Yesterday (Sunday) was my first day flying in Bulgaria after having arrived in Sopot Saturday afternoon. The day was sunny and unseasonably warm at about 25 degrees C. The chair lift is down for maintenance so we flew a nearby site called Becklevkia (or something close to that). Hugh and Ellis flew it last year. It's a south facing slope launch about 800 meters above the valley floor. It's on a bit of a knob so it's possible to launch in winds SE to SSW. There are a few obstructions, bushes and small trees, in places so it's just a little challenging, but not at all like most of our sites in and around Virginia. The fields out front are monsterously large.
Anyway I flew it three times in somewhat active conditions the last two times. I did a little no-instruments thermalling, but not terribly successfully. Probably got close to an hour all total. For me that was a very gratifying first day.
Dan T
no longer in Iraq
Day 1 in Bulgaria
Moderator: CHGPA BOD
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pink_albatross
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Re: Day 1 in Bulgaria
Cool to hear from you!
I don't remember the site. When in Bulgaria, I think we always launched from the same site (Hugh?). How long is the chairlift going to be out of commission?
Am looking forward to more updates!
Take pictures!!!
-- ellis
I don't remember the site. When in Bulgaria, I think we always launched from the same site (Hugh?). How long is the chairlift going to be out of commission?
Am looking forward to more updates!
Take pictures!!!
-- ellis
Day 2 in Bulgaria
Yesterday was warm and sunny and 25 C. Today was overcast and damp. When we first got to the same launch point as yesterday. We were above the low clouds and couldn't see the valley floor. None of the Holland pilots wanted to cloud dive and I didn't even consider it, so we headed back down to a training hill to practice kiting the gliders. I learned to reverse launch and was successful on my second attempt.
Before too long the clouds cleared enough to go back up the mountain and try again. Yesterday, Sunday, there were probably 25 gliders there. Today our group were the only ones there. I had two flights. The first one was filled with novice pilot mistakes, fortunately none of which were very serious, if less than elegant. The most serious mistake was forgetting to release the A lines at the glider came up on my forward launch. The second one was much better after learned from and corrected my earlier mistakes.
On the way out it started to spit rain shortly before I found a thermal right over the spine I was flying down. I managed to stick it well enough to fly net zero sink for a few minutes before deciding that I need to err on the conservative side and get out over the LZ before the rain might degrade my glide path. Given that I had no instruments I was very pleased with managing to hold onto the rain dampened thermal as long as I did. I reached the LZ with at least 1,000 feet and never really noticed any degradation in the glide angle. The glider was only somewhat damp and not soaked. None the less it was good to get down, especially when I stuck the landing.
This launch point is just a few kilometers west of the chair lift. The chairlift maintenance is about a month behind schedule. Everyone expects it to be operational by the 1st of May. On the 1st of May a large contingent of downhill off road bicyclists are converging for a major extreme sports event. For those who haven't seen this place, riding a bicycle from the top to the bottom of the chairlift is a bit like going down a triple diamond ski run, through the trees with one eye blindfolded! These guy must be nuts!
Dan T
Before too long the clouds cleared enough to go back up the mountain and try again. Yesterday, Sunday, there were probably 25 gliders there. Today our group were the only ones there. I had two flights. The first one was filled with novice pilot mistakes, fortunately none of which were very serious, if less than elegant. The most serious mistake was forgetting to release the A lines at the glider came up on my forward launch. The second one was much better after learned from and corrected my earlier mistakes.
On the way out it started to spit rain shortly before I found a thermal right over the spine I was flying down. I managed to stick it well enough to fly net zero sink for a few minutes before deciding that I need to err on the conservative side and get out over the LZ before the rain might degrade my glide path. Given that I had no instruments I was very pleased with managing to hold onto the rain dampened thermal as long as I did. I reached the LZ with at least 1,000 feet and never really noticed any degradation in the glide angle. The glider was only somewhat damp and not soaked. None the less it was good to get down, especially when I stuck the landing.
This launch point is just a few kilometers west of the chair lift. The chairlift maintenance is about a month behind schedule. Everyone expects it to be operational by the 1st of May. On the 1st of May a large contingent of downhill off road bicyclists are converging for a major extreme sports event. For those who haven't seen this place, riding a bicycle from the top to the bottom of the chairlift is a bit like going down a triple diamond ski run, through the trees with one eye blindfolded! These guy must be nuts!
Dan T
Re: Day 1 in Bulgaria
Don't forget the part about have a metal frame applied to your crotch while doing the downhill.
Good on ya for going back to Sopot, Dan! I have read generally that eastern Europe was hard hit by the financial downturn (which had it's crisis in the U.S. while we wer there last fall). Also read that Bulgaria is in the hands of the mafia. Any manifestations of those two negative things, or is it as charming and safe as it seemed last fall? Of course, I guess I should consider that I'm asking a guy from Baghdad... - Hugh
Good on ya for going back to Sopot, Dan! I have read generally that eastern Europe was hard hit by the financial downturn (which had it's crisis in the U.S. while we wer there last fall). Also read that Bulgaria is in the hands of the mafia. Any manifestations of those two negative things, or is it as charming and safe as it seemed last fall? Of course, I guess I should consider that I'm asking a guy from Baghdad... - Hugh
Re: Day 1 in Bulgaria
Hey Dan,
You know I was tempted.
Great that you are getting some flights in.
Carlos
You know I was tempted.
Great that you are getting some flights in.
Carlos
Day 3 in Bulgaria
It rained as predicted.
We visited the Thracian ruins and the city of Plovdiv. Greek mythology is really centered in Bulgaria!
We visited the Thracian ruins and the city of Plovdiv. Greek mythology is really centered in Bulgaria!
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pink_albatross
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Re: Day 1 in Bulgaria
Ah, I hope it stops raining soon!
Raining here, too...
Last week in the news it was mentioned that there are a lot of building projects left half finished in Bulgaria, because suddenly the international funds for the housing boom (mostly funneled by British investors and holiday makers) dried up. They mostly dried up because British citizens suddenly had no money and the investors realized that they couldn't rent out the vacation homes for as much as they had intended to. A lot of Brits are forced to sell their vacation homes at a loss needing every bit of money they can get due to the bad economy at home.
But I doubt you'll notice any of that in Sopot. Not much of a housing boom there anyway. Maybe at the beach and in the skiing towns.
Looking forward to more of your reports! Even if they are rainy day reports!
-- ellis
Raining here, too...
Last week in the news it was mentioned that there are a lot of building projects left half finished in Bulgaria, because suddenly the international funds for the housing boom (mostly funneled by British investors and holiday makers) dried up. They mostly dried up because British citizens suddenly had no money and the investors realized that they couldn't rent out the vacation homes for as much as they had intended to. A lot of Brits are forced to sell their vacation homes at a loss needing every bit of money they can get due to the bad economy at home.
But I doubt you'll notice any of that in Sopot. Not much of a housing boom there anyway. Maybe at the beach and in the skiing towns.
Looking forward to more of your reports! Even if they are rainy day reports!
-- ellis
Day 4 in Bulgaria
Yesterday was one of those odd chase the wind days. We ended up at a west facing site near Plovdiv about 60 kilometers from here. The launches were basically off a finger across a small valle, with the flights down the finger and over the back to the LZ. Inconsistent cross wind and numerous less than elegant launches by the other pilots sealed an earlier conclusion that it wasn't likely to be a flying day for me.
Later we moved to another site, this one facing basically north. Light winds and a shallow slope made it a non starter too. Our instructor guide Niki, flew it. He estimated he was about 2 meters above the tree tops for the first few minutes of the flight. Nobody else flew it, although we had to talk one pilot out of it. I explained to one of the others that in America we call this Intermediate Syndrome. He hadn't heard the term before but liked it and agreed!
This site is big and beautiful overlooking the whole valley below. I want to return to it on a day when the conditions are suitable. I should have brought the camera. Today looks to be blown out with strong North winds. So it will probably be my third day in a row with no flying, but the rest of the week i think looks good.
Dan
Later we moved to another site, this one facing basically north. Light winds and a shallow slope made it a non starter too. Our instructor guide Niki, flew it. He estimated he was about 2 meters above the tree tops for the first few minutes of the flight. Nobody else flew it, although we had to talk one pilot out of it. I explained to one of the others that in America we call this Intermediate Syndrome. He hadn't heard the term before but liked it and agreed!
This site is big and beautiful overlooking the whole valley below. I want to return to it on a day when the conditions are suitable. I should have brought the camera. Today looks to be blown out with strong North winds. So it will probably be my third day in a row with no flying, but the rest of the week i think looks good.
Dan
Day 5 & 6 in Bulgaria
Day 5 was blown out for me. My new friends from Holland flew. I took a lot of pictures with one of their cameras. I am hopeful that I will be able to post some of them tomorrow. I'm sure you will find it entertaining. A lot of collapses and pilots rolling across the ground and second starts. All reverse launches in strong winds. None the less they had decent flights in what were essentially epic XC conditions. It's the first day that I was longing for my U2. I think I could have pulled 50 miles at least and would have had a decent shot at flying all the way to the coast of the Black Sea for 200 kilometers.
While that might be a fantasy and wishful thinking today's 4 flights proved to be all that a novice pilot could ask for. The third time was a charm in what was predicted to be deteriorating conditions. I was first off on the third wave (flight) with some help from Niki our guide and my instructor. He helped me set up so it was only a few minutes from parking the car to being ready at launch. Part way down the spine of the 600 meter high launch site (I over estimated 800 meters in my earlier post) I felt the tell tale turbulance that we typically associate with the edge of a thermal. Moments later I heard Niki tell me to turn left. Numerous 360s later accompanied by several radio instructions to "keep turning left" I found myself at least 200 meters above the launch point and probably 300 meters or more above the pont that I made the first turn in the thermal.
For that wave of flights I earned the gloating rights as nobody approached my altitude. While I can't claim all the credit as I was pretty much radio controlled through all of it, I did manage to top the stack without a vario and stay there. The other 3 flights were relatively routing with a moderate amount of textured air and straight forward landing approaches in a humongous field. The thermal soaring flight in contrast was pretty active air. I deliberately flattened my turns on some of the upwind sides of the thermals in order to center and stabalize the wing. I suspect that this wasn't really necessary as it didn't appear that the wing was likely to do something unexpected, but it was comforting none the less.
This makes 9 flights from roughly 2500 feet in the three flyable days I have had here so far. Pretty hard to argue with that I'd say.
Tomorrow is the last day for my new friends from Holland. One of the pilots is 69 years old is is reputedly the founder of the sport in that part of the world. You meet the most interesting people in this sport!
Dan T
While that might be a fantasy and wishful thinking today's 4 flights proved to be all that a novice pilot could ask for. The third time was a charm in what was predicted to be deteriorating conditions. I was first off on the third wave (flight) with some help from Niki our guide and my instructor. He helped me set up so it was only a few minutes from parking the car to being ready at launch. Part way down the spine of the 600 meter high launch site (I over estimated 800 meters in my earlier post) I felt the tell tale turbulance that we typically associate with the edge of a thermal. Moments later I heard Niki tell me to turn left. Numerous 360s later accompanied by several radio instructions to "keep turning left" I found myself at least 200 meters above the launch point and probably 300 meters or more above the pont that I made the first turn in the thermal.
For that wave of flights I earned the gloating rights as nobody approached my altitude. While I can't claim all the credit as I was pretty much radio controlled through all of it, I did manage to top the stack without a vario and stay there. The other 3 flights were relatively routing with a moderate amount of textured air and straight forward landing approaches in a humongous field. The thermal soaring flight in contrast was pretty active air. I deliberately flattened my turns on some of the upwind sides of the thermals in order to center and stabalize the wing. I suspect that this wasn't really necessary as it didn't appear that the wing was likely to do something unexpected, but it was comforting none the less.
This makes 9 flights from roughly 2500 feet in the three flyable days I have had here so far. Pretty hard to argue with that I'd say.
Tomorrow is the last day for my new friends from Holland. One of the pilots is 69 years old is is reputedly the founder of the sport in that part of the world. You meet the most interesting people in this sport!
Dan T
Re: Day 1 in Bulgaria
I'm no expert but I feel as if the wing is actually more stable when you are wrapped up in a thermal. More weight because of g-force? 'Course that all goes away if you get spit out the back of the thermal...
Keep these posts coming! - Hugh
P.S. I am now in communication with Dwayne McCourt in case you are looking for someone to sign off your USHPA ratings when you get back...
Keep these posts coming! - Hugh
P.S. I am now in communication with Dwayne McCourt in case you are looking for someone to sign off your USHPA ratings when you get back...
Day 10 in Bulgaria - 2 nice flights
Today we had sunshine followed by partly to mostly cloudy and very light winds. A couple of my friends from Holland managed XCs along the ridge for a total of roughly 15 kilometers each.
I had two flights from the local mountain, with roughly a 4 hour lull between them. One of the XC pilots landed where we couldn't find. Two and a half hours or so after he touched down he managed to reach the main road. After that we had a lunch BBQ of pork and chicken fillets followed by the second flight. I managed to get off a no wind launch not long before the wind turned down hill and shut the day down. Still flying varioless and without nearly the radio controlling by Nik my instructor, I managed to hook a modest thermal two thirds of the way down the spine. While I was unable to get above launch I managed to gain a few hundred feet and extend the flight nicely. It was particularly gratifying to have initiated the first turn moments before Nik got on the radio and suggested I start a turn. He stopped himself in mid sentence as he was able to see that I had already moved in that direction.
Tomorrow is Orthodox Easter. The village church that is only a few steps away fills up at midnight tonight. It is reputedly quite a spectacle with much of the town showing up an moving in and out throughout the late night and early morning hours.
My friends from Holland are leaving tomorrow. While I'll miss them, two of the four Dutch graduate school geology students have returned from their field trip and will be staying the week. They must eat healthy in that country or something! They couldn't be friendlier either.
Tomorrow starts a transition in my training. I think I'll be learning about stall recoveries, partial collapses and the sort, depending upon conditions. I'll keep you informed.
Dan T
I had two flights from the local mountain, with roughly a 4 hour lull between them. One of the XC pilots landed where we couldn't find. Two and a half hours or so after he touched down he managed to reach the main road. After that we had a lunch BBQ of pork and chicken fillets followed by the second flight. I managed to get off a no wind launch not long before the wind turned down hill and shut the day down. Still flying varioless and without nearly the radio controlling by Nik my instructor, I managed to hook a modest thermal two thirds of the way down the spine. While I was unable to get above launch I managed to gain a few hundred feet and extend the flight nicely. It was particularly gratifying to have initiated the first turn moments before Nik got on the radio and suggested I start a turn. He stopped himself in mid sentence as he was able to see that I had already moved in that direction.
Tomorrow is Orthodox Easter. The village church that is only a few steps away fills up at midnight tonight. It is reputedly quite a spectacle with much of the town showing up an moving in and out throughout the late night and early morning hours.
My friends from Holland are leaving tomorrow. While I'll miss them, two of the four Dutch graduate school geology students have returned from their field trip and will be staying the week. They must eat healthy in that country or something! They couldn't be friendlier either.
Tomorrow starts a transition in my training. I think I'll be learning about stall recoveries, partial collapses and the sort, depending upon conditions. I'll keep you informed.
Dan T
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pink_albatross
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Re: Day 1 in Bulgaria
Woo.. Thanks for the report!
<sigh>
One flight today. Dickey's. one thermal then nothing.
Nice company though.
Apparently the XCs didn't end at the fish restaurant. Sounds like you got well fed anyway.
Yay on the thermal!
I'm interested to hear about stall(???) and other recoveries! Don't eat too much beforehand and make sure you're well strapped in. Oh, and try to remember where your reserve handle is.
and have fun
-- ellis
<sigh>
One flight today. Dickey's. one thermal then nothing.
Nice company though.
Apparently the XCs didn't end at the fish restaurant. Sounds like you got well fed anyway.
Yay on the thermal!
I'm interested to hear about stall(???) and other recoveries! Don't eat too much beforehand and make sure you're well strapped in. Oh, and try to remember where your reserve handle is.
and have fun
-- ellis
Orthodox Easter Sunday in Bulgaria
My friends from Holland left for the airport today. This resulted in a one on one day with my instructor Nik. Today we worked on pitch control technique, particularly stopping the surge forward that results after hitting a thermal straight on, and following the initial pitch backward I am told.
I simulated the heavy pitch forward by rocking the glider by applying the brakes aggressively until I pendulumed forward, the released them just after the top of the swing penduleming backward as the glider pitched forward, then braking again, amplifying the whole routine. This is conceptually very similar to swinging a swing although the actual inputs are different. I found it easier to do that describe.
Anyway I had two flight in pretty calm overcast air. The flights were essentially dedicated to learning this lesson. During the first flight I was a little tentative about making aggressive brake and release movements but got the general sense of it. Due to the relatively high launch point there were several opportunities to practice the maneuver. By the second flight I pretty much had the hang of it and was much more aggressive in getting the glider to pitch strongly forward then brake it to stable centered flight very quickly. I was and still am amazed at how quickly it is possible to stop that pendulum swing. Now I know that I know how to stop a heavy forward pitch before it results in a frontal collapse. It's very gratifying to know that this particular sequence of events is easily controlled.
Later in the week, weather permitting, the lessons are going to transition to learning how to do big ears, recover from aysymetric collapses and do spiral dives. Yikes, sounds like I should have a lake and a rescue boat underneath me!
Dan T
I simulated the heavy pitch forward by rocking the glider by applying the brakes aggressively until I pendulumed forward, the released them just after the top of the swing penduleming backward as the glider pitched forward, then braking again, amplifying the whole routine. This is conceptually very similar to swinging a swing although the actual inputs are different. I found it easier to do that describe.
Anyway I had two flight in pretty calm overcast air. The flights were essentially dedicated to learning this lesson. During the first flight I was a little tentative about making aggressive brake and release movements but got the general sense of it. Due to the relatively high launch point there were several opportunities to practice the maneuver. By the second flight I pretty much had the hang of it and was much more aggressive in getting the glider to pitch strongly forward then brake it to stable centered flight very quickly. I was and still am amazed at how quickly it is possible to stop that pendulum swing. Now I know that I know how to stop a heavy forward pitch before it results in a frontal collapse. It's very gratifying to know that this particular sequence of events is easily controlled.
Later in the week, weather permitting, the lessons are going to transition to learning how to do big ears, recover from aysymetric collapses and do spiral dives. Yikes, sounds like I should have a lake and a rescue boat underneath me!
Dan T
Re: Day 1 in Bulgaria
We did assymetrics overland.
Spiral dives should be OK if it's early in your flight so you have lots of altitude - mostly for psychological comfort: the g-force builds up quite startlingly, often causing a "whoa!" response and brake release, which brings you out of the spiral with lots of energy such that you pendulum pretty strongly. So (1) ya gotta have the courage to leave a lot of brake in and learn that you can modulate the steepness of the spiral with small adjustments to the braking and (2) reinitiate a turn upon exiting the spiral to soak up some of that energy. Pagen described this in an article in the USHPA mag a few months ago.
"It's here here, wish you were beautiful..."
- Hugh
Spiral dives should be OK if it's early in your flight so you have lots of altitude - mostly for psychological comfort: the g-force builds up quite startlingly, often causing a "whoa!" response and brake release, which brings you out of the spiral with lots of energy such that you pendulum pretty strongly. So (1) ya gotta have the courage to leave a lot of brake in and learn that you can modulate the steepness of the spiral with small adjustments to the braking and (2) reinitiate a turn upon exiting the spiral to soak up some of that energy. Pagen described this in an article in the USHPA mag a few months ago.
"It's here here, wish you were beautiful..."
- Hugh
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pink_albatross
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Re: Day 1 in Bulgaria
Very cool, Dan!
Useful things to know and to learn.
What Hugh said. With plenty of altitude, asymmetrics and spirals should be good even without water.
Looking forward to each post
-- ellis
Useful things to know and to learn.
What Hugh said. With plenty of altitude, asymmetrics and spirals should be good even without water.
Looking forward to each post
-- ellis
April 20th Big ears and cloud base
Today the intended lesson was to learn about pulling on big ears. The plan was to launch, then once far enough down this spine to safely put on big ears, do that three or four or more times before setting up to land over the big field I've been landing in all week.
A big fat juicy thermal interfered with that plan and we went to plan B instead, which was to ride the thermal up as far as I could and start the lesson from there. I managed to hook it over this rock pile down the spine that seems to be a house trigger, I've mentioned it before, and ride it all the way to cloud base. Without a vario no less! Bacil you are an inspiration!!!
Anyway this enabled me to set up the big ears practice. Those of you more experienced than I know that this is basically a non event. The glider doesn't do anything funny except sink somewhat faster and feel significantly more stable. It's comforting to add these tools to my set of options.
After several minutes I was back below launch and over that same rock pile, where I hooked another house thermal and rode it nearly all the way to cloud base again. I think I'm getting the hang of this stuff.
Eventually I landed in the big designated LZ and went back up to do it again. The second flight was a bit like the first with a house thermal in the same location taking me up close to cloud base. This rock pile is on a sharp spine facing SSSE with a pretty significant draw between another lower spine to the east, (and west). This time I got well into the draw after adjusting my launch direction for the change in the wind direction and was concerned about getting up over the spine and out of what I feared would be sinking air and venturi in the draw. I got a little aggressive in a thermal and wound up in a spiral dive, exiting towards that same rock pile. Fortunately I was able to recover from that, in part by putting yesterday's oscillation recovery technique to work and managed to clear the rocks where I soon found myself specking out once again.
Nik invited me to attempt an XC upwind along the heavily scalloped ridge. I crossed a spine or two through choppy air but never really attempted to hook the somewhat softer thermals and wound up landing in the main LZ from the east rather than west after having practiced a few more big ears along the way.
A very gratifying day!
Dan T
A big fat juicy thermal interfered with that plan and we went to plan B instead, which was to ride the thermal up as far as I could and start the lesson from there. I managed to hook it over this rock pile down the spine that seems to be a house trigger, I've mentioned it before, and ride it all the way to cloud base. Without a vario no less! Bacil you are an inspiration!!!
Anyway this enabled me to set up the big ears practice. Those of you more experienced than I know that this is basically a non event. The glider doesn't do anything funny except sink somewhat faster and feel significantly more stable. It's comforting to add these tools to my set of options.
After several minutes I was back below launch and over that same rock pile, where I hooked another house thermal and rode it nearly all the way to cloud base again. I think I'm getting the hang of this stuff.
Eventually I landed in the big designated LZ and went back up to do it again. The second flight was a bit like the first with a house thermal in the same location taking me up close to cloud base. This rock pile is on a sharp spine facing SSSE with a pretty significant draw between another lower spine to the east, (and west). This time I got well into the draw after adjusting my launch direction for the change in the wind direction and was concerned about getting up over the spine and out of what I feared would be sinking air and venturi in the draw. I got a little aggressive in a thermal and wound up in a spiral dive, exiting towards that same rock pile. Fortunately I was able to recover from that, in part by putting yesterday's oscillation recovery technique to work and managed to clear the rocks where I soon found myself specking out once again.
Nik invited me to attempt an XC upwind along the heavily scalloped ridge. I crossed a spine or two through choppy air but never really attempted to hook the somewhat softer thermals and wound up landing in the main LZ from the east rather than west after having practiced a few more big ears along the way.
A very gratifying day!
Dan T
Re: Day 1 in Bulgaria
Great! It's wonderful to fly somewhere that the lift is so consistent you can repeatedly lose altitude doing maneuvers and then gain it back. We had that in NZ one day. You are getting superb experience! - Hugh
Re: Day x in Bulgaria
Hey Dan,
Good flying. Great stories.
It sounds like you are getting good opportunities.
How long are you there for?
Carlos
Good flying. Great stories.
It sounds like you are getting good opportunities.
How long are you there for?
Carlos
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pink_albatross
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Re: Day 1 in Bulgaria
Great flying, Dan!
Some hard pounding experience there, eh?
Glad you pulled out of it.
I wonder if you're going XC today.
Good job, getting the big ears crossed off your list!
-- ellis
Some hard pounding experience there, eh?
Glad you pulled out of it.
I wonder if you're going XC today.
Good job, getting the big ears crossed off your list!
-- ellis
April 21 in Bulgaria
Today we practiced asymmetric and symmetric collapses. It was pretty heavily overcast this morning so the thermals were soft to nearly non-existant. Coupled with the fact that the drift was pretty strong it was pretty evident that today wasn't going to be another I-got-to-cloudbase day. But it was a good day for practicing the responses to these events. My first two flights focused on asymmetric collapses. I was a little tentative in creating them on the first flight, but rather more aggressive on the second. I'm impressed at how quickly it is possible to correct the collapse and return to the original flying line by being quick to initiate the proper responses.
I would call the hang glider analog to an asymmetric collapse an unintended turn. I don't think our recover time is as quick, although we don't lose the elevation that a partially collapsed wing appears to. The symmetric collapses are basically non events with sufficient altitude. Basically the key is to just leave things alone and let it take care of itself. On this particular glider that happens very quickly.
Carlos, I'm hear through Saturday, returning to Iraq early Sunday morning, then home by the middle of June. I am looking forward to flying with you and the rest of the gang.
Tomorrow I graduate with spiral dives. I think I can call myself biwingal now. Oh by the way on the way back to Sopot, the village I'm staying at, I watched a local pilot peeling off an impressive ridge run XC. He was about 15 kilometers upwind when I saw him and showing no indication of coming down. The ridge runs here are crossing one gap after another. It's heavily scalloped with fingers seperated by deep gullys, not at all like Woodstock. I had landed with him less than an hour earlier. So much for "it wasn't an XC day".
Dan T
I would call the hang glider analog to an asymmetric collapse an unintended turn. I don't think our recover time is as quick, although we don't lose the elevation that a partially collapsed wing appears to. The symmetric collapses are basically non events with sufficient altitude. Basically the key is to just leave things alone and let it take care of itself. On this particular glider that happens very quickly.
Carlos, I'm hear through Saturday, returning to Iraq early Sunday morning, then home by the middle of June. I am looking forward to flying with you and the rest of the gang.
Tomorrow I graduate with spiral dives. I think I can call myself biwingal now. Oh by the way on the way back to Sopot, the village I'm staying at, I watched a local pilot peeling off an impressive ridge run XC. He was about 15 kilometers upwind when I saw him and showing no indication of coming down. The ridge runs here are crossing one gap after another. It's heavily scalloped with fingers seperated by deep gullys, not at all like Woodstock. I had landed with him less than an hour earlier. So much for "it wasn't an XC day".
Dan T
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pink_albatross
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Re: Day 1 in Bulgaria
I think when Hugh and I did that XC on our last day, it was 100% overcast. Pretty fat looking overcast, too. None of this hazy shtuff. I had to work not only to get up, but also to make sure I staid below the clouds.
Symmetric collapses: I assume you mean frontals?
very cool.
Spiral dives are fun, but you do eat altitude up quickly
Get as many of those as you can. Around here... well... not much chance (or motivation) to practise them.
-- ellis
Symmetric collapses: I assume you mean frontals?
very cool.
Spiral dives are fun, but you do eat altitude up quickly
Get as many of those as you can. Around here... well... not much chance (or motivation) to practise them.
-- ellis
Thursday April 23 in Bulgaria
Yesterday was rained out. I was ready for a break.
Today we did roll control exercises. The idea is to get the glider rocking side to side then quickly get it damped and flying level, ideally in the general direction you are trying to go. I don't know exactly how far to the side I got the glider because I try to look ahead along my flight path, but from what I can see peripherally and feel, I think the bank angle as been pretty steep. Niki says the idea is to surprise yourself and that has happened a few times including today.
Unlike the other exercises I've done, the proper response to sudden unintended roll isn't entirely intuitive to me. The technique I'm using is to let the glider come back past its highest roll point just a little bit then put in pretty aggressive opposite brake and weight shift. Done correctly this substantially dampens the glider very quickly. Done ok the glider will require another reasonably good input or two to completely flatten out. Done wrong and the roll is amplified, yikes!
I had three flights all dedicated to practicing this technique. There were some thermals today but the wind was pretty strong and I tended to quickly drift back where I didn't want to be if I stayed with them so I left early. The roll control exercise was a good deal more realistic when initiated in a significant crosswind rather than head on.
My third launch today was in the strongest winds I've flown in. I'd guess 12 mph at launch. There wasn't a big gust differential and there is plenty of room to straighten things out so it isn't nearly as difficult as a launch at Woodstock might be. My progress over the ground was unnervingly slow so I made sure to stay out in front and get well out into the field in front of the power lines. Landing was easy, keeping the glider from running away from me after I landed was somewhat more difficult.
Dan T
Today we did roll control exercises. The idea is to get the glider rocking side to side then quickly get it damped and flying level, ideally in the general direction you are trying to go. I don't know exactly how far to the side I got the glider because I try to look ahead along my flight path, but from what I can see peripherally and feel, I think the bank angle as been pretty steep. Niki says the idea is to surprise yourself and that has happened a few times including today.
Unlike the other exercises I've done, the proper response to sudden unintended roll isn't entirely intuitive to me. The technique I'm using is to let the glider come back past its highest roll point just a little bit then put in pretty aggressive opposite brake and weight shift. Done correctly this substantially dampens the glider very quickly. Done ok the glider will require another reasonably good input or two to completely flatten out. Done wrong and the roll is amplified, yikes!
I had three flights all dedicated to practicing this technique. There were some thermals today but the wind was pretty strong and I tended to quickly drift back where I didn't want to be if I stayed with them so I left early. The roll control exercise was a good deal more realistic when initiated in a significant crosswind rather than head on.
My third launch today was in the strongest winds I've flown in. I'd guess 12 mph at launch. There wasn't a big gust differential and there is plenty of room to straighten things out so it isn't nearly as difficult as a launch at Woodstock might be. My progress over the ground was unnervingly slow so I made sure to stay out in front and get well out into the field in front of the power lines. Landing was easy, keeping the glider from running away from me after I landed was somewhat more difficult.
Dan T
Re: Day 1 in Bulgaria
Thanks for the report, Dan. We were told to practice wingovers as much as possible. I must confess I haven't - they're fun, but I'm generally concentrating on other stuff... - Hugh
-
pink_albatross
- Posts: 599
- Joined: Fri Jan 07, 2005 12:20 pm
- Location: Ellis from Arlington
Re: Day 1 in Bulgaria
Sounds like you are getting a heck of a work out!
You'll be able to show us a thing or two
Very cool
-- ellis
You'll be able to show us a thing or two
Very cool
-- ellis
Re: Thursday April 23 in Bulgaria
Hey Dan,
I'm really enjoying reading about your experiences. I hope you'll come to fly PG in Colorado someday.
It has saved me from being dragged (not drug
) several times.
Cheers,
I'm really enjoying reading about your experiences. I hope you'll come to fly PG in Colorado someday.
That remark reminded me ... one useful technique when landing in significant wind (assuming a flare is not needed) is to release the brakes, grab the A risers and pull down immediately upon landing, causing a frontal deflation. While the wing collapses downward, there is less riser tension and it is easier to run toward the wing and grab it.Dan T wrote:... Landing was easy, keeping the glider from running away from me after I landed was somewhat more difficult.
Dan T
It has saved me from being dragged (not drug
) several times.Cheers,
'Spark