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300lb (130kg) pilot



 
 
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  #21  
Old March 9th 15, 07:56 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
son_of_flubber
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Default 300lb (130kg) pilot

On Sunday, March 8, 2015 at 8:34:01 PM UTC-4, Bruce Hoult wrote:

I've never been 300 lb, but I've been 285. ... I've never had any problem getting in or out of gliders, whether it be the back seat of the DG1000 or a PW5 or Libelle.


But the maximum pilot weight for the PW-5 is 242 lbs.. At 285 you'd be 43 pounds over allowable load. I guess that you're not concerned about overloading the glider.
  #22  
Old March 10th 15, 02:29 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Bruce Hoult
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Default 300lb (130kg) pilot

On Tuesday, March 10, 2015 at 7:56:12 AM UTC+13, son_of_flubber wrote:
On Sunday, March 8, 2015 at 8:34:01 PM UTC-4, Bruce Hoult wrote:

I've never been 300 lb, but I've been 285. ... I've never had any problem getting in or out of gliders, whether it be the back seat of the DG1000 or a PW5 or Libelle.


But the maximum pilot weight for the PW-5 is 242 lbs.. At 285 you'd be 43 pounds over allowable load. I guess that you're not concerned about overloading the glider.


The PW-5 and every other glider listed.

And, no, I'm not concerned about 6.5% more than placarded max gross if I'm not going to do aerobatics or fly along a bumpy ridge line at Vne.
  #23  
Old March 10th 15, 09:48 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Tango Whisky
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Default 300lb (130kg) pilot

Once you have a pilot's licence, you may do whatever you want (btw, vne is not affected by exceeding masses...).
The problem comes before having the licence - at some point the student pilot needs to go solo, and if he exceeds the max load in the seat, or maximum payload, or CofG range, he needs a really dumb FI to send him off. I for my part have told prospective student pilots in such cases that there is no way.

On the max seat load, the Calif A21S doesn't have any limitations. There is just a maximum load in the cockpit which is in the range 180-200kg. I've flown it with quite massive passengers, and space is not a problem (the controls on the center console are a bit forward).

TW
  #24  
Old March 10th 15, 10:10 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Chris Rollings[_2_]
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Default 300lb (130kg) pilot

The 242lb/110kg maximum cockpit load started out as the JAR22 airworthiness
requirement for a type certificate. The glider, when it came off the
production line had to ahve a minimum cockpit load, with basic instruments
fitted, of not more than 70kg/154lbs and a maximum of not less than
110kg/242lbs. The manufacturers specification and the type certificate
would specify a maximum weight of non-lifting surfaces and forward and aft
C of G limits. These usually resulted in max and min cockpit loads
comfortably in excess of the requirements. The individual aircraft could
then be weighed and placarded with the actual loads permitted. Some long
time ago the manufacturers got lazy and started placarding all of the
gliders with 70kg min, 110kg max when they left the factory. We used to
re-weigh them when they arrived in the UK and placard the real figures,
usually considerably more generous.

At 01:29 10 March 2015, Bruce Hoult wrote:
On Tuesday, March 10, 2015 at 7:56:12 AM UTC+13, son_of_flubber wrote:
On Sunday, March 8, 2015 at 8:34:01 PM UTC-4, Bruce Hoult wrote:

I've never been 300 lb, but I've been 285. ... I've never had any

problem getting in or out of gliders, whether it be the back seat of the
DG1000 or a PW5 or Libelle.

But the maximum pilot weight for the PW-5 is 242 lbs.. At 285 you'd be

43
pounds over allowable load. I guess that you're not concerned about
overloading the glider.

The PW-5 and every other glider listed.

And, no, I'm not concerned about 6.5% more than placarded max gross if

I'm
not going to do aerobatics or fly along a bumpy ridge line at Vne.


  #25  
Old March 10th 15, 02:13 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Bruce Hoult
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Default 300lb (130kg) pilot

On Tuesday, March 10, 2015 at 9:48:20 PM UTC+13, Tango Whisky wrote:
Once you have a pilot's licence, you may do whatever you want (btw, vne is not affected by exceeding masses...).


No, but rough air speed and manoeuvring speed are.
  #26  
Old March 10th 15, 02:46 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
[email protected]
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Default 300lb (130kg) pilot

That Calif glider seems massive. I'm curious about the head clearance with the canopy closed though. Quite aesthetically pleasing.

To everyone,
I'd like to thank you all one more time. There's a great amount of information in this thread for all the 3X sized people interested in taking up soaring.

Honest to god I couldn't care less about the seat restriction if it was my bird.
The reality of it as of now is that the vast majority of operators wouldn't dare to risk such a liability, at least in the US, and that is completely understandable.

Still, I did find people greatly interested in getting me up in the air, and that I could do, on the 2-33 atleast, however, I'd still be left hanging because we wouldn't be able to find a DPE light enough for the checkride. For that to happen, I'd have to drop to 260lb.

In conclusion, I'd have to drop 30 pounds, get the rating, and I'd still be limited to flying the 2-33, unless I bought my own bird, which is not likely to happen with my limited budget.

I'm certain that I'll revisit this topic again later on, but for now, the practicality of it is slim.

I'm currently looking into shared ownership of a barebone citabria/decathlon or alike (no electrical, hand prop) as suggested earlier in this thread. I'd be able to have fun doing gentleman's aerobatics for the purposes of gaining stick/rudder and tailwheel proficiency as well as build the time for the CSEL.

You all have a great week !
  #27  
Old March 10th 15, 04:23 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Tango Whisky
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Default 300lb (130kg) pilot

Le mardi 10 mars 2015 14:47:01 UTC+1, a écrit*:
That Calif glider seems massive. I'm curious about the head clearance with the canopy closed though. Quite aesthetically pleasing.


I've owned a Calif for some years, done about 600h with it in the Alps. Performance (climb & glide) is absolutely the same as a Janus C, ailerons... could do with some improvement ;-) Very docile and pleasant to fly, great airbrake system for steep approaches (I once had to land in a 100 m field, trees ant the end).
Lots of space in the cockpit, no worries with headspace even for 2 m people..
  #28  
Old March 10th 15, 10:48 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
J. Nieuwenhuize
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Default 300lb (130kg) pilot

Check out Bob's HP24 homebuilts. Price/performance range is great and beefing up the spar a bit (max cockpit load is at the 300lbs point AFAIK) might not be too much of an issue.
  #29  
Old March 10th 15, 11:08 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Dan Daly[_2_]
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Posts: 718
Default 300lb (130kg) pilot

On Tuesday, March 10, 2015 at 5:48:14 PM UTC-4, J. Nieuwenhuize wrote:
Check out Bob's HP24 homebuilts. Price/performance range is great and beefing up the spar a bit (max cockpit load is at the 300lbs point AFAIK) might not be too much of an issue.


Good point - spec sheet says it can accommodate a 6'6" 300 lb pilot in 15m mode. See https://www.facebook.com/pages/HP-24...t/200931354951 or website at http://www.hpaircraft.com/hp-24/
  #30  
Old March 11th 15, 06:39 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
2G
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Default 300lb (130kg) pilot

On Friday, March 6, 2015 at 9:33:56 PM UTC-7, wrote:
Hello everybody, I'm a instrument rated private pilot with 120 hours TT, all single engine piston A/C.

I've been meaning to get a glider rating for a long time, mainly because I want to learn soaring and possibly do some light aerobatics on the cheap.

However I've been steered away several times due to the lack of options of gliders that would accomodate my size, height and weight.
I'm 300lbs, 6'3", tall, fat, big, with VERY wide shoulders.

I did contact most soaring schools and clubs here in the SE (FL,AL,GA). My options were limited to Schweizer's 2-33 / 32 if I'm not mistaken.
One of the clubs agreed to take me up, but if I recall correctly they wouldn't have an examiner light enough to stay within W&B for the checkride.

Assuming I manage to get the rating somehow in one of the Schweizer's, what would be my options if I were in the market for a single seat sailplane with respectable performance for light aerobatics ?
Again, I'm 300lbs, 6'3", tall, fat, big, with VERY wide shoulders.
Budget is 20K.

On a side note, how feasible would be for 'this' pilot to get a towing job ?
Fresh CSEL 250 hours
Multi, Instrument, Glider, AG ratings
Tailwheel and 20 hours of pawnee.

If you didn't get the picture yet;
I'd pretty much like to soar, loop, spin and roll for fun while sharpening stick and rudder skills without an engine to worry about (cheap), and build tailwheel time while applying for spray jobs.


I think that the larger issue here (no pun intended) is not what glider you will fit in (not many!) but how long you will live. You are morbidly obese and it WILL shorten your life span. Lose the weight, NOW! If you cut 500 calories per day from your current diet you will lose a pound a week (50 lbs per year). This assumes that your current weight has stabilized. If not, you will have to cut more out of your diet. But you probably already know this...

Tom
 




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