INTRODUCTION TO SOARING FLIGHT EAA CHAPTER 790 AUGUST 22, 2017 John DeRosa President, Chicagoland Glider Council Geoff Weck SSA Executive Committee, CFI, CFIG, ATP
Get Acquainted Gliding / Gliders Soaring / Sailplanes Launch Methods Sustained Flight Landing Aspects Recreation Achievement (Badge, Record) Competition Avionics Add-on Rating Questions / Answers
GET ACQUAINTED Audience Pilots? Flown in a Glider? Glider Category Rating? Glider Flight Instructors? Your Speaker Private Glider Certificate Flown Gliders for 17 years, 400+ hours Organizations Sky Soaring Glider Club, Hampshire IL Past President, maintenance chairman Chicagoland Glider Council Past President, Current Secretary Soaring Society of America - Member
GLIDING Definition: To descend gradually in controlled flight Having a horizontal component to a free fall H V Glide ratio V Time Sink Rate V H
GLIDER Aircraft Category Aircraft Airplane Rotorcraft Lighter-than-Air Glider Definition: A heavier-than-air aircraft supported in flight by the dynamic reaction of the air against its lifting surfaces whose free-flight does not depend principally on an engine.
Otto Lillenthal 1890 s
Octave Chanute - 1896
Orville Wright - 1902
Orville Wright 1911 October 24, 1911 - First Soaring Record Set 9 minutes, 45 seconds
Primary Trainer 1920 s to 1930 s
Germany - 1930 s
WWII Glider Trainer Schweizer 2-8 (TG-2)
SOARING Definition: To sustain gliding flight using rising currents of air SAILPLANE Definition: A glider designed for sustained flight If flying were the language of man, soaring would be its poetry - Anonymous
SAILPLANE Definition: A glider designed for sustained flight If flying were the language of man, soaring would be its poetry - Anonymous
Goppingen - Gö 3 Minimoa 17m 28:1 1936
Schweizer - SGS 1-23 16m 30.8:1 1948
Schleicher KA-6 15m 32:1 1955
Glasflügel Libelle H-301 15m 39:1 1964
FFA - Diamant 18m 45:1 1964
Rolladen-Schneider LS3 15m 40.7:1 1976
Glaser-Dirks DG300 15m 40:1 1983
Politechnika Warszawska PW-5 Smyk 13.5m 32:1 1993
Schleicher - ASW-27 15m 49:1 1995
Schleicher - ASG-29 18m 50:1
Arcus 20m 50:1
Antares 20E 20m 56:1
Nimbus-4 26m 60:1
ETA 31m 70:1
Two Place Training Gliders
Schweizer - SGS 2-33 15m 22:1 Two Place Training Gliders
Blanik Let L23 (USAF TG-10) 15m 28:1
Grob - G103 15m 38:1
Schleicher - ASK-21 17m 34:1
Schempp-Hirth - Duo Discus 20m 46:1
Glaser Dirks DG-1000 (USAF TG-16A) 20m 46.5:1
Motorgliders (Self-Launch & Sustainers)
Typical Racing Sailplane Cockpit
LAUNCH METHODS Aero Tow Winch Self-launch
LAUNCH METHODS Aerotow Condor Soaring Simulator Aero Tow
LAUNCH METHODS Ground Launch Autotow Winch Condor Soaring Simulator Winch Launch
LAUNCH METHODS Self-Launch
SUSTAINED FLIGHT Soaring To sustain gliding flight using rising currents of air Sources of Lift Small-scale Convective cycles Orographic effects Atmospheric standing Waves Air Mass Collisions = Thermal = Ridge = Wave = Convergence
SUSTAINED FLIGHT Thermal Lift Condor Soaring Simulator - Thermalling
SUSTAINED FLIGHT Ridge Lift Condor Soaring Simulator Ridge Soaring
SUSTAINED FLIGHT Wave Lift
SUSTAINED FLIGHT Convergence Lift
Landing Out LANDING
ASPECTS OF SOARING Recreation Achievement Badge Record Competition
RECREATION Fun / Social Cross-Country
COMPETITION Personal (unofficial) Club - NISC Regional National Seniors Worlds Aerobatic
GAGGLING
CROSS COUNTRY COMPETITION Start Cylinder Pilots Meeting Gridding Task Start cylinder Turn Cylinder 1 Turn Points Finish cylinder Minimum Time Best average speed wins Turn Cylinder 2 Finish Cylinder Turn Cylinder 3
ACHIEVEMENT (SSA/FAI BADGES) A Solo Flight B Soaring Capable 1/2 hour solo flight C - Cross Country Prep 1 hour solo flight Landing accuracy Bronze - Cross Country Flight Ready Two (2) two-hour flights Landing accuracy
ACHIEVEMENT (SSA/FAI BADGES) Silver Ready for a Contest 1000m (4,281ft) Altitude gain 50km (32 miles) Flight 5 hour solo flight Gold 3000m (9,843ft) Altitude gain 300km (186 miles) Flight Diamond 5000m (16,404ft) Altitude gain 300km (186 miles) Triangle flight 500km (311 miles) Flight Diplomas 750km, 1000km, 2000km Flights 466mi, 621mi, 1243mi Flights
Region Category Type State General National Feminine World Youth Distance Altitude Out & Return Speed Triangle Speed RECORDS Glider Class Open Class Single-place Multi-place Motorglider Single-place Multi-place 15-Meter Class Standard Class World Class Glider Ultralight Glider Sports Class
AVIONICS Variometers (Mechanical, Audio, Digital) GPS Moving Map / Flight Computers Flight Recorders (IGC Secure) Flight Recorder / Moving Map / Variometer Transceivers No Headphones! Transponders (Mode C, ADS-B) ELTs / PLBs / SPOT FLARM
CERTIFICATION GLIDER CATEGORY Age Requirements 14 - Solo 16 - Private 18 - Commercial/CFIG Medical Certificate None Flight Experience Initial Rating 10 hours Total Time 20 flights (3 practical test preparation) 2 hours solo 10 launches/landings
CERTIFICATION ADD-ON RATING FAR 61.109(f)(2)-Private Glider log at least 3 hours of flight time in a glider (i) 10 solo flights in a glider (ii) 3 training flights with an instructor in a glider in preparation for the practical test within the preceding 2 calendar months from the month of the test FAR 61.129(f)(2) at least 20 flights in a glider as PIC (i) 3 hours of flight training in a glider or 10 training flights with an instructor including at least 3 flights with an instructor in a glider in preparation for the practical test within the preceding 2 calendar months from the month of the test. (2) 5 solo flights in a glider on the areas of operation listed in FAR 61.127(b)(6)
CERTIFICATION GLIDER CATEGORY How long does it take to solo? Are you current and proficient? Anywhere between 3 and 15 dual flights 8-10 seems to be about average Tailwheel pilots tend to need fewer dual flights (they know what the rudder is for) The hardest part of transitioning to gliders is learning the aerotow Aerotow positions High tow Low tow Boxing the wake Slack rope recovery
CERTIFICATION GLIDER CATEGORY How do you land these things? There is no Go-Around, you have to get it right the first time Pattern-methods to repair being too high or too low Drag devices-spoilers, flaps, slips Short final to touchdown
CERTIFICATION GLIDER CATEGORY You have passed the checkride, now what? Thermalling - learning to stay up Cross country flying Cross country flying faster Contest flying Travel
FACTS & FIGURES Demographics 38,000 Certificated Glider Pilot in the U.S. 180 Soaring Clubs 150 Commercial Glider Operations Records Altitude 50,671 feet --- Fossett / Enevoldson (2006) Distance Speed 1,869 miles --- Klause Ohlman Average 190.6 mph / 310 mile course --- Klause Ohlman
SOARING SOCIETY OF AMERICA (SSA) http://www.ssa.org CHICAGOLAND GLIDER COUNCIL http://chicagolandglidercouncil.com SKY SOARING GLIDER CLUB http://skysoaring.com
QUESTIONS? ANSWERS?