February – March 2005
It’s that time of year in the UK when you dream of the pleasures ahead, and for those of you with cash to spare, new toys figure prominently in this issue of Sailplane & Gliding. There’s Jochen Ewald’s flight test of the 18-metre Discus 2c, Bob Cassidy’s account of how Borders Gliding Club imported a Pawnee into the UK from the USA, and John McCullagh’s listing of glider types in production to tempt you to raid your savings account.
From the UK to the other side of the world, Owen Truelove describes his epic and trailblazing trip in a Stemme to New Zealand – his 27,517km flight meant he was the first person to make the journey from the UK in a motorglider, and it was the first time a motorglider had flown to New Zealand from anywhere in Europe or, indeed, had crossed the Tasman Sea. Yet there’s hope for us all: Owen still needs a 500km soaring flight to finish his Diamond…
Meanwhile, to help you with your own gliding ambitions, British Junior Champion Andy Perkins has researched opportunities available to glider pilots – and in particular young pilots – to extend your flying. George Moffat, in a excerpt from his forthcoming new book, remembers a personal friend who was also one of gliding’s greats: Klaus Holighaus. Jochen Ewald reports on testing times at IDAfliegwhile Graham Wadforth reveals what it’s like to do a BGA instructors course.
Finally, if you were the glider pilot who had a close encounter with a Chinook last summer, Hugh Woodsend, the gliding specialist on the UK Airprox Board, would like to hear from you. We’ve an exclusive reprint of the official report into the Airprox but the glider pilot’s input is missing. Without all sides of the story it’s hard to learn everything we might from incidents like these. The UK Airprox Board always promises to safeguard anonymity and you can contact Hugh via the BGA office or, if you prefer, I can pass your details on to him.
Happy soaring in 2005
Helen Evans
Editor, Sailplane & Gliding
18-metre Discus 2c
Jochen Ewald tries out the new offering from leading German factory Schempp-Hirth: the Discus 2c with 18-metre tips
The will to win...
Standard Class Junior World Champion Jez Hood (right) seeks to explain some of the less tangible elements of competing successfully
Gliders and helis don’t mix
Many of you may not have seen the full deliberations that are published after each reported Airprox. And none of us wants to end up the subject of an airprox report – as this unidentified glider pilot did. The UK Airprox Board (UKAB) does not allocate blame; instead it assesses risk to share its findings. But if the glider pilot can’t be traced, of course, then his or her side of the story cannot be heard
Importing a Pawnee
Bob Cassidy explains how his club, Borders, acquired its new towplane – registration GC-TUG
It was tougher in my day
British Junior Champion and commercial pilot Andy Perkins researches opportunities for young pilots – and some older ones – to extend their flying
A legend who created world-beaters
In an excerpt from the new and expanded version of his classic book, Winning on the Wind, former world champion George Moffat remembers a personal friend who was also one of gliding’s greats
Just the 500km to do, then...
Owen Truelove, a glider pilot for 50 years, notched up some impressive achievements in his 27,517km flight from the UK to New Zealand – covering more than half the earth’s circumference of 40,076km. Flying a Stemme, he was the first person to make the trip from the UK in a motorglider, and it was the first time a motorglider had flown to New Zealand from anywhere in Europe or, indeed, had crossed the Tasman Sea. Yet there’s hope for us all: Owen still needs a 500km soaring flight to finish his Diamond
Testing times...
Jochen Ewald reports on the tests carried out at the IDAflieg meeting in summer 2004, where the LS10, ASW 28e, Ventus 2cx and DG-1000 all took to the air
Sunny side up
Nick Garland describes a trip to South Africa that got him 500km and 50hrs flying in a fortnight
Course gliding with the BGA
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to do a British Gliding Association instructor training course, newly-qualified assistant instructor Graham Wadforth describes the experience…
What can you buy new?
Lasham pilot John McCullagh has researched the new glider market in a first bid to outline what’s available if you want to purchase a new sailplane
Getting into a spin
Our anonymous contributor eventually came to realise that it was his good luck, not his own good judgment, that saved his neck when he got a field landing badly wrong early in his flying career
Also in this issue:
British Gliding Association news; your letters; BGA Communications News; BGA Airspace News; BGA Safety News; BGA Technical News; BGA Development News; Weatherjack’s photo competition; Gliding Gallery; club focus (Bidford GC); club news; obituaries; BGA Annual Statistics; BGA Badges; incident and accident summaries
Tailfeathers: high-cu revisited
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