Soaring Schools

On Saturday, December 23, 2017 at 1:13:09 AM UTC-6, wrote:
Condor only runs on a PC. You can get a refurbished computer from Staples for around $200, to which you will need to add a $30 graphics card. A 24" monitor with speakers will run you another $125 or so.

Since I prefer Linux/Mac, I've been practice-flying with the Silent Wings Soaring Simulator this winter:
http://www.silentwings.no/

It runs on Windows/Linux/MacOSX. It supports network play.

Silent Wings dedicated to soaring in a way that X-Plane 11 (which has towplane and thermalling as add-on features) do not. The towplane simulation is good enough that you can practice boxing the wake and slackline recoveries.

I have mostly good things to say about Silent Wings.

-Luke

These are the mountains I’m wanting to fly:

a href="http://s36.photobucket.com/user/johngfoster/media/67A10D25-F1DF-46A7-ADAC-A7303590AF4F_zpsle4azmla.jpg.html" target="_blank"img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e21/johngfoster/67A10D25-F1DF-46A7-ADAC-A7303590AF4F_zpsle4azmla.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 67A10D25-F1DF-46A7-ADAC-A7303590AF4F_zpsle4azmla.jpg"/a

a href="http://s36.photobucket.com/user/johngfoster/media/A2CD794F-4152-46E2-BA25-03D6CD76460D_zpscaoxow1l.jpg.html" target="_blank"img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e21/johngfoster/A2CD794F-4152-46E2-BA25-03D6CD76460D_zpscaoxow1l.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo A2CD794F-4152-46E2-BA25-03D6CD76460D_zpscaoxow1l.jpg"/a

a href="http://s36.photobucket.com/user/johngfoster/media/1D07D359-3E62-4354-8CEB-B5B10785D5B5_zpsnvilecjj.jpg.html" target="_blank"img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e21/johngfoster/1D07D359-3E62-4354-8CEB-B5B10785D5B5_zpsnvilecjj.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 1D07D359-3E62-4354-8CEB-B5B10785D5B5_zpsnvilecjj.jpg"/a

I use the MFG Crosswind rudder pedals for Condor. They are about 100x better than the CH pedals I used to have. I highly recommend them. http://mfg.simundza.com/products

On Saturday, December 23, 2017 at 4:34:17 PM UTC-5, John Foster wrote:
These are the mountains I’m wanting to fly:

I want to fly those mountains too. Bruno Vassel makes that look easy. Soaring is not easy. Flying in mountains is even less easy. Manage expectations.

The good news is that you can enjoy climbing the learning curve for 10-20+ years. Impossible to say at what point you'll be ready to fly those mountains.

The long learning curve in soaring is part of the appeal. Gradually getting better keeps it interesting.

What, had not heard this. Have only flown Parowan and Nephi, but Logan is on my dream list. What was a "fiasco" about the Logan Nationals?

On Sunday, December 24, 2017 at 1:19:14 PM UTC-8, wrote:

I've never flown from Logan, have mixed feelings about doing that. The Nationals there was a memorable fiasco ...

Jon,

The whole discussion about the Logan contest is in the archives. Please look it up rather than start a rehash.

I flew at Logan in 2015 for the first time. My third flight was from Logan, north, jump over to Afton WY, and then almost to the Tetons (Which were covered by thunderstorms, then reverse course back to Logan.

My longest distance flight, My first time at Logan, flown in a 50 year-old Libelle H301. At no time did I feel that I was in danger, or out of range of a reasonable landout site.

If Tim Taylor wants to do another Logan ridge camp, be sure to sign up.

Mike

ps Here's the OLC link, if you're interested.
https://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-2....l?dsId=4649350

To me, using a simulator for basic info is not bad.
Using it for intensive ridge/wave Soaring can have issues. What the computer provides vs. reality can hurt you/ real things.

Yes, after the fact, I have used simulators to "fly the ridge" in mid PA, but I have been there quite a few times. It was good to look things over knowing it was a simulation.

To use a simulator as the only thing before going to a challenging site, I don't think so......too many variables. Totally different than using a simulator to learn a racetrack before you actually drive it. The pavement won't move, a good simulator has decent physics, so how much rubber is down is among the biggest variable other than how you drive the course.

So yes, doing basic instruction on "flat terrain" using a computer simulator, fine, it has value. Not as good as the real thing, but close enough to help the learning curve.

Sorry, I don't know who Lee is. He seems to be spreading misinformation about a site he has never flown at. Anyone who has flown at Logan would know that all the valleys have many landable fields. If you have watched Bruno's videos you can see valleys along all the ridges we fly. As with any mountain site you should respect the area, but with a good briefing you should be able to fly some of the most outstanding alpine soaring in the world with thousands of square miles of alfalfa fields as well as many airports to land on. We are always glad to work with visiting pilots to share local knowledge and allow them to gain confidence in ridge and mountain soaring.

TT

On Sunday, December 24, 2017 at 8:32:25 PM UTC-7, Tim Taylor wrote:
Sorry, I don't know who Lee is. He seems to be spreading misinformation about a site he has never flown at. Anyone who has flown at Logan would know that all the valleys have many landable fields. If you have watched Bruno's videos you can see valleys along all the ridges we fly. As with any mountain site you should respect the area, but with a good briefing you should be able to fly some of the most outstanding alpine soaring in the world with thousands of square miles of alfalfa fields as well as many airports to land on. We are always glad to work with visiting pilots to share local knowledge and allow them to gain confidence in ridge and mountain soaring.

TT

Once I have my glider pilot's license, I may have to come pay you guys a few visits down in Logan. Watching you fly those mountain ridges is so inspiring!

I find it interesting how many twists and turns this thread has taken. A closely related question the comes to mind. What texts are recommended for the book work? Anything online? I seem to remember someone mentioning the FAA had a good educational text online on soaring.

For starters, the FAA Glider Flying Handbook. Airsailing sent me the Burch Practical Test Guide as that's what they use; and he likes the SSA Soaring Flight Manual, it is out of print but obtainable used. I have a handful of Bob Wander's booklets all of them real good; Thermaling, Speed to Fly, and Breaking Apron Strings, and of course his practical test guides. Landing Out was ok if you like Mr. Spock, I understand what he was getting at about discipline, but I didn't warm up to it. Thomas Knauff's book didn't have the continuity I like. Welch and Irving go in to a lot of depth to say the least; it would be good to know some calculus. Beyond Gliding Distance is not a huuuge book but concise. And the real piece of art is Advance Soaring Made Easy, by Bernard Eckey, with editing by Tony Burton.

A large part of my study program included going through the SSA Soaring Safety Foundation's Training Programs. Tow Pilot, Wing Runner and the Bronze Badge Study Guide. The Study guide has 290 multiple choice questions in blocks of 20 and I would go through them to find out what I didn't know and it gives references. It was indispensable, I think during the three months leading up to my going down to Airsailing I went through it 3 or 4 times; and I needed it, with all the airspace questions it was a learning experience. A lot of good calculation problems, just a lot about a lot of stuff, it was good; and, after that, I was set up to take the Bronze Badge written test the day after I obtained the rating.

Happy Learning,

Robert
Condor SE3