Gliding – a fantastic sport – a personal review and 2 video links
Evolution of business brought me back to where as a young boy I started: aviation. It was a hobby for me in those greenhorn days called gliding or in US terms soaring. Despite of my eye condition I was lucky than to pass my medical and with awareness I truly enjoyed training followed by many solos high up and over land.
On June 3 – 1974 I had my first flight lesson – 87 I stopped it altogether as my career and hectic travel schedules around Asia Pacific didn’t leave more time to safely continue. I did not want to belong to that group coming out once or twice a year to make a couple of starts to ‘just maintain” the license.
Going back in time and flipping to the old log book I dive into memories; training on the KA 7 – steel frame and wooden wing frame work linen covered – the first solo with the traditional congratulation in form of receiving spanking of my backbones from my comrades while I had to lean front over the wing… – first solos on the K8. The more rounder forms of the K6 with better performances were a stepping stone in those days at our club. And I do recall the enjoyment of the L-Spatz; which appeared to me as a fickle fossil of early gliding days. Rough form – steel framed linen covered – one had to be observant as it was not too forgiving. Many didn’t like it… At later days the modern glass & carbon fiber gliders came up: Astir, Twin Astir, Cirrus and ASK 21 which I tremendously enjoyed. What a difference and performance it was.
Today many clubs in Germany, where gliding evolved, still have those old gliders as well as the latest generations offering superb performances allowing long distance flights. Amazing records were flown already in those days; world championships won by famous German glider pilots like Helmut Reichman, whom I had the pleasure meeting 1978 at Châteauroux / France together with my club comrades and witnessing him winning first place in the 15 m class.
Even today fantastic results are being achieved regularly, of one the below video link speak for itself: 11 ½ hours along the Italian Alps covering more than 1,000 km – all in a glider – engine less…
The interest in gliding,- the living of a dream – a unique sport which not only teaches you the fundamentals of aerodynamics, aircraft specifics, meteorology or navigation; – which immerse you into a wonderful world of soaring high, making use of thermal winds; – flushing you with an adrenalin rush of the other kind; – making you forget the worldly everyday stuff and letting you see things never seen before from different perspectives.
A sport allowing you to be with nature; – to be an accepted member among the same kind of folk consisting of young & old; – entrepreneur, employee or student. Here – they are all the same and share the same addiction called “flying”.
I was lucky to have enjoyed & lived that dream with 338.41 hrs on 8 different types at 2 fantastic aero clubs. Today as evolution in business brings me back to aviation, am meeting plenty of like-minded folks here in the Philippines and link up across the borders. Splendid!
Words are missing out to describe… one has to experience it first hand. I like to share those two videos with you as I think they fit best… enjoy:
1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jhu6vkBcoU
Video: Gliding Through the Alps
Beware – This type of flying is not for the faint of heart. Take a look at this incredible video, which captures Italian glider pilot Alberto Sironi as he hugs the sharp peaks of the Alps during an 11-and-a-half-hour record-breaking flight.
After taking off from Varese, Italy Sironi averaged 123km/h in his Ventus 2cxT during the round-trip flight, maintaining an east-west route and staying particularly close to steeper areas of the mountains along the way in order to maintain lift and speed. Sironi covered more than 1000 km before touching down, all without engine power.
source: http://www.flyingmag.com/news/video-gliding-through-alps#GMB3XfMqjFPfk9bC.99
By Bethany Whitfield / Published: Nov 29, 2011
