Dennis Wright - Cross Country Pilot

In message , Alistair
Wright writes
Congrats to Dennis for earning his badge in the way the original founders of
gliding intended. Though long retired from the sport I can well understand
how Dennis must feel. I did my five hours in smoky thermals over
Stoke-on-Trent (UK), my height off a very low launch at Sutton Bank in
Yorkshire both of those in an old wooden Olympia 2. Distance was in a Ka8
from Dunstable. It took fourteen years all told because I was instructing
within a year of going solo and could never get into a single seater. In my
view all sports are going the same way -- high performance equipment being
used against the old low performance goals. I guess the Silver distance
should be at least 150Km to level the playing field.

Or done in a T31 :-)

Robin
Alistair Wright
UK Silver 4769



--
Robin Birch

"Robin Birch" wrote in message
...
In message , Alistair
Wright writes
Congrats to Dennis for earning his badge in the way the original founders
of
gliding intended. Though long retired from the sport I can well
understand
how Dennis must feel. I did my five hours in smoky thermals over
Stoke-on-Trent (UK), my height off a very low launch at Sutton Bank in
Yorkshire both of those in an old wooden Olympia 2. Distance was in a Ka8
from Dunstable. It took fourteen years all told because I was instructing
within a year of going solo and could never get into a single seater. In
my
view all sports are going the same way -- high performance equipment being
used against the old low performance goals. I guess the Silver distance
should be at least 150Km to level the playing field.

Or done in a T31 :-)

Robin

That's a bit harsh! I did know a guy who did it in a T21b though. The cross
country was always the challenge in the UK in the 60s -- there were some
quite competent aircraft around but most of us did not own or get to fly
them. I scored the 1971 Nationals at Husbands Bosworth and setting a 300k
O/R was a big deal -- and only a few got round. Plastic hadn't been
invented and everybody flew wooden ships. We got a lot of outlanding
practice in those days.

Alistair Wright

Hi, I wonder then if we need to review the Silver distance?

When I went solo in Cyprus in 1971 in my trusty T21, it would have been
relatively
easy to do a 50k. The thermals were/are so good my 10th solo flight was to
7000' and nearly 3 hours (shorts and tee shirt in an open cockpit - great!)

The same task in the UK with cloud base 2 to 3000 feet lower, and much
weaker thermals is a different job all together!

So what do we say, glide angle below 1:30 = 50k, 1:40 = 75k,
1:40 = 150k ?

And add 50% for distances in hot countries with BIG thermals?

Malcolm...


"Alistair Wright" wrote in message
...

"Robin Birch" wrote in message
...
In message , Alistair
Wright writes
Congrats to Dennis for earning his badge in the way the original founders
of
gliding intended. Though long retired from the sport I can well
understand
how Dennis must feel. I did my five hours in smoky thermals over
Stoke-on-Trent (UK), my height off a very low launch at Sutton Bank in
Yorkshire both of those in an old wooden Olympia 2. Distance was in a
Ka8
from Dunstable. It took fourteen years all told because I was
instructing
within a year of going solo and could never get into a single seater. In
my
view all sports are going the same way -- high performance equipment
being
used against the old low performance goals. I guess the Silver distance
should be at least 150Km to level the playing field.

Or done in a T31 :-)

Robin

That's a bit harsh! I did know a guy who did it in a T21b though. The
cross country was always the challenge in the UK in the 60s -- there were
some quite competent aircraft around but most of us did not own or get to
fly them. I scored the 1971 Nationals at Husbands Bosworth and setting a
300k O/R was a big deal -- and only a few got round. Plastic hadn't been
invented and everybody flew wooden ships. We got a lot of outlanding
practice in those days.

Alistair Wright

"Robin Birch" wrote
Or done in a T31 :-)

Sure. You offering to lend me yours, Robin? I promise not to scratch
that lovely silver paint-work

--
Bill Gribble
http://www.scapegoatsanon.demon.co.uk
- Learn from the mistakes of others.
- You won't live long enough to make all of them yourself.