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Soaring

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RayDunzl

RayDunzl

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What good gliding clouds look like from the ground.

Nice round flat gray bottomed puffies, a couple of miles apart, lining up in rows like in the center.

A couple of hours later they all coalesced and made a big thunderstorm.

That little wisp of white in the top center is probably going to make a new one in a few minutes. A rising bubble of air has just reached the condensation altitude.

1653996948450.png




Somebody's Cumulus time Lapse, 30 minutes condensed into one minute.

Watch the clear space on the left.


 

olderman

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What good gliding clouds look like from the ground.

Nice round flat gray bottomed puffies, a couple of miles apart, lining up in rows like in the center.

A couple of hours later they all coalesced and made a big thunderstorm.

That little wisp of white in the top center is probably going to make a new one in a few minutes. A rising bubble of air has just reached the condensation altitude.

View attachment 210030



Somebody's Cumulus time Lapse, 30 minutes condensed into one minute.

Watch the clear space on the left.


I'm flashing on the opening of The Simpsons.
 
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RayDunzl

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I'm flashing on the opening of The Simpsons.

I yell at the clouds, of course.

Wednesday gave that opportunity, as showers developed, and hit the airport, then I was on the wrong side of the rain as it blew, and blew me, farther west.

Thought I found a hole between some to get back near the field, but the "clear" space had rain and sink, both of which are detrimental to the glide ratio, and ended up landing, unable to find some lift on the airport side, and having lost most of my altitude getting there.

1654189105993.png



It didn't look like that nearby when I took off an hour earlier. Light rain on the left. Sunshine ahead. More rain on the right.

Good lift under there on the western edge, but Cloud Base not very high at 3600 feet.
 

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Nice to read about some gliding activities :)
A picture of me (to the left) from 2005, Pre World Gliding Championship in Sweden with my Genesis 2. Sold it 2008? Only one in Europe. Flew it for some 800 hours.
Someday I might take up gliding...
MM.JPG
 
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RayDunzl

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Someday I might take up gliding...

Seems like you did.

Time for round 2?


Genesis 2 - a somewhat unusual design.

There was one at the Seminole Lake Gliderport near here. I didn't know they existed.

Saw it while spectating the launch of the 60 glider fleet at the Senior Nationals last year.

1654205314252.png
 
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RayDunzl

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Some Club Members are in Cordele, Georgia (USA) this week (and next week)

This week was "Cross Country Camp" where they learn/practice distance flying.

Next week a Regional Contest.

There's a Father and Son in the group. Dad flies an Airbus, son got his license on his 16th birthday a couple of months ago.

Dad "landed out" in the club's LS4.

I would guess that is a Peanut farm

1654205999999.png


Son completed a 300km/186mile practice flight.

1654206184390.png


I'm not so brave, yet.

No motor? No problem...
 
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RayDunzl

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Another shorter flight testerday. An hour and twelve minutes, remaining fairly close of the airport.

Chased another pilot around for a while. Thermaling together, try to keep on the opposite side of the circle, to keep each other in sight, reach the clouds, then a speed run to another area.

1654767242919.png



Rain clouds were seen to the northeast, about 10 miles distant, and the prevailing wind was from the southwest, so I thought they'd blow away.

They didn't, and combined into a thunderstorm headed toward the airport.

Was over the field at about 3000 feet when the voice on the radio suggested we come down.

Put out full flaps, and nosed over for 40mph pointing down, and intermittently the vario indicated I was still rising while in the "dive". Hmm, ok, now what?

That didn't last long, and four gliders landed within about 5 minutes.

Wind began gusting as we were putting them away, so we had abandoned the flights just in time.

Then it rained for 45 minutes.

Florida summer, and it's not summer yet.

The sky didn't look inviting - no puffy clouds - after the storm passed, so, came home and made a couple of trades on YMM22 to replenish my spending money..

---

The guys in Cordele didn't fly today, so no update on their Contest.
 
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RayDunzl

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It's been a couple of months since I wrote anything here...

Been flying regularly, the summer sky often makes rain in the later afternoon, so have to watch out for that. The gusty wind that accompanies a thunderstorm is not good for landing safely.

Thought about buying an "action camera", but for now will settle for using an old cell phone.

Need to figure a way to mount it - can't record a landing holding the phone, need both hands for that.

Here's a sample of what seems like fun to me and occupies my time:

 
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RayDunzl

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97 flights in my glider now, since 10/31/21, and about 245 flight hours, for an average of about two and a half hours per flight.

Longest over five hours. Typical now is three to four. It's best when i get to decide to come down rather than being unable to stay up.

Only two flights that elicited a little "pucker factor" while headed back to the airport with less altitude than optimal at arrival.

One early release from the tow plane, as I suddenly (somehow) found myself low, and slow, and felt like I was just hanging on the tail of the towplane. Was high enough to safely relase, around 200 feet, and did, making an uneventful return to the runway and landing zone for a relight.

Last week someone didn't make it back to the airport, and landed at a little ultralight field about 5 miles south.

Two of us were circling high above like vultures watching the towplane show up, and drag him to one end of the field, and then pull him back into the air.

1661298778361.png


Latest flight flew with someone more experienced, with a higher performance plane. Flew east, then south, then north, then west, with him, exchanging the lead and catching thermals as necessary.

Here's the flight path, about an hour and a half of just putzing around, then an hour and a hlf of follow the leader.

The range didn't seem real big, but it would easily cover all of Tampa.

After the tow, spent a half hour just gliding around under a big cloud, no circling escept to stay under it. The Lift to Drag calculated at 174.7:1 for that segment.

1661298359855.png


On the barograph - Blue is straight (or at leas not tightly circling) flight, Red is a right circle, and Green is a left circle.

The airspace to the west and south - can't really fly there. Limited to below 3000 feet, then below 1200 feet, then all the way to the ground as you near Tampa International Airport.
 

HarmonicTHD

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97 flights in my glider now, since 10/31/21, and about 245 flight hours, for an average of about two and a half hours per flight.

Longest over five hours. Typical now is three to four. It's best when i get to decide to come down rather than being unable to stay up.

Only two flights that elicited a little "pucker factor" while headed back to the airport with less altitude than optimal at arrival.

One early release from the tow plane, as I suddenly (somehow) found myself low, and slow, and felt like I was just hanging on the tail of the towplane. Was high enough to safely relase, around 200 feet, and did, making an uneventful return to the runway and landing zone for a relight.

Last week someone didn't make it back to the airport, and landed at a little ultralight field about 5 miles south.

Two of us were circling high above like vultures watching the towplane show up, and drag him to one end of the field, and then pull him back into the air.

View attachment 226267

Latest flight flew with someone more experienced, with a higher performance plane. Flew east, then south, then north, then west, with him, exchanging the lead and catching thermals as necessary.

Here's the flight path, about an hour and a half of just putzing around, then an hour and a hlf of follow the leader.

The range didn't seem real big, but it would easily cover all of Tampa.

After the tow, spent a half hour just gliding around under a big cloud, no circling escept to stay under it. The Lift to Drag calculated at 174.7:1 for that segment.

View attachment 226262

On the barograph - Blue is straight (or at leas not tightly circling) flight, Red is a right circle, and Green is a left circle.

The airspace to the west and south - can't really fly there. Limited to below 3000 feet, then below 1200 feet, then all the way to the ground as you near Tampa International Airport.
Nice.
I didn’t expect a thread on soaring at an audio forum so I just came across your thread. Wonderful documentation of your journey towards your license and your glider.

Reminded me of my own journey about 20 years ago when I got my gliding license and shortly after my first own plane. Still flying. For me it beats powered flight - I used to also own a LSA but sold that again after 5 years as it got boring compared to soaring where there is always a new challenge (I still keep the LSA license but more for towing).

Good luck and keep working on those long distance glides. It will come. Airport hopping sort of broke the ice for me at the time.
 
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RayDunzl

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@RayDunzl -- Glider, and everything else, ready for Ian?

It's tied down well.

Sunday folks came out and checked their ties.

Towplanes have a big hangar.

Forecast for this area is improving.

Major wind direction should be from east and north, gliders have a treeline in those directions.

1664295036603.png


Tampa hasn't had a killer storm since maybe 1921, for some reason it is hard to hit.


So, should be OK, we'll see.

No panic.
 
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RayDunzl

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The soaring Forecast is the worst I've seen...

Nothing except lots of wind, till, maybe, Sunday.

1664315669843.png
 
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RayDunzl

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Late this December afternoon...

Somebody took my picture.

1670466283652.png



1670466358099.png



1670466458573.png



1670466618585.png
 
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RayDunzl

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I don't go far...

About 15 miles out has been my limit. Altitude, maybe close to 7,000 feet a couple of times, because that was the end of the lift on those extra good days.

For two weeks right now, "our" runway is closed for upgrades, so we are operating out of the grass on the west side of the paved runway, takeoff to the south, and landing to the north.

Flew four hours and five minutes today. First one up, last one down.

---

Here's a bunch of my flights overlaid on the local map.

As more traces pile up, the densest area goes from blue toward white - in this case, the runway. Most often, we take off to the north and land to the south.

1670632359184.png
 

Doodski

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I don't go far...

About 15 miles out has been my limit. Altitude, maybe close to 7,000 feet a couple of times, because that was the end of the lift on those extra good days.

For two weeks right now, "out" runway is closed for upgrades, so we are operating out of the grass on the west side of the paved runway, takeoff to the south, and landing to the north.

Flew four hours and five minutes today. First one up, last one down.

---

Here's a bunch of my flights overlaid on the local map.

As more traces pile up, the densest area goes from blue toward white - in this case, the runway. Most often, we take off to the north and land to the south.

View attachment 248906
Far out!
 
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RayDunzl

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The weather hasn't been real good recently. Some days not so bad, others just overcast and windy.


Normen bought his first glider, a Libelle 201-B

1671496984423.png



Him working on his trailer caused me to finally begin the necessary fix-up of mine.

1671497279439.png



A little pressure-wash started the festivities.

1671497353843.png



I think I will park the trailer in the sun instead of under the trees.

1671497442175.png



A little rot and rust to go after, inside and underneath. New tires needed, all three go flat and are unknown age..

The glider only weighs 420 pounds. Don't know the trailer weight yet.

1671497905017.png



Normen all smiles after the first flight in his new 48 year old glider, kept it up about three hours.

1671498231540.png
 
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