dlevanchuk

Dumb question..

Watched a glider in the sky "floating" around the airport, and thought how do they take off? I know that its mostly with a tow plane, but before they get enough wind do they just scrape their wings on the ground until pilot can straight the glider out?

watched the video of a glider landing, and it looks like the wings do scrape. is it normal though?

aerospacepilot

Glider flying has been some of the most fun flying I have ever done. It also probably taught me more than any airplane flying I have ever done (more so than single pilot actual IFR in busy class B/C airspace).


Gliders have "skids" on the edge of the wing for takeoff and landing. It is piece of metal that is probably one inch thick that rubs on the ground during landing.

For takeoff, 90% of the time you will have a wing runner. When you signal them, they pick up your wing off the ground (put you at wings level) and run along with you until you pick up about 5-10mph (enough to have effective aileron control). The other 10% of the time, you have to do a wing down departure. It is not that difficult. You will initially tend to veer off the runway (to the side which the wing is touching the ground) with full opposite aileron and rudder until the wings lift off the ground. Scraping that skid at 5mph is harmless.

On landing, you keep the wings level for as long as you can (until you slow to about 5-10mph). When one wing begins to fall, you let it come down and pull the brakes to a stop. Again, the skid barely rubs and it is no big deal at all.

Come out to the airport/glider port sometime and watch. It is pretty fun to watch. Get a glider rating if you have a chance. If you already have a private license, you only need 3 hours of flight training and 10 flights to get a private glider rating. I promise it will make you a much better pilot. Especially if you want to learn to fly tailwheels!

Jakob

Hi!
I fly gliders here in Germany. It it is pretty common to take off with a winch here. That is actually pretty fun and a lot cheaper than being towed by another plane.
You just accelerate to about 100km/h in 10-20 meters so you basically only need someone to hold your wings level while your standing. as soon as you move he can let go. Then you climb to about 50 meters slowly and then PULLPULLPULL and just hang in there. That way you can get as high as 400 to 700 meters at our winch. I like pulling very strong so I can get up really high but it happens now and then that the steel wire breaks. That's pretty scary if it happens to you for the first time but you get used to it!
Anyway, glider flying is LOTS OF FUN and I would recommend it to anybody! After a while you can do some really fun maneuvers and if the weather is good you can stay up for a really long time. Apart from that I believe you learn to fly really well.

Blue skies
Jakob

EAHINC

Hi Jakob:

Are gliders pilots in Germany licensed by the federal government like here in the USA or is a private non-government soaring association delegated to regulate all soaring training?

Which system do you prefer?

Erik

Jakob

Hi! Well, to beginn with, I have never flown in the USA (I was just a little too young then ). I moved to Germany when I was four but am planning to move back after school. I'm 16 now. So I will not be able to compare the systems, but I can tell you how it is here.

Yeah, glider pilots are licenced by federal government. Well, lets say, the LBA (Luftfahrt Bundesamt - something like the FAA in VERY small) gives authority to the governments of cities and small regions. I fly (almost) in Hamburg so the Government of Hamburg issues my Licence. That being said, all the rules etc. are given by the JAA - they are JAR rules. These are enforced by the LBA and the local governments. Complicated huh?

Only microlight licences are not handled like that. They are issued (I think) by the DAeC->Deutscher Aero Club.

The glider Licence here is called PPL-C. There used to be a PPL-B for power gliders but that is now integrated into the PPL-C. PPL-A is the "normal" PPL.

One thing about the PPL-C: It takes enourmously long to get it. You need to meet pretty tough requirments. The most difficult thing is a 50km flight away from your airport. You really need good weather for that. Furthermore they require 15 hours of solo time which is also hard to get in a short period of time! I started flying early this year and now have 14,5 hours all in all. There are three diefferent tests in between: The A-Test is practically your solo. The B-Test consists three landings in a certain 50*200m large space. The C-Test consists of three flights and slips on the approaches. To be able to do these tests you have to have your instructors sign off different points. I just got everything signed off for my B-Test and will be hopefully doing that this weekend. Then I've only got to do my C-test and my 50km flight. I'll do that next year along with MANY solo hours so that I can get my licence by the end of next year. I just hope the weather is going to be very good because I won't make it otherwise. I'd have to wait until 2009 then.

Yeah, I think I summarized how it works here a little now. Should you have any additional questions don't hesitate to ask! I'm more than happy to answer them as far as I can. This message board has offered me so much information and I have gained a lot of knowledge from it - I'd say 80-90% of what I know about aviation! So that's why I'm always happy when I can help out just a little here and there...

Best wishes
Jakob

EAHINC

Hi Jacob:

Thank you for the information on the glider flight training process in Germany. As popular as gliders are in Germany, I'm surprised to learn its so heavily regulated.

If I have a few more general glider questions, I'll send them your way.

Erik