My Hobby is Flying Gliders
Here are a few pictures taken pursuing my hobby.
This is a Schleicher ASG-29, a single seat glider manufactured in Germany.
The ASG-29 is a single seat high performance glider with a 52:1 glide ratio. The wing span is 59 feet (18 meters). It is a great glider and although it is a sold as a racing glider, it is pretty easy to handle.
What does glide ratio mean? A ratio of 52 to 1 means that the glider should glide 52 feet forward for every 1 foot it descends. So if this glider gets towed 1 mile high, it should be glide 52 miles. Of course, the is the perfect situation, and 'your mileage may vary'.
What is that black area on top of the fuselage behind the canopy?
It is my solar panels - it recharges my battery on the ground, and keeps it charged when I fly.
I have been flying gliders (sailplanes) since late 2003, I flew hang gliders from 1984 until 2006, when I finally realized that I preferred the performance of a sailplane to that of a hang glider. The beauty and challenge of using Mother Nature’s powerful updrafts to stay in the air keeps me going back for more.
In early 2004 I purchased a used ASW-24 single
seat glider that I loved to fly. I flew that until late in 2006 when I sold it in to get the money to pay for my my brand new glider. My ASG-29 was ordered from Germany, and took almost 2 years from date of my order until I flew it for the first time on Feb. 3, 2007.
I try to fly 2 or 3 weekends per month at Williams, CA. Williams Soaring Center is a great place to learn to fly.
When I can, I also tow my glider to other sites and fly there, such as Truckee, CA; Avenal, CA; Minden, NV; Airsailing, NV; Montague, CA.
Here is a picture waiting for a Tow Plane at Avenal, CA, near Coalinga (central California).
The glider in front of me is being towed and my tow plane is landing out of site to tow me aloft. In a contest we are only towed 2,000 feet off the ground and have to stay aloft until the "start gate" is open, then fly the course.
The last picture is of my landing in a field 9 miles short of the airport.
No engine, no lift, means sometimes landing away from your intended airport. This field was large enough though. Although the large dirt clods caused about $700 in cosmetic damage to my glider.
Forty percent of the contestants landed out on this day - only 2 landed in fields, the rest at airports- a smooth airport is better than a rough field. Next time I will pick an airport. I only had to wait about 3 hours to get picked up, so that was pretty good, considering how many other had landed out.