Sold the Hot Rod.

This ship started life as a 1970 Libelle, one of the first fiberglass sailplanes. It really kicked butt in world competition but an aeronautical know it all named Wil Schuemann said, "Nice ship, but I can make it better".

He reconfigured the wings so the chord (top to bottom height) is smaller, the leading edge has a sharper radius, and he cut the thing in half just forward of the wings and grafted on a new sleeker lower nose. All of this brought it from a 32:1 glide ratio to a 40:1, BUT it will climb on a gnat's fart.

There are twelve with the wing changes but only two with the nose modification also, this one and the one in the museum.

It's a Formula car in a world of Buicks. There's the rub....

The cockpit is wicked tight! Once you're in it, it's OK, but getting in is a squeak fest. Sit in the seat, slide down, nope, more. Down more. Like an F1, only your head is visible from the outside and it's too small for me to wear a parachute. Even if I could wear a 'chute, I don't know if I could get out under duress.

Anyway, my financial advisor said "Honey, if it's not working, run it this season and get another one over the winter". Wow, is there a pod down in the basement?

This one flies great, turns heads and the trailer is very easy to work with; trust me, a good trailer is better than a good girlfriend.

A guy offered me more than I paid for it three years ago. That was easy.

I'll be shopping for a DG-101 or 300 this winter, in the mean time I can fly one of the Club's two Grob 102s.

Dan

WOW - very cool. Any pics of the setup that tows that thing? (Up in the air)...

914Driver wrote: a good trailer is better than a good girlfriend.

Amen brother. And you can tell the wife about the trailer.

It kinda sucks to let go of something so rare and exciting...but when it's a PITA it makes it a much easier decision. Sometimes the raciest option is not the best option (I know, sacrilege!)

Good luck on your hunt for a new toy.

This is a German made clam shell trailer by Eberle. With the plane loaded, it's about 1200 lbs.

I like that there is a holster on the side that you can put the elevator on while setting up, less opportunity for stepping on it.

Painted with Rustoleum and the red & black pinstriping is 3M reflective stuff.

Sorry 84FSP, I misread your comment when I posted pics of the trailer. We and most other glider folks use Pawnee aircraft; it's an old agricultural spraying tool, chemical tank removed.

Don't have any pictures of ours, these are generic.

you get towed by dusty crop hopper?

What are the normal expense associate with gliders. I have always thought they were cool but know very little about them.

Our club is a club, not a commercial operation. It costs $500 to join but that includes all of your instruction. You pay for each tow to 1, 2 or 3,000 feet which is $15, $20 & $25. Instructors are available (free) later also if you want to learn cross country techniques. At a commercial Op you pay for each tow, pay the Instructor fee and something like $75/hour for the glider.

I'm a slow learner and I'm left handed; you have to use your right hand on the stick so it took me longer than some to get my ticket. My brother looked into a Light Sport license, it was $10,000 to get to the point you Solo. This is my fourth season, I haven't spent anything like that yet.

"Speed costs money, how fast do you want to go?"

http://wingsandwheels.com/classifieds

Gliders are similar, you can spend stupid money if you wanted to. We have 65 members, many do not own their own ship but can use the Club's crafts at any time. We have two Grob 102 single seaters, two Grob 103 two seaters, a Duo Discus, two Blanik L23 trainers. Pay for the tow, that's it. You take it up an hour at a time, if no one else is waiting stay up but call in once in a while.

I paid $9,000 for an F1 type glider that went to the Nationals in 1982, it's a racer so comfort is an afterthought, sold it for $13k. In a club like ours with so many available, there's no real need to own one.

Blanik L-23 trainer.

Grob 102, we have two. I think each was purchased for around $10k. Pilots and qualified students can fly these, just pay the tow.

Grob 103 two seater. This oone we use for "Introductory Flights" for people curious about the sport. It's very nice inside and comfy as hell.

Duo Discus got LEGS! My longest flight was in this, 4 hours and covered about 200 miles.

I hope this answered your questions. Sometimes I think I ramble too much about flying, but after doing track days, Auto-X, sailboat racing; this is it for me. I like the challenge of staying aloft with no engine. Please ask anything.

Dan

Huh, not as expensive as I thought in fact. Probably less than tracking a new sportbike.

That is awesome and more information than I ever could have possibly known to ask for.

I didn't even know there were glider racers! Seems counter I intuitive to me.

I guess have this that will move will race

Dan,

Are these two place? I see two heads in one of them.

It honestly seems like a super relaxing hobby. I love the club idea, and, if I understand correctly, it's $500 per year and $15-$25 per tow in the clubs airplane, which that annual fee goes to maintain and own.

How much trouble scheduling? I mean, can you generally just show up, pay someone $25, and soar for a few hours with no conflicts?

That seems like a blast.

Wow, I'm really envious. If there was a club like that set up near me, I'd give it a try. Looks like so much fun, but I wonder how nervous I'd be in that little thing and totally reliant on lift and my own skill.

I took powered lessons for a short while as a teenager, but just couldn't afford it in the long run.

$500 one time fee.

In a commercial op you call ahead and schedule a time slot, it it's raining too bad.

Each member is required to act as "Safety Manager" in alphabetic rotation. Show up early, get things started, keep track of the flights, keep a list of who wants to fly what, make things run smoothly on the flight line and try not to piss off the general aviation traffic. On busy days it can be daunting, I pray for rain the night before my day.

So, show up early, get your name on the list and fly. Flight is limited to one hour, then the next student goes. Busy days I've seen two tow planes and three instructors out. My second season, once I got a handle on straight and level flight; I did nothing but pattern tows. Get towed to 1,000 feet, do a couple of turns and then get right back in the landing pattern. Much like touch & goes. The rule of thumb is one hour or three pattern tows. More than once I got off at 1,000 feet, hooked a thermal and went up to 3 and 4,000 feet. One instructor busted my stones calling me a cheap SOB because I didn't spend the extra $$ to go to 3,000.

I'm flying today. Last night it rained a bit, the sun just came out and should start warming things up. The blip map claims a 5,000 - 7,000 foot cloudbase. I'll be taking my swan song flight in DL as I sold it (money arrives tomorrow) and the insurance is off as of Monday.

Six or seven other like minded folks called in sick today ....

Yes Tuna, I will pay $25 for five or six hours of flying. I cannot carry the camel back thing as there is no room, but my ship does have a pilot relief system. Then there's the commaraderie, tall tales and adult beverage when disassembling and putting everything back in the trailers.

I'm afraid I like it.

Dan

Duke wrote: If there was a club like that set up near me, I'd give it a try.

Looks like the nearest to your is where Pa., Maryland and De meet.

http://www.ssa.org/map/map.html

In a power craft you have plane around you. Do this: sit in a chair with your right wrist resting on your thigh, palm hear the centerline. Now lean over 45 degrees. Look down, the ground is straight down there. You get over that.

I need to check out the local club. I've stopped and watched them a few times. Looks like a lot of fun for not much money. I used to love flying RC sailplanes.

914Driver wrote: the insurance is off as of Monday.

How are those expenses, or are they somehow part of membership?

Not for a privately owned ship. Club ships are covered by the club. Mine, at my skill level is ~$1,000 per year. The more flights you have in a 35:1 or higher ship, the cheaper the cost.

I went to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum today with my boys. I got to see your Grob 102 you were talking about (soaring top center). Although it was far from the most impressive plane there.

It takes a lot to over shadow the Enola Gay (top and shiny) and the Space Shuttle Discovery, but this was the baddest plane there...

Looked at a DG-100 today. The canopy goes from your head to your toes. The black instrument pod rests between your knees, you can see the rudder pedals forward of it; so imagine a windshield from the T Top to the brake pedal. You can peek between your toes!

I just wanna say that you flying hang gliders is epicly more cool than you driving a mid engine VW. Actually I would say this

Glider>Helo Pilot>Plane Pilot>914 driver>

yeah something like that.

Jack/ Sr-71. 972 is a bad mother. Coast to coast in 67 min. Pay close attention to rhe Hazy Center scene in Transformers II. Jetfire had the correct tail number. /jack

In reply to Flight Service:

Oh E36 M3, the last thing I need is more motivation to visit my friend near Dulles. My wife and I might make a weekend of it once things settle down with her new M-F job.

I think we should have a fly/drive in to Dulles...Fun GRM weekend

I just bought a DG-300 from Claremont, Florida (near Orlando)

In reply to 914Driver: Looks sweet! Is that a Slovenian flag on the tail? When I was growing up and reading about the usual cool stuff (planes, cars, birds of prey, etc...) I always thought it would be amazing to have and fly a glider. That feeling has got to be quite the rush when you're up there getting major air from some swirling thermals... Like a human sized paper airplane!

Looks like as an adult this may be a good hobby to get into! Thanks for sharing!