Anyone do gliders ?

The most enjoyable and educational flying that I ever did was in a sailplane. Do it !
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I like gliders because they are true sport. No one commutes to work in a glider or has one for business. Glider guys are truly all about airmanship and I like that.

Personally, I have probably spent a hundred hours 100 ft in front of one for every hour I have spent in one - but I had to make a living at the time.

Even with my limited time in gliders, I once made a landing on the (shoulder of the) interstate in Georgia in a glider and had a Georgia State Trooper stop just after we rolled to a stop and ask if we were OK - we said yes, and he roared off without a word!

A guy in a roadside assistance truck stopped and asked if we needed anything, and we asked if he had any lift in his truck, to which he answered "I have about 30". We said never mind, we need about 200 fpm, to which he answered "I always wondered what made them things fly."

True Story!

 

WOW ! I'm back! Had some DNS troubles trying to connect here,
but Rob fixed that! Thanks Rob!!


Gee! Haven't been in a glider in over 35 years...

Started back in Germany in the early 60's, and upon being shipped home, getting married..... awww you know!
Used to do only "Winch" take-off's

Anyway, about 10 - 12 years later, I was living in Wurtsboro NY,
about 1/2 mile from N-82, on Rt209, and spent more than a few weekends of one summer working the line for flight time....haha!

All day, hauling gliders from where they landed, back to the flight line..... for a one hour lesson, including the aircraft.
Got to ride in the tow plane too, a Cessna made L-19 "Bird Dog".

I just wanted to be up in the clouds, looking down...
Does that say something about my personality??? hee hee!

Anyone know if George Barone, or his son's, still own it? Helluva nice guy!
Must be in his 90's by now... George Jr, must be about 68....

Wow! Time does fly!

Charlie
AKA Skyraider

Wife got Pi$$ed for my being at the Airport..... "All the time" .
I had to keep the peace....(piece? haha!) and surrendered.
We divorced two years later...

I learned she passed on of cancer, in '06, one year,
after I rekindled my love for the sky.

Hadn't seen her once, since she left marriage.

 

There is a difference between a glider and a sailplane. A glider does just that, it glides down from its release point to a landing. It can do nothing else ( normally) due a low L / D. A sailplaine properly flown can soar or sail on thermals and ridge lift and increase its altitude by virtue of a very high L / D. A 707 has an L / D of nearly 20, a sailplain can have an L / D of near 50 and at a much lower speed.
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Sorry - my regulatory bias showing again - to the FAA they are all "gliders" if they don't got motors.

 

Understood. Just like in the sixties when all jets were called 707's by the Europeans. Like all facial tissues are referred to as Kleenexes. The FAA said that the Champ Clown Plane would'nt fly well enough to do aerobatics......so, what do they know.
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