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Issue:
6 |
October 6, 2008 |
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Dear Soaring Enthusiast,
Life has been
good here in Minnesota this summer. I've had a
lot of fun with my family - swimming at local
beaches and pools, and canoeing on Minnesota's
beautiful lakes and rivers. I've had some fun
soaring flights, but unfortunately my days off have
not coincided with great cross-country soaring days.
Thank you for
taking the time to read the
newsletter. There is a lot to report this
month since my last edition was published back in
May. I hope you will enjoy it.
Good Soaring,
Paul Remde
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Bill Elliott Wins U.S. 18m Nationals in Jonker JS-1 |
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by Paul Remde
Photos by Leo
Benetti-Longhini, Tom Gehman, and Bob Epp
(click on the images to view larger versions)
The new Jonker
Sailplanes JS-1 Revelation is a lovely 18m sailplane
from South Africa. It has been fun following
the development and early successes of the glider.
It has won the South African National Gliding
Championships 2 years in a row and recently Bill
Elliott flew it to 1st Place in the U.S. 18m
Nationals at the Mifflin County Airport in
Pennsylvania, USA. Since then I have been
looking forward to talking with Bill about the
contest and the sailplane. Bill generously
answered my many questions in a recent e-mail
exchange. Below are the questions and answers.
[PR] is me (Paul Remde) and [WE] is William (Bill)
Elliott.
[PR] What is your
overall impression of the glider?
 [WE]
The JS-1 Revelation is an awesome new ship that is
as beautiful in the air as it is on the ground.
The workmanship is excellent, the ship assembles
easily, all the controls are well thought out,
comfort is superb, handling qualities outstanding,
and visibility excellent.
[PR] How did the
climb rate compare with your competitors?
[WE] There were a
few times that the JS-1 simply out climbed everyone
else; especially in rough thermals. After the
first day, several competitors expressed to me their
absolute surprise as I came up through them in
thermals.
[PR] How did the cruise performance compare?
[WE] The cruise
is certainly comparable to the other 18-m ships.
There were clearly times that the JS-1 out cruised
others but it is not clear if it was completely the
ship or just better air. I had several long
legs with 8H and his ASG-29 and we were certainly
head-to-head.
[PR] Is the cockpit detail up to the standards of
the gliders from Germany? In other words, did
it look like an elegant glider, or a
“function-first” glider?
 [WE]
The cockpit is absolutely as good as the German
ships. The Jonker brothers have paid very
close attention to ensure that the cockpit is nicely
appointed and that all the controls, latches, gear
mechanism, flaps, etc. work smoothly and easily.
If you were not told that this was ship number 2 out
of the factory, you would not believe it as it could
easily be ship 200!
[PR] Is it
pleasant to fly in thermals?
[WE] She thermals
very well with ample aileron authority and a
reasonable quick roll-rate for an 18-m ship.
The control harmonies while thermaling are quite
good and I found that the JS-1 grooved nicely at
high back angles.
[PR] Is it easy to fly during take-off and landing?
[WE] Both are
rock steady. There was plenty of crosswind
capability and I had no trouble landing at Mifflin
on the howling ridge days.
[PR] Would you recommend the JS-1 to top level
competition pilots?
 [WE]
Absolutely! Especially for larger (heavier) pilots
as the cockpit is quite roomy and comfortable.
The JS-1 has beaten the best ships on the market and
I believe will continue to do so. The factory
has orders with deliveries well into next year so
they are off and running and the market for the JS-1
is developing nicely.
[PR] Would you recommend the JS-1 to relatively
low-time pilots?
[WE] Yes, I would
not hesitate to recommend to anyone with experience
in glass. She is quite docile and exhibits no
unusual flight characteristics.
[PR] Is it a comfortable glider?
[WE] Yes, very.
The seating position is slightly reclined and quite
adjustable. The factory adds Temperfoam to the
seat cushion adding even more comfort.
[PR] Do you plan to buy a JS-1 in the future?
[WE] Not sure at
this time. I will continue to compete in the
15-m Class for the foreseeable future so buying a
2nd glider is simply not in the cards for me at this
time. If I were in the market for an 18-m
ship, the JS-1 would certainly be high on my list.
[PR] Would you fly it again in a National contest if
given the opportunity?
[WE] I certainly
hope so. Leo and I have discussed me flying it
again next year and Ephrata and I am planning on
going.
[PR] Is there anything else you would add to a
review of the glider?
 [WE]
Yes, dealing with Leo Benetti-Longhini, the US
dealer for Jonker Sailplanes, has been a real
pleasure. He goes above and beyond when
providing service for the ships he sells. I
have experienced this both first hand and listening
to him on the phone work with other customers while
he was crewing for me. Also, the Jonker
brothers are delightful and working hard to make
their new ship a success—I believe they will.
[PR] Congratulations on your big US 18m Nationals
win!!! You were victorious over some of the world’s
best glider pilots. I very much enjoyed
following the contest from my desk here in
Minnesota. What were a few of the most
memorable events or highlights for you at the
contest?
[WE] There were
several; but the most memorable was the last day
which had miserable weather—ridge, thermal and lots
of rain. Here is an excerpt from my journal
that picks up after making the first turnpoint at
Potomac and heading back to the NE,
“…As I head northeast, I see rain everywhere.
By Orbisonia, I can see a huge deluge crossing the
ridge that I’m on and sweeping across the task area
towards the third turn. I note where the last
clouds are and head for the rain—I can’t just stop
and wait. I decide that I’ll slow down, get a
few hundred feet above the ridge; and, if the vario
keeps singing, and the leaves keep moving, and the
visibility doesn’t get less than a mile I’ll press
on. Ten miles cruising in the rain and I pop
out the other side in the Mifflintown Turn Area and
about 4 miles to the far side. (Attie had
stated in his presentation at the SSA Convention
that he believed the airfoil would be tolerant to
rain—it is!) I press on along the ridge to the
far edge of the Turn Area to give the rain more time
to clear. Several competitors are with me as I make
the turn but I don’t see DJ (Doug Jacobs).
Man, I’m running slow! However, my average
speed has moved up to 104 mph.
 The
course now turns southeast and heads 25 miles
straight across the path where the rain is moving
now. I decide to back track along the ridge 20
miles to where I last saw good Cu.
Backtracking through much lighter rain, I manage a
poor crossing where the river cuts through the ridge
jumping too soon and getting caught in the downwash
with wet wings and still some light rain. It
is a short jump but I must slow again and crawl back
up the side of the ridge.
I make it to the Cu and there are nice streets
running back to the Turn Area. W3 (Tim Welles)
is with me and we both start searching for lift.
I find a nice 3 kt thermal and start up. W3
starts up in another. Where is DJ? I
tell myself not to worry about that, fly safely,
finish the task and do not give up 1st and 2nd
place. W3 and I work our way back to Honey
Grove where I climb again while he keeps getting
lower bouncing back, back, back to the turn.
“What is he doing?” More gliders start to show
up behind me on the huge deviation and I feel like I
have made a good choice. I get the turn and
start working my way home, 25 miles and the
cloudstreet we are working is 45 degrees off course
line with rain between us and home.
 I
see two gliders circling nicely ahead—5 kts! I
am with MD (Corey Sullivan) and 1 (Roy McMaster).
We cruise on and I decide to break off and head for
home I have 500 feet over Mifflin and 300 feet my
marked point on the ridge. The air looks
positive ahead so I start final glide. Two
more good bumps and I have the ridge made easily.
A quick dash home and JS-1 is first to announce “4
miles”.
A winner’s swoop over the field streaming water and
I setup for my landing and finish at the mid-runway
taxiway turnoff. My crew catches my wing and I
am spun around and pushed clear of the runway.
John Good heads over to me as I open the canopy and
asks, “Did you complete the course?” I answer
“Yes!” Then John says, ‘Well congratulations,
you’re the winner, DJ has landed out!’”
[PR] Do you think you would have won the contest in
an ASG-29 or Ventus 2cx? I realize that is a
tough question.
 [WE]
Who knows? I do know that I don’t dare
question the JS-1’s performance or capabilities
after winning my first Nationals!
[PR] Did anything about the glider make you change
your contest strategy at any point?
[WE] No, I flew
it like I fly my ASW-27. That is, I ran hard
on the ridge, down low at the speed of heat and I
thermalled aggressively working hard to stay in the
thermal cores.
[PR] As a contest pilot, did you learn anything new
in terms of strategy or flying skills at the
contest?
[WE] Yes, I did.
First, preparation is key for flying at a place like
Mifflin—probably at any site. I had spent an
enormous amount of time preparing charts and my
flight computer database to be ready. That
leads to my second observation that you can work out
a number of problems ahead of time and have the
answer; for example, just what is the best way to
get over Seven Mountains from the NE? Third,
when starting from start cylinder height on a ridge
day, the best speed to fly to the ridge is ... well,
I’m not going to tell everything I’ve learned.
[PR] Is there anything else that stands out about
the contest?
 [WE]
Well sure, the people and the organization. If
you have never been to Mifflin than it is a must fly
contest. Iris and Karl Striedieck run one of
the best contests I’ve ever been to and all of the
rest of the folks that help out there (too many to
mention) are exceptional. The contest
atmosphere is pleasant and we have a great time both
when we are flying and when we are just hanging out
in the rain.
[PR] Thank you
Bill for the wonderful insights into the glider and
your fantastic 18m Nationals win! Well done!
Link to Jonker Sailplanes Web
Site
Bill Elliott's First
Impressions of the JS-1 on the Jonker Sailplanes web
site
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Vacation - Out of the Office |
 I
will be on vacation with my family starting Friday,
October 10th. I am really looking forward to
some relaxing days with my family on the beaches
near Naples, FL. It is wonderful to be able to
earn free airline tickets using my business credit
card and to stay at my parents' wonderful place for
free! My kids are extremely excited about the
trip and are counting down the days until we leave.
Thank you Mom and Dad for the wonderful chance to
enjoy some time in the Florida sun with you!
I will have
my computer with me so I can check my e-mail, but I
probably won't have time to respond to all e-mails
(chasing kids at the beach is exhausting!), but I'll
do my best to keep up. I will also do my best
to return urgent phone messages and will have my
office phone forwarded to my cell phone. I
will catch up on e-mails and shipping orders upon my
return to the office on Monday, October 20th.
Thank you for your patience and understanding during
my absence.
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Funny
- Remde Kids Help with New Tow Rope |
 The
photo at right shows my kids Adam, Elle and Sara and
our cat Floyd helping me fix a 1000 foot spool of
rope. The spool arrived with the spool broken in the
middle. I certainly couldn't ship it to a customer
that way. I thought it would be a fun family project
to roll the rope off the broken spool, fix the spool
and rewind it back onto the spool. I assumed it
would be a 1/2 hour fun job for the kids and I.
I was wrong - it took many hours of hard work to
complete. Since the spool was broken in the
middle it was very difficult to get the rope off the
spool and near the end of the unwind process it
became a tangled mess. The photo was taken after we
succeeded in getting the rope un-tangled and started
back onto the repaired spool. Sara was a real sport!
1000 feet of rope is a lot of rope to be coiled
around you. She volunteered for the job and had fun
with it for a while, but was very glad when the job
was done. Unrolling the rope off of Sara and back
onto the spool would seem to be an easy job, but a
short way into the process the rope on the floor
around her feet became very tangled. At one point
she became tired and fell gently over onto her back
on the rug. I offered her a cookie to go with a rest
break. She looked extremely cute lying on her back,
wrapped in rope, eating a cookie and laughing. We
all had a good laugh. At that point I decided that
the original plan was not working so I slipped Sara
out from the center of the coil of rope. After many
hours of pulling and untangling rope, we finally got
it all back onto the repaired spool. It was a family
adventure that we won't soon forget. In the
end I had the manufacturer replace the spool anyway.
I wouldn't want the same thing to happen to the
customer if my duct tape repair didn't hold.
But don't tell my kids I sent it back...
I now offer a
variety of ropes which you can see here:
Rope
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The
Inspiring Story of Logan Flood |
 Logan
Flood's story is very inspiring and compelling.
After a tragic aviation accident left him with
visible scars and only partial use of his right
hand, he became determined to earn back his wings
and attempt to get a job with the airlines.
“I knew
that one day, I’d have to explain to my son why
I gave up on becoming a professional pilot,” he
said. “I wanted to be able to honestly tell him
that I had done everything I possibly could do
to accomplish my goal.”
AOPA Online
has the complete story. You can even listen to
audio files of Logan telling his story in his own
words.
http://www.aopa.org/feature/loganflood/index.html
The story
isn't directly related to soaring, but we are all
passionate about flying. I think that Logan's
story can apply to all glider pilots. I would
like to think that I would continue to fly in 2-seat
gliders as a passenger even if physical or other
limitations made it impossible for me to fly solo.
One day each of us will get too old to fly gliders
safely. When that day comes for me, don't
expect me to stop going to the gliderport.
I'll be there, trying to get a ride and go
cross-country soaring in a 2-seat glider, and
generally helping out at the gliderport. Until
that day comes, it would be my privilege to take a
"retired glider pilot" or "soaring pilot wanna be"
up for a soaring flight.
Interesting Blog Related to
Logan's Story
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The
Boy Who Flew With Condors - DVD |
 At
last...the best of Sunday night TV is back! It's the
legendary TV show that's been popular with audiences
for decades, and the longest running weekly
prime-time series in television history. The winner
of numerous awards, including seven Emmys, it's
The Wonderful World of Disney!
Climb aboard
and soar skyward towards everyone's dream to fly.
The Boy Who Flew With Condors is the true-life
adventure of Chris Jury, a California teenager who
goes from admiring the endangered condors' flight to
sailing sky-high with them. Inspired by his new
friends, a sailplane instructor, a NASA test pilot
and a budding glider pilot, he risks it all for
airborne thrills. But to earn his wings, he'll have
to navigate a dangerous storm. Will he come through
with flying colors? Find out in an exciting story
sure to bring out the spirit of adventure in the
entire family!
 Review
by Paul Remde
The story follows a teenage boy as he gets into
soaring and progresses through his Gold and Diamond
badges. There are many memorable scenes (see the
many screen captures on the web site). It is fun to
watch Chris learn to fly and dive into cross-country
flight and badge flying while being mentored by his
flight instructor. I especially enjoyed the 2-22
landing in a duck pond, and the auto-launch behind
an old jalopy. It was also interesting watching the
winch launches, ridge running and beach landings at
Torrey Pines. I also enjoyed having Walt Disney
 introduce
soaring and hear Leslie Nielsen as the narrator.
This was filmed in 1967 when a Schweizer 1-26 was a
"high performance model". It sure looks like fun to
me! I remember watching this film when young. It
sparked my first interest in soaring. It is great to
see it again. I have recently had many soaring
pilots tell me that "this film got me started in
soaring". The film appeals to so many different
types of people. It is good for kids to watch, it is
great for Schweizer 1-26 enthusiasts, and for those
that love watching classic gliders soaring over the
cliffs at Torrey Pines.
This has
been an extremely popular DVD. I have many in
stock.
Details
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FAI
World Gliding Championships in Lüsse, Germany |
 The
FAI World Gliding Championships were held in Lüsse
Germany in August for the Open, 18m and 15m classes.
The final results are available here:
http://www.wgc2008.org/TASKS-RESULTS.369.0.html?&L=1
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Overall
Results - Open Class |
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Place |
Pilot |
Country |
Sailplane |
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1st |
Michael
Sommer |
Germany |
ASW 22
BLE |
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2nd |
Tassilo
Bode |
Germany |
ASW 22
BLE |
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3rd |
Laurens
Goudriaan |
Republic of South Africa |
ASW 22
BLE |
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Overall
Results - 18m Class |
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Place |
Pilot |
Country |
Sailplane |
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1st |
Olivier
Darroze |
France |
ASG 29 |
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2nd |
Ronald
Termaat |
Netherlands |
Ventus
2cxa |
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3rd |
Karol
Staryszak |
Poland |
ASG 29 |
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Overall
Results - 15m Class |
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Place |
Pilot |
Country |
Sailplane |
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1st |
György
Gulyas |
Hungary |
Ventus
2a |
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2nd |
Janusz
Centka |
Poland |
Diana 2 |
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3rd |
Mark
Leeuwenburgh |
Netherlands |
Ventus
2a |
Team USA did
respectably. I followed the event from my desk
here in Minnesota as best I could. The U.S.
Team's blog site was a great resource. The
highlight for me was reading about how Heinz
Weissenbuehler won a day in his Nimbus 4T - his
first time in a world championships.
Congratulations Heinz! By the end of the
contest he had won 2 days and ended up in 14th place
overall. You can read more about it on the US
Team's Blog here:
http://usteamluesse2008.blogspot.com/2008_08_09_archive.html
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U.S.
Team Results - Open |
|
Place |
Pilot |
Sailplane |
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14 |
Heinz
Weissenbuehler |
Nimbus
4T |
|
27 |
Garret
Willat |
ASH 25E |
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U.S.
Team Results - 18m Class |
|
Place |
Pilot |
Sailplane |
|
12 |
Doug
Jacobs |
Ventus
2cxa |
|
27 |
Richard
Walters |
LS 10 |
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U.S.
Team Results - 15m Class |
|
Place |
Pilot |
Sailplane |
|
29 |
Gary
Ittner |
Ventus
2ax |
|
41 |
Karl
Striedieck |
ASW 27 |
Congratulations to everyone on Team USA for a job
well done.
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Jaxida
Covers |
 I
have long heard reports of the quality of Jaxida
All-Weather Covers, so I recently added them to my
web site. However, I had no idea just
how popular they are. They have delivered over
5000 covers to aircraft owners around the world.
They have a push-pin map on their web site showing
where their covers have been delivered around the
world. It is extremely impressive!
 Also,
did you know that Jaxida makes more than All-Weather
Covers? They also make Dust Covers that sell
for 1/2 the cost of the All-Weather Covers, and nice
looking Cockpit Covers as well. You can see
details and estimated pricing here:
http://www.cumulus-soaring.com/jaxida.htm
 News
from Jaxida
"We have constantly been looking for the best suited
materials in order to adapt them to our concept
"JAXIDA condensation free Covers". In co-operation
with a manufacturer and the Technological Institute
in Denmark we have now produced a fabric, which is
suitable for the purpose. The fabric is light,
strong and smooth. And it can resist the weather
conditions that our covers are exposed to - and
which we have experienced from the more than 5000
covers supplied all over the world. This fabric also
gives us the possibility of keeping down the prices
for the rest of the 2008 season - in spite of
heavily increasing costs in Denmark. We are looking
forward to presenting this fabric to new and
returning customers."
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FAI
World Gliding Championships in Rieti, Italy |
 The
FAI World Gliding Championships were held in Rieti,
Italy in July for the Standard, World, and Club
classes. The final results are available here:
http://www.soaringspot.com/wgcrieti/results/
|
Overall
Results - Standard Class |
|
Place |
Pilot |
Country |
Sailplane |
|
1st |
Michael
BUCHTHAL |
Germany |
Discus
IIa |
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2nd |
Mario
KIEßLING |
Germany |
Discus
2ax |
|
3rd |
Peter
HARTMANN |
Austria |
Discus
2 |
|
Overall
Results - World Class |
|
Place |
Pilot |
Country |
Sailplane |
|
1st |
Laurent
COUTURE |
France |
PW5 |
|
2nd |
Mario
SCHUPFER |
Austria |
PW5 |
|
3rd |
Gilles
NAVAS |
France |
PW5 |
|
Overall
Results - Club Class |
|
Place |
Pilot |
Country |
Sailplane |
|
1st |
Matthias STURM |
Germany |
Hornet |
|
2nd |
Killian
WALBROU |
France |
Std.
Cirrus 75 |
|
3rd |
Peter
TEMPLE |
Australia |
Std.
Cirrus |
Team USA did
respectably. Again, it was fun to follow the
contest on the U.S. Team's blog site here:
http://www.usteamrieti2008.blogspot.com/
|
U.S.
Team Results - Standard Class |
|
Place |
Pilot |
Sailplane |
|
15 |
Mark
Keene |
Discus
2B |
|
43 |
Chip
Garner |
Discus
2a |
|
U.S.
Team Results - World Class |
|
Place |
Pilot |
Sailplane |
|
7 |
Francois PIN |
PW5 |
|
11 |
Patrick
TUCKEY |
PW5 |
|
U.S.
Team Results - Club Class |
|
Place |
Pilot |
Sailplane |
|
34 |
Manfred
FRANKE |
LS 3 |
|
36 |
Jonathan GERE |
DG 300 |
Congratulations to everyone on Team USA for a job
well done.
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"Friends of CSI"
Update - Please Join the Club |
In May of this
year I announced the new "Friends of Cumulus
Soaring, Inc." club. It is truly a win-win
arrangement in which discounts, free shipping, free
phone support, and interest are given in exchange
for loans to my company. I am extremely
grateful to the generous soaring pilots that have
joined the club since then.
 The
map shows that members come from all over the U.S.
and even Australia!
It has been
very gratifying to have so many people express their
faith and support for my company in such a tangible
way. Many of them have already saved a lot on
major purchases and free shipping, and received
hours of free phone support and web conferencing.
I am still
hoping that many more glider pilots will show their
support by joining the "Friends of Cumulus Soaring,
Inc." club. The loans received so far have
been a great help, but I still have a long way to go
in regard to reducing my high interest rate bank
debt. Please consider joining the club. There
are many good reasons to join. Below are some
quotes from current members when asked why they
decided to join the club.
- "Supporting Cumulus Soaring is a big
"win" in many different ways. First, the Friends of Cumulus Soaring
receive a very fair interest rate on the dollars invested. Second, the
discount offered, phone support and free shipping provided to the
Friends is truly outstanding! Finally, this investment provides real
support to Cumulus Soaring which has been a key supplier to the soaring
community. It will help Paul to continue to supply the very best
offering of specialized products needed by soaring enthusiasts around
the world! The investment in Cumulus Soaring really helps all of us and
supports the overall sport of soaring." - Renny Rozzoni - Albuquerque,
NM
- "I know a win-win when I see one, so I
was eager to join “Friends of Cumulus.“ I am more than pleased with the
outcome. A risk free loan with a good return, discounts and free
shipping. How can you go wrong?" - Ron Gregg, Houston, TX
- "My reasons for becoming a financial
supporter of Cumulus Soaring are many. For one, you provide us with
personal services regarding our soaring equipment that we cannot get
elsewhere. And, you can supply the equipment that we need. I am pleased
to be part of the group that helps you continue to assist the gliding
community in these ways." - Jim Hard, St. Paul Park, MN
- "Paul, You have been a huge help to me
in mastering -- well, grappling with -- the latest soaring hardware and
software. It has enhanced my flying enjoyment a great deal, and I'm very
happy to be able to help you in return." - Mitch Polinsky, Stanford, CA
-
"Paul's program makes sense to me as I expect to spend several thousand
dollars for additional instrumentation in the coming months. In
addition, the return is better than I am able to get on a similar term
CD." - Frank DeBacker, Highlands Ranch, CO
You can
learn more about the "Friends of Cumulus Soaring,
Inc." club here:
http://www.cumulus-soaring.com/friendsofcsi.htm
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|
NK ClearNav Update |
I can honestly say that I am certain that the new NK
ClearNav is going to be a huge success! In
June the first batch of "First Flight" pre-release
units sold very quickly. Each dealer was given
an allotment of 5 units - I wish I had access to 50,
because I think they would have sold. A few
months later each dealer was given 3 more "First
Flight" units. I sent out a quick newsletter
to my e-mail list and the 3 units sold within 5
hours. Again, I wished I had many more.
I have been
busy working on the manual since May. It is
not yet complete, but it is probably at the
70% point. I have really enjoyed working on
the manual. I find the ClearNav to be
extremely easy-to-use and have received positive
feedback from several customers. You can
download it here:
http://www.nkhome.com/support/pdfs.html#Soaring
The latest
word from NK is that production units will be
shipping the 2nd half of November. The
production versions will include a few very nice
hardware and software upgrades. More details
will be announced on my web site as they become
available.
The
preliminary list of software improvements is below.
- 302
flight log download
- User
settable logging interval
- NIA
revamp
- Major
rework of task management and editing schemes
- Pop-up
split screen when approaching a waypoint
- Add
task pop-up buttons: turn, undo here, resume
task
- Allow
SUA warnings to be deactivated by type
- Add
mark lift
- Add
delete point in waypoint file
- Add
delete file from CN
- Recall
previous MC setting when unit is powered up
-
Automatically shut down display and backlight
when battery is low—logger will continue to run
- .wav
file (voice) warnings instead of beeps
A new PC
Simulator of the ClearNav software is now available
for ClearNav owners. It is a great way to
spend time playing with the ClearNav when it is
inaccessible. However, I don't really
recommend the PC Simulator to people interested in
buying one because the simulator's awkward keyboard
commands are no where near as easy to use as the
actual ClearNav remote control. I find the
remote control very clear, intuitive, and easy to
use without looking at it, but the PC Simulator keys
are not easy to use. I think the PC Simulator
is a fantastic tool, and I use it often when writing
the manual, but it is not easy to use.
If you want
to buy one of the first production units I highly
recommend that you place an order ASAP. There
will be a long waiting list as soon as they become
available. The only way to get on my waiting
list is to place a firm order. You don't send
to send payment until the unit ships. You can see the
latest details and place your order here:
http://www.cumulus-soaring.com/nk.htm
 New
ClearNav Remote Control Stick Module
This module is designed for use by customers that
want to build their own stick mounted remote. The
control stick is not included. It includes leads for
the push-to-talk button and the CANbus cable for
connection to the ClearNav Nexus Board. 10-button
remote control panel designed for comfortable,
ergonomic control of ClearNav with flying hand. It
includes all the same buttons in the same locations
as on the standard handheld remote. It includes a
PTT (push-to-talk) button and wiring. -
Details
 New
Photo of Soon to Be Released
NK ClearNav Stick Mounted
Remote Control
-
Details
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|
Cambridge Aero Instruments Update |
|
There have been
several interesting developments in regard to
Cambridge Aero Instruments over the last few months
- all of it good news!
 303
Navigation Display Update
All new 303 Navigation Display units have a nice new
feature. They have added a contrast adjustment
to the back of the unit. It can be used to
fine-tune the contrast to match the desired viewing
angle. All units in my stock are being
upgraded so all new units shipped from my office
will have this new feature - at no extra cost.
If you have a 303 unit and would like it upgraded,
please contact Cambridge directly.
 302
and 302A Flash Memory Upgrade
The factory has recently upgraded the flash memory
in 302 and 302A units using a faster and higher
capacity flash memory chip. The chip is
intended to eliminate the very rare, but (when it
occurred) aggravating "security fail" error. I
think this is a great improvement. But I must
admit that I'm not certain whether or not it will
solve all the (rare but extremely frustrating)
flight log memory issues. I hope it will.
Some believe
that there is also a software bug related to when
the memory wraps around when full. However, it
is believed that the theorized software issue is
easy to avoid by clearing the flight log memory
every spring. Details on how to do that were
posted in a previous newsletter which is available
here:
Clearing the Flight Log Memory
in a 302 or 302A
It is my
impression that there were 2 causes for the few
flight log security failures I had witnessed over
the years. The upgraded memory should solve
one problem and clearing the memory should solve the
other problem. So I feel that the 302 can once
again be relied upon - when used properly.
This is wonderful news!
All new 302
units will have the new flash memory. If you
own a 302 or 302A, I highly recommend contacting
Cambridge to get it upgraded ASAP.
http://www.cambridge-aero.com
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|
NK
Supporting Legacy Cambridge Products |
 If you own a
Cambridge L-NAV, S-NAV or GPS-NAV then you will be
very happy to learn that Gary Kammerer (formerly at
Cambridge) is now working at NK and supporting those
products. He has a collection of parts from those
units which can be used to repair and upgrade them.
You can see details here:
http://www.nkhome.com/support/cambridge.html
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|
Review of "The
Leading Edge - An Adventure Story" |
 I
am currently enjoying reading the book "The Leading
Edge - An Adventure Story" about the life and
adventures of Dick Georgeson. Dick has lived
an amazing life exploring the amazing wave, ridge
and thermal soaring conditions in New Zealand and
setting many world records in the process. I
have found the book to be exhilarating and
motivating. He has been blessed with a
wonderful life, and he knows it. He is quick
to give much of the credit for his amazing flights
to his family, crew and radio operators that cheered
him on during his many difficult flights. Like
all of us, he struggled to find the motivation to
press on during difficult flights, and often
regretted turning back on days that weren't going as
well as he hoped. But he often found amazing
stamina and courage - as his many records attest to.
He was a true expert in New Zealand wave flying.
He also does a great job of expressing the beauty of
the world around him as viewed from the isolation of
his glider's cockpit. Below is one of my
favorite quotes from the book. It refers to a
wave camp near Mount Cook.
"The
fierce mountain weather notwithstanding, the
mountain-soaring at this camp was a magical
discovery. The experience of sailplane flying is
incomplete unless it includes mountain flying,
which has a peculiar thrill all of its own, and
transcends nearly all other aspects of the
sport. To see from the ground on a clear day the
snow-covered peaks towering thousands of feet
above; to climb into a sailplane and quietly
work your way up from low altitude, passing
jagged rocks, the snow-line, ice falls, deeply
snow-covered faces; and finally to soaring above
the mountain peaks themselves, and look down on
them spread out below, is an enthralling
experience: a privilege for which one is forever
grateful."
I have only
a few dozen pages left until I finish the book.
I'm sure I will enjoy every page.
I
think that all great soaring pilots are great
adventurers. Dick has enjoyed many great
adventures.
Details
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|
Condor
Update |
 U.S.
users of the
Condor Competition Soaring
Simulator may want to check out the
Monday Night Soaring Contest
races.
News from
PostFrontal
Central Italy v2.0
 After
the big success of Alpi 3, PostFrontal is proud to
distribute the new photoreal scenery by Bluangel56
for Condor also used for WGC Rieti 2008 races
visualization: Central Italy v2.0.
Size of the new scenery: 460 x 420 KMs, for a total
area of 193 thousands square KMs, (142 thousands not
considering the sea area). The calibration of the
scenery is as perfect as possible, with just 1 KM
error on a 1000 KMs task. 100% high resolution
photoreal textures. A total of 41 airports are
featured in the scenery.
Orders, image gallery and further info on
www.postfrontal.com/CentralItaly/ENG
Alpi 3.1 free patch
Alpi is a fantastic soaring scenery package for
Condor. It is available for purchase directly
from PostFrontal using the link below. I
bought it and I love it.
The 3.1 patch is now available! Many bugs fixed and
new airports: Aosta, Bex, Venezia Tessera, Venezia
S.Nico, Rivoli di Osoppo, Toblach, Cortina, Shanis,
Neuchatel, Eplateures, Grenchen. The patch can be
downloaded here:
www.postfrontal.com/Alpi3/ENG/alpi31.php
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|
EW
microRecorder Update |
 The
EW microRecorder was previously available in 4
versions - with and without a built-in SD card
reader and with and without the Engine Noise Level
recording enabled. EW has recently made the
version with built-in SD card reader and the Engine
Noise Level Recording standard - and it is available
at the price that the non-SD card version without
Engine Noise Level recording sold for previously.
The current price is $895.
Details
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|
SALE
Items |
 Used ILEC SN10-2 2nd-Seat Repeater: $620
This unit had the screen replaced at ILEC in Germany
last spring and was lost in transit for many months.
It is in perfect working condition. This is a
fantastic deal for someone that wants a spare backup
unit, or has a 2-seat glider that needs a 2nd seat
repeater to go with an existing SN10B in the front
seat. The RAZ vario meter is not included but
is available for $175. The required wiring harness
is not included but is available
for $80. For a total of $620 + $175 + 80 =
$875 you get a complete system. That is
$620 off the $1495 price of a new system.
Note: This is not an independent SN10 system.
It is the 2nd-seat "slave" to an SN10B.
Please send me an e-mail if you are interested in
buying it. You can see details on the SN10-2 here:
http://www.cumulus-soaring.com/ilec.htm#SN10-2
 Winter
MacCready Ring for Pik 20b
This ring was ordered in the wrong size. It is
designed for use on a standard 57 mm Winter W-5453
variometer in knots. It includes a bezel ring which
may or may not be necessary. Most Winter variometers
made in recent years already include the necessary
grooved bezel ring. A set like this one normally
sells for $95. I am selling the ring and bezel ring
for $45.
- Details
Winter Flap Rings for Ventus
2cx in 15m & 18m Configurations
SOLD
 These
rings were ordered in the wrong size. They were
designed to work with a standard 57 mm Winter
W-7423 airspeed indicator. They will work with that
airspeed indicator only. The set includes 2 flap
rings - one for use with 15 m tips and one for use
with 18 m tips. Also included are 2 bezel rings
which replace the standard beveled bezel rings on
the front of the airspeed indicator. These normally
sell for $149 each. I am selling them for $100 for
the 4 parts. I will sell them only as a complete
set. -
Details -
SOLD
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|
Mercury 13 |
 Have
you ever heard of the "Mercury 13"? Many of
you have probably heard of the "Mercury Seven" - the
7 male astronauts selected to be the first U.S.
astronauts in space as members of the Project
Mercury space program. But I had never heard
of the "Mercury 13" until it was mentioned recently
in
AOPA magazine.
"Mercury 13" refers to 13 U.S. women who underwent
many of the same astronaut screening tests as the
Mercury 7. They never got their chance to fly
in space, and then never met as a group. But
they say they could have allowed the U.S. to get the
"First Woman in Space". Details are available
at the links below.
http://www.mercury13.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_13
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|
ADS-B
in the USA - Your Comments Needed |
 It
is my hope that in a year or two there will be low
cost ADS-B transceivers that will work well in
gliders. There are several companies working
on them. My hope is that they will make
transponders obsolete in the near future. The
AOPA is pushing the FAA so that it will not be
required to have both an ADS-B device and a
transponder in general aviation aircraft in the
future. ADS-B should provide much more
accurate traffic information at lower cost.
Hopefully, we can convince the FAA that the extreme
certification requirements for certified GPS units
and certified ADS-B transmitters are not necessary
for aircraft flying outside Class B airspace.
The good news
is that the FAA is asking for comments on certain
recommendations related to ADS-B. Please
follow the link below and follow the directions for
sending the FAA your comments before November 3rd.
Together, we can make our needs and concerns known.
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/avflash/1225-full.html#198903
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New
Products |
|
The products
below have recently been added to my web site and
inventory.
Antennas
I have added quite a few new antenna product lines.
You can see an overview of all the available
antennas, and my new Antenna Selection Guide here:
Antenna Selection Guide.
Advanced Aircraft Electronics,
Inc. (AAE)
AAE offers some very nice communication, navigation
and transponder antennas for use in composite
aircraft. -
Details
 
Larsen Antenna
Larsen offers
several very nice magnet base antennas and base
station antennas. -
Details
Sportcraft Antennas
Sportcraft offers several unique communication and
transponder antennas for use in composite aircraft.
-
Details
Pre-Made Antenna Cables
I now offer some very nice pre-made antenna cable
options from Goddard. They come in a variety
of lengths and can be used to connect your radio or
transponder to the antenna.
-
Details
Books
 Real
Men Land Out - 200 Hours in a 1-26
by Dan Bryan
This book is about rebuilding and flying a sailplane
that is deeply rooted in the history of American
soaring. Simple and safe to fly, the Schweizer 1-26
is the source of many pleasant and unforgettable
memories, not only for the author, the members of
the 1.-26 Association but to a higher percentage of
newly licensed soaring pilots. -
Details
 Log
Book, Pilot, Hard Cover
In he past I sold a hard cover pilot logbook for
glider pilots from the Soaring Society of America.
It is no longer available. This is a general
aviation pilot log book that will work great for
glider pilots as well. -
Details
2009
FAR/AIM, Test Prep and Prepware
The 2009 editions of the popular FAR/AIM and Test
Prep books and Prepware software are now available.
Click on the images below to see details.
Miscellaneous
Bowlus Maxi Wing Tape
I now offer many additional wing tape options.
The Bowlus Maxi Wing Tape is extremely popular and
is now available in both white and clear in 1", 1.5"
and 2" widths. Discounts are offered when
purchasing 5 or more roles at once. -
Details
  
  
 Weight
Bag - 20 Pound
This weight bag is perfect for holding the wingtip
of your glider down while on the ground. It is
filled with 20 lbs of steel shot. The bag can be
laid on top of the wingtip, or for gliders with
winglets, one of the handles can be looped around
the winglet. They are made of 1000 denier Black
Textured Nylon with a water resistant polyurethane
coating on the inside, triple sewn with a safety
strip at the bottom. The steel shot is encapsulated
in a 6 mil poly inner bag, which is heat sealed.
They include both a carry handle and a butterfly
handle of polypropylene webbing. -
Details
 Weight
Bag - Empty - Holds 15 to 20 Lbs
This weight bag is perfect for holding the wingtip
of your glider down while on the ground. The bag can
be laid on top of the wingtip, or for gliders with
winglets, one of the handles can be looped around
the winglet. It is small and lightweight when empty
so it can be easily stowed in the glider for use in
the event of an off-airport landing. It is delivered
empty. -
Details
 Rope
I found a good source for quality rope. I sell
it in several sizes on spools of 1000 feet of rope.
-
Details
 Pocket
for SPOT
This is a very nice pocket for the SPOT Satellite
Messenger. It is designed to be strapped to a
parachute - below the cross-strap. Snaps are used to
secure the straps and to close the top of the pouch.
-
Details
Wing Tie Down Straps and Kits
Very nice padded straps that work great with the
CLAW aircraft anchors.
-
Details
3 x
 +
 +
 Winter
Watch by Renée Gerove
This nice watch is a great conversation starter.
It features the Winter logo and a nice image of a
glider. I wear mine often. It is neat to be
able to point to the glider image when describing to
my friends what I do for fun. -
Details
LX Cable, iPAQ 3800 (or
similar) to LX Panel Connector
 Cable
from round panel connector to iPAQ h3800, h3900,
h5000, hx4700 or hx2000. This cable connects a
PDA to the small, round, panel mounted "PC
connector" found on the LX7000 and LX7007 wiring
harness. It has a small round 5-pin female connector
for connecting to the panel mounted "PC connector"
and an iPAQ connector for connecting to iPAQ h3800,
h3900, h5000, hx4700 or hx2000 Pocket PCs. -
Details
 Confor
Foam Seat Cushions
I recently added many more photos to my Confor Foam
seat cushion web page. -
Details
 Gadringer
Seat Belt Page Updated
I recently added a lot more detail to my Gadringer
seat belt page.
- Details
 Goddard
SW-1 Configurable GPS Switching Unit
The SW-1 Switching Unit makes it possible to select
between 2 GPS data sources using a panel mounted
toggle switch. Many glider pilots have multiple GPS
units in the cockpit, but only a single PDA or
flight computer. But they don't usually have a
convenient way to switch between the 2 GPS data
sources. The SW-1 allows you to connect up to 2 GPS
input sources (such as Cambridge 302, GPS-NAV,
Colibri, EW MicroRecorder, FLARM, etc.). The switch
is used to select which source is supplying data to
the PDA or flight computer. For example, if you have
2 Cambridge 302 units in your glider, the SW-1 will
allow you to instantly which 302 you want to use to
supply both GPS data (transmit and receive) and 5V
power and ground to the PDA. -
Details
 ACK
E-04 ELT - Coming Soon
Up until now, aircraft mounted ELTs had two major
drawbacks: they could not receive and broadcast GPS
information, and they were extremely expensive at
around $1000. That is all changing - thanks to
the new ACK E-04 ELT. They will still be
somewhat expensive, but $599 sounds a lot better
than $1000. The product has not received
approval from the FAA yet, but that is expected late
this year. The unit is able to receive GPS
data from an external GPS and broadcast the position
over the ELT bands. That feature has been
built-into PLBs (Personal Locator Beacons) for some
time, but not in units installed in aircraft - until
now. When the manual and wiring information
become available I will offer a GPS kit which will
include a Garmin GPS with connections for the E-04
and leads for 12V power input. -
Details
There is a
similar ELT product coming from AmeriKing called the
AK-451. It will also offer GPS data input, but
initial pricing data indicates that it will sell for
around $1000. When it becomes available don't
be confused by low cost versions of this unit.
There is a "personal" version of this unit on the
market now at a low price, but it is not for use in
aircraft and I don't think it supports GPS data
input.
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|
Steve
Fossett Update |
 I
imagine the you have all heard the latest news
regarding Steve Fossett. For about a year it
was not known what happened to Steve Fossett.
But now he and the airplane he was flying have been
found. I am very glad to finally have some
resolution to this mystery. I had been
convinced that his plane had crashed and he had been
killed, and yet now that it has been confirmed, I am
mourning his loss all over again. I enjoyed
following his adventures.
 Did
you know that Steve Fossett had been funding a deep
sea exploration "winged submersible" vehicle called
the Deep Flight Challenger? It was
designed to fly down to the bottom of the Mariana's
Trench - the deepest spot in the world.
Video on CNN.com
(you must wait through an ad first)
The latest
Fossett news is available using the links below.
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/avflash/1225-full.html#198911
http://topics.cnn.com/topics/steve_fossett
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Payment By Check Strongly Preferred |
|
I recently
calculated the cost of credit card fees and I was
devastated to learn that I spend tens of thousands
of dollars every year on credit card fees.
That really stings! I want to make it very
easy and convenient for customers to order from me,
but I can think of many better ways to use that
money. Therefore, I am now kindly asking that
all U.S. customers pay for all orders by check -
even small orders - because they really add up.
I realize that it is a bit of a pain to write and
mail a check, but you will be helping me support my
family. I hope you will understand.
I'm sorry,
but the agreements I signed with my credit card
merchant accounts do not allow me to offer any
discounts for payment by check.
Payment by
credit card is still the only option for customers
outside the USA.
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|
StrePla Update |
 StrePla
version 5.1 features a very cool new view. A Google
Earth view is opened within StrePla. It is very
interesting flying through your flights over the
extremely detailed maps available in Google Earth.
You can't view the glider from outside the cockpit,
but it is extremely cool to be able to see the
runway, airport buildings and other details. It
really "takes you back" and makes re-living the
flight a 3D reality. Click on the image above
to view a much larger version.
Details
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|
ILEC
Update |
New
SN10 Software - Free
There is a new version of the SN-10 software
available now - free of charge. The new version
includes the new features listed below. All SN10
units shipped from Cumulus Soaring, Inc. since May
of 2008 have been upgraded with this new software.
- Added
DBC32 (supports long file names, unlike DBC
-
airparse+dbc sparc versions for John Leibacher
(gcc, byte-flips, etc), for better world-wide
turnpoint exchange support of ILEC SN10.
-
airparse updates to accept TNP format changes
- AAT:
Stop annoying repetitive "You have entered AAT
area" message when you drag the current
turnpoint after flying into an AAT area.
-
Deprecate support for Rudi#4, add experimental#5
support (Hobbs 2006)
-
Additional Polars: Antares 20E, Antares 18, and
ASG-29/18
- BugFix:
Task statistics are now correct when you "Go
Direct" to an alternate during a task and later
resume your task.
- SL/SL32
now auto-starts software load for SN10s running
v2.32 or later
-
improved internal diagnostics, ParLoc60
The software
upgrade is available here:
http://www.ilec-gmbh.com/software.htm
Interesting Total Energy Probe Article
This article is not new, but it is very interesting.
Total Energy Compensation in
Practice
by Rudolph Brozel, ILEC GmbH
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|
New
Soaring Classifieds Web Site |
 I
have maintained a free soaring classified ads web
page for several years. However, I found that
I was not able to find the time to add new items in
a timely fashion. I have therefore made it
possible for soaring pilots to add their own items
to the web site at any time. It remains free.
It is a great place to list your used instruments,
PDAs, sailplanes, etc. I have found that there
is a very active market for used soaring
instruments. Let me know if you need to
password for adding your items.
www.soaring-classifieds.com
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|
Gary
Osoba's World Record Flight in a Woodstock |
 Congratulations
to Gary Osoba for his ultralight glider world record
flight in his Woodstock on July 19th, 2008. It
was a straight line flight of more than 800 km!
Awesome! You can see details here:
Details
You can view the flight on the OLC web site here:
http://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-2.0/gliding/flightinfo.html?flightId=1538997862
His most
recent record is not yet listed on the FAI web site,
but the link below is to a list of World Records
held by Gary.
http://records.fai.org/pilot.asp?from=gliding&id=1624
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|
IGC
Flight Replay Update |
 IGC
Flight Replay is a neat little application for PC
that makes it possible to replay IGC flight log
files in Google Earth. It is a free download,
but donations are accepted. A new version
became available in July of 2008. It is
available here:
http://www.ywtw.de/igcsimen.html
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|
Winch Launching in Faribault, Minnesota |
 Cross-Country
Soaring, Inc. held their first winch
clinic in May of 2008. It was a huge success
thanks to the help of winch experts Bill Daniels and
Frank Whitely. Thank you John Ward for sending
your notes.
Notes
from Faribault Winch Workshop
by John Ward
I just spent
a couple very interesting days trying out Don
Ingraham's newly-acquired winch down at Faribault.
Bill Daniels and Frank Whitely were in town to fly
and drive, respectively, while they got Don checked
out. Along the way, about a dozen of us got in
a launch or two and a whole lot of discussion.
Wow! Bill and Frank are definitely winch
evangelists, but we were all very impressed.
The following are first impressions only. I know
there are many strong opinions out there regarding
winches, so I'm just reflecting on the experience,
not advocating. This is definitely NOT
something we could drop into our operations Stanton
without major adjustments (like leasing the field
north of us for starters), but it's obvious why some
clubs in the U.S. will be giving greater
consideration to the idea.
Highlights
- Launch
is definitely an E-ticket ride. Rapid
acceleration, off the ground in a couple
seconds, rounding up to a 45-degree climb and
reaching 1500-1800 AGL in less than a minute.
Surprisingly, there's very little sensation from
the pitch-up. The neck and head notice the
acceleration G's, but the stomach feels almost
nothing. There were a whole lot of big
grins from passengers and spectators alike.
Don's response (caught on video) during his
first steep climb was an enthusiastic "Holy
Crap!"
- Quick
turnaround (mostly): We had a couple snags that
slowed down the operation on Tuesday, but lift
was good enough that Bill just cruised around
until he saw the rope heading back to the launch
point. Starting about noon, we managed at least
two dozen launches (over 30, I believe) in about
5.5 hours, all but three launches using a single
Grob 103. We learned that a good crew is
critical to efficiency, especially the retrieve
driver. Bill reports an experienced operation
doing over 100 ops in a day with a single-drum
winch.
- Cheap:
We stayed close to the 4 launches per gallon
estimate on the winch. Of course there's also
the retrieve vehicle to cost out, but Bill and
Frank were estimating launch costs under $5. We
paid $15 per launch happily. Price could be
quite a draw for students needing lots of
launches.
- Quiet:
The winch was running a 350 cubic inch, 330 HP
Corvette engine. We couldn't even hear it at the
launch point.
-
Technology. Apparently there's a bucket-load of
research going into newer designs and materials.
This non-engineer was getting overwhelmed, but
there was talk of biofuel-driven or electric
multi-drum winches with computer-controlled rope
tension, and so on. Holding line tension with
minimal cause for oscillation apparently greatly
improves pilot control.
What's
different?
- The
winch is almost a mile away, so starts rely on
voice communications. (The winch can see
wings-level, but not much more.) We used
handhelds. Apparently the Germans actually bury
a telephone line. Retrieve vehicle shows up with
rope/weak-link/parachute combination, then heads
back up the field. Connect, clear traffic and
folks on the ground, then level wings. Call to
take up slack, then either "go-go-go" or
"stop-stop-stop". The glider is off very
quickly. After release, rope comes down on
parachute, grabbed by retrieve vehicle. Repeat.
- You're
not going to 3000' AGL. Theoretical limit is
half the rope length, 2000' in our case. Lowest
launch was the first one at probably 1200', but
we were reliably getting 1400' or 1500' with no
wind on Monday, and 1500' to 1800' on Tuesday
with moderate winds. We weren't using the entire
runway, so with a somewhat longer (and perhaps
thinner) rope, 2000' launches should be
achievable. Don plans to add 1000 FT of Spectra.
Would you take a cheap 2000' with good
expectation of quick relight?
Safety
- Things
happen quickly, so responses are vigorous. This
is not for the casual or inattentive.
- If
a wing even threatens to drop on take-off
roll, you release. (A winch-assisted ground
loop could be very ugly.)
- On
a rope break, it's push-over, wait for
speed, then recover. Rule of thumb is point
the nose down as much as it was pointed up,
then wait for safe and increasing airspeed.
-
Folks on the ground need to be very wary of
the cable. Assume that it may jerk forward
at any moment. Some operations have
apparently launched the occasional
wing-runner, and somewhere a retrieve
vehicle pulled around behind a launch grid
not realizing the cable was still attached.
Not pretty.
- On the
good side, there's almost nothing the winch
driver can do to kill an alert and experienced
pilot, and (assuming the new Spectra rope as
opposed to the older steel cable) not much you
can do to the winch driver. Regardless of phase
of launch, you should be able to land on the
airport. Below 300' AGL you can generally land
straight ahead, and above that take a
downwind(!) 180, either continued into a 360 or
extended into a pattern.
-
We saw
simulated rope breaks and winch failures, with
vigorous response but results never seriously in
doubt. Granted, we had a very good pilot
instructor, but Don was also doing quite well on
recovery in short order. We had two actual rope
breaks. One occurred at about 50 feet and
finished in a straight-ahead landing with little
excitement and runway to spare. The other was
more dramatic, since the glider was at 45
degrees, but that also meant it was higher and
proceeded into an easy pattern.
Coordination
Coexistence with other aircraft operations is
critical. In addition to concern for safety and
convenience for other aircraft, we wanted to avoid
even the appearance of sloppiness so that Don would
be permitted to repeat the exercise. My
understanding is that Don had an initial
conversation with flight services to explain what
the heck a winch launch was, then the airport
manager actually arranged NOTAMs to advise of the
operations. Don't know exactly what the NOTAM said.
In addition, we announced on CTAF – something like
skydivers do – as each winch launch was about to
commence. The only response we got was one pilot's
"You're doing WHAT???", so subsequent announcements
indicated that a glider would be performing a very
rapid climb with about 2000' of cable in the air
during the next minute or two (after which we're
just glider traffic). A couple planes stuck around
north of the pattern to watch.
This would NOT be an easy job on a busy weekend. In
our case, we saw less than a dozen other operations
in two days.
We staged on the main runway due to winds and
topography, but considered both grass and the
taxiway. The rope was paid out on the grass just off
the side of the runway, and no one was using the
grass cross-strip. Typically, the glider was able to
stop at the launch point with the cable waiting.
Even with a change of pilots we could be off again
in two or three minutes. Thirty seconds without
pilot change is probably doable. Allow maybe two
more minutes for launch, parachute on the ground and
runway clear.
If there was traffic or if we were delayed, we
pushed off the runway and waited. We blocked the
first exit on 30, which power traffic typically
wouldn't make anyway. We could also have pushed back
to the grass. We usually had at least three pushers
handy and pushed with pilot and passenger strapped
in, but with one wing runner could have unstrapped
them to help.
I'm guessing the biggest issues – other than general
acceptance – would be cross runway use or a rope
break that could leave the parachute and a chunk of
rope on the departure end of the runway until
someone gets to it.
What next?
It sounds like Don is planning to get in some solo
practice before he starts official operations and
rates aren't set yet, but bug him later in the
summer if you're interested. Expect weekday flying
when the power traffic is quieter. It's definitely a
hoot to watch and a thrill to experience.
John Ward
P.S. We also saw the
Condor simulator in
action. Very realistic and cool. Paul Remde would
love to sell you a copy.
Photos and details on the
Cross-Country Soaring, Inc. web site
Video
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News
From Schempp-Hirth |
I received the
news items below from Schempp-Hirth on May 26, 2008.
Much has been
happening at Schempp-Hirth and we would herewith
like to inform you about our latest activities and
projects.
New extended
fuselage on our two seaters.
 The
Duo Discus XL series
production is now running at full speed. The
feedback from customers and dealers so far is very
positive and the improved comfort is clearly noticed
by each pilot. In addition the effectiveness of the
modified air brakes and the good view on the rear
seat (caused by the extension of the rear canopy
frame) improves safety and is confirmed through
numerous feedbacks. The first
 Nimbus-4DM
with the new, longer cockpit was flown at the
Hahnweide on 23.4.2008 and we delivered this open
class glider in the last week in April to the proud
owners. The second Nimbus-4DM was completed shortly
afterwards and now flies in Kufstein. This longer
Nimbus-4D cockpit does not differ from the Duo
Discus XL fuselage in principle, except the original
Nimbus-4DM undercarriage remains due the small space
inside the fuselage.
A new sustainer
system in use
 On
23.4.2008 Swen Lehner flew Werner Meuser's
Ventus-2cxa for the first
time with a
jet-sustainer-unit. He
began the first tests regarding air starting
characteristics and climb values. The
uncompromisingly optimised for performance designed
A-fuselage has been extended in the cockpit area in
such a way that now also pilots up to 1,90m body
length are able to fit in. The 2 cm more width and
the increased leg space are very effective. The
result and the impressions of numerous pilots who
have sat in the cockpit displayed a positive result.
However the place inside the fuselage behind the
seat is still small and the only reasonable solution
for an engine was the small Olympus Jet from the
company AMT. The additional weight of the Jet system
in the fuselage is only approx. 8kg, the additional
10 kg weight is caused by the wing tanks. The jet
has a fuel consumption of approx. 0,6 to 0.8 litres
per minute. Therefore is it necessary to install
larger capacity fuel cells. For this reason we
equipped the prototype airplane with three tanks.
One fuselage tank with 8 litres and two wing tanks
(each 10 litres capacity), so that we presumably
reach a somewhat shorter engine running time as
compared with the conventional turbo-system. The jet
control unit is designed by Martin Käppeler and is
very easy to operate. The first flights confirmed
our expectations and we achieved a climb rate of 0,6
to 0,7m/sec with full power setting. However we are
now beginning the testing of this system and surely
there will be more tests and modifications necessary
to get the production stage for every day use. By
the way we like to mention that our
new automatic turbo control unit
is successful in use since the end of last year in
all gliders with turbo engine
Increased
performance through care and maintenance
Ventus-2cx
It has been
confirmed that the additional teflon sealing and the
gap covering with a pre curved Mylar seal on the
lower surface of the wing positively affect the
glide performance of the Ventus-2cx. Since the
beginning of this year, all new aircraft are
equipped with this modified sealing system.
Fortunately it is no problem to retrofit this
modification to all Ventus-2cx delivered prior to
2008. We recommend implementing this modification
before the next important competition.
Duo Discus
We have
discovered that the Duo Discus return spring on the
outside ailerons loose their retention force after a
while and it can occur that this outside aileron is
sucked upwards in the flight. Unfortunately, this
affects gliding performance and therefore we
recommend to exchange the spring with a new improved
spring which holds its retention strength for a much
longer period. Our recommendation here is to also to
implement this modification before the next
important competition.
 The
very good performance potential as well as the
harmonious handling makes the Duo Discus absolutely
suitable for beginner training, big distance flights
and competition flights. We recommend the
interview with Walter Eisele
at our homepage.
Security
Since the
beginning of April, all of our aircraft are
exclusively equipped with cushions made from
energy absorbing foam.
This foam absorbs the shock energy through its
deformation characteristics. In the event of a crash
this cushion substantially aids in the protection of
the spinal column from injury. The cushion feels
somewhat more firm and is a few millimetres thicker.
Nobody notices the difference of the seat cushion
from the outside, though we think this safety gain
is important and we should inform the customer about
this new feature.
The NOAH
emergency exit system is a further aspect, which
increases the safety of our sailplanes, and we are
of the opinion that we have to inform our customers
more about the possibility to equip our single
seaters with this NOAH emergency exit system. This
is another possibility to further enhance safety of
our sport.
If you have
further questions with regard to any of these items,
you are always welcome to contact me for more
information.
Bernd Weber
Schempp-Hirth Flugzeugbau GmbH
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Vintage Sailplane Association e-mail News Group |
I recently
signed-up for the e-mail news group of the
Vintage Sailplane Association
(VSA). It has been fun receiving an
interesting photo of a vintage glider in my Inbox
nearly every week. If you are interested in
joining their news group, please contact Josh Knerr
at
VSANEWS@GMAIL.com.
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Barograph Calibration by Carl Herold |
 A
few years ago I had the good fortune to spend a few
days with Carl Herold, flying with him in his Nimbus
3DM in Minden, NV. He is an very interesting
person. He is a former president of the SSA,
and an extremely intelligent person with an
interesting work history. He has offered
barogram and flight recorder calibrations since
1989. I highly recommend his services.
You can learn about his services in the document
below.
BarographCalibrationByCarlHerold.pdf
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SeeYou
Mobile Tip |
 SeeYou
Mobile has a very cool feature that makes it easy to
fly an FAI triangle that meets the 28% rule.
Simply fly the first leg of a triangle and turn
toward the 2nd leg and it displays an FAI turn area
to turn in to meet the 28% rule. That is an awesome
feature for the FAI-OLC contest. I love flying
for the FAI-OLC because it is easier to rank higher
- due to lower participation. : )
However, a
customer was frustrated because if you touch the FAI
area on the map it switches over to the other side
of the first leg - after which it is difficult to
get it back. Andrej Kolar at SeeYou quickly
provided a simple way to get around the problem.
"There is a
switch. You can assign it to either hardware
buttons, command bar or menu. You can do that
through Menu > Settings > Commands or Menu >
Settings > Menu. The commands available are:
-
Toggle
FAI area (toggles the are on/off – this
switch is already in the Display settings
dialog, second page)
-
Rotate
FAI area (does exactly what you were looking
for)."
I setup a menu
button to "Rotate FAI area". It works great!
Thanks for the tip Andrej!
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Remembering Dick
Johnson |
 Like
everyone, I was sadenned by the passing of Dick
Johnson. He was a great man, and a gentle man.
I believe that every soaring pilot that knew him,
liked him.
Perhaps the
best way to remember him is the wonderful video
interview filmed by Kempton Izuno during the 2008
SSA Convention. The video shows his sharp mind
and low-key personality very well. Thank you
Kempton for doing the interview and making it
available for us all!
http://hdsoaring.blogspot.com/2008/07/dick-johnson-future-soaring.html
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Fun
and Interesting Links |
|
Below is a
collection of fun and interesting soaring links.
Vintage Glider Photos
Pedal-Powered Airship Fails
Attempted English Channel Crossing
Human Jet Yves Rossy Crosses
English Channel
Last Second Gear Down
- Video - The pilot gets the landing gear down an
instant before touch-down. Forward to 1 minute
and 30 seconds.
Fun, Free
Aviation Related Computer Games
-
Dogfight
-
Dogfight 2
-
Stunt Pilot
-
Stunt Pilot Trainer
Virgin Galactic Ride Preview
Video
(Click on the "videos" link near the top of the
page, then click on the "PLAY" button for the "Let
the Journey Begin" video)
A Glider Cross Country Flight
- video - A very nice introduction to soaring and
cross-country soaring.
Nicely Done Gear-Up Landing in
King Air - Video
John DeRosa in his DG-100
following Greg Palmer's glider in for a landing,
near Chicago - Video
U.S. F.A.A. Aviation News
- Nice newsletter
New Castle Rookie Report
by Evan Ludeman
GE E.A.A. Airventure Video
DG Newsletters -
Excellent Newsletters
DG Mandl Air Extractor
Remarkable Drag Reduction from a Simple Air Vent
Bungey - Irene
Films - Great Video of Bungey Launching in the U.K.
Lenticular
Cloud Photos
http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2006/11/lenticular-clouds-gallery.html
http://www.crystalinks.com/lenticular.html
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Coming
Next Month |
-
xcskies.com Weather Service
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Wrap
Up |
Thank you for
taking the time to read this newsletter. I hope you
have found it interesting. If you did, please tell
your friends about it. Please mention it in
your local soaring newsletter. Please direct
them to:
http://www.cumulus-soaring.com/newsletters.htm
I consider myself a servant. Please let me know if
there is anything I can do to help you find the
right soaring instruments for your needs, or help
you learn how to use an instrument or software
product. Also, let me know if you have any
suggestions for products or services to add to my
web site, or ways that I can serve you better.
I feel blessed because I love my job. I enjoy
serving the soaring community. Like you, I am
passionate about soaring. Thank you for your
business, I sincerely appreciate it.
Fly Safe,
Paul Remde
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