly the approach?

Bye
Andreas

On Oct 28, 7:21*am, Andreas Maurer wrote:
53 kts is the perfect approach speed for the G-103 (stall speed 39
kts) with calm winds - how fast would you fly the approach?

Bye
Andreas

I fly the pattern in a 103 with 2 people at 60kts in calm air and
faster in wind. Stall speed with spoilers closed on a “new” ship with
perfect wings was listed at 39kts. With spoilers extended that goes to
43kts. Now ad 25 years of exposure to the elements and that figure may
go up by a couple of knots. Then bank 35 degrees from base to final
with spoilers open and 2 big guys in the cockpit and you may be close
to 50kts. Then hit a thermal gust, or shear of 10kts, or the lower
wing goes into wind gradient and at 53kts airspeed you are looking at
the ground. Maybe I'm too cautious but I' still alive.

At 18:49 28 October 2008, st4s03 wrote:
On Oct 28, 7:21=A0am, Andreas Maurer wrote:
53 kts is the perfect approach speed for the G-103 (stall speed 39
kts) with calm winds - how fast would you fly the approach?
http://ras.gliderpilot.net/?op=a1&id=68531
Bye
Andreas

I fly the pattern in a 103 with 2 people at 60kts in calm air and
faster in wind. Stall speed with spoilers closed on a =93new=94 ship
with
perfect wings was listed at 39kts. With spoilers extended that goes to
43kts. Now ad 25 years of exposure to the elements and that figure may
go up by a couple of knots. Then bank 35 degrees from base to final
with spoilers open and 2 big guys in the cockpit and you may be close
to 50kts. Then hit a thermal gust, or shear of 10kts, or the lower
wing goes into wind gradient and at 53kts airspeed you are looking at
the ground. Maybe I'm too cautious but I' still alive.


Look up what the yellow triangle on the asi means in the flight manual.