300lb (130kg) pilot

On Sun, 08 Mar 2015 16:16:14 -0700, son_of_flubber wrote:

You also have to get yourself into and (even harder) OUT of the glider.
This can be a problem for people that are well under the placarded
weight limit. Many pilots bring one knee up to their chests, then push
up with one leg and two arms. If you're big and the console is fixed,
then your knee will probably not clear the bottom edge of the console.
Without the leg up, you'd have to use your arms. Might be possible if
you're a body builder. How many 'dips' can you do?

Well put. I'm not particularly strong, but find that if I can put my
hands on the cockpit rim and push myself and the 5kg parachute I'm
wearing straight up high enough to get my legs out from under the panel
over the rim, then getting out is easy.

That works fine for me in my Libelle, the club's SZD Juniors, Puchacz,
ASK-21s and G103, but getting out of a Duo Discus, which has a relatively
higher cockpit rim relative to the seat, is a lot harder.

Bottom line: if you can't do at least ten push-ups you may find you'll
struggle getting out of the cockpit, and later, when you are qualified
and want to buy a glider, you may have problems rigging your new toy:
wings are heavier than you may think.


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |