What I did on my Summer Vacation

[4kilo]

You guys are making way more progress than I am on my RV, but I have a pretty good excuse. I spent the month of July in the French Alps, flying in the world soaring championships.

The scenery was pretty awesome:


This is a mountain called 'Le Morgon:'


Unfortunately, I didn't always make it back to the airport:


I had a lot of fun, but the trip was rather exhausting.

Now its back to work on the RV!

Pat

[cjensen]

Pat, trust me, ALL of us here are VERY envious of your summer vacation, and probably most would rather be doing what you did! RV building is fun, but the French Alps! Hands down winner!! Great pics!

[captain_john]

Pat, cool! The off airport landing musta been fun!

Get back to building soon!!!

CJ

[N200PF]

Hey Pat I thought all world champion soaring pilots always showed a positive number on their VSI?!?

I'm kidding because I'm learning to soar this summer and have a total of 8.3 hours in gliders. (an L-23) ...and I stink at finding lift but it is some of the most enjoyable flying I've EVER done!!! (except for the tow...)

What was the off field landing like?!? It would be freaky for me here in the flat midwestern U.S.! I can't imagine having to find a spot in the French Alps!

- Peter

[4kilo]

Peter,

The instrument in the upper right of the panel is a total energy variometer. The one in the lower left is an electronic vario set up for netto (a computer uses the airspeed of the glider to calculate how fast it would be sinking in still air and then corrects the variometer reading to provide a read-out of what the air is actually doing). So, I was actually flying in air that was moving up at two knots, so even though I was flying at 65 kts, the glider was actually only going down at 1 knot, for an effective L/D of 65 to 1. This really is not bad for a machine the factory says will only do 32 to 1 at 43 kts.

Those of us who fly serious cross county in gliders land off field fairly often (I probably average half a dozen per year). I would not say that it ever becomes routine, but it certainly does not seem as daunting a prospect to me now as it did when I first started. Field selection in the Alps is actually better than I thought it would be. Finding somewhere to land in the Southwest US is much more difficult.

Pat

[N200PF]

That figures! I have never seen an energy variometer or heard of one for that matter! The glider I'm learning in has a regular VSI and a best L over D of about 28 to 1 at 43 knots...what a brick campared to 65 to 1!

X-Country in a glider would be AWESOME! I get nervous about 5 miles from the airport but I'm learning a lot!

- Peter

[4kilo]

Peter,

Are you soaring at Albert Lea? I went up there for a contest a few years ago, but we got completely rained out. I've heard that the soaring is really good there when its good, I just haven't seen it.

Pat

P.S. Aerotow is really a type of formation flight, so the practice now will help you in the future if you decide to do some formation flying in the RV!

[N200PF]

Pat -

Actually I am soaring in Red Wing, MN. (RGK) Albert Lea is GREAT but it's a 1.2 in the Arrow II and Red Wing is about a .3.

I honestly don't know enought to say that MN is better than other places but we sure have a great time! The soaring commuity is GREAT and they all seem to be true salespeople for the sport! (like the RV'ers!)

The Aerotow is getting better but it was more stressful than any actual IFR approach I've ever done the first few times I tried it! My instructor drew the comparison to formation flying as well! It's more fun each time I do it but I still do a deep exhale when I cut loose of the tow plane!

Hey what are some of your favorite soaring links? (for beginners?)

Thanks Pat!

- Peter

[JohnR]

Pat,

That looks like yo uhad a great vacation! I have always thought I would like ot take a vacation and ride motorcycles through the Alps. I doubt I get that done as there will be to many places to visit in the RV when it is finished.

Thanks for sharing the photos. They are great.