I have my new Sparrow Hawk

Patrick

Congratulations with your new plane, and thank you for sharing the first
flight experience with the NG.

Look forward to read more about it in the near future.
It seems the most important thing here, is all the rules&regulations BS, not
the fact that a fellow glider wants to share a nice experience with us!!

Anyway - happy landings.

Rene


"Patrick McLaughlin" skrev i en meddelelse
om...
I recived my Sparrow Hawk SN #10 just two weekends ago. I was the test
pilot for the virgin bird. After 2.5 Hrs. in light 'high-pressure day'
thermals in Central Oregon. All I needed to adjust was the rudder
peddle lenght. Greg Cole said I main a record for the most time aloft
with the least number of tows. @ tows and ~ 5.5 Hrs.

I was able to walk the glider out to the runway by mayself, at 155 lbs
& wheels, why not, hook-up and go. The tow, flight and landing is very
easy. Controls are very responsive and light, but not the least bit
twitchy. In otherwards, no over sensitive pitching as with many other
gliders.

I have been flying a Nimbus-II till the Sparrow hawk came around.
Although one is a mere 155 Lbs, while the other is well over 1,000
lbs. I found that transitining from one to the other was a non issue.
I have been flying powered aircraft and hang gliders sence 1972. It is
my honest openion that any one who has been flying moderate to high
performance flex wings and rigid wings will fell very much at home
with the Sparrow Hawk.

One would think that such a light glider would blow about like a paper
bag and have potentual penitration problems. Not so, Creg Cole has
designed airfoils specifically for this light weight application. What
with wing-loading similar to any other standard class glider it feels
very solid and secure, even in big air. Its like a solid high
performance sports car. I can thermal, much like my hang glider, as
tight as I desire, taking advantage of small light, scratchy thermals.
Many that I would simply pass up in many other sail planes. I hope to
travel about with it to many other sites.

Towing:
Our glider club said that as long as a Sparrow Hawk owner is a current
local club and SSA member, there will be no problems getting a tow and
have insurance cover the tow plane, but not the glider. We have a
Piper Pawnee. I am sure that the insurance situation will be the same
with many other clubs and comercial operations.

I will be flying my Sparrow Hawk glider much more real soon and hope
to answer any questions one may have.

"Jim Phoenix" wrote in message
...

Block A reads: "CATEGORY/PURPOSE Experimental"
"PURPOSE Operating Amateur-Built Aircraft (Glider)
Back to sanding wing tips now...

Jim

Jim,
At it again?
Or, still at it?
I thought you was through with all that sandin' stuff fo' a while.
Cheers!

There are a couple of answers to the insurance question
for Sparrowhawk like gliders and towplanes.

The simplest might be just to register as an Experimental,
in which case the problems just disappear.

Further, the Recreational Aircraft rule has not died;
it is very much alive, but under some delay. AOPA
has withdrawn it for some more work on it, according
to an FSDO presentation on it at the Wings Program
two nights ago.

His opinion there is that this new rule will change
lots of things in the industry and offer lots of ways
for people to make money.
If the projections for growth in this market are 50%
attainable, the insurance companies will take notice
and will very likely write new kinds of policies to
take advantage of it.

"Pete Reinhart" wrote in message At it again?
Or, still at it?
I thought you was through with all that sandin' stuff fo' a while.
Cheers!

Just re-finishing the 22.9m tips - something to do in the evenings
before I put myself to sleep reading rules. Not that I would use them
for anything. (the rules or the tips ;-)

Jim

I haven't looked it up but if I recall my definitions the FAA does not
consider an ultralight vehical to be an Aircraft. While It may meet
the definiation of a glider, if meets the definition of an ultralight
the FAA does not reconginize it as an aircraft and as a result it does
not need to be registered, Certified or require a Pilot Certificate to
fly it.

I do not recall any regulation concerning towing of ultralight
vehicals so It could be argued that as far as the regulations are
concerned there are no tow pilot requirements for towing ultralight
vehicals. As such a newly licensed recreational Pilot might be able to
Tow ultralight vehicals with no endorsements required. They would have
to be careful not to be receiving any compensation for doing so.

I contacted the Spokane FSDO and spoke to Chuck Roberts (800-341-2623)
about this. He did not think there was any problem towing ultralights,
providing they were compatible with the tow plane (Vne). The
definition of glider and aircraft does not include any mention of
certification, so an ultra-light is an aircraft and an ultra-light
glider is a glider per the FARs. He did allow that the FARs do refer
to ultra-lights as "vehicles" instead of aircraft. He said the purpose
here is to prevent ultra-lights from becoming entangled with other
FARs that cover "aircraft". Chuck said that if you want to get the
issue resolved you can write him (or any FSDO) a letter requesting a
clarification of the FARs. This would then be forwarded to FAA legal
who would (eventually) issue a ruling. Also, the tow plane operator
can request a waiver to tow ultra-lights, but the waiver would only be
valid for that particular tow plane.

As far as insurance goes, if the FARs allow it and it isn't
specifically excluded in the policy then you are covered.

Tom Seim
Richland, WA

As far as insurance goes, if the FARs allow it and it isn't
specifically excluded in the policy then you are covered.

A few times a year, my club has "encampments" to different sites for a
week or two at a time - just for a change in pace.

We would ferry some gliders to the new site (or back) two at a time
behind a tow plane (100nm+). We'd put one glider on a 200 foot rope in
high tow and off to one of side of the tow plane. The other glider would
be on a 300 foot rope in low tow and on the opposite side of the tow
plane. All pilots were very experienced and well briefed before the
flight and we never had the slightest problem.

We did this for years until a board member decided to check with the
insurance company. The reply was (in effect): if there's an accident
while performing the dual tow, we'd probably cover you, but would likely
decline to provide coverage the following year.

We don't do dual tows anymore. Bummer. It was kind of fun.

Tony V.

Tow whatever you want but don't justify it by making up regulations.
If your insurance company specifies certain requirements, then it is their
(and your) problem.
The CFRs you site say no such thing.

Allan

"BTIZ" wrote in message
news:kmgmc.12050$k24.5148@fed1read01...
then go tell my insurance company that I am wrong... if it doesn't have an
FAA document (certification) in the "aircraft" that says it's a "glider"..
I'm not towing it. It's an ultralight, and FAR91.311 says I can only tow
according to 91.309, and 91.309 says "glider", I can't tow ultralights.

we got the same answer Tony... even though dual tows was on the SSA handbook

BT

"Tony Verhulst" wrote in message
...

As far as insurance goes, if the FARs allow it and it isn't
specifically excluded in the policy then you are covered.

A few times a year, my club has "encampments" to different sites for a
week or two at a time - just for a change in pace.

We would ferry some gliders to the new site (or back) two at a time
behind a tow plane (100nm+). We'd put one glider on a 200 foot rope in
high tow and off to one of side of the tow plane. The other glider would
be on a 300 foot rope in low tow and on the opposite side of the tow
plane. All pilots were very experienced and well briefed before the
flight and we never had the slightest problem.

We did this for years until a board member decided to check with the
insurance company. The reply was (in effect): if there's an accident
while performing the dual tow, we'd probably cover you, but would likely
decline to provide coverage the following year.

We don't do dual tows anymore. Bummer. It was kind of fun.

Tony V.

-FAR 91.309 specifically says "glider"
-FAR 91.311 specifically says not to tow anything except as allowed by
91.309 unless you have a waiver
-FAR 103 makes no reference to a glider, but to an "un powered ultra light"
-A glider has rules for pilot certification and glider operations under
parts 61 and 91
-An unpowered ultralight is only governed by part 103 and has no pilot
certification requirements

Which is easier, for the tow plane and 8 tow pilots to get waivers under
91.311
or one sparrowhawk pilot to get an experimental certification. The standard
waiver under 91.311 is based on that pilot and that plane, not a blanket
waiver on the plane with any pilot, although I suppose it could be written
that way.

As for.. well, the local FSDO says,.. could you get that in writing please?
and I'll take it to our local FSDO for their interpretation.

BT

"Patrick McLaughlin" wrote in message
om...
I recived my Sparrow Hawk SN #10 just two weekends ago. I was the test
pilot for the virgin bird. After 2.5 Hrs. in light 'high-pressure day'
thermals in Central Oregon. All I needed to adjust was the rudder
peddle lenght. Greg Cole said I main a record for the most time aloft
with the least number of tows. @ tows and ~ 5.5 Hrs.

I was able to walk the glider out to the runway by mayself, at 155 lbs
& wheels, why not, hook-up and go. The tow, flight and landing is very
easy. Controls are very responsive and light, but not the least bit
twitchy. In otherwards, no over sensitive pitching as with many other
gliders.

I have been flying a Nimbus-II till the Sparrow hawk came around.
Although one is a mere 155 Lbs, while the other is well over 1,000
lbs. I found that transitining from one to the other was a non issue.
I have been flying powered aircraft and hang gliders sence 1972. It is
my honest openion that any one who has been flying moderate to high
performance flex wings and rigid wings will fell very much at home
with the Sparrow Hawk.

One would think that such a light glider would blow about like a paper
bag and have potentual penitration problems. Not so, Creg Cole has
designed airfoils specifically for this light weight application. What
with wing-loading similar to any other standard class glider it feels
very solid and secure, even in big air. Its like a solid high
performance sports car. I can thermal, much like my hang glider, as
tight as I desire, taking advantage of small light, scratchy thermals.
Many that I would simply pass up in many other sail planes. I hope to
travel about with it to many other sites.

Towing:
Our glider club said that as long as a Sparrow Hawk owner is a current
local club and SSA member, there will be no problems getting a tow and
have insurance cover the tow plane, but not the glider. We have a
Piper Pawnee. I am sure that the insurance situation will be the same
with many other clubs and comercial operations.

I will be flying my Sparrow Hawk glider much more real soon and hope
to answer any questions one may have.

I would like to congratulate Tom Seim for actually checking something out!