great flight! 1500 KM in a 304CZ

On Friday, March 8, 2013 7:42:39 AM UTC-6, son_of_flubber wrote:
As someone with zero XC experience, this seems an impressive feat of endurance. I have a general question and it is not meant as criticism or negativity. I just don't understand WHY someone would want to spend 4 hours in a glider let alone 11. What does it feel like to do this? What is the attraction? Do you get into a euphoric state after the first two hours or so? Is the euphoria related to mild hypoxia? My longest flight in a glider has been about 100 minutes and I came down because my bladder was full (no having made anticipated the need). So I really have no idea why people like to stay up that longer than that. What is the difference between a 1.5 hour flight and a 4 hour flight?

many of us take great satisfaction and trying to fly the maximum distance possible in a given day. duration is an important part of that.

Randy is a long haul airline pilot, long duration flights are nothing new to him. He's been trying to get a sunrise to sunset flight at Talhina for many years and along with that is expanding the envelope on the distance potential for this site.

On Friday, March 8, 2013 8:08:04 AM UTC-6, wrote:
What is the difference between a 1.5 hour flight and a 4 hour flight?



2.5 hours.......(somebody had to say it).

Looking at some portions of the trace, I see up to 12 somewhat parallel lines along the different ridges. Neither OLC nor US distance rules allow for such an extreme yo-yo flight to count in its entirety. The reason is the relative ease and speed of flight along good ridges in favorable wind. The pilot can claim whatever he wants as his personal distance but let's be careful with the details.

On Friday, March 8, 2013 12:29:37 AM UTC-6, Ramy wrote:
Still, a very respectful flight, but definitely not a 1500km by any standard. Ramy

Ramy, there is more to life and flying than just OLC. Randy was looking at turn-around to turn-arond distance. OLC only allows distance to be credited for up to 6 legs. Spiders and Octopi not allowed. Certainly no centipedes. A flight of personal accomplishment and satisfaction. Well done, Randy!

Steve Leonard

On Friday, March 8, 2013 6:42:39 AM UTC-7, son_of_flubber wrote:
As someone with zero XC experience, this seems an impressive feat of endurance.



I have a general question and it is not meant as criticism or negativity.



I just don't understand WHY someone would want to spend 4 hours in a glider let alone 11. What does it feel like to do this? What is the attraction? Do you get into a euphoric state after the first two hours or so? Is the euphoria related to mild hypoxia?



My longest flight in a glider has been about 100 minutes and I came down because my bladder was full (no having made anticipated the need). So I really have no idea why people like to stay up that longer than that. What is the difference between a 1.5 hour flight and a 4 hour flight?

Well, when you fly 2 hours to get somewhere interesting (like the Grand Canyon, from near Phoenix), sometimes it takes you 3 hours to get home!

Kirk
66

It's great to see people explore places that others haven't tried.
Congratulations to Randy et al for flights that most of us wouldn't have imagined possible. Wave, WHERE?
Excellent!
Jim

On Friday, March 8, 2013 6:42:39 AM UTC-7, son_of_flubber wrote:
As someone with zero XC experience, this seems an impressive feat of endurance.



I have a general question and it is not meant as criticism or negativity.



I just don't understand WHY someone would want to spend 4 hours in a glider let alone 11. What does it feel like to do this? What is the attraction? Do you get into a euphoric state after the first two hours or so? Is the euphoria related to mild hypoxia?



My longest flight in a glider has been about 100 minutes and I came down because my bladder was full (no having made anticipated the need). So I really have no idea why people like to stay up that longer than that. What is the difference between a 1.5 hour flight and a 4 hour flight?

That's the difference, flying cross-country, usually with some goal in mind be it personal, badge leg, record (club, state, national, world) etc. When starting out, the first couple flights of an hour or two may seem shattering. The first five hour flight, often done locally in pursuit of the FAI Silver C, may see exhausting. However, if you development a passion for XC soaring, a five hour flight will be no where near long enough and you'll start looking for the 6, 7, 8 or even 12 hour soaring day. It comes with the development of what I call 'your bird brain'.

Frank Whiteley

Ramy wrote:

Still, a very respectful flight, but definitely not a 1500km by any
standard.

Not a 1500km flight by FAI badge standards (4 legs maximum) and not by OLC
standards (6 legs maximum), but there is a standard that allows up to 12
legs: the MAT task used at SSA contests.

More precisely, the MAT allows a maximum of 11 turnpoints, and a big
"attaboy" will go to the first RASer who can correctly explain why the rules
specify that odd number. (Hint: that number goes back long before the
introduction of the GPS flight recorder)

Gary Ittner P7
"Have glider, will race"

On Friday, March 8, 2013 12:08:23 PM UTC-6, Gary Ittner wrote:
Ramy wrote:



Still, a very respectful flight, but definitely not a 1500km by any

standard.



Not a 1500km flight by FAI badge standards (4 legs maximum) and not by OLC

standards (6 legs maximum), but there is a standard that allows up to 12

legs: the MAT task used at SSA contests.



More precisely, the MAT allows a maximum of 11 turnpoints, and a big

"attaboy" will go to the first RASer who can correctly explain why the rules

specify that odd number. (Hint: that number goes back long before the

introduction of the GPS flight recorder)



Gary Ittner P7

"Have glider, will race"

Dont tell me... Max number of frames on the 126 instamatic camera film cartridges?

wby0nder wrote:

Dont tell me... Max number of frames on the 126 instamatic camera film
cartridges?

You're getting warm, but the Instamatic film cartridges had 12 frames, so
why limit the number of turnpoint photos to 11 ?

On Friday, March 8, 2013 1:28:46 PM UTC-5, Gary Ittner wrote:
wby0nder wrote:



Dont tell me... Max number of frames on the 126 instamatic camera film

cartridges?



You're getting warm, but the Instamatic film cartridges had 12 frames, so

why limit the number of turnpoint photos to 11 ?

Need one frame for the photo board, of course.

T8