What Should I Buy...If Anything?

I have always operated under the assumption that the more I spend the
better I will do. That's why I got a 27 and why I just spent a small
fortune on a completely new panel! Meanwhile I don't seem to be moving up
the score sheet! Maybe spending the money on tows would have been smarter!

On Tuesday, February 12, 2013 2:28:47 PM UTC+2, John Dezzutti wrote:
I have always operated under the assumption that the more I spend the

better I will do. That's why I got a 27 and why I just spent a small

fortune on a completely new panel! Meanwhile I don't seem to be moving up

the score sheet! Maybe spending the money on tows would have been smarter!

Question everyone should ask oneself is do you enjoy flying more with modern instruments? I for one do, though my glider is old. Probably that doesn't correlate with my position at score sheet, but at least I'm having fun.

On Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:10:44 -0800, JohnDeRosa wrote:

Some suggestions;

- The Oudie is pretty nice. You could buy the lite one on the cheap and
install XCSoar or LK8000 for free. Or a used Oudie I.
- There is the Colibri II which is a flight recorder and navigation,
thermal assistant, etc, all in a very nice small package.

Don't forget that both LK8000 and XCSoar are free to download and both
have versions that run on a standard Windows PC, so you can play with
them both and see if you like their look and feel before buying any
hardware to run them.


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |

Just a point of reference, following on with Martin's comments:

I took 4th place in the US Std Class Nationals last year (my first
nats) with a Vertica PNA running LK8000, and an EW MicroRecorder as
the GPS source for the PNA (and as my main logger). I had a
PowerFLARM and an SNAV; but the PF was just for anti-collision (not
plumbed into anything else), and I don't really use the SNAV except to
cross-check my altimeter and other varios (Tasman and a B400).

This is not me trying to crow about my skills - I'm just a Joe-blow
pilot with only about 500 hours in gliders and 6 Regionals under my
belt; so its not like I was bringing decades of wisdom to the cockpit
(other than all the information I've been vacuuming up from
experienced competitors the last few years... again with thanks to
their generosity and patience)!

This is me saying that the free glide software and inexpensive devices
out there can do a perfectly good job of helping you get around the
course quickly, once you set them up correctly!

--Noel


On Feb 12, 12:29*pm, Martin Gregorie
wrote:

Don't forget that both LK8000 and XCSoar are free to download and both
have versions that run on a standard Windows PC, so you can play with
them both and see if you like their look and feel before buying any
hardware to run them.

On Tuesday, February 12, 2013 5:11:33 PM UTC-5, noel.wade wrote:
Just a point of reference, following on with Martin's comments:
I took 4th place in the US Std Class Nationals last year...

Places 1 and 2 were flying with ILEC SN10 ;-)
Good instruments do help in many ways, including
minimizing heads-down time...

See ya, Dave

....and it had NOTHING to do them being very good veteran contest
pilots who just happen to be current / former National champs... ;-)

--Noel

On Feb 12, 2:21*pm, Dave Nadler wrote:

Places 1 and 2 were flying with ILEC SN10 ;-)
Good instruments do help in many ways, including
minimizing heads-down time...

See ya, Dave

On Thursday, February 14, 2013 6:01:35 PM UTC-5, noel.wade wrote:
...and it had NOTHING to do them being very good veteran contest
pilots who just happen to be current / former National champs... ;-)

--Noel

Of course it did. But to the question posed in this thread:
One should ask what instruments top pilots choose and why.
See ya, Dave

What should you buy?

Buy me one of Dave's electric self-launchers!


"Dave Nadler" wrote in message
...
On Thursday, February 14, 2013 6:01:35 PM UTC-5, noel.wade wrote:
...and it had NOTHING to do them being very good veteran contest
pilots who just happen to be current / former National champs... ;-)

--Noel

Of course it did. But to the question posed in this thread:
One should ask what instruments top pilots choose and why.
See ya, Dave