I'm scheduled to Solo this weekend (yipeee!) and am thinking about whats next. Plan was to train at a FBO then join a club. Question is when to transition? I know theres going to be more lessons before I take the FAA license test. FBO advantage is familiar aircraft, airfield, soaring conditions,...

In addition to AGCSC, there is a winch at Twentynine Palms, and one run by the CAP somewhere around LA. That makes at least three known winches operating in California.

Lippmann in Germany reports a winch launch to 950 meters (3100'). http://www.lippmann.de/hoistline.htm Has anyone heard of a higher launch? Bill Daniels

I have an EDS on order and have been reading the manual available from their web site. It says "USE 9V ALKALINE BATTERY ONLY" in caps for emphasis. They then go on to say that you can also use and external battery of any type you choose. OK, so what would be wrong with using a 9V lithium smoke...

Hi All Like to install a relief tube system in my ASW-27 and looking for some ideas. Ken (KP)

Following the thread on landing with one spoiler, I wonder what proportion of landing accidents result from mechanical failure or jamming of primary flight controls and spoilers/dive brakes. I personally know of a couple of failures - one spoiler handle sheared off as the pilot did his pre-landing...

http://www.lange-flugzeugbau.de/english/menu/menu-akt.htm Wow I would like one for Christmas Mal

Current women's world gliding champion Mette Pedersen of Denmark, will take on the might of the world's top male pilots as the sole female contestant in the New Zealand Gliding Grand Prix in Omarama from 21-27 January. This is the first time a female has competed directly against men at this high...

From the latest electronic SSA Newsletter: "...our 2005 member number is...12,740 members, up from 12,434 in 2004, which was up from 12,122 at the end of 2003." Jack

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen of gliding, Please consider carefully. What is our nature? Individual; or care from cradle to the grave? Equipment should be pilot's choice, with pilot weighing risks and outcome potentials. Further, if pilot does not return from a gliding flight let the contest...

Hi, I'm sorry about this being the 3rd commercial post I've done in the last day or so. I tend to do them in spurts... I promise to slow down after this one. Being a US dealer for StrePla and pocket*StrePla and a member of Team StrePla I have found that many customers are impressed with the...

Posted this to the discussion on spinning Blaniks from a coordinated turning stall. November 9, 2003 Turning Stalls and Insipient Spins As promised, apropos to this discussion on spin entry from coordinated turning stalls, I took a tow this morning to 5000 feet agl and performed a series of...

There are lots of excellent gliding club websites and most of them give an indication of the rates for flying. It struck me that the Goldfields Gliding Club must have the cheapest rates currently anywhere in the world. Entry fee is about $14, annual membership is around $60, a winch launch costs...

I would like like comment on whether it is a good idea to use a Continental powered C182 as a tow ship that would be mainly used to tow the Schweizer 2-33 at sea level airports. I content that the tow speed would not be comfortable for a 2-33 and that overheating of the continental engine would be...

Have received a letter from the tax assessor requesting location and value info on my glider for the purpose of property tax assessment. I am curious, why now? Since I have owned the glider almost 5 years already, I wonder if it took that long for the County/State to catch up on the paperwork. The...

Be ready for the worst: I totaled my ASW-28 last summer. The next day while I was "out of it" in the hospital, the Feds (FAA-FISDO not the NTSB {because I didn't get killed I guess}) inspected the damaged glider and removed all paperwork and my smashed PDA. A few weeks later they returned all by...

Hello! Can someone tell me which compensated varios do not need a total energy probe? (no electronic compensation) Thanks a lot! Robert

I'm going to watch my parachute get repacked this evening. The local Master Rigger is teaching a rigging class and I'm invited to watch him repack my 'chute in front of the class. Can I ask him any questions for r.a.s.? Bill Daniels

BlankThanks to all who have replied to my previous messages. I admit I may not have been clear in why I am asking for feedback/information on flight testing of oxygen delivery systems. Apologies. Let me explain and ask for HELPFUL feedback. My concern is with the lack of scientifically-valid...

A thought came to me the other day... Now, I have never seen a bi-wing glider, but was thinking, could a bi-wing glider of, say 15m wingspan, effectively have 30m performace? This is probably a stupid uneducated question, and I would imagine that it hasnt been done because it wouldnt work! But...