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Kev C
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From: Kevin [mailto:heaviek@yahoo.com]
Sent: Thursday, June 30, 2005 8:11 AM
To: 'Christy Huddle'
Subject: RE: Fly-in pictures
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Christy, I have the solution for you.? “feeling” through the glider is the product of technique taught by those types with the genetic make up to use physical attributes (big guys with long arms) to make up for bad timing.? Flare late, flare hard is basically what they are doing.? Your glider should be self flaring….it just needs to be started sooner.? These guys promote late flare technique because that is what they always got away with.? Pilots with less flare authority try the same techniques and it only works in wind because they never actually stall the glider.? They mush the crap out of it and the last 5-10 mph of airspeed are cancelled out by the wind and a few steps.? That is why multi step landings in a breeze are unacceptable.? It wasn’t a flare, it was a power mush.
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The Glider has 2 great timing signals.? How much it rises when you let the bar out, and how quickly it responds to pitch changes.? Bar pressure alone is useless.? If you do this wait for trim bullshit, you are late every time.? The key is being aware of the glider’s reaction in relation to the horizon to pitch changes.? When you flare at the right time your glider has the energy and inertia to flare itself.? You don’t need to shove, hoof, or worry about hand position.? Those things matter when you have a glider that doesn’t want to finish a flare on its own.? A litespeed is definitely not that kind of glider.
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So what you do is fly into ground effect with some speed.? That buys you time.? Obviously for a few moments you are pulling in hard and this is way to early.? As soon as the glider is stable just stare straight ahead at least a ? mile away.? Your position in relation to the ground wont change more then a half foot either way with your attention so far in the distance.? One foot, two feet, it is all small change when you do a good flare.? You watch the horizon and make any pitch adjustment needed to keep the glider flying level.? By doing this you can detect much earlier when the root is starting to mush.? By pushing out then (at that time, not later) ?the glider has the airflow stability at the root to actually climb the nose up itself.? Since you waited till the glider had trouble staying level (holding level course in altitude) there isn’t energy to zoom.? From that point you just finish the flare and it will stop on a dime.
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The other part of the sensitivity comes from glider awareness through this SMOOOOOTH flare process.? If the glider responds quickly as you begin to push out then flare slowly.? If it responds normally you just finish the flare quickly.? That way you have the room to adjust the rate of the flare to correct for any timing issues.? When you are flaring late, there is no correcting.? You flare hard or end up on your belly.? If there is no wind, the belly will happen half the time anyway.?
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Definitely land with some VG on that glider.? Start flaring sooner and don’t fear a little climb out.? Just flare slowly at first, then finish more quickly.
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I might be in Md in a couple weeks.? If I am I can show you or help.
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Let me know if that clears up any questions.
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kev
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From: Christy Huddle [mailto:huddlec@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2005 8:06 PM
To: heaviek@yahoo.com
Subject: RE: Fly-in pictures
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Kevin,
I've been having an awful time getting the flare timing on my LiteSpeed when there is little or no wind. I know I've been pushing out too much as I get close to flaring and then there isn't enough energy left to flare. I've been going upright and using the downtubes to get upright which means I can't feel the glider when it's close to stall. Do you think I'd have enough leverage to flare if I keep my hands lower on the downtube??
I know this all started when I was having trouble with my shoulder (before the arthroscopy almost?2 years ago, or was it 3?) when I first got the LiteSpeed. I couldn't raise my arms up straight at the time without a lot of pain (bone spur digging into flesh) and I got in the habit of shoving out.
Christy
Kevin <heaviek@yahoo.com> wrote:
Matt, those are all minor issues compared to not flaring early enough.?? Most pilots have a dysfunctional aversion to the glider climbing it a good flare.? I fly with one guy who never has his hands much above the 1/3 mark and he is the best lander I know.? The hands high, body angle, etc all make a difference in the “Power Mush” flaring technique.
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Kev C
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From: Matthew [mailto:adventuretales@yahoo.com]
Sent: Monday, June 27, 2005 10:46 PM
To: hg_forum@chgpa.org (hg_forum@chgpa.org)
Subject: Fly-in pictures
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I'm the first unknown in the blue glider with the fin. Quite a bellyflop. Karen had been having problems with her landings a while back and I told her then that she wasn't getting upright enough and not getting her arms up high enough on the downtubes just before flaring. If you're semi-prone and too low on the DTs, as we all know, you just push yourself backwards in the control frame and there's no flare. Plus, you're feet aren't under you so landing on your feet is then even harder. You can see in the pics of her that she is totally upright and has a great landing. Whereas I'm semiprone, behind the glider and my arms are too low on the DTs. Plus if you notice the windsock, I'm landing crosswind. It had been blowing out of the SW when I turned on final but then abruptly switched to the SE. I HAVE WITNESSES! Still, that's no excuse. I should have gotten upright earlier and gotten my legs underneath me as I'm always telling everyone. That way you can RUN if you end up crosswind or in a downwind situation with lots of ground speed.
Matthew
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