Overheard December 18, 2003, at the local gliderport... "A moment of silence everyone, for today we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the tow plane Curtis Clark

PEZ completes lesson one of soaring. All the other lessons will be posted tomorrow.

I'm in the market for a Scout, ( 8GBCB). Please e-mail me at if you know of one that is available. Sincerely, Mitchell Herold 303-947-7462

So some of you really don't think to highly of the Speed Astir. What then would be your recommendations for a first glider for a low time pilot training & soloing in a G103 II A? I need something under $20,000. that will keep me happy for a while. Thanks for your input! David

I'm visiting Austria from 26-12 to 03-01 in the Zell am See region. How are the conditions there during this period. Is there a place where it is possible to fly (ridge, wave ?). I know there is an airfield near Zell am See but I'm not sure if they are active is this period. Joeri. KAC - Belgium

I have heard pilots expressing their enthusiasm for 2 meter shortwave radios. (ie. clear channels, repeaters provide extended range, ability to make telephone calls) I would like to hear comments on specific models so Santa can make a certain little boy happy.

Cambridge 302 DDV in knots, 303, Aero 1550 with Cambridge mount, all cables, reserve battery for 302. $2500 Unit in Dallas, Texas

Just got off the phone with Tom. He and Doris have been on the road delivering sailplanes. Anyway, for those that are wondering (maybe he has a list that keeps most informed?) he is about to go crazy over the Zink calendars. He tells me they have been held in US Customs since about 1 December. ...

As received: ------------------ This e-mail goes to all the World Class enthusiasts in North America for whom I have an e-mail address, and to a few friends of the World Class over the World. Please forward to whomever you think may be interested. =======================

Does anyone know what the current status of the lighthawk ultralight glider project is? I know the initial flight test in 2002 went well. But I haven't heard anything since.

I know that stall speed, and min sink and best L/D and\ Va, all change with weight. But what about Vno? I have never heard of Vno changing with weight. I know it is predicated on a vertical gust of some amount (anywhere from 20-45 ft/sec depending on certifying rules). For now let's assume it's...

Anyone out there gotten theirs yet? If so, about how long ago? I am worried that the delivery service (did he send them Postal, or UPS?) might have eaten them. Steve Leonard

http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/feature/story/0,13026,1108853,00.html

I will be in Brisbane for the entire month of February and just a bit of March. Will the gliding still be any good or will it be too late in the season? Any suggestions on which club I should contact? I have previously flown with the Geelong Gliding Club while in Melbourne and with the Canberra...

I'm a Nimbus driver in Australia, but I just had this message sent through the chat email of my gliding club. www.ddsc.org.au Today 17/12/03 Jon Durand Jnr. Footlaunched from the gold coast hinterland sight " Beachmont" and flew 397kms. to Jackson, near Roma, flight time over 8 hrs. Jon was...

I am lucky having a dry barn to keep the trailer in winter, even so I use a heater for 3 or 4 weeks around this time of year. Is it true that many new trailers are double skinned and sealed to keep the inside dry ?. This is the opposite of conventional ventilated trailer thinking, does it...

Greetings! Summer has begun down under, and my first flight with an iPaq reminded me just how bad the reflections are in bright light . . . sooo hard to read, especially when wearing sunglasses. Were there any solutions that worked well for you Northerners this season?? I have noted a film from...

A boatbuilding friend set me on the right lines when he came to repair a glass fibre dinghy. Apparently the resin reinforced glass is porous and only the gellcoat is impervious, so if the gellcoat is cracked or damaged it will absorb moisture. He recommended thorough drying before refinishing. When...

I read recently that in 1996, the regulations were changed so that commercial balloon pilots (who used to be able to give instruction) could no longer do so. They were instead required to become balloon CFIs. As far as I know the only current reference to instruction given by non-CFI or ATPs is...

All Karl Striedieck and I will again be aboard twin DG-1000's (generously provided to us by the great folks at Seminole Soaring)for the Seniors Contest in March. As was done last year to great success and aclaim by those involved, we'll be offering pilots the chance to see a couple of aging...