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Gone and done it - joined a Gliding club!


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Posted

WEll, yes I voluntarily went for a trip in a plane with no engine! Had a great time soaring along the ridge next to the airfield. I got to try the controls and flew her for a bit - coordinating the turns is quite challenging, but WOW! the view!! The weather was good enough to let us stay around the ridge for as long as we wanted - we only came in to land because they were packing up on the ground.Not sure how long we were aloft but at least 30 mins. I'll know for sure in the coming days if I get billed for the extra minutes! :P The instructor was quite pleased that he could demonstrate all 3 axes of control to me and have me flying the ASK 21.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schleicher_ASK_21

 

Here's the club:

 

http://www.bfgc.co.uk/

 

In my younger days I spent quite some time giving way to the full size gliders as I was a member of Parlick Model Soaring Association, flying RC slope soarers.

 

Looking forward to the coming lessons. :cool:

Mark Robinson

Part-time Ferroequinologist

Author of FLIGHT: A near-future short story (ebook available on amazon)

I made the baby cry - A2A Simulations L-049 Constellation

Sky Simulations MD-11 V2.2 Pilot. The best "lite" MD-11 money can buy (well, it's not freeware!)

Posted

Welcome to True Flying!

 

Been doing that ( gliders "only" ) for the last 36 years :-)

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Posted

Fantastic. Might see you up there sometime soon. Started as a teenager up there about 25 years ago. Not been for years, work, family etc but looking at going back.

My dad has been instructing there for years. Was up there the other week working on his glider but didn't fly due to weather. Hopefully back at it soon though.

 

Chris

  • Upvote 1
Posted

Enjoy it. One of my true passions in life. Way preferable to power flying in my opinion :)

 

Just don't get beaten by frustration caused by the two key differences to power flying:

- it's a "club" where club rules apply, so be prepared to spend long days of chores and glider towing between flights (which i was always more than happy to do pre-wife and family, but was annoyed by those that didn't!)

- and the weather. Need I say more.

 

But see through those and persevere, then it's truly the most fantastic flying experience available. I am very jealous. Make the most of it!!!

  • Upvote 1

Rob Bates
Simming since the age of 10 with MSFS 5.0

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Ask me about (my most flown): FSLabs A320-X series | MaddogX
In the hangar: Majestic Q400 Pro | PMDG 747 | A2A C182, Cherokee, Comanche & Spitfire

Posted

Welcome to True Flying!

 

Been doing that ( gliders "only" ) for the last 36 years :-)

 

WOW! As a hobby/sport or lifestyle! ?

 

Fantastic. Might see you up there sometime soon......

My dad has been instructing there for years. ....

Chris

 

You might do Chris! I might have met your dad, but I only know first names, apart from Mr Terry. I believe what he HASN'T flown is not worth knowing about!

 

Enjoy it. One of my true passions in life. Way preferable to power flying in my opinion :).......

- it's a "club" where club rules apply, so be prepared to spend long days of chores and glider towing between flights (which i was always more than happy to do pre-wife and family, but was annoyed by those that didn't!)

- and the weather. Need I say more.....

 

Indeed - I've much to learn, and not just about aviating! Looking forward to getting to know the winch - there's something about large displacement V8s - visceral;  raises the hairs on the back of your neck. Totally opposite to the serenity of soaring :). Mind you, it will be a while before I get to that. Only pilots who have solo'd can be trained as winch operatives (so I've been told)

 

Yep - chores are a big part in keeping the costs down. 

 

On my bucket list as well

 

Strangely enough, I've known about the Club's existence most of my life, yet because I turn 50 this year, I've decided to have a go... :)

Mark Robinson

Part-time Ferroequinologist

Author of FLIGHT: A near-future short story (ebook available on amazon)

I made the baby cry - A2A Simulations L-049 Constellation

Sky Simulations MD-11 V2.2 Pilot. The best "lite" MD-11 money can buy (well, it's not freeware!)

Posted

WOW! As a hobby/sport or lifestyle! ?

 

As the way all pilots should really start their training - in gliders.... I'm sure most accidents would be avoided....

 

And, because it is, IMHO, the most beautiful way of flying an aircraft...

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Main Simulation Rig:

Ryzen 5600x, 32GB RAM, Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti, 1 TB & 500 GB M.2 nvme drives, Win11.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

Sounds awesome, I have been watching lots of glider videos on YouTube lately.  Bruno Vassel is one of the channels I really like.

 

As for virtual soaring, I just bought the Aerosoft DiscusX and have been really frustrated trying to soar using CumulusX....for whatever reason it just does not seem to be working for me very well.  I ended up just going with ASN and had much better results.  I know it was a good soaring day because I used the date, time and location from a practice day at the US Nationals in Nephi, Utah.  Anyway, would be interested in any other opinions on ASN and how good of a job it does for simulating thermals.

  • Upvote 1

Mark   CYYZ      

 

Posted

Sounds awesome, I have been watching lots of glider videos on YouTube lately.  Bruno Vassel is one of the channels I really like.

 

As for virtual soaring, I just bought the Aerosoft DiscusX and have been really frustrated trying to soar using CumulusX....for whatever reason it just does not seem to be working for me very well.  I ended up just going with ASN and had much better results.  I know it was a good soaring day because I used the date, time and location from a practice day at the US Nationals in Nephi, Utah.  Anyway, would be interested in any other opinions on ASN and how good of a job it does for simulating thermals.

 

Nothing comes near Condorsoaring for virtual soaring, or even Silent WIngs... Horses for courses...

 

Aerofly FS 2, my new love, also has great thermal and ridge soaring, and gliders... It can not, right now, be so detailed as Condorsoaring, but has a lot of potential, and the devs are open to suggestions...

Main Simulation Rig:

Ryzen 5600x, 32GB RAM, Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti, 1 TB & 500 GB M.2 nvme drives, Win11.

Lenovo TB310FU 9,5" Tablet for Navigraph and some available external FMCs or AVITABs

Posted

Nothing comes near Condorsoaring for virtual soaring, or even Silent WIngs... Horses for courses...

 

Aerofly FS 2, my new love, also has great thermal and ridge soaring, and gliders... It can not, right now, be so detailed as Condorsoaring, but has a lot of potential, and the devs are open to suggestions...

 

interesting, thanks.

Mark   CYYZ      

 

Posted

Nothing comes near Condorsoaring for virtual soaring, or even Silent WIngs... Horses for courses...

 

Aerofly FS 2, my new love, also has great thermal and ridge soaring, and gliders... It can not, right now, be so detailed as Condorsoaring, but has a lot of potential, and the devs are open to suggestions...

Just looked at the site, some screenshots and a few videos. I am sure its a great simulator of thermals but wow are the graphics terrible. When you compare to FSX or P3D, not sure how you can put up with it.

Mark   CYYZ      

 

Posted

Just looked at the site, some screenshots and a few videos. I am sure its a great simulator of thermals but wow are the graphics terrible. When you compare to FSX or P3D, not sure how you can put up with it.

 

Love blindness ?...

Main Simulation Rig:

Ryzen 5600x, 32GB RAM, Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti, 1 TB & 500 GB M.2 nvme drives, Win11.

Lenovo TB310FU 9,5" Tablet for Navigraph and some available external FMCs or AVITABs

Posted

Love blindness ?...

 

Perhaps....when my wife looks at P3D with all of the latest and greatest Orbx scenery, REX soft clouds, etc, etc. she tells me it looks "cartoonish".  I see it as a perfect replication of reality!

 

I think I will stick with P3D and ASN.  I am getting decent results now and its good enough for me as I am not a super serious glider pilot, I just think its cool.

Mark   CYYZ      

 

Posted

Thermals have been revisited in AS16, and I really liked what I saw. It's probably the best we can get in MSFS and derivates, although CumulusX! is also a very good soaring weather injcetor - only problem being probably lack of compatibility with the latest versions of P3D...

 

But I was not referring only to your "eyes of Love" but also to mine... I am enjoying every bit of Aerofly FS2, only problem so far being that my sim disk is still the same 250 GB SSD, now getting really near to the limits.

 

And, in Aerofly t is really not only the looks, which I find great, but also the feels - very plausible flight dynamics for all default aircraft, and this is still pre-release!

Main Simulation Rig:

Ryzen 5600x, 32GB RAM, Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti, 1 TB & 500 GB M.2 nvme drives, Win11.

Lenovo TB310FU 9,5" Tablet for Navigraph and some available external FMCs or AVITABs

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