ID's behind the gear doors would be beneficial for
the fiberglass furball situations, but I would definitely
keep the BIG LETTERS under the wing.

Since I gave up on trying to make the time match with
suitable weather for painting my numbers, I 'cheaped
out' and went for the 'simple' stick-on vinyls. Boy,
did I screw those up. Boy, are there a lot of corners
on the letter 'W' and those corners makes it hard for
one with ten thumbs and no guidance!

My ID is 'W8'.

For unknown reason, I started with the 'W' on the left
side of the fin. So, the 'W' was placed with much
cussing due to wrinkles (isn't that what the 'W' stands
for?). Next came the '8' which went on the left side
of the rudder.

That disaster completed, I moved to the right side.
Hmm, I started with the 'W' on the fin on the left
side, I'll start with the 'W' on the fin on the right.

For a moment there, I was thinking of being 'W8' for
those to my port side and '8W' for those on my starboard...

Is there a book yet entitled 'Gliders and Gliding for
Idiots'???

Ray Lovinggood
Carrboro, North Carolina, USA
LS-1d 'W8'

At 23:48 29 September 2003, Ken Kochanski wrote:
I can remember how enjoyable it was to paint my wing
numbers on my first 15
ship. It was kind of a right of passage.

Taking them off and repainting again was not so much
fun ... for as we all
know, the letters have to be right side up when you
viewed from the ground
as you approach the gate i.e. the top of letter should
be along leading
edge. At least I didn't have letters on both wings
as Gleb did in The
Sunship Game. :-))

Since we don't need 2- 3 foot letters for ground viewing,
how about allowing
6' letters behind the gear doors for thermal/gaggle
identification. (BTW,
I have actually been in thermals so crowded, I could
not see the wing
numbers of the glider above and just outside me ...
because his fuse was in
the way. I could see his gear doors ... and hinge
rivets ...real fine,
though.)

KK
--
Ken Kochanski