On Dec 27, 6:14*pm, Brad wrote:
Hi Tony,

I learned to fly sailplanes in 1979. Trained in a 2-33, a Blanik and
occasionally in a Lark IS-28B2. Most of my training was in the 2-33. I
loved it. I had several instructors but my favorite was an old guy
named Stan. He was firm and fair and rode me hard when needed. The
2-33 was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I didn't like the
Blanik and the Lark seemed like somthing only astronauts would be able
to fly. But...........along with the 2-33, the little 1-26 was there
and I knew one day I would fly that ship. R.A.S. did not exist back
then, so I didn't know that the 2-33 sucked, and the 1-26 was just a
piece of tin, so it was in total ignorance when, as a student, I took
the 2-33 up to cloudbase and flew it all the way from Issaquah to
Marymore Park and back, under a 4500' cloudstreet. She seemed eager
and up to the task, and I was dumb enough to go for it. Later I got to
fly the 1-26. I flew it many times up on Tiger Mountain, the most
memorable flight was in strong south winds and strong ridge lift. I
was hooked.

Ignorance truly is bliss. One of our clubs most enthusiastic members
trained exclusively in our old beat up 2-22 as he's too tall for the
blanik. He is looking forward to doing some cross country this
spring. Hell, my legally blind grandma can't wait to fly cross
country with me this spring in the 22. One of Matt's first cross
country flights was in our 2-22 or 2-33 under a booming cloud street,
nearly a 20 mile out and return, with a passenger! do NOT tell us
that "it cannot be done"!!

Occasionally the guys with the ASW-15's would show up at the field and
I felt I was in the presence of greatness, and badly wanted to fly one
of those someday, but that never tarnished my opinions of those 2
metal birds that gave me so much fun.

Fast forward............I became a hang glider pilot. Advancing
quickly to my advanced rating with all the special check-offs, even
got my winch rating. Some of my favorite flights were drifting at low
level in light ridge lift, just above the trees and feeling every tiny
breeze. Landing in peoples back yards became common place, and I never
feared "going for it"

Today, I fly an Apis-13 that I built from a kit. It gets maybe 35:1.
Like your Cherokee, it can effortlessley drift at low altitudes and if
I need to put her in a small field, I can land in less than 200'. I
can also center a thermal at 200' and continue with the flight.

i dont feel i can safely thermal out that low, but I have done many
cross countries drifting along. most of these never got me more than
20 or 30 miles from home but shoot it was fun. Doing this kind of
thing in the middle of summer when corn is 8 feet tall required me to
'tip toe through the tulips' and being able to land in tiny pastures
defintely was a good thing!


I am a proponent of this kind of flying, and of gliders that can do
this kind of flying. It is not for everybody, and the guys with the
heavier wing loadings blow by me everytime, but for me..............a
"light" ship that handles well, is easy to rig, easy to fly and climbs
like an eagle is my cup of tea.

Might there be some more folks that like that kind of flying out
there?

Brad
199AK

Brad - I think that if we can get the cost down to what I managed to
pull off on the Cherokee (under 5000 for the glider and trailer) they
will be pouring out of the woodwork. Can't wait to see you in
Albuquerque, I think we're going to get along just fine