I heard no instruction about what to do if you lose sight of the tow plane. THIS SHOULD BE PART OF EVERY INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT BEFORE THE TOW STARTS. If you lose sight of the tow plane YOU RELEASE IMMEDIATELY.
This video of an actual intro glider flight is the MOST IMMERSIVE video I've EVER watched on RU-vid! I would LOVE to take a REAL intro glider flight SOMEDAY...before I pass on. I've always dreamed of flying a glider/sailplane since I was a child, and now, here's yet ANOTHER item to add to my EVER-GROWING "bucket list"! Thank you, and GOD BLESS! :-)
I guess I just don't understand gliders. Looks fun, but on the same level of buying a bicycle with no chain or pedals, and paying someone with a real bike to pull you up a large hill so you can coast down. I'd just want a real bike.
Unfortunately I could not understand anything at first due to the low frequency humming. Edit: Correction, I also could not understand anything later because the noise was too loud.
I just want to be able to feel out/sense the thermals/ find the areas on the ground & in the air that will provide my craft the lift to keep me aloft & give me a nice long ride for however long I want to sail i them... That's what I want!...
Very informative instructional video. I’ve got to go up on an introduction flight . Last two weekends the instructor was too busy. The third time is the charm, I hope.
It,s the same in car driving. The steering wheel must be handeled gentley in higher speeds. When the Glider is operating in thermal it will be flowen in lower speeds. Than the stick has to moved more to bring the glider in bank and holding its nose at the horizon . You has no reason to be arfait to oversteer the plane. When the glider is fast , you need more force to move the stick. In landing sometimes you need full movementrange of the controls.
Gliding seems like sailing in the sky. I sailed fast dinghies for a lot of years and I 'm now at an age where the physicality of it is too much. I'd like to try gliding now. My grandfather was a pilot and my Dad glided and sailed. I think I would enjoy it. There's a gliding centre very close to me so it's a shoe in. I'm gonna do this. Luv and Peace.
I wondered that too. Im a student glider pilot and I've learnt that the wheels of the towplane should line up with the horizon , but it this case they seemed to be way lower than that. I don't know why tho..?
I read on Chapter 12 of FAA Gliding Handbook (FAA-H-8083-13A) that there are two acceptable tow positions for the glider: "High tow position", at the same altitude, or, "Low tow position", just below the tow plane wake. Discussing this matter together with other pilots at the club, I arrived at the conclusion that maybe, flying at a lower altitude can help to reduce induced drag, mostly on the towing plane, resulting in a higher vertical speed or a lower fuel consumption. This is because the downforce required to compensate the wing pitching moment will then be (in part, at least) be provided by the vertical component of tow rope tension.
In Australia we transition to low tow at around 300ft above ground for the reason that if we come into a powerful thermal the glider will climb quickly, faster than the tug, and if you are in high tow you could quickly lift the tail of the tug which forces the tug into a descent, which makes the problem worse, and it can be fatal for the tug.
I admire instructors who can talk through the manoevres etc. logically and sequentially, at the same time doing it themselves. Great video and great teaching of the student/passenger.
Yes and there is a reason for that. You can't taxi off a runway like you can with a power plane. You have to get out and drag it. So at an airport with both glider and power operations the glider will operate parallel to the paved runway and power planes will operate on the paved runway. You will notice he also took off from the grass.
Believe it or not in the US some people have they're pilots license with Parkinson's, I think it like 12 or so have a class one medical certificate which would medically allow them to fly for an airline.
Yes, I thought exactly the same thing. There are so many pilots, including advanced ones, who are constantly twitching on the stick on the smoothest of days and it just wastes energy. Easy habit to break if picked up early.
