October – November 2005
Five hundred and four kilometres at 150km an hour, in Scotland, in September. It’s just the most recent in a series of epic flights by a small group of pilots who are exploring the boundaries of wave flying. S&G was a little bit too far ahead of the game because, before group member John Williams flew this latest great flight, we’d already got his fellow pioneer, Roy Wilson, to write an article for this issue. But if you want to know more about what John, Roy, Jack Stephen and Richard Arkle are achieving all year round above the Highlands, Islands and Lowlands, and to pick up a few tips on wave flying for yourself, then see the October-November S&G.
From wave to thermals, and it’s been another medal-winning season for the British team: nine in total, including two Golds and a clean sweep of the Standard Class podium at the Junior Worlds. This issue of S&G – as well as a special supplement on the Junior Worlds – contains a ten-page round-up of the international contests where the Brits have shown their mettle.
Also in this issue, Jochen Ewald tries out the turbo DG-1000T; Formula 1 engineer Martin Bester takes a look at the similarities and differences between sailplane and racing car aerodynamics; and Dick Skerry recalls a flight where he went 50km without stopping to circle – in a K-13. Jerry Pack offers his personal manifesto on using the BGA ab initio syllabus to teach cross-country soaring from the word go. Nick Gaunt describes eight days’ wonderful weather for Competition Enterprise at the Long Mynd and Joe Fisher and Mike Cuming provide the latest in our series of articles about gliding for people with disabilities. On a sad note, we have tributes to former S&G editor Gillian Bryce-Smith and to Neil Stuart Lawson of the white planes picture co, both of whom died recently.
Finally, we have an inspiring story from Debb Evans, who after six years of staying pre-solo decided to confront her fear of flying head on … and won. Find out what she did in the October-November S&G.
Keep current – and keep having fun.
Helen Evans
Editor, Sailplane & Gliding
T-Time for the DG-1000
DG has produced its first turbo with the DG-1000T and Jochen Ewald puts it through its paces
Exploring the limits
Roy Wilson is one of a small group of pilots pushing the boundaries of cross-country flying in Scottish wave. He hopes to whet your appetite and offers wave soaring tips if you’d like to join the fun
They all look the same to me
F1 aerodynamicist Martin Bester explains some of the similarities and differences between gliders and racing cars
Soaring an invisible ridge
Instructor Dick Skerry relives a memorable flight over the flatlands in spring this year: 50km in a K-13 without circling
Start as we mean to go on
We teach only cross-country soaring, period – the personal manifesto of Jerry Pack
Practising at the Bicester Regionals & Racing from Australia
Junior World Championships competitor Adam Woolley offers a long-distance perspective on what racing in the UK is like while South African Dick Bradley offers the Chief Steward’s View of the contest
New Standards
New Junior World Champion Mark Parker reflects on the British Standard Class team’s win, while Hugh Brookes offers The Met Man’s View of forecasting the competition and Rietje Schuit de Luij offers The Dutch Team’s View
The club to join
From a phone box in Canada, new Junior World Champion Christoph Nacke told S&G how the German team won Club Class Silver and Gold
Three medals – and 1,011km
Räyskälä will be remembered for setting more than 1,000km for the Open Class. Gold medallist Pete Harvey reports
Silver in Nitra
Andy Davis gives a view from the Standard Class on how the Brits fought back at Nitra
Winning women
Liz Sparrow reports on a wet but successful Women’s Worlds, where the Brits took two medals
Directly facing fear
Debb Evans reveals how she confronted her fear of flying with a course at Lasham – and won
Slaying the dragons
Nick Gaunt considers eight days’ wonderful weather, flying Enterprising tasks over Wales and beyond
Mods and ops
In the latest article in our series about gliding for people with disabilities, Joe Fisher of the Scottish charity Walking on Air describes the mods to their K-21, while Mike Cuming adds more detail about technical modifications for hand-operated rudders and looks at operational matters
Also in this issue:
From the BGA Chief Executive; British Gliding Association news; your letters; Tributes to Gillian Bryce-Smith and Neil Stuart Lawson; BGA Development News; Gliding Gallery; club focus (Essex & Suffolk GC); club news; obituaries; BGA Badges; AAIB update; incident and accident summaries
Tailfeathers: That noisy, smelly, heavy, obnoxious thing behind the pilot…
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