Heavy pilot - what glider to opt for?

On Wednesday, October 30, 2013 12:17:44 PM UTC-7, wrote:
Good evening,



I need some assistance!



I am an early solo pilot looking to buy my first glider, but don't really know what to go for! I want it for local soaring, but eventually to go cross country in it.



The slight issue is that I am 6`4 tall and 17.5 stone - arguably too heavy, but the question is what to go for.



I'll obviously need a roomy cockpit!



Any thoughts would be appreciated!

Many years ago someone else posted a very similar question and got pretty much the same type of replies - except for mine. I recommended that he lose weight. I know it can be done: I lost 50 lbs and am back into a 34" waist. A year or so after posting that I was at Ephrata, WA when someone came up to me and introduced himself. I knew him, but didn't recognize him - he had read my post and took my advice, sucessfully! It gave my great sense of pride that I had had a material impact on someone elses life.

So, I am repeating the advice: lose weight! It is not that hard if you just commit yourself (sort of like getting your pilots license). One pound of fat is about 3500 calories. If you just cut 500 calories (two sugared soft drinks) a day out of your diet you will lose one pound a week. That is FIFTY pounds a year. I did it by cutting one meal a day and being prudent about the other two meals. Believe me, I didn't starve!

Good luck!

Tom

On Tuesday, November 12, 2013 12:27:08 AM UTC-5, 2G wrote:

So, I am repeating the advice: lose weight!

WRT to weight management, I found that taking up a second complementary sport that does not involve sitting in a reclining chair for 4-5 hours at a stretch, and that I can do when the weather is poor for flying (in the rain) helps. I arrested and reversed my creeping weight gain this season.

Also, if it is not dangerously hot where you fly, make taking a walk at the airfield part of your routine preflight preparations. I find that the walk also boosts my alertness after that long drive to the airport.

And if you can think of nothing else... try the no_beer_no_mayonnaise diet

At 05:27 12 November 2013, 2G wrote:
On Wednesday, October 30, 2013 12:17:44 PM UTC-7,

=
wrote:
Good evening,
=20
=20
=20
I need some assistance!
=20
=20
=20
I am an early solo pilot looking to buy my first glider, but don't
really=
know what to go for! I want it for local soaring, but eventually to go
cro=
ss country in it.
=20
=20
=20
The slight issue is that I am 6`4 tall and 17.5 stone - arguably too
heav=
y, but the question is what to go for.
=20
=20
=20
I'll obviously need a roomy cockpit!
=20
=20
=20
Any thoughts would be appreciated!

Many years ago someone else posted a very similar question and got pretty
m=
uch the same type of replies - except for mine. I recommended that he
lose
=
weight. I know it can be done: I lost 50 lbs and am back into a 34"
waist.
=
A year or so after posting that I was at Ephrata, WA when someone came
up
t=
o me and introduced himself. I knew him, but didn't recognize him - he
had
=
read my post and took my advice, sucessfully! It gave my great sense of
pri=
de that I had had a material impact on someone elses life.

So, I am repeating the advice: lose weight! It is not that hard if you
just=
commit yourself (sort of like getting your pilots license). One pound of
f=
at is about 3500 calories. If you just cut 500 calories (two sugared soft
d=
rinks) a day out of your diet you will lose one pound a week. That is
FIFTY=
pounds a year. I did it by cutting one meal a day and being prudent
about
=
the other two meals. Believe me, I didn't starve!=20

Good luck!

Tom



A little out of the box but jonkers JS1 say on they can uprate to 130kg,if
you
go to the web site and read the spec .
One hell of a first glider but it will be a while till you need to upgrade
again.

Looks excellent, if not a little expensive!!!

Looks excellent, if not a little expensive!!!

Pete: I've just taken ownership of a Jonker JS-1C. Yes, expensive. I'm 6ft 2in and it's a tight fit although once snugged in its comfortable.

But not quite as comfortable as the Genesis 2 I'm selling that I've have owned for 13 years. One prospective buyer I showed it to was just over 6ft 3in and with light/thin shoes he was comfortable and button-up. The G2 cockpit has a nice, deep seat pan and hip-wise is comfortable. Length-wise it's good and my feet are U.S. 10-1/2 with plenty of room. Head-wise there's enough canopy clearance. The key is your frame. If you're really wide in the hips and shoulders, it will be tight. I wear a U.S. 44-long sport jacket and I'm very comfortable at the shoulders in the G2 cockpit.

The G2's max cockpit weight limit is 242lb, and by my math that's slightly under your weight. CG correcting is ample though, with lead plate stations in the tail. But with a chute, you'd be slightly over the limit. However, if you'd like to see the Genesis I'm selling go to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ge2glider4sale/

Looks great! However, out of my price range and indeed my country!!
What's everyones thoughts on some kind of single astir for a big pilot?

I am an early solo pilot looking to buy my first glider, but don't really know what to go for! I want it for local soaring, but eventually to go cross country in it.



The slight issue is that I am 6`4 tall and 17.5 stone - arguably too heavy, but the question is what to go for.



I'll obviously need a roomy cockpit!



Any thoughts would be appreciated!

I am or was when flying 6'3" and 260 (about 18.5 stone) Flew comfortably all Schweizer products, Pegasus, Nimbus 3 (took seat out and set on the floor with padding), Std. Cirrus, Ventus.

g. kemp

On Wednesday, 30 October 2013 19:17:44 UTC, wrote:
Good evening,



I need some assistance!



I am an early solo pilot looking to buy my first glider, but don't really know what to go for! I want it for local soaring, but eventually to go cross country in it.



The slight issue is that I am 6`4 tall and 17.5 stone - arguably too heavy, but the question is what to go for.



I'll obviously need a roomy cockpit!



Any thoughts would be appreciated!

Here is My 5p worth I am 6 ft 2. A PPL but not renewed my PPL licence and took up Gliding in Oct 2012. I went solo 010113 the problems I had were, my weight and size, being 242lbs naked ... so diet and got down to 230lbs ok I like red wine and approaching 60 years of age ... so hard and still going down reduce portions eat slower don't snack, drink less alcohol. Its a hard decision. work on the assumption everything you put in your mouth is 100 calories except water and tea. So 1700 calories a day Max. Clues, I slice of toast 100 calories one boiled egg 100 calories cup of tea no sugar 4 cals water zero. They are all less than that but 100 cals ! But 100cal a slice works! Trust me ! I'm a Chef.

Second in my view most clubs don't like older pilots, they like 21 year olds not 50 to 60 year olds, lots of reasons why ( but if you are that keen put up with the **** and enjoy the flying, take your time.

Third. Gliders, because I have wide shoulders narrow hips and a paunch .... I don't fit well in a K13 but fine in a K21, now most clubs are NOT happy for you to hog their prize ship ... so that becomes and Issue, If the Club you fly at are more interested in flying red letter days than members, move club. Not all clubs are the same.

First glider .... I think I missed the bit in the club manual where it says don't buy a glider till you have spoken to your CFI .... OOps ! Now thats when the CFI had a major tantrum, well it was his 10th tantrum actually, so moved club. I went and visited 4 clubs before I found a very sympathetic CFI who patted me down and we discussed all my problems flying vices, strengths and weaknesses ... progress was rapid once again. and I am enjoying the new club, so quickly out of the K21 and into the Junior as I don't fit in any wooden gliders!

Junior great little Glider to fly Air brakes like an escalator and great early single seater, "God I was scared on that first aero tow". As an Extra, nearly all my early flights apart from 5 were winch and I enjoyed the winch once I got over the fear! but aero tow can be just as challenging.

Own Glider ... The one I bought was a Standard Cirrus, Perhaps not the best Glider to buy as a first ownership Glider, but being a PPL and have many hours in LAA aircraft + others including Longez, Katanas, Arrows, Robins, Airtourer, Slingsby T67 to name a few of my power aircraft in my log book. I felt confident I got it right. Std Cirrus, big cockpit, and will take 6ft 4 depending on your build, everything is to hand and the only problem so far is pulling up the undercarriage leaver, Putting it down is fine but up is a pain in the ass! Problem 2 like most early solo pilots you can get a bit over confident in your glider everybody wizzing about and you struggling to find the thermals! Workload goes up ! You come down faster and faster till you go off in a really good 2 seater .... My club has a Duo Discus and I have been fortunate to fly it three times cross country with a really good pilot who is considerate and takes his time to explain what sensations I should be feeling ( it helped a lot ).
My Glider...... would I buy a glider outright on my own again? .....Maybe but thats me, My view is perhaps next I might share a glider in a very small group, but i have been in a group before and every time you want to fly it it's gone !

Over confidence, When you have flown your glider several times and it is quicker than the club aircraft and more slippery and retractable and smaller airbrakes !!!! and a bugger to get out of the trailer and rig every time you want to fly it ! Lots of bad language here ! ..... don't rush to buy a glider, wait look and sit in plenty !

Did I get it wrong .... Only once so far on finals... but it was in my Std Cirrus over confident and poor decision making made me beat myself up for weeks.... Is the Cirrus right as a first Glider .... it was for me, but perhaps not for everybody, Skills, ability, practice. Winter is over its now March 2014 I am back in the K21 for 3 or 4 flights one or two in the Junior and one in the Duo when its a nice day and back in my Cirrus ... Hope this helped.

Bronze Exam to finish and renewal of my RT licence and cross country experience on my own this year is the goal, As a addition I have bought a very expensive set of covers for the Cirrus so I don't have to rig it every time..

On Wednesday, 30 October 2013 19:17:44 UTC, wrote:
Good evening,



I need some assistance!



I am an early solo pilot looking to buy my first glider, but don't really know what to go for! I want it for local soaring, but eventually to go cross country in it.



The slight issue is that I am 6`4 tall and 17.5 stone - arguably too heavy, but the question is what to go for.



I'll obviously need a roomy cockpit!



Any thoughts would be appreciated!



On Wednesday, 30 October 2013 19:17:44 UTC, wrote:
Good evening,



I need some assistance!



I am an early solo pilot looking to buy my first glider, but don't really know what to go for! I want it for local soaring, but eventually to go cross country in it.



The slight issue is that I am 6`4 tall and 17.5 stone - arguably too heavy, but the question is what to go for.



I'll obviously need a roomy cockpit!



Any thoughts would be appreciated!