New winch height record

"John Smith" wrote in message
...
2cernauta2 wrote:

Wouldn't it be possible to locate the winch outside the airfield's
boundary, and launch with a longer rope on a 600m runway?
Is this common practice at some glider sites?

If geography allows you to retrieve the cable (no bushes, roads, walls,
rivers, whatever between start place and winch), if the safety of
uninvolved persons is not compromised, if there's no road, house, whatever
the cable can fall onto, if you can find an agreement with the farmers
whose fields you will cross while retrieveing the cable... and be sure
there's no regulation which prohibits cables above a certain height. If
you can fulfill all these requirements, then it would certainly be worth
to give it a try.

I would speculate that Spectra or Dyneema is a lot more forgiving in this
regard. It's possible that sites unsuitable for steel cable would be
workable if Spectra or Dyneema is used.

Steel cable is heavy and can damage anything it falls on. Because it forms
kinks and weak points, is easier to break. It's electrically conductive so
power lines are an extreme hazard.

Spectra or Dyneema is so light that it 'floats down' more than falls so is
unlikely to damage anything unless it is pulled across something under
tension or the connecting hardware does the damage. It's also a very poor
conductor.

Bill Daniels

On Nov 26, 3:03 pm, John Smith wrote:
2cernauta2 wrote:
Wouldn't it be possible to locate the winch outside the airfield's
boundary, and launch with a longer rope on a 600m runway?
Is this common practice at some glider sites?

If geography allows you to retrieve the cable (no bushes, roads, walls,
rivers, whatever between start place and winch), if the safety of
uninvolved persons is not compromised, if there's no road, house,
whatever the cable can fall onto, if you can find an agreement with the
farmers whose fields you will cross while retrieveing the cable... and
be sure there's no regulation which prohibits cables above a certain
height. If you can fulfill all these requirements, then it would
certainly be worth to give it a try.

And if cable breaks at *all* heights can be safely dealt with...

You would need to be able to get the gliders from the landing runway to the
launch point.

Mike Schumann

"2cernauta2" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 25 Nov 2007 15:53:27 -0800, "BT" wrote:

how many glider club or commercial operations have 10,000ft of "runway"
available.
granted.. for most 4000ft runways.. it could prove very beneficial

BT

Wouldn't it be possible to locate the winch outside the airfield's
boundary, and launch with a longer rope on a 600m runway?
Is this common practice at some glider sites?


Aldo Cernezzi



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Wouldn't it be possible to locate the winch outside the airfield's
boundary, and launch with a longer rope on a 600m runway?
Is this common practice at some glider sites?


We do. Mount Beauty Gliding Club.
You will not believe the hassle it gives though. Everytime closing the gate to prevent cows entering the runway, chasing cattle of the cable before launching and cow**** around the winch. No joke.

Very happy with the extra 1000 ft.

it could work to the south.. to launch to the south.. about 1/3 mile to the
power line..
to the north.. can't run the cable across the road
great idea though
BT

"2cernauta2" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 25 Nov 2007 15:53:27 -0800, "BT" wrote:

how many glider club or commercial operations have 10,000ft of "runway"
available.
granted.. for most 4000ft runways.. it could prove very beneficial

BT

Wouldn't it be possible to locate the winch outside the airfield's
boundary, and launch with a longer rope on a 600m runway?
Is this common practice at some glider sites?


Aldo Cernezzi

These coordinates put me on the bridge next to the
Eiffel Tower. I cut and pasted.

At 17:24 25 November 2007, Bill Daniels wrote:
From Europe:

_______________________________________________ _
'On Sun, November 25, 2007 9:31 am, peternarinx wrote:
Yesterday, on the airfield of Weelde ( EBWE) in Belgium,
Peter
Mink reached 1718m AGL with an ASK21 and a Mel winch.'

'The length of the runway is 3100m including the grass
at both ends
and the winch is on the ground. You can see the airfield
on google
earth 51 23 48 N , 04 37 77 E. They said that the conditions
were
not optimal yesterday.......'
_______________________________________________ __

1718 meters is 5,636 feet AGL. The runway length
is 3100 meters or 10,170
feet.

With the new light weight UHMWPE winch rope and a modern
high performance
winch, great heights can be achieved.

Bill Daniels

Try: 51°23'42.85"N 4°57'41.54"E

Bill Daniels


"Nyal Williams" wrote in message
...

These coordinates put me on the bridge next to the
Eiffel Tower. I cut and pasted.

At 17:24 25 November 2007, Bill Daniels wrote:
From Europe:

______________________________________________ __
'On Sun, November 25, 2007 9:31 am, peternarinx wrote:
Yesterday, on the airfield of Weelde ( EBWE) in Belgium,
Peter
Mink reached 1718m AGL with an ASK21 and a Mel winch.'

'The length of the runway is 3100m including the grass
at both ends
and the winch is on the ground. You can see the airfield
on google
earth 51 23 48 N , 04 37 77 E. They said that the conditions
were
not optimal yesterday.......'
________________________________________________ _

1718 meters is 5,636 feet AGL. The runway length
is 3100 meters or 10,170
feet.

With the new light weight UHMWPE winch rope and a modern
high performance
winch, great heights can be achieved.

Bill Daniels

What is a Mel winch?

What does UHMWPE mean?

Thanks,

Michael

Bill Daniels wrote:
From Europe:

________________________________________________
"On Sun, November 25, 2007 9:31 am, peternarinx wrote:
Yesterday, on the airfield of Weelde ( EBWE) in Belgium, Peter
Mink reached 1718m AGL with an ASK21 and a Mel winch."

"The length of the runway is 3100m including the grass at both ends
and the winch is on the ground. You can see the airfield on google
earth 51 23 48 N , 04 37 77 E. They said that the conditions were
not optimal yesterday......."
_________________________________________________

1718 meters is 5,636 feet AGL. The runway length is 3100 meters or 10,170
feet.

With the new light weight UHMWPE winch rope and a modern high performance
winch, great heights can be achieved.

Bill Daniels

wrote:
What is a Mel winch?

Picture he

http://www.machinefabriek-el.nl/content_6.asp

What does UHMWPE mean?

Ultra High Molecular Weight PolyEthylene

Marc

Here is a YouTube video of a MEL winch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3quhC6cD6rU

Wayne
http://www.soaridaho.com/


" wrote in message
...
What is a Mel winch?

What does UHMWPE mean?

Thanks,

Michael

Bill Daniels wrote:
From Europe:

________________________________________________
"On Sun, November 25, 2007 9:31 am, peternarinx wrote:
Yesterday, on the airfield of Weelde ( EBWE) in Belgium, Peter
Mink reached 1718m AGL with an ASK21 and a Mel winch."

"The length of the runway is 3100m including the grass at both ends
and the winch is on the ground. You can see the airfield on google
earth 51 23 48 N , 04 37 77 E. They said that the conditions were
not optimal yesterday......."
_________________________________________________

1718 meters is 5,636 feet AGL. The runway length is 3100 meters or
10,170
feet.

With the new light weight UHMWPE winch rope and a modern high performance
winch, great heights can be achieved.

Bill Daniels