"F.L. Whiteley" wrote in message ...
"soarski" wrote in message
om...
Thanks for all the responses. Had my first glide last weekend. It was
fabulous! You folks have an awesome sport here!

We went up in an ASK-21 to about 4,000 feet and took about 25 minutes
to get back down. It was a perfect day, about 65 degrees, not a cloud
in the sky, and 10-15 MPH winds. Almost no turbulence in the air. The
bumpiest part was bouncing across the grass runway for about 15
seconds before we took off. From up there was could see all the way to
the Chicago skyline, about 50 miles away. I got to pilot the glider
from shortly after release until we set up for our landing. It was a
little weird trying to use the rudder and control stick at the same
time. I would get a little out of synch and the nose would dip, but a
little movement on the stick and we were right back in place. The
ASK-21 is awazingly responsive and easy to handle. My apprehension
meleted away as soon as we got up a few hundred feet. I was surprised
(and relieved) at how safe I felt.

I can't wait to go up again, although this time I want to go much
higher. I see what you mean about getting hooked.

Congratulations T Man!

You lived through it. I was curious why you said and knew that it will
only be a gliding flight? The sport in the US is called "Soaring" and
normally I like to show people how that works, if the conditions are
right. This means that we
climb after we release the tow. Anticipating a flight in a sailplane
with a newcomer, I would wait till the weather is good for a soaring
flight.

Did you request just a gliding flight, did the pilot suggest it, or
did he know that the weather on the scheduled day would not be good
for Soaring?

BTW, it is a summer sport more or less, but one could learn most of it
in the winter with no Thermals, but towing even higher than 4000 ft,
would be strange.

Time to buy some books?


Soarski

In the Chicago area, soon all the gliders will go away until about April I
suspect. That's why Colorado is so nice, soaring potential all year round,
if you know where to look and show up.

Frank 'we never close' Whiteley



I waited a couple of days for good lift, and today I gave a ride of an
hr. and a lesson of two hrs. We went to 16500ft in thermal lift first
and then in weak wave lift. There were no lennies over Aspen but I saw
some east of the divide.
Will pack my glider away too, for the winter, since my airport gets
taken over by exe. Jets and lots of snow. Time to ski soon. Might
wisit Frank 'We never close Whiteley' sometime this winter and a
couple of beaches.

Soar ski