GLIDING INTERNATIONAL - NOVEMBER 2014 ISSUE

GLIDING INTERNATIONAL
ISSUE NOVEMBER 2014



Expect your copy of the magazine in your mail box late next week. The usual mix of great stories including :

• A horrific story – Our subscriber ordered a new sailplane and remitted €100,000. After four years, there was no sign of the sailplane (from a major manufacturer) nor his money, so he began the long process of getting his money back via the German courts who threatened the manufacturer with bankruptcy. After five years, he got his refund plus expenses, but herein lies a warning for potential buyers. The full story in detail.

• The authorative soaring journalist, Elk Fuglasang-Petersen (Germany) writes about the O.L.C. (On-Line Contest) in detail. A complete review of the 2014 scene which ended mid-September. The statistics are absorbing.

• Imagine - 23 billion Euros is to be spent on the Americans G.P.S. constellation for no financial rewards. Gliding correspondent extraordinaire, Rod Dew, has researched the project which is not only exceptionally well written and illustrated, but extremely interesting and educational. Worth reading!

• Two exceptional photos of what has happened in our playground (the sky above) during September.

• A report on stage two of the Pilot’s Bill of Rights, about to be voted on in the US Senate.

• A report on from the University of Southern Denmark about research on an alternate method of storing pilot oxygen. This is fascinating - tests proving ‘re-useable oxygen’ is a distinct possibility.

• Another possible use for a tow-plane (tongue in cheek). Air skiing on a surf board is something inventor, Aaron Wypyszynski, of Meridianville, Alabama deems to be possible. He calls it a ‘wing-board’.

• An Omarama pilot spends two weeks in the French Alps and flies almost every day. A well written report on the soaring possibilities in France and the unique location he chose to fly with the ‘Buzzards’ of that country. Supported by excellent photographs. The centre spread displays spectacular ‘Coral of the Skies’.

• Twenty two year old Luca Bertossio is a World Champion sailplane aerobatic pilot as well as being an airline pilot (in his spare time). He details his training methods, diet, and living habits during training for world events. An entertaining interview.

• A Guinness Book record flight from 96,000 feet. A model glider flies 132 klms after being released from a Balloon in an interesting US Airforce Academy experiment.


• We report on the history of gliding highest award, the Lilienthal Medal and its 63 recipients since 1938. A ‘Whose Who’ of world gliding.

• An indepth report on the 42nd Vintage Glider Club Rally, staged at Arnborg, Denmark, in August 2014. Francis Humblet writes about the Vintage Rally – the love of his life. One of the most interesting sailplanes was the Ka13 cut down to be an open cockpit two seater. An interesting project for any club looking for something different and inexpensive.

• The latest new electric motor-glider is the ‘Song 120’. This single seater will set you back only €38,000 which makes it the cheapest on the market. Details in this issue.

• Hungary is renown for the Rubik cube. The father of the cube’s creator, Ernő Rubik was Hungary’s most famous sailplane designer. We pen a story on the history of gliding in that country which is a remarkable location for cross country and wave soaring.

• The future of gliding in China is discussed in this issue, which details the design work of an entrepreneur called Tian Yu who leads China's efforts in glider manufacturing. Tian Yu is manufacturing a two seat side by side electric motor glider. The report claims that there are only 117 licensed glider pilots in China but the number is expected to increase substantially over the next few years.

• Accidents world wide since our last issue: 13 majors, no sailplanes involved in mid airs but two fatalities. All detailed in this issue.

• Plus 35 other stories that will educate and inform.

We hope you will join us.
JOHN ROAKE
EDITOR.

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