Hidden costs of ethenol

"Blueskies" wrote in message
. net...

"Bill Daniels" bildan@comcast-dot-net wrote in message
. ..
1. I had a guy walk up to me at the glider field and say, "I just put
$300 worth of fuel in my C-182". "What does it cost to be a glider
pilot?" (A whole lot less, I told him)

2. I bought an old motorcycle that can replace 75% of my driving. It
gets 55 MPG city driving.

3. I'm strongly advocating winch launch for gliders. ($5 launch = 5 hour
flight)

Obviously, gliders aren't an option if you need A to B transportation.
But, if you just fly for fun, gliders are a lot of fun for a lot less
money.

Bill Daniels



5 hour glider flight off a $5 winch launch? Where are you and how long is
the winch line?


A winch will launch a glider to about half the length of the winch line.
The winch launch gets you high enough to catch thermals. Then, in the
western US, you soar to 18,000. 5 hours can be conservative. Some flights
last over 10 hours.

In Germany, they are winch launching gliders almost a mile straight up so
they can practice aerobatics.
Beside being cheap, winch launches are a hoot. Think zero to sixty in less
than 3 seconds and then a 45 degree climb at 3000 - 5000 FPM.

If you want video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbRBiPuTjYQ (Somewhat
nervious passerger.)
Girlfriend gets a ride: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wttC39IZ9P4
and: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wttC39IZ9P4

I'm not German nor do I speak it - they just make the best videos.

Bill Daniels

"Bill Daniels" bildan@comcast-dot-net wrote in message . ..

5 hour glider flight off a $5 winch launch? Where are you and how long is the winch line?


A winch will launch a glider to about half the length of the winch line. The winch launch gets you high enough to
catch thermals. Then, in the western US, you soar to 18,000. 5 hours can be conservative. Some flights last over 10
hours.

In Germany, they are winch launching gliders almost a mile straight up so they can practice aerobatics.
Beside being cheap, winch launches are a hoot. Think zero to sixty in less than 3 seconds and then a 45 degree climb
at 3000 - 5000 FPM.

If you want video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbRBiPuTjYQ (Somewhat nervious passerger.)
Girlfriend gets a ride: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wttC39IZ9P4
and: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wttC39IZ9P4

I'm not German nor do I speak it - they just make the best videos.

Bill Daniels


I know Torry Pines will (or used to) launch you right over the cliffs so you could ridge soar, but I am now in MI, and
it would take a pretty long winch to get high enough to fly around for 5 hours...

"Blueskies" wrote in message
et...

"Bill Daniels" bildan@comcast-dot-net wrote in message
. ..

5 hour glider flight off a $5 winch launch? Where are you and how long
is the winch line?


A winch will launch a glider to about half the length of the winch line.
The winch launch gets you high enough to catch thermals. Then, in the
western US, you soar to 18,000. 5 hours can be conservative. Some
flights last over 10 hours.

In Germany, they are winch launching gliders almost a mile straight up so
they can practice aerobatics.
Beside being cheap, winch launches are a hoot. Think zero to sixty in
less than 3 seconds and then a 45 degree climb at 3000 - 5000 FPM.

If you want video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbRBiPuTjYQ (Somewhat
nervious passerger.)
Girlfriend gets a ride: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wttC39IZ9P4
and: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wttC39IZ9P4

I'm not German nor do I speak it - they just make the best videos.

Bill Daniels


I know Torry Pines will (or used to) launch you right over the cliffs so
you could ridge soar, but I am now in MI, and it would take a pretty long
winch to get high enough to fly around for 5 hours...


Torrey Pines still operates a few weekends in the Spring.

Michigan would be tough. However, I'm told there are thermals there -
sometimes good ones. Today, most winch operations soar with thermals and
not ridge lift although nobody would turn down ridge lift. Once you contact
thermal lift, you can usually count on several hours of flight.

From looking at several aero tow operations, most tows are to less then 2500
feet AGL. Winches can easilly match that at much lower cost.

Bill Daniels

On Fri, 29 Jun 2007 00:18:07 GMT, "Blueskies"
wrote:


"Bill Daniels" bildan@comcast-dot-net wrote in message . ..

5 hour glider flight off a $5 winch launch? Where are you and how long is the winch line?


A winch will launch a glider to about half the length of the winch line. The winch launch gets you high enough to
catch thermals. Then, in the western US, you soar to 18,000. 5 hours can be conservative. Some flights last over 10
hours.

In Germany, they are winch launching gliders almost a mile straight up so they can practice aerobatics.
Beside being cheap, winch launches are a hoot. Think zero to sixty in less than 3 seconds and then a 45 degree climb
at 3000 - 5000 FPM.

If you want video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbRBiPuTjYQ (Somewhat nervious passerger.)
Girlfriend gets a ride: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wttC39IZ9P4
and: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wttC39IZ9P4

I'm not German nor do I speak it - they just make the best videos.

Bill Daniels


I know Torry Pines will (or used to) launch you right over the cliffs so you could ridge soar, but I am now in MI, and
it would take a pretty long winch to get high enough to fly around for 5 hours...

You just need the proper day.

Go take a look at the land around MPL. It's flat for miles. They used
a truck tow to launch two hand gliders that stayed alonft for
something like 10 hours and as I recall they landed some where over in
central Ontario. A week ago at 3BS we launched a sail plane (tow to
1000 feet, but 500 would have been suficient) he was up for about 45
minutes, but could have stayed up all afternoon.

Not only that, but you get Black's Beach at no additional cost.

Jim

--
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in
a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside,
thoroughly used up, totally worn out, with chocolate in one hand and wine in
the other, loudly proclaiming 'WOO HOO What a Ride!'"
--Unknown



Blueskies" wrote in message
et...

I know Torry Pines will (or used to) launch you right over the cliffs so
you could ridge soar, but I am now in MI, and it would take a pretty long
winch to get high enough to fly around for 5 hours...

RST Engineering wrote:

Not only that, but you get Black's Beach at no additional cost.

Jim


Big Grin

You got that right, Jim!

"RST Engineering" wrote in message ...
Not only that, but you get Black's Beach at no additional cost.

Jim

--


How could I forget about that?