2012: April/May - Seattle Glider Council

TOWLINE
April / May, 2012
Tetra-15
Pix taken by Heinz from Web
Test Flight
Table of Contents
Region 8 Contest............................................................... 3
Great Northwest Air Race - Ephrata, June 16 .............. 3
PNW CFIG Refresher ..................................................... 3
FLARM Update................................................................ 4
Perlan Project Update ..................................................... 5
Red Bull Stratos Project Makes Successful Jump ........ 5
Stratolaunch Starts Construction In Mojave ................ 5
Flying the Tetra-15........................................................... 6
SCG Calendar ................................................................. 8
Rockets Calendar ............................................................. 8
National Event/Contest Dates ......................................... 9
New Wingtip Design......................................................... 10
Badge and Cross Country Encampment ....................... 10
CFI Certificate for Military Veterans ............................ 10
Safety Ideas ....................................................................... 12
Minden Wave Camp ........................................................ 12
Soaring Expo .................................................................... 13
Classifieds ......................................................................... 16
April / May, 2012
Updated 2/15/2012
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April / May, 2012
Region 8 Contest
We already have nine pilots signed up for The Region 8 soaring contest. The Region 8 contest will
run at Ephrata from June 11-16. A practice day is scheduled for June 10. The contest is for Standard,
15m, Sports, and 18 m/Open classes. This will be a no water ballast contest. Fees are as follows:
deposit: $50; Entry Fee: $200 plus tows. Please sign up at the SSA website, and send your check to SGC
Soaring Foundation.
Great Northwest Air Race - Ephrata, June 16
By John Smutny, Race Director
2012 marks the third annual running for the Great Northwest Air Race (GNAR). This year GNAR
will be launching out of Ephrata (KEPH) on June 16th for a 170 nautical mile round robin cross country
race across scenic Eastern Washington. The racers will depart Ephrata towards Odessa, turn North to
Davenport, head to Electric City, down to Mansfield and return to Ephrata via Quincy.
We will not be waiving any FAR's and the pilots must follow all FAA regulations. Race altitudes
will normally be between 500 and 2500 AGL. We will incorporate information regarding the 2012
Region 8 Championships in the pre-race briefing and add communications to ensure we don't impact
that event.
Aircraft will be launching between 10:30am and 11am and then returning from 11:30 to 12:30pm.
To keep up with latest developments, head over to:
http://sites.google.com/site/greatnorthwestairrace/
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me via the website above.
PNW CFIG Refresher
By Heinz Gehlhaar
Towards the end of last year Mark Nyberg started
to work very hard to put together a CFIG
refresher for the Pacific Northwest area. After a
long and hard effort he got Rich Carlson and Ron
Ridenour to spend two days with us for a full
Glider Flight Instructor Revalidation and
Refresher Clinic also known as FIRC. Not only is
FIRC for the glider instructors, but it is a valuable
refresher tool for all of us glider pilots, and we
are invited. This year FIRC was held at a hotel
near SeaTac on February 18 and 19.
On day one we worked on:
 Flight Safety
 Human Factors
 Briefing & Checklists
 Aerodynamics
 Stalls & Spins
 National Airspace
 Airport Operations
For day two we continued with:
 Launch Methods
 Launch Failures
 Soaring Flight Decision-Making
 Recurrent & Transition Training
 Flight Maneuvers & Procedures
 Goal Oriented Approach
 Weather & Traffic
 Fundamentals Of Instructions
 Open Forum Discussion
At the end of both days there was a short test
(some 20 questions). Graduation certificates were
given out at the end of day two. And the
instructors got their updated CFIG certificate
right away.
As can be seen, a lot of material was covered. It
was an interesting two days for me as a mere
private pilot. I can highly recommend that you
participate the next time this course comes
around.
Kudos to Mark Nyberg for getting this organized
for us!
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April / May, 2012
FLARM Update
By Heinz Gehlhaar
There is a lot of Internet chatter about FLARM . I'll highlight some of it.
From Morgan: I've got about 5 flights with the PowerFlarm now although only 1 with another
PowerFlarm equipped glider nearby. With a transponder-equipped plane approaching, the display goes
red at a couple of miles of estimated range. No audible alert though.
What I've found so far is probably similar to other PCAS users. You are suddenly surprised at how
many aircraft are around that you never see. Most of these have been over 4 miles away, but it can be a
challenge to find traffic at 3-4 miles even when you know their relative altitude.
---------------From kd6veb: I recently purchased a portable PowerFlarm from Rex. It came with the old software
and I downloaded the 1.2 firmware onto the micro SD card (supplied) and installed it so that the PCAS
function would work. I then added the security code for my Mode S transponder which requires you to
go to a couple of FAA sites to find this individual code. I sold my 2 Zaon MRXs using the RAS bulletin
board.
I installed the PowerFlarm on the glare shield at 10-15 degrees to the horizontal. That was a
mistake. The PowerFlarm uses an old type, hard to see in-the-sunlight LCD display similar to my HP
5015 PDA . Almost invisible using polarized sunglasses! So before you permanently mount your
PowerFlarm sit in the glider and make sure the display is visible especially if you use polarized sun
glasses. A 10 degree rotation will probably make it unusable. (Editor’s note: My impression is that polarized
glasses are not to be used while flying.)
For the motor heads there may be another quirk. When you start the engine, the voltage transient on
the 12 volt power line may reset the PowerFlarm back to the agreement/license page which is an
annoyance but not a show stopper. This quirk is only for motorgliders.
Then I have a real gripe. The size of the portable PowerFlarm is twice as large as a unit could be if
the batteries had been left out of the design. The PowerFlarm uses 6 AA batteries. Why the batteries?
The power consumption is low and in most gliders would not be an important consideration.
So what do I think of the ergonomics of the PowerFlarm display? Not much! It is readable but only
just.
Conclusion
The Zaon MRX is in my opinion a much superior device for just PCAS, and I cannot envisage
someone replacing their MRX for a PowerFlarm in a power plane. The PowerFlarm provides a useful
safety device for sailplane pilots in a busy environment if sufficient numbers of people use them. I
support their use for gliders and am flying with one in my Phoenix.
---------------From Finland: FLARM antenna installation is really a problem. PowerFlarm seems to have two
antennas, I have no idea how that works. I have installed several FLARMs into our club gliders, and I
have used "RF Range Analysis" tool provided by FLARM. This should tell you if your antenna
installation has problems - and there often are problems. I would like to see this analysis extended into 3
dimensional graphic.
Everyone who installs FLARM in a plane should use this analysis tool. Get it at:
. http://www.flarm.com/support/analyze/index_en.html
Editor's Note: There is a long list of comments about FLARM on the Google RAS site. Go to
(https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/rec.aviation.soaring). Especially the note about the antenna
installation, and the availability of an optional receive antenna that might give you a better range.
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April / May, 2012
Perlan Project Update
Posted on the Web by Morgan on February 29, 2012
The Windward Performance workshop in Bend, Oregon is currently working on the fuselage that will
be used for destructive testing. This is the one that has to have all of the structural details of the final
aeroplane but it will be over-pressurized until is bursts. Adding those structural details is taking longer
than we thought; it’s not just a simple test. We have to have the whole thing finished and nearly ready to
fly before we destroy it. We also have the flight-ready wing skins under construction.
Editors note: To get the latest skinny, go to their website at http://perlanproject.org/ They show you lots
of interesting stuff, and you can also make a donation.
Red Bull Stratos Project Makes Successful Jump
from the Internet
Felix Baumgartner of Austria as part of the Red Bull Stratos
project made one parachute jump from 71,580 feet over
Roswell, N.M., falling at speeds that reached "nearly 365 miles
per hour," Red Bull announced Thursday. The project says the
actual mark of 364.4 mph set a new world freefall speed record.
The jump lasted eight minutes and eight seconds and took
Baumgartner through the coldest part of the stratosphere where
temperatures ranged near 94 degrees below zero (Fahrenheit).
This was just a test and more jumps are expected to follow. The
next will aim for a jump from 90,000 feet.
Baumgartner follows in the footsteps of only two other
people who have jumped from similar altitudes and survived -- Russian Eugene Andreev and American
Joseph Kittinger. Both of those men set their mark in the 1960s.
Baumgartner's trip to altitude began at 8:10 a.m. and was made aboard a space capsule tethered to a
giant helium balloon. Inside, Baumgartner wore a space suit and after more than one hour and 30
minutes in transit, he stepped out. Kittinger was on the ground watching, as part of a team that includes
almost 100 scientists, medical and aerospace experts collected for the mission. Future jumps will seek to
increase altitude and have a goal of breaking the speed of sound in freefall.
Stratolaunch Starts Construction In Mojave
From http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/avflash/2120-full.html#206122
Stratolaunch Systems, the new company formed in December by Paul Allen to build a giant Burt
Rutan-designed aircraft that will launch payloads into Earth orbit, has started construction on a
production facility and a hangar at the Mojave Air and
Space Port in California. Over the next year, the company
plans to tear down a pair of 747-400 aircraft and salvage
parts and subsystems to integrate into the new airplane.
The Stratolaunch, which will be the world's largest
airplane, will weigh 1.2 million pounds, with a 385-foot
wingspan. Plans call for six jet engines like those used on
747s, and booster rocket engines from Elon Musk's
SpaceX. Test flights are planned for 2015.
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April / May, 2012
Flying the Tetra-15
By Stan Ksprzyk
Flight test notes from N599GK, 28 Jan 2012, Arlington, WA
You have a great sailplane, Brad! I found your Tetra-15/HP-24 to be a joy to fly, with no major
issues evident in flight. Even with my 6' 1" height, I had another detent of rudder authority available if
needed, and while the top of my head was close to the canopy, I was wearing a sweatshirt, winter jacket
and the chute. The cockpit size for you will be perfect, especially for those long cross-country
adventures.
Stick feel and throw are well balanced in pitch and roll. I held the stick slightly forward of a neutral
position for the initial part of the takeoff roll, which lifted the tail wheel in the early part of the takeoff.
Even with only a small 4-5 knot headwind on takeoff behind the SuperCub tow plane, the Tetra-15 had
no tendency to drop a wing on takeoff roll, and the ailerons felt responsive a few seconds after the
takeoff roll began. As the tow continued, I held neutral stick and allowed the bird to fly herself off at
around 50 knots. Once away from the bumps of the grass runway, climb out behind the towplane was
smooth and effortless, with the trim in the third detent back, which provided very light stick forces at my
weight of 205 pounds. Visibility forward was very good, with no issues keeping the tow plane in sight.
Above 1500 feet, the air became quite turbulent, but I had no problem maintaining a very stable tow
position.
I tried raising the gear as I passed 3000 feet AGL, since I was so stable behind the towplane. I made
two attempts, but just couldn't get good leverage, and decided to wait until I released from tow to try in
earnest. I had very good roll response once I separated from the tow, and successfully raised the gear
with a concerted lift of the handle. Some tweaking will be needed to reduce the force needed to get the
gear up, but the gear doors appeared to seal tight, with no wind noise from the lower fuselage area.
Since we had pre-briefed formation flying with the tow plane for some in-flight photos, I joined back
up on the towplane's right wing, and the Tetra-15 was very controllable while formation flying with the
towplane for the photos, with speed ranging from 60 to 105 knots at 0 and -1 flap settings while
maneuvering in the formation flight and repositioning for decent photos. At the 3rd detent trim position,
I did notice a tendency for the Tetra-15 to really want to smoke along, so I stabilized at around 55-60,
and set the pitch trim back to about 5 or 6 detents. I just need to figure out the best trim setting for me to
keep her slowed down a bit - she wants to haul! Flap use is intuitive, and we need to explore best cruise
flap settings and use of +1 and +2 options for landing. I did notice that the flap handle moved from +1 to
0 with very little force, and might needed to be tightened up a bit to avoid inadvertent flap setting
changes.
The Tetra-15 is easy to keep coordinated in shallow- and medium-banked turns, with normal
coordinated rudder input needed rolling into and out of turns. I tried slow flight to 42 knots, approaching
a stall, and noticed a very slight tendency to drop the left wing, but the air was quite turbulent and it was
not a good environment for a very quantitative assessment of slow flight capabilities.
I did notice the howling noise that you had experienced during different portions of the flight, but
especially in the 55-65 knot regime with the flaps at the +1 position. I was able to increase/reduce the
noise using different flap settings, but it was hard to isolate the true source, but it did seem to originate
aft of the cockpit, but I couldn't isolate it to the cockpit air exhaust area. We'll have to try taping the
exhaust port to see if it provides immediate relief, or if it's related to the tape on the rudder that could be
vibrating.
Regarding instrumentation, we discussed the obvious need for a replacement altimeter, while the
GPS backup readout matched the tow plane altimeter within 100 feet. Airspeed comparison with a
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April / May, 2012
calibrated baseline will be needed later, but generally also matched the towplane during today's flight.
Your radio was quite clear, and the speaker arrangement near my right shoulder worked well.
I lowered the gear before practicing a few approaches at altitude, and unlike the raising heroics,
lowering the gear was comparatively easy, with a reassuring locking sound when the handle was down. I
configured for landing at +1 flaps, and flew a full practice approach at altitude, noting that spoiler
activation produced little to no pitch change.
Once I descended for the actual pattern and
landing, I had very good visibility in the pattern,
with the spoilers easy to deploy and very
effective in accurately controlling my aim-point.
With a little practice, you'll have no problem in
short fields. I flared and touched down at around
47-48 knots, touching the tail wheel and the
main wheel nearly simultaneously. I just tapped
the brake slightly, but it seemed to work well.
Overall, I really enjoyed flying your Tetra15! It's a very comfortable ship, with only a few
issues to work through beyond expanding the
speed envelope, exercising more stalls, slips and
potentially spins - Gear retraction force needs to be reduced, investigate the howling noise aft of the
cockpit, especially at +1 flap setting, and assess if the flap handle moves too easily from +1 to zero.
Overall, Brad, you've built yourself a keeper! She's a blast to fly, and looks great also!
Tetra-15 update
Brad Hill:
After 10 years of labor, my Tetra-15 (HP-24) is now flying. The actual time spent making the Tetra
was only 5 years, but to get to that point, we built lot's of plugs, molds and tooling for the various parts
of the aircraft. A person could now order a kit and be assured that the aircraft was not in the
development stage. A motivated person could probably build one of these in under 2 years.
I've been flying the Tetra for almost 3 months now and she has close to 30 hours on her, and an
accumulation of over 1000km of XC time. The longest flight to date is 6 hours and 388 km. In that time
and during those flights she has proven herself to be everything I had wanted her to be.
The original idea was to make an all fiberglass sailplane, but after I joined the team, I was able to
secure the beta-builder position and as such, I was
able to sway the designer to move to an all carbon
airframe for my ship. The success of that move has
all future airframes using carbon as well. The empty
weight, including batteries and instruments is 479
pounds. At that weight and with my cockpit-load I
am a bit over 6.3 for a WL; perhaps by some a
floater, but in the air this glider rocks!
Handling is superior, climb rate is incredible,
and the speed range formidable...........and all this as
the result of a dedicated group of individuals who
dared to dream!
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April / May, 2012
SCG Calendar
April 2, 7:00PM, SGC General Membership Meeting - Museum of Flight
April 7/8, Opening Weekend Ephrata Soaring Season
April 10, 7:00PM, SGC Board of Directors Meeting, Mercer Island Library, small meeting room
May 7, 7:00PM, SGC General Membership Meeting - Museum of Flight
May 5-13, Aerobatic Training Camp:
May 13, Young Eagles Day
May 26-28, Ephrata "Dust Up", Cross-Country/Badge/Record Encampment (official website)
May 26-June 3, Evergreen Ephrata Soaring Encampment
June 11-16, Region 8 Contest at Ephrata (Standard, 15M, Sports, 18M/Open, Practice June 10)
June 16, Great NW Air Race at Ephrata
June 16-24, Apple Cup Aerobatic Competition:
June 18-22, WVSC Ephrata Soaring Encampment
July 7-14, Austin, NV Soaring Safari (limited space), call Tom Dixon (208-376-6718)
Jul 24 - 5 Aug, Civil Air Patrol Encampment
July 28 - August 19, WGC 2012, Uvalde, Texas (Official Website)
July 30 - August 13, Mackay, ID Soaring Safari, Contact Tom Dixon (208-376-6718)
August 18-26, King Mt. Glider Park Safari, Contact John Kangas (208-407-7174)
September 7-10, Logan, UT "Long Weekend", Contact Tom Dixon (208-376-6718)
September 10, 7:00PM, SGC General Membership Meeting - Museum of Flight
October 1, 7:00PM, SGC General Membership Meeting - Museum of Flight
November 3, Annual SGC Awards Banquet, Ivar's Salmon House - more details later
December 3, 7:00PM, SGC General Membership Meeting - Museum of Flight
Rockets Calendar
Here is the Washington Aerospace Club schedule for their high powered rockets launches as far as our
area is concerned. They already had several programs in our area before we opened. They operate all
over the Pacific Northwest. For details see their website.
The Washington Aerospace Club gets an FAA waiver to launch rockets to 25,000 AGL for a two mile
radius at either the Sportsman Club (primary site, NW of Mansfield) or the Snell Ranch site (East of
Mansfield). They post NOTAMS days before the event per FAA requirements.
Launch Calendar
Date
Event Name
Where
Comment
April 28 – 29
AP Checkride
Sportsman's Club
Class 1 & 2; to 14K'
May 25 – 29 Fire In The Sky 2012
Sportsman's Club
Class 1 & 2; to 14k’
June 23 – 24
Roll Your Own
Sportsman's Club
Class 1 and 2; to 14k’
Aug 25 – 26,
High Plateau BBQ
Snell Ranch
Class 1 and 2; to 25k’
(Continued on next page)
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April / May, 2012
“Class” means this in model rocketry:
(a) Class 1—Model Rocket means an amateur rocket that:
(1) Uses no more than 125 grams (4.4 ounces) of propellant;
(2) Uses a slow-burning propellant;
(3) Is made of paper, wood, or breakable plastic;
(4) Contains no substantial metal parts; and
(5) Weighs no more than 1,500 grams (53 ounces), including the propellant.
(b) Class 2—High-Power Rocket means an amateur rocket other than a model rocket that is propelled by a motor
or motors having a combined total impulse of 40,960 Newton-seconds (9,208 pound-seconds) or less.
(c) Class 3—Advanced High-Power Rocket means an amateur rocket other than a model rocket or high-power
rocket.
Look at the 2011 April/May issue of TOWLINE for all the details of this activity.
National Event/Contest Dates
Date(s)
Event
Location
4/16/2012 - 4/21/2012
Region 5 North
5/13/2012 - 5/22/2012
15 Meter Nationals
Reedsville, PA
5/13/2012 - 5/19/2012
Region 2 Sport Class
Reedsville, PA
5/17/2012 - 5/20/2012
Central Cal Soaring Club, Spring Contest
5/26/2012 - 6/2/2012
Region 6 North
Perry, SC
Avenal, CA
Ionia, MI
5/26/2012 - 6/3/2012
Region 11
6/4/2012 - 6/9/2012
Region V South
Middletown, CA
6/11/2012 - 6/15/2012
CCSC XC Soaring Camp
6/11/2012 - 6/16/2012
R-9 Super Regional Moriarty Club/Modern Class
Moriarty, NM
6/11/2012 - 6/16/2012
2012 Region 8 Championships
Ephrata, WA
6/12/2012 - 6/21/2012
Open Class Nationals
Minden, NV
6/17/2012 - 6/23/2012
Region 6 South
6/20/2012 - 6/29/2012
6/23/2012 - 6/29/2012
Sports Class Nationals
Region2 North
Parowan, Ut
Wurtsboro, NY
6/26/2012 - 7/5/2112
18 Meter/Standard Class Nationals
Montague, CA
7/9/2012 - 7/14/2012
Air Sailing Sports Class Contest
Reno, Nevada
7/11/2012 - 7/18/2012
13.5 Meter Super Regional
Midlothian, TX
7/11/2012 - 7/18/2012
1-26 Championship
Midlothian, TX
8/6/2012 - 8/11/2012
Region 11 Soar Truckee Soaring Contest
Truckee, CA
8/19/2012 - 8/25/2012
Region 3 Soaring Contest
Dansville, NY
9/1/2012 - 9/9/2012
Region V West
Benton, TN
9/17/2012 - 9/22/2012
Region 4 South
New Castle, VA
10/7/2012 - 10/13/2012
Region 4 North
Fairfield, Pa
Cordele, GA
Waynesville, OH
Waynesville, OH
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April / May, 2012
New Wingtip Design
by Heinz Gehlhaar
I have just heard about a new wingtip design and investigated its details. This really looks promising.
It is known that current wingtip designs only increase our soaring performance by about 2 to 6% over
a small speed range. Dr. John Krasnywich has done some detailed analysis about wingtips, and has
outlined a new form. The new form takes the shape of what might be described as a curl. The theory
behind the curl, and some of the equations that that Dr Krasnywich gives, show that as the air flows
from the bottom high-pressure area of the wing towards the top, the low pressure area, it curls around.
The new wingtip has airfoils aligned to that flow. The air flows over that foil and generates additional
lift that is only dependent on speed squared, and it is not very sensitive to yaw in either direction.
Analysis and wind tunnel test tend to indicate a performance improvements of larger than 10%. Dr.
Krasnywich is in the process of solidifying his worldwide patent. He has a website with a detailed
description, along with all of his analyses, and with pictures of the tip and of his wind tunnel test at his
site. Unfortunately, for me, I could not copy the text at his site. That's probably a protection mechanism
for him. But you can see all the data at his site at http://www.krasnywichPV.com/qpykm/dev.htm .
Only drawback is you need a login at his site.
Badge and Cross Country Encampment
Noel Wade & Kevin Finke
For those Pilots in the Greater Washington State area, the Seattle Glider Council is putting on a
Badge and Cross Country Encampment to take place over Memorial Day weekend at the Ephrata
Airport. Prior to the event, we are hosting Informational Seminars at the Seattle Museum of Flight every
1st Monday of Each Month.
This Monday, April 2nd at the Museum of Flight Red Barn Basement starting at 7pm, Noel Wade
and Kevin Finke will be continuing with a series of Presentations for the 2012 Dust Up Badge and Cross
Country Soaring Encampment. The Presentation Topic is: Cross Country Soaring: How to do your
first one, and then how to further your skill set to get better at it.
We will be giving a detailed method of how to go about planning and executing your first cross
country flight for the beginner, as well as detailing methods to further develop those skills in a practical
manner. For further info about the Encampment visit our website..http://thedustup.info/Welcome.html .
Should be a good time! We look forward to seeing you.
CFI Certificate for Military Veterans
There is a relatively new FAA Military Competency Instructor (MCI) exam available. The FAA has
written a new section CFR 61.73. Under that section, military flight instructors can take the FAA MCI
written exam to get the CFI certificate without any further tests.
For a quick overview see the March 2012 issue of Soaring Magazine, on page 4. For the gory details
go to CFR 61.73 directly. It’s fairly easy reading.
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April / May, 2012
Financial Troubles
The SGC admitted that it was having
increasing financial problems in
handling the training operation and the
administration of the Towplanes. While
first getting tows from tow cars, then
from commercial operators, the SGC was
at the mercy of commercial operators.
When several decided not to continue tow
service (due to wear and tear on their
planes, vs the price they could charge),
the SGC got into the business of tow
planes. When business was booming, the
SGC was able to have a healthy 2towplane program by borrowing money from
the members to pay for the planes – a
115 hp PA-11 and a 90-hp Cub. However,
when business fell off due to glider
inavailbility, the fatal accident the
year before, and some ongoing
maintenance issues with the second
towplane – considered to be a lemon- the
SGC had to take a hard look at the
finances of operating two.
The SGC had to make some tough
towplane decisions in January 62. Both
the 90 and the 115 hp Tugs required some
measure of rebuild. Various alternatives
were explored (buying rebuilt engines,
selling out and buying new planes, or
discontinuing towing altogether.) A
voluntary assessment of $10 per member
was requested to tide over the
maintenance fund, and subscription tows
were pre-sold to raise maintenance
funds. $60 per year got you two tows per
month. In February, it was announced
that a separate corporation would be
formed to provide towplane management
and tows. Bob Kruse and Joe Richardson
founded the Puget Sound Aerial Tug and
Barge Co. PSAT&B would be the local tow
provider for all comers.
Moving the operation to Enumclaw took
a further bite out of the SGC’s
operating budget due to hangar leases.
The $10/month fee for a rigged glider
hangar space was probably going to need
to be increased, driving members away
from the SGC hangar and back to storing
their gliders home, because this rate
could not support the $145/month
building rental fee. The Flying School
was spun off to be run by an outside
partnership, still using the SGC
towplanes. One towplane would be
stationed in Wenatchee in the summer
months to increase the towing business
east of the mountains.
Still, it was seen that a great deal
of personal effort was going into
keeping costs down, and that the members
at large were being shielded against the
true costs of a soaring operation by the
concerted efforts of a few. (ie, keeping
tow cost below the 5 dollar minimum
charged at commercial sites.)
A series of unfortunate events over
the past year contributed to the
financial problems. Flight and field
incidents and accidents, unanticipated
equipment maintenance, and other
unexpected expenses had caused the
funding to become critical. Dissolution
of the SGC was proposed as one answer.
Getting inactive members to pitch in
financially was also proposed, possibly
paying more for the now-subsidized
services they receive. “We can’t go on
the way things are now !! It’s Boost
SGC- Or, ….Get Rid of SGC !”
Good Things to know
Airspeed, altitude and brains. Two are always needed to complete the flight successfully.
The three most common expressions (or famous last words) in glider aviation are:
Did you feel that?
What's that noise and
Oh S...!'
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April / May, 2012
Safety Ideas
By Heinz Gehlhaar
I am always looking for items relating to soaring safety.
If you have any inputs please send them to Heinz!
Radio use
By Heinz Gehlhaar
Interesting experience I had last Friday at the
Arlington Airport. I'd been listening to the radio
while the towpilot walked to his ship and started
up . Dead silence on the radio. Prior to takeoff to
the north the tow pilot made his standard
announcement, and off we went. About 100 feet
AGL we are meeting a landing power plane in the
opposite direction. That guy never made an
announcement. And when challenged, he wanted
to argue!
Then on the way home, I was listening to the
radio to get an appreciation how busy it might be
for landing. Besides some traffic on 29, I heard
nothing for quite a while. So I did my landing-set
up, did the announcement on the 45, and what do
I see as I get on downwind? There's a glider
rolling out on the runway. There was no
announcement. And I know my radio was
working, because I heard the earlier traffic for 29.
Moral of the story: Please, please, do use your
radio. Let the other folks know what you're about
to do. That way they might look for you and stay
out of your way.
Soaring Simulator Training
Flight Safety requires that pilots engage in a
life-long learning process. The process begins
with the initial ground and flight training and is
reinforced with continued practice and study. It is
augmented by such items as flight reviews,
participation in a safety culture, and you can take
that extra step by taking advantage of the safety
programs offered by the SSF.
In 2011, the Soaring Safety Foundation started
a project to use the Condor Soaring Simulator
program to generate short videos showing both
accident producing events and properly
performed flight maneuvers. The SSF is now
ready to expand the library of videos and they
need your help to accomplish this. Look at this
page: http://www.soaringsafety.org/news.html
This page lets you view the list of current
requests, request a new video, or vote for a new
video. New videos will be added to the library
based on this community demand. Your
participation will make this a better resource for
all U.S. glider pilots.
****** That’s all for now --******
Oh yes! One more thing:
You're never too old to learn something stupid.
After all this is the April 1 issue!
Fly safe out there,
Heinz
Minden Wave Camp
The Fourth Annual Minden Wave Camp, at Minden-Tahoe Airport, Minden, NV is being held on
March 25-31, 2012 as I write this. No information has come out of it yet. It is sponsored by SoaringNV,
and features daily presentations from highly experienced wave pilots, safety briefings, Wave Window
operations, talking to ATC, high altitude oxygen and aeromedical factors, etc. Search the web.
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April / May, 2012
Soaring Expo
Soaring Expo 2012 was held during the weekend of March 17-18. It is put on by the Seattle Glider
Council to give the public a glimpse into the fascinating world of silent flight.
Representatives of local soaring and RC glider clubs were available to answer questions for anyone
interested in the sport of soaring or becoming a glider pilot. Four full-size gliders and many radiocontrolled gliders were on display. And we gave a couple of lectures, a had a movie, and a glider flight
simulator in operation.
On Saturday morning Allen Silver, chairman of the Parachute Industry Association, gave us a great
lecture on Emergency Bailout Procedures and Survival Equipment for Pilots. One of his key points was:
the parachute will fully open in 2 to 3 seconds. It's never too late to jump.
In the afternoon Linda Chism told us all about Oroville's Aviators: Cloyd and Audrey Artman. Cloyd
Artman, inspired by an article in National Geographic, designed and built his own glider, and taught
himself how to fly it. He explored the ridges and valleys of the Okanagan, improved on his design, and
soon taught his younger sister Audrey how to fly.
On Sunday morning Brad Hill showed us The Design and Building of A New Glider. Over the last
seven years Brad worked on building the first copy of a high-performance glider the Tetra-15. The
design was originally conceived by Bob Kuykendal around 2000 when Bob and his engineer friend
Steve Smith decided to develop a sailplane for the kit market. Brad picked up on that design and with
the help of Bob and Steve produced the first flying model. The sailplane was test flown in mid-February
with great results. And Brad is flying it now and showing all of us how we should fly cross-country.
Brad’s home-built Glider, Tetra 15
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April / May, 2012
Soaring Expo 2012: Full-size Gliders and Model Gliders
Explaining the DG 1000, with airbrakes deployed.
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April / May, 2012
Unpretentious
By Tony Burton (adapted from a poem by Bernard Reeves on www.sifowpedia.com)
In days when forest felt no threat,
With fibreglass unheard of yet,
They built of things that lived and grew,
Like spruce and birch and casein glue.
Folk who flew then knew their place,
Yes, they knew the urge to race,
But did not claim by word or deed,
To split the sky at breakneck speed,
But rather by pace more modest-like,
More befitting the average bike.
Seemed more the proper thing to do,
Without undue, unseemly haste,
Which would in truth be in poor taste.
“Wood has soul” will oft times pass
The lips of those without the brass
For super high-performance glass.
So we flew what could be afforded,
Thankful to do so, and so applauded,
As any sailplane pilot should,
The unpretentiousness of wood.
Drifting downwind, enjoying the view,
How I became a Pilot
One of the questions from the career-placement test given applicants for a military commission:
"Rearrange the letters 'P N E S I' to spell out an important part of human body that is more useful
when erect!"
Those who spelled 'spine' became doctors… the rest of us went to flight school.
Leadership
A good leader can convince you that you are dead wrong;… And you enjoy it!
Some leaders cause happiness wherever they go. Others, whenever they go.
When tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that the Fire Department usually uses water.
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April / May, 2012
Classifieds
For sale: LS4a, 3J
Motorglider Flights
Winner of 1985 Sports Class Nationals.
1984 model with 1940 total hours.
Includes,
 Dittel FSG 50 radio
 Cambridge M-NAV glide computer
 Gear warning
 Dual battery
 Oxygen
 Water ballast
 Enclosed trailer
 Tie-down kit
 Tail and wing tip dollies
Until June 2012 Glider-Rides.com is making our
Grob G109 available for cross-country training, aerial
photography and more. Currently the glider is
located at either Phoenix or Las Vegas.
Go flying with our pilot, and get a chance to really
practice without the risk of landing out, fly to places
that just aren't possible in a normal glider or get to
Wenatchee in about an hour.
Member Special: $55 per hour including the pilot,
and $10 per Hobbs tenth.
Glider-Rides.com at 800-707-9593.
Contact Jim Simmons for inspection
425-742-4722 or ls4a@comcast.net
GROB 109 Motorglider for Sale
For Sale: LS3-17 15 meter and 17 meter tips.
Standard instruments plus a Borgelt B400 and Microaire 760 radio.
Older Komet trailer. Located in Portland, Oregon
Call 503.638.0384 or thojohnson@hotmail.com
 Dual NAV-COM’s: KX155 & KX165
 KT76 Transponder
 PS Engineering Audio Panel
 Artificial Horizon
 Low time Limbach L2000EB1-AA Engine
 Propeller: Recent overhaul
 Re-finished wings
$44,900 OBO
Contact Chris Klix,
Pacific AeroSport LLC,
360-474-9394
www.pacificaerosport.com
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April / May, 2012
DG-800B for Sale
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Superb condition both in finish and
mechanically, 311 hrs. TT, 53 hrs. engine time
No major damage history
New solid starter ring gear
New machined spindle drive fork
New spindle drive motor
New LG gas strut
New PUR life time fuel lines throughout
Fine wire plugs
Upgraded to dual in-line fuel pumps and later
style carburetor with restricted fuel return line
FSG 71M Dittel radio
Cambridge 302
Borgelt B40
IPAQ H3955 PDA with mount
Oxygen system
ELT
Two tone gray leather Interior
Long range fuel bladders
Tinted Canopy
18 meter wingtip extensions with and without
winglets
15 meter winglets
Cobra trailer with solar panel for charging, solar
vent, storage drawer behind axle, Cobra
Electric remote controlled single man rigging
aid, very convenient!
Tow out gear
Fresh annual inspection with all ADs and TNs
complied with
Located in Arlington, WA
K-4 glider for Sale
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older 1948 ship, always in trailer.
15 meter and 17 meter tips.
Standard instruments
Micro-aire 760 radio.
Great running trailer, just looks old from the
outside.
Looking for $2990
For more details, up to date information and
contact information, please see this link:
Kromaynd_J.com/K-4_Info.htm.
Will fly for Food
Contact Heinz
Wanted to Publish:
Wanted: great stories or cheap drivel to fill this newsletter.
Call Heinz. (But don't call him nasty names.)
$145,000 OBO
Contact:
Chris@PacificAeroSport.com, 360-474-9394
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