Hi, just want to share my excitement about recent discovery - gliders.

It is my first time when i try something without engine.

I know, many will think, nah i enjoy my Fenix so i am not interested - wrong, i also enjoy A320, but gliding is so much different experience that u must try - it is AMAZING !

Slow and silent flight, catching uplifts, flying close to the side of the ridge slope, soaring through valleys, slowly climbing to finally jump over the misty and snowy mountains - whole flight is just mesmerizing.

I do not remember when last time i had so much excitement about anything in flight sim world...

And that fantastic experience is for free as u can get brilliant Discus 2c glider for free Discus-2c Standard » Microsoft Flight Simulator

Also use very handy tool called Kinetic assistant Kinetic Assistant - Touching Cloud [OFFICIAL MOD PAGE]

 

Really worth to try !

You're right Artur. as someone who has flown both gliders and hang gliders, I concur. Having to work the ridge lift or thermals to gain height and distance, gives a real purpose to flying.

Edited June 28, 20223 yr by Rockliffe

I used to live near Wurtsboro Airport in the NY Catskill Mountains. It had many gliders on the weekend that were trailered up from New York City, and many of the pilots of the gliders were Airline Pilots that loved flying gliders. 

I flew with this group last week.   Around 35-40 attended.  It was a blast.

I also highly recommend this one

https://flightsim.to/file/30384/dg-flugzeugbau-dg-808s

16 minutes ago, ryanbatc said:

I also highly recommend this one

https://flightsim.to/file/30384/dg-flugzeugbau-dg-808s

will try this one tomorrow - gliding over Africa 🙂

Its alot of fun. One of the things I love about the sim, is that as someone who gets bored easily, there are so many things you can do. Fast jets, airlines, GA, Helis, Soaring... so much to do and see. 

I look forward for the upcoming fine tuning in the weather model that will create even more detailled convective sources of lift.

Together with the future updates to the flight dynamics I hope that one day I can actually use MFS not only for glider tsak debrief but also with a bit more of actual piloting techniques.

It would be great to have a sim that finally can model some aspects of soaring, including proper behaviour under tow, winch, etc...

 

Lovely! Quick question...are thermals simulated properly? Or is it mainly mountain flying with its uplifts?

I'd really like to do cross country flying with a glider....

I just found the Albatross Competition app. It allows you to download tasks just like you do in Condor. You can upload your results and add you to the leaderboard. 
 

https://msfs.touching.cloud/mods/albatross/

Edited June 28, 20223 yr by espent

1 hour ago, ThomseN_inc said:

Lovely! Quick question...are thermals simulated properly? Or is it mainly mountain flying with its uplifts?

I'd really like to do cross country flying with a glider....

I've been using the Got Friends Discus 2c Premier, flying over flat land West of Houston, Texas around midday & out of curiosity, using MSFS Live Weather .

(No FES or Kinetic Assistant, just a balanced & excellent Sailplane )

Once slewed to around 12,000' I trim the glider & then leave it to fly itself. 

Flight conditions have been air temps 85 to 92F & wind around 4 to 7 kts, out of the east.

Flights have lasted 4 & 5 hours, which are way beyond the gliders duration  if it was just released in zero lift conditions.

Most of the flights have been in clear skies, so no black marker clouds, but the lift is there.

There are some Soaring Weather Presets that come with the GF Discus, [& may also already be in MSFS], but Cross Country is one of them

T45

Edited June 28, 20223 yr by Treetops45

1 minute ago, Treetops45 said:

I've been using the Got Friends Discus 2c Premier, flying over flat land West of Houston, Texas around midday & out of curiosity, using MSFS Live Weather .

(No FES or Kinetic Assistant, just a balanced & excellent Sailplane )

Once slewed to around 12,000' I trim the glider & then leave it to fly itself. 

Flight conditions have been air temps 85 to 92F & wind around 4 to 7 kts, out of the east.

Flights have lasted 4 & 5 hours, which are way beyond the gliders duration  if it was just released in zero lift conditions.

Most of the flights have been in clear skies, so no black marker clouds, but the lift is there.

T45

Sounds cool! Will give it a try definately! Thanks!

9 minutes ago, ThomseN_inc said:

Sounds cool! Will give it a try definately! Thanks!

Link to the Discus 2C Premium, [not premier].

https://flightsim.to/product/discus-2c-premium

 

They also have a freeware version at .to that doesn't have the nose mounted electric motor. But the $15 for the motor & other refinements is a bargain.

If you do get stuck into the Soaring then I recommend you join their Discord as group flights are being announced there, if that interests you.

 

T45

2 minutes ago, Treetops45 said:

Link to the Discus 2C Premium, [not premier].

https://flightsim.to/product/discus-2c-premium

 

They also have a freeware version at .to that doesn't have the nose mounted electric motor. But the $15 for the motor & other refinements is a bargain.

If you do get stuck into the Soaring then I recommend you join their Discord as group flights are being announced there, if that interests you.

 

T45

Think I might spring for the premium version. These guys are doing amazing work, they deserve our support.

1 hour ago, ThomseN_inc said:

Lovely! Quick question...are thermals simulated properly? Or is it mainly mountain flying with its uplifts?

I'd really like to do cross country flying with a glider....

Not yet, but they show good indications of progress.

At least as of SU9  they already obey somehow to theoretical principles of convective lift, although still far from the kind of thermal modelling we get in Condorsoaring or Silent Wings, specially under wind and shear, as IRL.

Edited June 28, 20223 yr by jcomm