August – September 2002
Fancy an aerotow behind a microlight? The Germans have been testing various aircraft for the job and, in the August-September S&G, Jochen Ewald shares his impressions of being in the towing plane. If, on the other hand, your launches are traditionally by winch, you might be interested to read Colin Stevens’ analysis of launchpoint efficiency at his club. Are there lessons there for your own?
Simon Adlard follows up his well-received article on joining thermals with advice on how to stay in them safely, while Mel Eastburn’s masterly pulling-together of trailer law should help you ensure that, if the lift fails over a faraway field, you can still get your toy home by road… legally. Kay Draper, meanwhile, not only crewed for ex-hangie husband Dave at his first gliding Nationals, the Standards at Pocklington, but found the time to report the comp for S&G (reindeer farm and all). Overseas winner Steve Crabb relives the Ocana comp by drawing pen portraits of the leaders in the field… a must-read if you’re into the Nationals scene.
And for those of you aspiring to your dream flights, we have inspiration in the shape of Sarmed Mirza’s solo; Nick Norman’s two 300s (in one day); CFI Robert Tait’s Diamond distance; Steve Olender’s Spanish 1,000km and Richard Starey’s reflections on the beauty of soaring.
S&G wishes you a summer of fair-weather cu and the achievement of your own gliding dreams.
Helen Evans
Editor, Sailplane & Gliding
Towing with microlights
The German authorities are due to certify microlights for glider towing, says Jochen Ewald, who describes the impressions he gained from initial test flights
In wind and wave
Kay Draper shares LS8 301 with her husband, Dave, and crewed for him in the Standard Class Nationals at Wolds GC, Pocklington. In her spare time, she wrote this report for S&G
Wings and dreams
Feshie pilot Sarmed Mirza achieves his goal of going solo and offers tips to other aspiring soloists, while Nick Norman whizzes round two 300kms in a single day
Cutting launch queues
As the cu pop and the launch queue lengthens, your club’s winch operation suddenly becomes more interesting. Colin Stevens outlines his research into Wolds GC’s
How to share a thermal
Having advised on joining lift in the first article of his three-part series on thermalling, BGA National Coach Simon Adlard offers tips on keeping station in a thermal with other gliders
Is your trailer legal?
Mel Eastburn offers advice to help you ensure that the trailer now overtaking you isn’t yours
Pushing the boundaries
Our feature on what Spanish soaring can offer starts with Steve Olender’s account of his FAI 1,000km
Personal bests
Richard Starey, from Booker, tells how Spain helped him fly further, higher and faster – and to discover the joy of soaring
Top ten overseas
Steve Crabb, first-placed in this year’s UK Overseas Nationals, offers pen-portraits of the winners of the Battle of Ocana
Out of the back seat
CFIs don’t spend their entire lives instructing (though it may feel like that). Robert Tait tells the story of the dream 500km that finished his Diamond Badge
Gliding's best-kept secret
The Mafikeng world championships didn’t mark the end of soaring in South Africa. S&G looks at two places set up to welcome Europeans
Also in this issue:
BGA and general news; your letters (Sid Gilmore; Ken Brown; Mike Cohler; John Puntis; Pete Stratten; Ian Walker; Charles Boutcher; David Carrow; Gordon Hannah; Rae Emery and Alan Self; Mick Staples); BGA Instructor News; BGA Development News; the UK’s new National Private Pilot’s Licence; BGA Technical News; BGA Airspace News:; Reviews; Gliding Gallery; club news; club focus (Fulmar GC); obituaries; BGA Badges; incident and accident summaries; safety articles (Steam gives way to sail; A launch with a difference).
Tailfeathers: Plat ponders rivalry in thermals, amidst circumambient gloom…
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