August 6, 20187 yr I have gone up in sailplanes several times in my life, out of the old Calistoga gliderport in the Napa Valley, now closed down. I have flown in two and three seater gliders, like the Grob. There used to be an old Ford commercial "Quieter than a glider", but gliders are far from quiet, just like a jet you have the wind noise going over the fuselage as you fly. I used to ride a bicycle from Napa to Calistoga, 26 miles, then park it there while I paid for a glider flight with my friend. When I bought my first car in 1986 I drove to Calistoga one last time, and flew in a Grob, another glider was ridge soaring with us over the Mayacamas mountains, near Mt. St. Helena, the Bay Area's tallest peak, a peak I had hiked to the top of. Enough of the backstory, enjoy the screenshots! John
August 7, 20187 yr A little history on the gliderport I once flew out of.... https://napavalleyregister.com/calistogan/business/defunct-calistoga-gliderport-brings-back-memories/article_009e12e7-2f55-5d8f-8043-3eee64e01a7c.html John
August 7, 20187 yr Interesting to note that these are far from quiet with the sweeping wind-noise. And, it does take guts to ride/fly in one of those things without an engine!! But the feeling is so unique and worth it, I'm sure. Thanks for sharing the experience.
August 7, 20187 yr 53 minutes ago, P_7878 said: Interesting to note that these are far from quiet with the sweeping wind-noise. And, it does take guts to ride/fly in one of those things without an engine!! But the feeling is so unique and worth it, I'm sure. Thanks for sharing the experience. Gliders are all about energy management, they are so efficient at flight that they can come in unpowered, with the use of spoilers to control their glide path, almost like thrust in reverse. They come in with surplus energy, then use the spoilers to dump lift once they are over the landing strip. The only thing is the landings are much rougher than a GA aircraft, with little to no shock absorption on the single wheels most have, then the wings drop and spin you sideways to a sudden stop. Takeoffs are the same, rather jarring even from a smooth runway, I have landed in them on gravel and rough concrete. Main reason why I will not fly in one anymore, due to the rough landings. John
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