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Author Topic: Gliders  (Read 1172 times)

Offline Seanaldinho

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Gliders
« on: April 20, 2011, 04:59:14 PM »
I recently received the oppurtunity to go soaring last weekend and am still thinking about how awesome it was. For those that dont know soaring (gliding) is when a very light weight plane is towed by another driven plane to a predetermined altitude and then you release from the tow plane.

Amazingly enough some of these sailplanes have 50-1 glide ratios meaning for every mile you descend you go 50 miles forward. Now after having expierenced such awesomeness i am looking into flying once or twice a weekend. And receiving my glider liscense.

Another interesting aspect about is that at the age of 14 you are allowed to solo fly a sailplane. So if you have the oppurtunity get a ride with an instructor and get some stick time it is extremely fun and quite different then flying a plane with an engine.  :airplane:

Ooops i accidently posted this in wishlist i meant to put it in aircraft and vehicles!
« Last Edit: April 20, 2011, 05:01:56 PM by Seanaldinho »
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Offline MachFly

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Re: Gliders
« Reply #1 on: April 20, 2011, 05:44:37 PM »
Congrats  :aok

Quote from: Seanaldinho on April 20, 2011, 04:59:14 PM
Another interesting aspect about is that at the age of 14 you are allowed to solo fly a sailplane.

As far as I remember you can solo a powered airplane at the age of 14 as well.
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Offline M0nkey_Man

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Re: Gliders
« Reply #2 on: April 20, 2011, 07:31:00 PM »
Quote from: MachFly on April 20, 2011, 05:44:37 PM
Congrats  :aok

As far as I remember you can solo a powered airplane at the age of 14 as well.
hmmmmm, i should try that out sometime
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Offline Seanaldinho

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Re: Gliders
« Reply #3 on: April 20, 2011, 07:34:53 PM »
No ive looked into im looking at getting my pilots liscense and the minimum age for powered flight is 16 for a solo and 17 for your PPL (private pilot liscense) which is required for your liscense. One more year and i can solo a powered plane  :D :banana:

My instructor said i could probably solo a sailplane in a month if i get 2-3 45 minute flights in every weekend. :airplane:
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Offline MachFly

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Re: Gliders
« Reply #4 on: April 20, 2011, 08:10:22 PM »
Quote from: Seanaldinho on April 20, 2011, 07:34:53 PM
minimum age for powered flight is 16 for a solo and 17 for your PPL (private pilot liscense) which is required for your liscense.

Your right.

But 16 is to be a student pilot, there is no limit to what age you can fly with an instructor.
« Last Edit: April 20, 2011, 08:13:19 PM by MachFly »
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"Now, if I had to make the choice of one fighter aircraft above all the others...it would be, without any doubt, the world's greatest propeller driven flying machine - the magnificent and immortal Spitfire."
Lt. Col. William R. Dunn
flew Spitfires, Hurricanes, P-51s, P-47s, and F-4s

Offline Seanaldinho

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Re: Gliders
« Reply #5 on: April 20, 2011, 08:27:32 PM »
Yes 16 to solo a powered plane i already had stick time at 14 with an instructor. My glider instructor said he would help me log hours in both and eventually get my liscence. :rock

Funnily enough i had stick time in a plane legally before i did in a car.  :lol
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Offline MachFly

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Re: Gliders
« Reply #6 on: April 20, 2011, 08:42:01 PM »
Quote from: Seanaldinho on April 20, 2011, 08:27:32 PM
Funnily enough i had stick time in a plane legally before i did in a car.  :lol

 :lol

If the requirements for driver license would have been the same as pilot I'm sure the age limit would be the same. And the roads would be a lot safer.
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"Now, if I had to make the choice of one fighter aircraft above all the others...it would be, without any doubt, the world's greatest propeller driven flying machine - the magnificent and immortal Spitfire."
Lt. Col. William R. Dunn
flew Spitfires, Hurricanes, P-51s, P-47s, and F-4s

Offline VonMessa

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Re: Gliders
« Reply #7 on: April 20, 2011, 08:48:51 PM »
Learning to soar will pay dividends when learning for PPL  :aok
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Offline Seanaldinho

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Re: Gliders
« Reply #8 on: April 20, 2011, 09:00:40 PM »
Yea it does my instructor is at NAS Pensacola getting his primary training and he said that he had 200 hours before he joined and that it does make a huge difference just veing used to watching all the different instruments and around you. I will say though that with some expierence in powered and unpowered flight there are some major differences:
1. I you screw up in a glider you cant just gun the engine lol
2. A glider really really requires a lot of rudder work. Without proper use of it you can bank but you might actually turn in the opposite direction!
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Offline SDGhalo

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Re: Gliders
« Reply #9 on: April 20, 2011, 10:10:56 PM »
well while we are on the subject of gliders maybe later on HTC should add a glider for the game

you know get a couple guys flying the glider right to the map room and the troops raid  it

i vote for the Airspeed horsa glider
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Offline Seanaldinho

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Re: Gliders
« Reply #10 on: April 20, 2011, 10:22:24 PM »
I had thought of that but it will take the coordination of two people. One to fly the tow and the other for the glider. Also these gliders had a few problems and unfortunately many people died in them on landing. Plus for the attacker it is not very practical as gliders that are unaatched only fly at around 50 mph. So it would A sitting duck (lack of manuverablilty) on the cable and very slow off of it.
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Offline Tupac

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Re: Gliders
« Reply #11 on: April 20, 2011, 10:35:46 PM »
I could see it working though. A lone goon comes in NOE with a glider in tow, flying to a base. He reaches the town, and releases the glider. The glider touches down just outside the boundary for the town, and the goon does an airdrop. BASE TAKE!

I could see this working, because the goon would incure a huge mobility decrease while towing it.
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Offline MachFly

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Re: Gliders
« Reply #12 on: April 20, 2011, 11:11:23 PM »
There is one very big advantage flying gliders, you don't need to pay for fuel.  :old:
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"Now, if I had to make the choice of one fighter aircraft above all the others...it would be, without any doubt, the world's greatest propeller driven flying machine - the magnificent and immortal Spitfire."
Lt. Col. William R. Dunn
flew Spitfires, Hurricanes, P-51s, P-47s, and F-4s

Offline icepac

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Re: Gliders
« Reply #13 on: April 21, 2011, 01:01:53 AM »
Way to go.

Cram all that private pilot stuff into as short a timespan as possible.

I did mine in 5 weeks and the full immersion of that experience means far less time spent doing review to get back up to speed.

Take advantage of your situation and get the ticket because the real world will soon creep in and you could end up being "busy earning a living" when you would be better off flying.
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Offline Seanaldinho

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Re: Gliders
« Reply #14 on: April 21, 2011, 10:24:01 AM »
Well I plan on going through AF rotc at embry-riddle aeronautical university and then being a pilot so i am taking adavantage of it and trying to get my liscence. Hopefully with the Aerospace program at my highschool i will graduate high school with my AS from ERAU.

Machfly- yes and no you still pay for a tow plane and the altitude you go to. A 4000 foot tow is about $40 for me.
It all totals out to around 60$ per flight
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