SEPT - OCTOBER 2018

GLIDING
l N T E R N AT I O N A L

SCHLEICHER’S MAJOR UPGRADE

TO THEIR ASK21
September - October 2018 1
 VOLUME 11 - No 5 SEPT - OCTOBER 2018

Gliding
International
Editor
John H. Roake

Manager
Janice Armstrong,

Correspondents

Contents This Month Aldo Cernezzi

Robert (Bob) Downe
Markus Geisen
The ‘B’ Version Of The ASK 21 4 Joseph King
Schleicher’s All New Single - The AS-33 8 Myles Hynde
Soaring Needs An Identity 10 Gliding International
Accidents - What happens After This? 12 is published by
Gliding International Ltd
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First Aircraft Skinned with Graphene 19
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Cheaper Soaring Alternatives 20
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How Much Does A Cloud Weigh? 25 Editor’s Email:
A Review On Pair Flying 26 editor@glidinginternational.com
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tising department by email at
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Cover Photo: Soaring close to the Wasserkuppe, Schleicher’s
remodelled ASK-21 (Now ASK21-B) is shown off to advantage. The
upgrade is receiving a strong vote of approval from the sport.
Photo: Manfred Munch

2 Gliding International September - October 2018 3


The “B” Version of the ASK 21
T
he ASK-21 is a glass-rein-
forced plastic (GRP) two-
seater mid-wing glider with
a T-tail. The ASK-21 was
designed primarily for beginner in-
struction, but is also deemed suitable
for cross-country flying and aerobatic
training. The sailplane was designed
by the late Rudolf Kaiser to replace
the Schleicher ASK-13, providing a
modern two-seat aircraft bridging
the gap between initial training and
single-seat performance flying. The
ASK-21 was the first full-GRP two-
seater produced by Schleicher, flying
for the first time in February 6, 1979.
Series production began in the same
year and has not ceased over the in-
tervening 39.5 years. Over 900 units
have been produced. The ASK-21
Mi, a self-launching version first flew
in December 2004 whilst in 2003 the
total operating time for ther airframe
was extended to 18,000 hours.
The two seats are in a tandem ar-
rangement with dual controls, adjust-
able rudder pedals and adjustable
4 Gliding International
It is surely a novelty
to see a sailplane in
This well proven production for 39.5
years without chang-
es and a design that
two seat trainer is still in high de-
mand. All credits go
to Rudolf Kaiser who
receives a major in 1979 used all his
past design experi-
ence to bring the
make-over ASK- 21 into exist-
ence. Rudolf gave its
many design advan-
tages priority over
performance. And so,
the “B” version is a
welcome addition to
this popular Schleich-
er trainer.
Research, combined
with history, shows
that the ASK 21 is
often the most flown
type within gliding
clubs and amongst
all competitors. The
fact that the ASK
21 now has a pos-
sible total life span of
18,000 hours speaks
volumes in regard to
safety, construction,
seat backs. The fuselage consists of released and stall recovery is initiated. strength and durabil-
a tubular sandwich and thus offers The glider has little tendency to enter ity. This number of
passive safety with low weight. The a spin. In order to make spinning pos- total hours is unique
two-piece, mid-set, cantilever wing is sible for training purposes, a spin kit among sailplanes and
a single-spar of glass-fibre construc- is available from the manufacturer. It also endorses its
tion without flaps, but with wing-top consists of ballast discs applied to the quality and robust-
Schempp-Hirth-type air brakes. The tail to change the centre of gravity ac- ness.
wingtips curve downward, providing cording to the weight of the crew. With
tip skids that allow take-offs without this device the ASK-21 when slowed AUTOMATIC CONTROL
a wing runner. The T-tail possesses a to stall speed and with rudder input it CONNECTIONS
fixed horizontal stabiliser and an el- drops one wing and begins to rotate.
evator with spring trim and automatic Recovery is standard, utilising neutral- Schleicher’s 21st
connections. The undercarriage con- ised ailerons, full opposite rudder until century design team
sists of two or three fixed wheels. The the rotation stops and then centralis- have been able to
main wheel lies behind the centre of ing the rudder, relaxing back pressure successfully retain the
gravity and has a hydraulically oper- to break the stall, and then easing the 21’s basic character.
ated disc brake. The optional tail unit stick back to pull out of the dive. They have however
has either a rubber skid or a tailwheel. incorporated new
The Self-launching ASK-21 has a re- ideas and addi-
The thick wing profile gives good low- tractable IAE R50-AA rotary engine tions, especially to
speed characteristics (stall speed 35 with a fixed pitch propeller. the fuselage. The
knots). The flight characteristics are change to automatic
docile; its stall is gentle, with ample This trainer has been purchased in control connections
vibration warning, and is easily recov- multiple numbers by the Royal Aus- for the wing controls
erable. The nose does not noticeably tralian Air Force, the Portuguese Air is perhaps the most
drop, but the variometer indicates a Force, and the United Kingdom’s obvious. But the list
high rate of descent and the vibra- Royal Air Force. of other changes is
tion continues until back pressure is also significant:
September - October 2018 5
Photographer: Manfred Munch

√ Completely new seat pans for
the front and rear cockpits provide
additional seating room for larger
pilots, making them more comfort-
able seating.
√ The rear instrument support has
been moved further back which has
resulted in a larger front cockpit. In
both cockpits the control column
has been moved further forward - a
welcome feature - particularly ac-
ceptable for larger pilots.
√ The company reports - more
safety, more space and especially
highlights the important elements
of their safety cockpit, such as the
thigh supports working as ramps
with the belly seat belts attached to
them.
√ Easily adjustable seat backs
provide the necessary flexibility for
both cockpits. As well, the front rud-
der pedals have a greater range of
adjustment.
√ Other small changes on the foot
pedals simplify maintenance and
changing of the rudder cables.
√ The front instrument panel offers
more room for instruments without
affecting leg room. The lower covers
for the instrument pedestal are now
included as standard production.
√ The forward canopy emergency
jettison pivot lever has been replaced
by a traction rod system.
√ The carrier for the rear instrument
panel has been completely re-work-
ed. The new design improves vis-
ibility to the sides of the panel.
√ Grab bars to ease exit are also
provided. At the same time the rear
pilot has more room in the knee area.
√ An adjustable head rest is now
installed for the rear pilot.
√ Energy absorbing, colour co-ordi-
nated and easily removable cushions
provide a high degree of comfort.
√ Side storage pockets for both
cockpits are now standard.
6 Gliding International
Schlei
should chers
√ The trim indication on the right
side of the seat pan is now also
b
proud e ver y more visible.
of
ASK-2 their √ New ventilation outlets are easier
1 (B) to adjust and aim and also reduce
the noise level.
HIGHER AILERON
EFFECTIVENESS
√ The large main wheel, originally
meant for the motor glider version
ASK-21 Mi, offers additional comfort
and will be included along with the
tailwheel as standard equipment.
√ A flexible seal for the main wheel
cut-out prevents dirt from entering
inside the fuselage.
√ The former brake system has
been replaced by a sealed version
so that even during frequent inverted
flying air cannot enter the system.
√ An improved roll rate as a result
of higher aileron effectiveness will
be of particular interest to aerobatic
pilots.
√ A new pitot tube in the nose
makes the previously required pitot
extension for aerobatic flight unnec-
essary.
Photographer: Manfred Munch
√ Lighter pilots will appreciate
the simplified installation of the
trim weights using a new fitting just
ahead of the front seat pan.
√ Two battery fittings in the wings
are now standard equipment.
√ The aileron and elevator gaps
are now sealed with mylar bands as
standard equipment.
√ Spin ballast in the fin.
√ Spin weights are no longer at-
tached to the outside of the vertical
fin but are now cube-shaped brass
weights placed into a receptacle box
integrated into the fin.
√ Over 950 ASK-21s have been
built to date, Schleichers report that
they are happy to make this proven,
value retaining aircraft even better.
They justifiably will be proud to hear
pilots say: “It flies like a 21, it is a
21 – but it’s even better“.
September - October 2018 7
T
he latest press release from
Schleicher boldly states
that here is “the most mod-
ern 15/18m sailplane.”
It is hard to believe that 13 years
have rushed passed us since the
first flight of the highly successful
ASG-29. But Schleicher’s develop-
ment team are happy to introduce
the 29’s successor - the AS-33.
Their design team have over those
13 years continuously improved the
ASG-29 which is still a competitive
15/18m sailplane. Nevertheless, the
company has decided on a new
design, motivated by the latest inno-
vations produced from new aero-
dynamic simulations. The new data
SCHLEICHER’S NEW
15/18m SAILPLANE
-- The AS -33 --
8 Gliding International
clearly shows that additional and
decisive performance improvements
can be achieved.
With countless hours work using
a commercial CFD program, the
Schleicher engineers have been able
to optimise the 3D airflow around the
fuselage/wing intersection and at the
wingtips.
The Schleicher press release goes
on to state that by combining the
many years of experience in sail-
plane construction and the fully
developed features of its predeces-
sor, a completely new standard in
the 15/18m class has been created.
The totally new wing of only 10 sq.
metres (18m) permits a very high
wing loading thereby achieving maxi-
mum performance in the high speed
spectrum.
New wing profiles based on the lat-
est aerodynamic findings have been
developed and wind tunnel tested.
This ensures that the profiles have all
the characteristics of modern lami-
nar profiles: very low drag combined
with even higher lift while circling - all
with pleasant handling. Add these
features to the Schleicher-harmo-
nised aileron and flap interaction, the
new owner will have excellent climb
performance - even in turbulent
thermals.
In addition, the 18m version is
adaptable so as to fly in the FAI rac-
ing class with a 15m span. Because
of the further inboard half span posi-
tion at 5m, it is possible to achieve a
performance optimal wing planform
in the shorter wingspan version.
The reliable and further developed
“Es” propulsion system with electric
start will also be available for the
AS- 33.
The AS-33 continues with Schleich-
er’s safety cockpit features, a
desirable “must have” in modern
sailplanes. Other refinements such
as a retractable tail wheel will also be
available as options.
Schleicher contact address is :
info@alexander-schleicher.de
September - October 2018
TECHNICAL DATA 18 m 15 m
Wing area 10 m² - 628 lbs 8.8 m² - 94.7 sq ft
Aspect ratio 32.4 25.6
Empty weight (sailplane) 285 kg - 628 lbs 275 kg - 606 lbs
Empty weight (motorglider) 330 kg - 728 lbs 320 kg - 705 lbs
Max. flying weight 600 kg - 1322 lbs 550 kg - 1213 lbs
Min. wing loading 36 kg - m² - 7.4 lb - sq ft 40 kg - m² - 8.2 lb - sq ft
Max. wing loading 60 kg - m² - 12.3 lb - sq ft 62.5 kg - m² - 12.8 lb - sq ft
Anticipated basic price AS-33 - €100,800
Mark
With engine bay for later use - €107,500
Comp et
e
Will A tition
With a Solo 2350 sustainer engine €130,400
cc
With T elerate
his N
Releas ew
e
99
John Styles writes
from Australia
Soaring - A Sport in Need of an Identity
W
e all know that gliding
or to use the correct
name Soaring is not
attracting sufficiently
new enthusiasts. There are a num-
ber of reasons for this, all of which
can be overcome if we genuinely
want to achieve. It only requires
Vision coupled with Effort, Enthusi-
asm and Energy to make it happen.
So, let’s turn it around and look at
it in a totally selfish way and think
about who you are going to sell
your JS-1, ASG-29, Cirrus or Libelle
to in the future to get that extra
retirement money you were count-
ing on. So, it is really in your own
interests to grow the sport.
What is holding us back? In almost
every instance when I visited a club
in my Gliding Federation of Aus-
tralia Marketing and Development
role, the conversation goes like
this. “What does you club want?”
Answer “More members, especially
young members”, “OK this is what
you could try” response “Yes, but
we don’t want to change anything”
conversation over - leave.
The Danish philosopher Soeren Ki-
erke-gaard once wrote: “Everyone
wants improvement but nobody
wants change”.
The world has changed and Soar-
ing needs to adapt and that is
exciting! So, what are the funda-
mental issues here:
The public does know what soaring
is. There is no standard for gliding
clubs – they could be good or not
so good for all sorts of reasons –
10
10
thus the visitors first experience
could be good or disappointing.
National and state associations
and clubs have no idea how to
promote, market and bring soaring
to the public’s attention.
Many in gliding refuse to listen and
take advice and continue to do
things the same old way with the
same old results – That means little
or no result!
Soaring has a problem in that un-
like other sports, the champions of
our sport are sometimes despised
by certain elements who see them
as a dangerous example to ‘grass
roots’ pilots encouraging ‘risk tak-
ing’. These people unfortunately
see ‘control’ as the primary force,
not fun and freedom.
A number of clubs due to their
demographics have effectively
become substitute ‘Men’s Sheds’
which will put off anybody under 60!
Soaring has failed to leverage off
the sporting side to promote and
market itself, the exception being
the Sailplane Grand Prix, but that
can be greatly improved to en-
hance its presence.
Relying on the FAI and I.G.C. to fix
these challenges is unrealistic as
like any ‘committee’ they are only
a small group of people with their
only resource being the soaring pi-
lots themselves and many of them
simply transfer any responsibility
to someone else like their club
committee, national association or
I.G.C. - anybody but them.
We know that the I.G.C. committee
are only interested in rule making,
discussing regulations and decid-
ing where to hold international
competitions. If you look at the
I.G.C. page on the FAI website it
appears to be their only responsi-
bility. As for promoting and market-
ing soaring even if it was decided
that it is their responsibility, they do
not show that they have any expe-
rience/expertise in that area.
Unfortunately, competitions are
generally organised by those who
have no interest in leveraging off
the competition opportunity to cre-
ate an event that attracts attention.
One way to address this would
be to have a separate committee
(within I.G.C. but not subservient
to it) dedicated to promoting, mar-
keting and developing the sport.
The important item would be to
select people who have vision - no
matter how outlandish - and who
will work to make it happen. This
new committee should be selected
internationally as this is an interna-
tional issue and they should meet
at least once a year. In addition,
there would need to be a commit-
ment by the national associations
to implement the recommenda-
tions of this new committee.
I am sure there would be some
resistance from the current I.G.C.
members but that can be over-
come.
What, for example, could this new
committee do? Answer this! Why
is the Sailplane Grand Prix or the
World Gliding Championships not
on TV? There are a myriad of digital
Gliding International
channels in Europe dedicated to all
sorts of things including aviation.
For the Lake Keppit 2020 Women’s
World Gliding Championships, I am
currently in negations with a Euro-
pean digital TV channel to screen a
film which will be made of the event.
You have to ask why has the I.G.C.
not looked at this after all they have
far more resources than I have?
WHAT IS THE PUBLIC
PERCEPTION OF GLIDING?
Hanging about all day with semi-
retired/tired grumpy old men in
scruffy clothes who like telling you
what to do and shout at you. These
over 65s are insensitive toward
females and have no sense of time
management (because they don’t
have too) and you have to put up
with this just to have a 15 minute
flight. Sorry - this is no longer ac-
ceptable.
Whoa! I am sure some of you will
be offended by this statement and
of course not all pilots are like this
but enough are. They probably
don’t even know it and therefore
refuse to accept it.
Why do we still persist with early
20th century sales techniques,
which we know do not work. We
need to forget about selling glid-
ing as a ‘cheap alternative’ to so
called real ‘powered’ flying. It is not
anymore! Clubs must start selling
‘soaring’ as an end in itself.
Soaring is an exciting sport, not
just a ‘poor’ man’s way to fly. It em-
braces high technology and nature
to produce an exciting adventure. A
combination of science and nature
- one and the same, produces a
sustainable sport.
If you want to attract younger peo-
ple, educated people, free thinking
people, in other words people with
the money to participate, you need
to appeal to their way of thinking.
Why do you think Formula E (elec-
tric F1 racing) is growing exponen-
tially whilst traditional F1 is slowly
dying?
If we look at Sailing and Motor-
sport sports which have some
similarities to ours, we see they
September - October 2018
are successful in attracting new
participates, getting international
exposure and hold competitions
that are entertaining events rather
than just a boring competition that
holds no appeal to people beyond
the competitors and their crew/
family/groupies.
People go to the Cowes Week or
the Le Mans 24 Hour for the excite-
ment, the fun and the atmosphere;
not just to study the statistics!
If we accept that international
competition is an event rather than
just a competition for the sports
elit, then we can leverage that
using a variety of technologies to
produce an exciting and interesting
event; even to people who know
nothing about soaring.
SO WHO ARE OUR TARGETS?
Who are the people we want to at-
tract to gliding? Young people and
those 40 plus who are preferably
either in professional occupations
or business owners. If young people
have a good experience, what they
perceive is a good experience is not
what you think is a good experi-
ence. They will return in later life.
The 40 plus will most likely have
the disposable income to enjoy
gliding and the mind-set to take on
the challenge. The current scat-
ter gun approach used in gliding
is an extremely poor recruitment
method.
For example, people get excited
about a two minute segment on
TV about gliding. Realistically this
makes no impact at all. Research
shows that a person needs to see
a TV advert at least seven times
before it registers in their brain.
ATTRACTING YOUNG PEOPLE
If you want to attract young people
you need to be able to communi-
cate with them in an environment
where they are very likely to listen.
That environment is School. This
can be achieved by developing a
relationship with national STEM
and engineering bodies who have
systems in place in the school
environment to expose students to
Science, Technology, Engineering
and Mathematics (STEM) pro-
John Styles
fessionals. Most countries have
something like this. In Australia for
example there is the re-engineering
Australia Foundation. REA runs
exciting programs in schools to
introduce students to engineering
and design through competitions
between school teams.
Their biggest program, which is run
worldwide, is F1 in schools where
students design, test and race their
own model F1 car. They could also
do other projects and a Soaring in
Schools project could have created
the most targeted way to introduce
teenagers to soaring. Plans were
made, sponsors brought on board
to offset costs, but unfortunately
there was no support from the
gliding community in Australia and
sadly the plan was shelved.
But do not let this apathy deter
you. Find out what is happening in
your country regarding STEM/en-
gineering in schools and how you
can introduce soaring.
The UAV people have already taken
this on board in many countries
acknowledging that this is an ef-
fective way to communicate their
story to children.
There is much more that can be
done. Lets start serious debate
bout the apathy in the sport. I’m
sure I can persuade the editor
to report on ideas and programs
eventuating from this short article.
Write me soon!
John Styles
jdstyles58@gmail.com
11
11
What Happens After This ?
the world’s premier authority in its
field and often assists other coun-
tries in their investigations. It has an
exceptional track record. Only a few
investigations has it ever failed to
determine a probable cause.
Most investigations by the various
Boards follow a somewhat fixed rou-
tine. They begin with the dispatch of
a “Go Team” to the scene of the ac-
cident, where they collect evidence.
This involves gathering parts of the
damaged or destroyed aircraft; ar-
ranging for transportation of the bulk
of the aircraft to a secure location;
and obtaining air traffic control and
cockpit voice recorder tapes, flight
recorder data, and statements from
witnesses and accident survivors.
Within about three weeks after the
crash, they post a preliminary report
on a website. It contains a general
description of what happened, where
the accident occurred, weather and
wreckage information, and the num-
ber and extent of injuries. This report
also indicates the aircraft make,
model, and registration; the opera-
tor’s name; whether the flight was
private or a charter; and the name of
the investigator in charge. Investiga-
tions involves separate groups, each
of which consists of Safety Board
QUEST members who are experts in differ-
ION !
WILL
THI
ONE F S
LY
AGAIN
Air Accident Investigation Departments ?
ent areas, including weather, air traf-
fic control, cockpit and flight data re-
corders, airframe, avionics, engines,
hydraulics, pneumatics, aircraft
performance, and human factors.
These groups have the daunting task
of analysing the evidence in hopes of
discovering clues as to how and why
the accident happened. Sometimes
outside specialists and experts as-
sist or observe.
It can take several weeks or months
to finish this evidence analysis,
follow up on witness statements,
transcribe voice and data recordings,
and ascertain the accident crew’s fly-
ing credentials and pilot experience.
Once they complete all these tasks,
it creates and posts on its website a
public docket that is divided into the
findings from each of the specialised
groups. At about the same time, the
Safety Board posts its factual report.
This document summarises in narra-
tive form the facts derived from each
of the group’s findings as detailed
in the public document. It does not
incorporate opinions or draw conclu-
sions about the accident’s cause.
Based on its evidence analysis and
the input of testimony, if a public
hearing is held, the Safety Board will
release a final report containing the
probable cause and factors that may

M
ost Civil Aviation
Authorities are closely
associated with their
nation’s Civil Aviation
organisation. They are never part of
the CAA in itself - they have to be
seen to be independent and rightly
so. It is surprising just how many
Air Accident Divisions are celebrat-
ing their 50th birthday about this
time. Countries with any appreciable
aviation activity have federal-level
accident investigation branches. In
the U.S. the National Transportation
Safety Board (NTSB) perform official
inquiries.
Fortunately there is only a very small
number of glider pilots that have
been exposed to an Air Accident Di-
vision as not all incidents/accidents
are investigated by Accident Inspec-
tors. The seriousness of pilot injuries
may play a part in the decision to
investigate/report. There is no de-
fined policy on this aspect of an air
accident. But when a mishap does
occur - one that warrants an investi-
gation - an investigation is launched
to determine how it happened and
what can be learned to help prevent
similar future occurrences.
The European country I am about to
write about conversely has a differ-
ent policy to say the U.K. CAA. They
investigate incidents and accidents
that usually involve little or no injury
to aircraft occupants or people on
the ground and little or no damage to
the aircraft. It can issue regulations
and suspend airman certificates as
a result of its probes. The U.K. ac-
cident Investigation Branch inves-
tigates civil aircraft accidents and
serious incidents within the United
Kingdom, and its overseas territories
and crown dependencies. Founded
in 1915, (Likely the oldest in exist-
ence) the authority employs 49 and
is based at Farnborough.
The declared description of their
work resume says they are an in-
dependent, non-regulatory agency,
Serious as this might seem, there was no formal investigation into this accident.
investigating accidents that result in
What you see is the result of a mid-air between two sailplanes. The pilot can be
serious injury, loss of life, or sub- seen in the left photo after bailing out. The right photo shows that the right wing
stantial damage to the aircraft or has separated from the fuselage and the pilot’s parachute has deployed.
other property. The U.S. National
Transport Safety Board is considered

12 Gliding International September - October 2018 13


have contributed to the accident.
At this point, 12 to 24 months have
typically passed since the accident.
Once an investigation is complete,
the issues and recommendations
are forwarded to the relevant CAA.
Recommendations have often
resulted in rules that have helped
to reduce the number and sever-
ity of aviation accidents including
those requiring certain aircraft to be
equipped with specific additional
equipment.
In one particular case a certain
make of winch launching equip-
ment had to have several additional
features fitted so as to improve their
future launch-safe history. All equip-
ment changes and or additions to
aircraft are certainly not as easy to
fix as a winch.
Besides being the impetus behind
requirements to have safety equip-
ment installed, Safety Board recom-
mendations are often directed at
operational issues. Case in point:
investigations into a pair of 2004
and 2005 accidents that exposed
shady practices, illegal operations,
murky responsibilities, and poor
federal oversight of the air-taxi
business. The Board in question
believed these were examples of
Damage to a sailplane attempting an out-
landing generally does not create Safety
Board involvement.
14
14 Gliding International September - October 2018
an industry-wide problem. It made
recommendations that ultimately led
to proposals for tighter regulations,
improved policies, and better CAA
supervision of the air-taxi commu-
nity. The Board also advised that it
be made clear that brokers, often
the first point of contact for passen-
gers seeking air-taxi flights, are not
aircraft operators and thus do not
have operational responsibility for
flights.
The CAA accepted many of the
Boards recommendations, but it
took seven years before the CAA
issued a notice of proposed rule
making to turn those recommenda-
tions into law. There is obviously no
rush by an investigating board to
seek amended legislation to solve
problems. Careful factual analysis
is the yard-stick by which Boards
operate.
Even with recommendations, re-
sponses can be unacceptable to the
Safety Board. The winch incident
has steadily improved the safety and
clarity of its operations, but this has
resulted from regulatory and advi-
sory materials, competitive forces
(other winch manufacturers), outside
auditing, and self appraisal.
Robert Downe
C
loser to home, I have
had meetings with the
USA NTSB to discuss
their modus operandi over
half a century of Investigat-
ing Accidents. Last year,
the National Transportation
Safety Board marked its
50th anniversary of inves-
tigating aviation and other
transportation accidents in
the U.S.
Congress created the
agency on April 1. 1967
and just two days later, it
started working on its first
major case: the Lexington,
Kentucky crash of a twin-
engine Beechcraft air taxi
that killed the pilot and all
eight passengers. Initially
established as part of the
then-new Department of
Transportation, the NTSB
replaced the Civil Aeronaut-
ics Board Bureau of Safety,
which had existed since
1940. But it wasn’t until
1975 that the Safety Board
became an independent
agency, giving it the freedom
to do its job unencumbered
by political pressure. Today,
the NTSB annually inves-
tigates on average, 1,600
aviation accidents and major
incidents, as well as dozens
of highway, rail, pipeline,
hazardous-material, and
maritime accidents.
Over the years it has
released more than 14,500
safety recommendations, of
which more than 80 percent
have been implemented.
Nearly 40 percent of the
NTSB’s recommendations
and more than 98 percent
of its investigations relate to
aviation.
15
 PROOF OF CONCEPT
SolarStratos, the first commercial
two-seater solar plane prototype, is
on display at Payerne, Switzerland.
Powered by solar panels on the wings,

WINGS ALL SOLAR CELLS

This superb “ Soaring Book” is available to it will be the first manned solar-pow-
Gliding International readers at a ridiculous ered aircraft to penetrate the strato-
price. A story about the discovery of Waves sphere at 82,000ft (25,000m) above
Earth. The SolarStratos flight mission
and Lenticulars by Dick Georgeson who is being developed by SolarXplorers.
taught Philip Wills how to wave fly. Dick is a The aircraft is expected to complete
great soaring story teller and a real soaring its first stratospheric flight in 2018.
The flight mission will take more than
discoverer. five hours to complete, including a
two-hour ascent into space, 15 min-
• Available Free to any new Gliding Inter- utes of flight beyond the stratosphere,
national Two year subscriber - Post Paid. and a three-hour descent.
• Free to any new one year subscriber at The commercial phase of SolarStra-
tos’ development will begin in Decem-
cost of postage only. ($NZ20) ber 2019.
• Discounted to $20 (plus postage) to any
existing subscriber. URS The SolarStratos project was con-
ceptualised by Raphaël Domjan in

ONO 2010. The first feasibility study on So-

larStratos and a team for the building
NORMAL RETAIL PRICE $52.50 H of the plane was concluded between
ITH 2012 and 2013. The partners for devel-
W opment of SolarStratos and final de-
sign for the plane began in 2014. The
plane was designed by Calin Gologan
and constructed using composite ma-
terials.
The aircraft has a length of 8.5m,
wingspan of 24.8m, and weight of
450kg. Its wing surfaces are covered
with 22m² of solar panels. The solar
modules used for the construction of
the plane were tested in the extreme
climatic conditions at RealFly vertical
wind tunnel in Sion. The modules have
the capability to withstand the strato-
sphere temperatures up to -70°C.
The SolarStratos features an un-
pressurised cabin to keep the weight
down. The pilot and co-pilot will need
to wear pressurised and solar-pow-
ered spacesuits during the mission.
The aircraft can fly at an altitude of
Send an email to Janice 25,000m and will have flight autonomy
( office@glidinginternational.com ) of more than 24 hours.
and she will organise it for you The plane is powered by 32kW elec-
tric engine at 2,200rpm. The engine
drives a 2.2m four-bladed propeller
located in the front and is integrated
with a 20kW lithium-ion battery. The
plane will perform emission-free mis-
TRULY sions as it is powered only by solar en-
ergy without any pollutant emissions.
GREAT The SolarStratos mission is being
assisted by official partners, includ-
READING ing Ciel Electricite, and Zvezda. Ciel
Electricite provides support in elec-
trical installations for SolarStratos,
while Zvezda will provide the Swiss
pilot who will control the plane using a
special suit and individual life support
system. PC-Aero built the SolarStra-
tos mission prototype.

16 Gliding International September - October 2018 17

 More on Graphene More on Graphene

Graphene Is The Strongest Material Ever Tested World’s First Graphene-Skinned Aircraft
Graphene is a form of carbon consisting of a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal
lattice. It is the basic structural element of many other forms of carbon, such as graphite, diamond,
charcoal, carbon nanotubes and fullerenes. Graphene has many uncommon properties. It is the
strongest material ever tested, conducts heat and electricity efficiently, and is nearly transparent.
Unveiled In the United Kingdom
G
Scientists theorised about graphene for years. It had been produced unintentionally in small quanti-
ties for centuries through the use of pencils and other similar graphite applications. It was observed liding International has the Sheffield Advanced Manufactur- intense interest. Is there going to be
originally in electron microscopes in 1962, but it was studied only while supported on metal surfaces.
The material was later rediscovered, isolated, and characterised in 2004 by Andre Geim and Kon- been reporting on Gra- ing Research Centre, the University major changes to current sailplane
stantin Novoselov at the University of Manchester. Their work resulted in the two winning the Nobel phene for several months of Manchester’s National Graphene performances?
Prize in Physics in 2010 “for ground breaking experiments regarding the two-dimensional material now and was caught com- Institute, and Haydale Graphene
graphene. Aviation is strongly involved in its development. pletely unaware during August. In Industries, Juno additionally features Additionally and as far as power

T
he conceptual use of Gra-
phene as the future material
for aircraft construction is
quickening and quite fast
too. One researcher in Europe in
July compared Graphene to Roman
times concrete. So good were Roman
concrete structures that many still
stand today, including the Colosseum
in Rome. However, construction may
be one of many industries that could
soon be revolutionised by graphene,
dubbed the new super-material.
Novo Carbon Corporation (USA)
has just announced the receipt and
fulfilment of its first order from an un-
disclosed North American graphene
manufacturer to supply it with high
quality, micronised graphite.
Graphene is the world’s thinnest
material. First discovered by Univer-
sity of Manchester researchers in
2004, the one-atom thick material is
commonly found in mineral graphite.
Its structure gives it important physi-
cal qualities, including its efficiency
as a conductor of heat and electricity,
water-proofing and strength.
The materialisation of a purchase
order is a sign that the graphene
industry is moving from the science
lab to commercial production lines.
Several North American graphene
companies are making products that
are becoming an ingredient in super-
strength cement and paint products.
The graphene market is starting
to take off. For a low margin product
(like cement), modest improvements
(in costs) can have outsized results.
While the size of the initial pur-
chase order is modest, the customer
has indicated an intention to work in
an exclusive supply relationship and
to begin placing regular orders by
early next year.
Graphene coatings could find
applications where water repellent
surfaces are required such as ship
hulls, for conductive uses like for
cellphones as well as in scenarios
where chemical resistance is needed,
according to the American Coatings
Association. It could also be used in
advanced batteries, solar cells and
displays. The list of future products is
endless.
Samsung Advanced Institute of
Technology (SAIT) has developed a
“graphene ball” for batteries through
a mechanism that mass synthesizes
graphene into a 3D form like pop-
corn. The material enables a 45%
increase in capacity, and five times
faster charging speeds than standard
lithium-ion batteries.
One of NovoCarbon’s biggest chal-
lenges is building a supply chain.
Despite considerable in-house
expertise in Dr. Gershon Borovsky – a
carbon material expert – the company
has had to carefully craft together a
network of partnerships to become a
supplier of high-purity graphite in the
United States.
The company is sourcing high-
quality flake graphite from Brazil
and relying on Ashland Advanced
Materials to make a purified, micro-
nised graphite product at a plant in
Niagara, New York. Supplying larger
volumes of this quality of graphite
will require the company to evalu-
ate other technological production
methods. China’s graphite industry is
notoriously associated with the use
of hydrochloric acid and industrial
pollution.
The fact that graphene manufac-
turers are appearing in the United
States underscores the relevance of
US President Donald Trump’s execu-
tive order earlier this year to draw up
a list of strategic materials where the
US is reliant on foreign and specifi-
cally Chinese-controlled imports. The
list includes graphite and several
battery ingredients including cobalt,
fact this report arrived on our desks, graphene-based batteries and 3D- aircraft are concerned, graphene’s
lithium and rare earth elements. just 12 hours before we were due to printed components. Its skin, though, thermal conductivity will allow
China produces 66% of the world’s go to press. PANIC! PANIC! We had is where the real action is. heat to spread throughout the
graphite and consumes 35%, ac- to do some major but hurried editing material,effectively reducing any ice
cording to the Mineral Commodity to bring you this dramatic story and Consisting of one-atom-thick lay- build up.
Summary 2017 of the US Geologi- extend our printing and despatch ers of linked carbon atoms, graphene
cal Survey (USGS). About a hundred schedules, hence the reasons why is not only the world’s strongest man Finally, the electrical conductivity of
U.S. firms consumed 24,200 tons of we are late with this issue. made material, but it’s also highly graphene causes the energy of light-
graphite valued at US$25.6 million in conductive, both thermally and elec- ning strikes to be dispersed through-
2016. The U.S. imported 100% of its We never dreamt that we could be trically. out the surface of the fuselage, as
graphite primarily from China (34%); as close to an issue as we have been opposed to causing damage through
Mexico, (33%); Canada (18%); and over graphene and its aviation future. Because it’s so strong, an outer localised heating in one area.
Brazil (7%). covering of it adds strength to con-
The Trump executive order may Aerospace engineers from Britain’s ventional fuselage materials. This The engineers plan to conduct
actually drive NovoCarbon’s revenue University of Central Lancashire, allows for less of those materials to test flights of Juno over the next two
stream. Besides being in pole posi- (United Kingdom) have presented be used, leading to significant weight months. So there is a lot more to
tion to become a preferred sup- (mid August) what they state is the reductions. As a result, aircraft come on this 21st century research
plier in the United States (because it world’s first graphene-skinned air- incorporating such skins could carry project.
manufactures there), the company craft. Known as Juno, the 3.5 metre- heavier payloads without using more
is in line to win a contract from the wide (11.5-ft) unmanned aircraft is fuel, or fly for longer distances on a Source: Marketing Lancashire
US Defence Logistics Agency (DLA), indeed a sign of things to come. given amount of fuel. (The article on the preceding page
the procurement arm of the Depart- was written several weeks prior to
Developed in partnership with the arrival of this current release.)
ment of Defence (DoD), to provide Performance data is awaited with
advisory services. The DLA put out
to tender for consultancy services to Members of the engineering team pose with Juno
identify domestic supplies to reduce
dependency on foreign imports, as an
offshoot to the executive order.
Graphite could also become
scarce. Graphite demand is about
to enter a period of rapid growth
and price escalation, according to
London-based metals consultancy
Roskill. Rapid growth in demand for
natural flake graphite and synthetic
graphite in the lithium-ion battery
industry for electric vehicles is now
forecast to drive graphite demand
growth of 5-7% per year from 2018-
2027, it said.
The inclusion of graphene in ce-
ment could ironically just be a start-
ing point in matching the quality of
Roman concrete. Roman concrete
is of superior quality because its
marine-based ingredients actually
become stronger over time.
Graphene-enforced concrete might
get one over the Romans, at last.

18 Gliding International September - October 2018 19

Myles Hynde
Soaring
There are cheaper alternatives !
L
ittle publicity emanates from
Germany about their very ac-
tive soaring pilots who regu-
larly fly fixed wing hang gliders,
the most popular of which is the ATOS.
A plane, an aircraft, a sailplane, a glider
or call it anything you like, it is a sport
that puts our regular disciplines to shame
as far as costs are concerned. However
Germany has a big following which
originated from rag hang gliders to fixed
wings starting in the 1990s. It won’t be
a surprise to learn that the Germans are
masters of this branch of the soaring
world.
The A-I-R Atos is a German high-wing,
single-place, rigid wing glider designed
by Felix Ruehle and produced by A-I-R
GmbH of Halblech. It was designed in
1997 and went into series production in
1999. It continued to be produced well
passed 2012. The cost varies between
US$15,000 and US$25,000.
The ATOS rigid wing has a clear supe-
riority in conception and performance
as the results of competitions and OLC
20
flights speak for themselves.
Since 1999 all world championship
titles in this rigid wing class have been
flown in an ATOS. Almost without ex-
ception ATOS pilots have all emigrated
from paragliders.
The wing structure is created from car-
bon fibre. Cross-beams (folding ribs,)
rib tension adjusters, curving flaps and
spoilers are separated for ease of pack-
ing and conveyance to the soaring site.
The whole unit is a well designed con-
cept - the most favoured kit in the sport
and which means a stable preservation
of their resale value.
When packed ready for transport via a
car roof, the package measures 5.15 m
or. 5.85 depending on spar length. Of-
ten pilots take their glider to a mountain
launching site by mountain railways.
FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS
The control movements correspond
to hang glider principles. Spoilers are
fitted to the upper wing surface involving
minimum effort to activate. The curved
flaps provide a high lift rate when launch-
ing, and a very low sink rate when flying
between thermals.
Declared to be simple and error-forgiving
the ATOS’s in air behaviour is uncompli-
cated. The factory reports that they have
now produced over 1250 aircraft with a
constant demand for new models.
The original wings of Otto Lilienthal and
the gliders of the Wright Brothers were
basically rigid wing hang gliders. There are
a host of new rigid wings that have found
sudden popularity. Rigid wings differ from
flex-wings in that the former have a solid
construction so that the wing surfaces
remain more or less fixed throughout the
entire flight regime. Contrasting to this
arrangement is the wing of a flex-wing
glider which is simply a sail held in an
airfoil shape by battens. Rigid wings main-
tain the wing’s shape with the airframe
structure, while with a flex-wing, the wing
shape is maintained by the structure and
tension in the sail itself.
Gliding International
It is the flexibility
of a flex-wing’s sail
that allows it to
be controlled by
weight shift. The
rigidity of a rigid wing normally requires
aerodynamic control systems (spoilers,
tip rudders, elevons, etc). This factor is
what determines one of the main differ-
ences between a rigid wing and a flex
wing. Some rigid wings, however, control
pitch (airspeed) with weight shift and
roll (banking) with aerodynamic controls
that are connected to a movable control
bar which thus simulates weight shift.
Other rigid wings have full 3-axis controls
activated by a stick like a sailplane or
aircraft.
The other great difference between rigid
and flex-wing gliders is the lower twist
(washout) in the rigid wing. The twist
in a rigid wing is controlled with the
airframe -- either a leading edge D tube
or a second spar at the rear of the wing
-- while on a flex wing it is held by sail
tension. The result is that rigid wings can
utilise greater spans without suffering
from increased twist in the wings as do
September - October 2018
flex wings. Greater
spans and reduced The fact that rigid wing hang gliders are
twist provides better used frequently to soar close to a ridge
performance or hill and thermal in light or turbulent
conditions make them potentially vulner-
The drawback to lower able to spins since slow flight and shal-
twist or rigidly held low turns are required for success.
twist is that spins are
more likely. It is a fact Learning to fly these fixed wing hang
that rigid wings spin gliders with no previous hang gliding ex-
more readily than a perience must be approached as careful-
flex wing. The reason ly as when learning to fly any aircraft. It is
is that twist in a wing recommend learning to fly in a flex-wing
is a gradual lowering hang glider, then transitioning to a higher
of the angle of attack performance flex wing and finally to the
from the centre (root) rigid wing. Dual training in the rigid wing
of the wing to the is desirable. We also recommend towing
tip. The lower angle under a very experienced instructor. The
of attack at a wing’s greater weight of rigid wings compared
tip helps prevent it to flex-wings makes them undesirable for
from stalling in a turn, beginning foot-launch training.
which is the normal
cause of a spin. Flex Starting from no experience or transition-
wings allow their twist ing -- it is highly recommended that the
to increase on the new pilot take sailplane lessons before
inside wing as a turn is learning to fly a 3-axis controlled rigid
wing. This training must include stall
recognition, spin entry and the neces-
sity to obey the airspeed limits. Flying
wing hang gliders and even those with
conventional tails tend to have very dif-
ferent flying characteristics compared
to sailplanes and airplanes. At least until
you learn their effects.
Flying rigid wings can be a safe and
rewarding way to take to the air. They are
not necessarily more difficult or com-
plex to fly than flex wings, they are just
initiated. Rigid
wings (including
sailplanes and
aircraft) do not.
For this reason
there are strong
warnings made
to new initiates.
RIGID WING
FLIGHT
WARNING
All rigid wings
can spin.
Inadvertent
spins are entered by turning with low to different. Do not assume you can readily
medium bank angles at slow speeds, adapt to them without a careful, gradual
then either slowing further, encountering approach. Proper instruction can save
turbulence or making an abrupt roll con- you expense and help prevent injury.
trol. Two hundred feet or more can be qui
ckly lost before recovery. The recovery Remember to learn the glider’s limits
itself may overstress the wing if the pilot carefully with plenty of altitude in reserve.
does not exercise extreme caution.
21
 the REAL soaring pilot
I
n the book, Real Men Don’t Eat
Quiche, author Bruce Fernstein
has attempted to define the traits
that characterise the “Real Man”.
Typical Real Men are Clint Eastwood,
Sean Connery {but not Roger Moore},
and Margaret Thatcher. In the same
spirit, a definition of a Real Soaring Pilot
has emerged, thus providing us with a
standard towards which the next gen-
eration of soaring pilots can progress.
Perhaps bring back the era of heroism
and mystique, when one flew solo in
a simple primary on the very first flight
and wimps disappeared forever after
their first launch.
HIS FLYING
A Real Soaring Pilot only flies cross-
country. Scratching around the home
airfield is not for him, and the sweaty
hard grip on the stick or brilliant remarks
to the lady in the front seat is left up to
the wimps. A Real Soaring Pilot flies
solo on long cross-country flights,
preferably over unlandable terrain, and
returns hours after the wimps have
tied down and gone home. If he has
an evening engagement he’ll simply
fly faster, or settle for 300 km that day.
The Real Soaring Pilot rarely flies less
than 300 km except during contests,
when a wimpy Contest Director has laid
out a shorter task. He will not fly in bad
weather unless he can fly in clouds.
Not just any clouds: Real Clouds with
ice, turbulence, and thunder. No wimps
there.
HIS SAILPLANE
First of all, he never flies a motorglider.
He also avoids forgiving types like the
Schweizers, preferring character-build-
ers like the ASW-12 and the Standard
Cirrus (not just any Cirrus mind you.) It
has to be one of the early models with
the pendulum elevator and no feel.
22
the REAL
soaring pilot
has learned to soar by
studying
Other sailplanes accepta- he’ll dance with Real
Jean-Marie
ble to a Real Soaring Pilot Women and other men’s
are the Nimbus 3, LS-3 wives. Afterwards, if
(but not LS-1 as there’s he can’t find his tent or
Clement’s
inadequate room for camper, he’ll sleep in the
him to flex his muscles), cockpit of any available
ASW-20, and most vintage Real Sailplane.
types. If he has borrowed
the Grunau Baby, he loves
to outclimb the wimp flying
an LS-4. He is rarely heard
IN COMPETITION
You will find the Real
Manual
on the radio. Soaring Pilot high up
on the score sheet. You
A Real Soaring Pilot has
short tows, just one, and
climbs swiftly in tight
can also recognise him
by his flying technique.
He always takes off with
““DANCING WITH
THE WIND”
turns whether or not the full water tanks, retracts
thermals are strong. If he his wheel so the gear
misses, he’ll be back on doors brush the runway,
the ground before the tow- and flies the course by
plane, and runs to his car himself. Leeches are
to get a second barograph promptly led into strong
UNQUESTIONABLY
while claiming record set- sink. His finishes are
ting soaring conditions. described by the wimps
When he returns from a as “worm-burners” and
task, it is never with waste
excess altitude. . . . loves to outclimb the wimp in an LS-4 . . . holds a Heinecken like his stick
dangerous, but they
are actually precisely
calculated manoeuvres
THE BEST BOOK ON
HIS COCKPIT
Silly computers are for wimps - a Real
jeans and T-shirt are quite sufficient for
performed with great
proficiency. SOARING WRITTEN
the simple task at hand, although he HIS PROFESSION
Soaring Pilot will only use one if he has On impossible days, he will finally drift
may add a windbreaker if he plans to fly
built it himself (see his “profession”). He is not likely to be a physician (not in to finish near 7:30 pm, about the
above 25,000 feet.
US $ 79.00 POST PAID
Otherwise, all he needs is an old PZL enough time), a lawyer (too much risk), same time the wimps are hosing the
with a home-made MacCready ring. No an airline pilot (too conservative). Most mud out of their wheel wells. Finally, the
His hat commands special attention and
yaw string; he is always coordinated. likely, he will be an engineer, as this Real Soaring Pilot can be recognised
respect. It was white once before many
Actually, with his sensitive feel and profession seems to attract the eccen- by the quality of his crew (that Is, if he
years of sweat and grime accumulated
great experience, he does not need any tric types with the necessary personality has any at all). These are Real Men or
on it. A Gold C with three Diamonds is,
instruments at all. No relief tube is need-
ed; he can hold it until he lands
at times, casually pinned on at some traits of the Real Soaring Pilot. Real Women who hold up a wing tip
without complaint, and will have cold
or half price for new
random spot.
AT PARTIES beer ready for our Real Pilot as he rolls two year subscribers
HIS APPEARANCE to a stop right at his tie-down point.
A Real Soaring Pilot frequently sports a
beard of the stiff and rugged type. Here we will find the Real Soaring Pilot
The origin and author is
A Real Soaring Pilot smells of sneakers
- no cologne. He never wears a jump-
in a small group where the results from
the 1931 Nationals are discussed, along
unknown but our copy is Email
HIS FAVOURITE MOVIES from an 1987 issue of the office@glidinginternational.com
suit with sewn-on club patches all over, with winch maintenance and Pratt-Read ‘Vancouver Soaring Scene’
he leaves that to the Air Force types or restoration. Each Real Soaring Pilot via Canada’s Free Flight. for full details
The Thomas Crown Affair, Airplane,
former Air Cadets. He does not change holds a bottle of Heinecken the way he
Dawn Flight and Goofy’s Glider.
his clothes before he flies; his everyday holds his stick. When the music starts,
Gliding International September - October 2018 23
 304 PAGES - 415 COLOUR ILLUSTRATIONS

HOW MUCH DOES A CLOUD WEIGH ?

P eggy LeMone, was a senior
scientist at the National Cen-
tre for Atmospheric Research
in Boulder, Colorado, and has done
the numbers.
This book, is without any doubt,
the best written and the most “The water in one of the little clouds
above weighs about 550 tons,”
profusely illustrated manual she calculates. “Or if you want to
covering every facet of soaring. convert it to something that might
be a little more meaningful ... think
And - it will immeasurably of elephants.”
advance your own flying skills.
FLOATING MASSES
Take it from me -
“Assume an elephant weighs about
John Roake six tons” she says, “that would Now, ratchet up the calculations weighs 1.285 kg.
mean that water inside a typical for a hurricane about the size of
cumulous cloud would weigh about Missouri and the figures get really Assuming a thermal is 3000 ft high
one hundred elephants”. massive.” and 330 feet in diameter (lOOO m
YourRetail price: $NZ122 Freight paid high and lOO m in diameter), which
or $US79.00 or €64 at today’s bank rate The thought of a hundred ele- “What we’re doing is weighing the is probably a bit smaller in diameter
phants-worth of water suspended water one cubic metre theoretically than a U.K. summer thermal, we
in the sky begs another question pulled from a cloud and then multi- get a total volume for the thermal
TAKE A TWO YEAR - what keeps it up there? “First of plying it by the number of metres in of 7.85 million cubic metres. This
a whole hurricane,” she explains. volume of dry air at STP weighs
SUBSCRIPTION TO all, the water isn’t in elephant sized
10,000 metric tonnes - so correcting
particles, it’s in tiny tiny particles,”
explains LeMone. “And those par- “The result? Forty million elephants. to 28 C and 1028 mb gives a weight
That means that the water in one of 9294 tonnes for dry air.
‘GLIDING ticles float on the warmer air that’s
hurricane weighs more than all the
rising below”. But still, the concept
INTERNATIONAL’ of so much water floating in the sky elephants on the planet. And that is Water vapour has a molecular
was surprising even to a meteorolo- a lot of water! weight of 18, so it weighs about half
gist like LeMone. as much as air. I’ll leave the correc-
AND YOU CAN Questioning this, Graeme Cant tion to air at 40% humidity as an
writes: They are not as high and exercise for the reader but I’d be
GET YOUR COPY FOR A “I had no idea how much a cloud
fluffy as they look. When I started, surprised if the corrected weight is
would weigh, actually, when I
started the calculations,” she says. my instructor told me the weight less than 9000 tonnes.
of upward moving air in the core of
5O% DISCOUNT OUT WEIGHING ELEPHANT a moderate thermal was about 80 NOTE: for US pilots: a metric tonne
(Discounted price only vailable POPULATIONS tons. I think its a lot more than that. is almost identical to an imperial
to subscribers) ton, i.e. 2240 pounds. Now you
So how many elephant units of wa- From first principles: - dry air is know why an airship can carry a
Order Via our web page ter are inside a big storm cloud ... roughly 20% oxygen and 80% nitro- decent sized load and why thermals
www.glidinginternational.com ten times bigger all the way around gen, giving a “molecular weight for are unaffected by any number of
than the “puffy” cumulus cloud? air” of 28.8. g - and occupies 22.4 gliders riding them.
Again, LeMone did the numbers: litres at STP, so a litre of air weighs
“About 200,000 elephants. 1.285 grams and a cubic metre Editor: Confused? - Us too!

24 Gliding International September - October 2018 25

 Robert Downe
A REVIEW ON PAIR FLYING
T
eam flying is a can of worms! No two countries operate their nationals under the same rules. But regardless, the pos-
sibilities of disallowing the strong competition that emanates from this practice at world championship level is highly
unlikely. Nevertheless a review of the practice would be welcomed by the majority of world championship competi-
tion pilots who are a solo entrant representing his country. To put it simply, the solo entrant has little or no chance of
standing on the podium on prizing giving day almost regardless.
Australian pilots have been addressing the problem with some vigour. There’s a dichotomy between selecting the winner of
the Nationals (rightly an individual honour) and selecting the best team pilots for a World event. With Australia’s current formula
selection process, they only have their Nationals to select a world championship competition from. So they are selecting on
ability to fly well independently, select on the pilot’s ability to stick with busy gaggles and resist the impulse to do your own
thing. Our correspondent says about team flying at international competitions - there is no better fun than flying with a partner
and having two sets of eyes and two brains to improve the decision making. And he added - but for that to happen you need disci-
pline and commitment, and practice and practice and practice . . . . .
If you religiously stay with a gaggle of top pilots and have a glider that can keep up with them, then you are almost guaranteed
a good result, even without a team partner. The rest of the gaggle becomes your de-facto team. It is hard for us as Austral-
ian pilots, brought up with the idea that leaching is despicable, to embrace this approach. But there is no shame in it at the
Worlds. If you are not doing it, you are at the very bottom of the points table, almost every day.
As G Dale says about world competitions: “We’re not here to show that we’re better pilots than the rest. We’re here to get more
points than the rest. And like it or not, that’s not the same thing. Whether you agree with it or not, that’s the reality of flying at a
Worlds”.
Our Australian correspondent is not suggesting that we start selecting team pilots on a subjective basis or by committee vote.
Every Nationals pilot needs to know that if they perform well enough they will be on our team. But I do think that there’s scope
for selecting the first pilot in each class by results, and the second pilot in the class based on who would work best with that
first pilot. As for pair flying at a Nationals, it remains against the Australian competition rules and that’s fine. The true problem is
enforcement and proof of pre-arranged intent. A pilot may legitimately decide that their best tactic is to hook up with a top pilot
pre-start and shadow them around the whole task, every day. In fact “perfect training for a Worlds”. If the pilot does that off
their own bat then it’s not team flying. But if the two pilots discuss and agree beforehand then it is. How do you distinguish the
two cases from track logs alone? You can’t!
There is an opinion that if a rule is not enforceable then it shouldn’t be in the rule book. Our man disagrees. The rules describe
how we want the competition to be conducted. We don’t want cloud flying, we can’t enforce it, but it’s still in the rules. If some-
one cloud flies, and they end up winning the day, then they will know it’s a hollow victory, and many of their competitors will at
least suspect as much. If this forms a pattern of behaviour then their reputation and respect will rapidly diminish.
So getting back to a Worlds selection, the correspondent’s proposal is this: Keep the Nationals as an individual event. Select
the top pilot based on results. Then select their partner based on who would be most likely to add value to the team effort.
The pilot selected on results would make a case for who should be their partner, and this would normally be accepted by our
Sports Committee unless they considered it inappropriate. This system still guarantees a place to any pilot who makes the
grade, but gives flexibility to ensure that we don’t send a team who has never had a chance to practice together, or are funda-
mentally incompatible.
It’s a thrill and a privilege to fly for Australia at a Worlds, and it’s something I think every competition pilot should aspire to.
However another Australian entered into this debate. He declared that he was lucky enough to be included in a training event
run by Brian Spreckley at Benalla quite a few years ago. Those who attended went onto the next Australian competition and
26 Gliding International
did very well. If taught properly and executed well it is clearly a huge advantage. And not to mention maximum fun. So what
about those who don’t have that luck to get involved in team flying at competitions. Readers can well see how they would feel
significantly disadvantaged. So how to bridge the divide? Beats me!
• Strengths.
a.- Technical aspects: • Weaknesses
• Reduced time in centring and better lift selection • There is a strong psychological bond that excludes instinctive choices
• The explorable air mass band is much broader • There is a technical difficulty if team spirit is lacking
• Reduced risks of landing out • It tends to be interpreted as a way of taking decisions which are less risky
• Four eyes are better than two but not necessarily more successful; it can thus reduce aggressiveness
• Less nervous energy expended because you can reply and even concentration.
• On your companion some of the time.
b.- Mental aspects:
• Comfort in the choices and better assessment
• Less stress in living the decisions
• Awareness of having a competitive advantage, of possessing a
complementarity that helps to reduce errors.
Team, or pair, flying is both an opportunity and a philosophy: Two being better than one
• The ability to communicate the “thought” behind every decision, or knowing how to “think out loud”.
• We have created the aphorism “think out loud”, meaning to express one’s own thoughts vocally as if alone, because we believe
this is the secret.
• It is the decision, not the thought, that must be built up with the partner, because otherwise,there is a risk of surrendering part
of one’s own observational and evaluative powers or influencing the partner too much.
• An effective interpretation of pair flying presupposes that the pilots abandon instinctive decision-making and become used to
giving a rational guise to each decision. At the same time, this forces the pilots to raise their level of attentive observation
of the sky and to pose questions of themselves that may prove very valuable if sufficient results are achieved. In other words,
they need to evolve a view of critical analysis in every situation and every alternative so as to be able to confront it with the
companion, without jeopardising the rapidity of the decision-making process.
I often encourage pilots who are trying out compatibility of styles that they should on the very first occasion spend an hour or
two without radio communication between each other. The trailing glider pilot will quickly get to understand the thinking of the
lead pilot. It is surprising just how quickly and effectively they can fly together.
The first and foremost rule is always fly whenever possible so that your partner can see you! This is just as important while
climbing, to allow more rapid centring for everyone, as it is in straight glides. During a run between thermals no sailplane
should fall too far behind, even if there are differences in altitude; waiting for the trailing glider is usually out of the question.
It costs too much time; sailplane performance differences are so small nowadays that one simply cannot afford the luxury of
waiting. However it is sometimes possible on longer glides for the front runner to fly at a slightly lower vario speed setting,
allowing the last man to catch up gradually, without much speed loss. The distance between sailplanes while gliding should
be around I00 yards; this allows simple and simultaneous changes in glide direction, while larger separations tend to tear the
“formation” apart.
Under narrow cloud streets the pair should fly closer together, or one sailplane even off-set to one side - a distance sepa-
ration of one wingspan. This allows the following sailplane to benefit from the upward-moving area of the leader’s wingtip
vortex. Flying directly behind another sailplane is a no no. If the thermals are difficult to centre, the pilots should search sepa-
rately to the left and right side of the course line. If in doubt, whoever is higher can deviate further, while the lower colleague
sticks with whatever lift he has to mark it for the higher pilot should he find nothing and have to return. One can often advise
the other pilot by hand signals in the canopy that one wants to fly on; he in turn can agree by repeating the same signal, or
can indicate that he wants to stay in the lift. Pilots with similar tactics can use this method to fly together remarkably effec-
tively. Polish soaring pilots are masters of this technique.
One should always try to stay as close as it is prudent to one’s teammates.. It will allow for a visual interchange between
pilots when considering and or making course corrections. As long as the distance between sailplanes is still small enough so
that the second pilot can reach the same lift that the first pilot is working, the front-runner should advise him of the strength of
any thermals used. These reports should be as realistic and accurate as possible, and should be changed at once if condi-
tions change. Using this method, the trailing pilot has the chance either to leave the lift he is working, for something stronger
further on, or to stay with what he has if he knows he won’t get anything that good further on course. In this scenario he
should climb higher before departing with an optimal variometer speed setting.
Similar pilots will soon be together once again using this method, and can continue to work together as described. The most
important use of air-to-air radio, however, is the weather information relayed back by the first pilot; any changes in the situa-
tion should be broadcast at once, without waiting to be asked.
At forks in thermal or cloud streets and similar decision points, information on which way the first pilot is flying, and which
way he suggests that the second fly, is especially important. This demands a great deal of concentration from the pilot, as
well as an attitude free of any jealousy toward one’s partner; thus, this type of team flying is not only dependent on a pilot’s
flying ability but on his character as well.
September - October 2018 27

UNBELIEVABLE THERMAL SOURCE
S
cientists and engineers have
been waiting nearly four years
for the Japanese Hayabusa2
spacecraft – which is carry-
ing the Mobile Asteroid Surface Scout
(MASCOT) lander that was developed
and constructed by the German Aero-
space Centre – to reach its destination:
the asteroid Ryugu.
MASCOT arrived off the asteroid on
June 27, 2018, and the landing is now
within reach. The mission will mark the
first time that a scientific laboratory,
equipped with instruments, aims to land
on an asteroid. Based on current plan-
ning, this is expected to take place in
the first week of October 2018.
The Japanese space agency JAXA
is using the Hayabusa2 space probe to
carry out instrument readings with the
goal of achieving a more accurate as-
sessment of the asteroid’s gravitational
force. This information is also a major
variable influencing MASCOT’s landing.
MASCOT will conduct measurements in
more than one location on the asteroid’s
surface. In the process, it will make
autonomous ‘decisions’ and operate the
corresponding instruments.
The asteroid Ryugu was still more or
less unknown territory when MASCOT
was launched on December 3, 2014.
Now, Hayabusa2’s camera has ob-
served the asteroid from a distance of
just six kilometres.
The Japanese are getting a feel for
the situation to an ever-increasing
extent - especially the best place to
land. They know that they cannot have
MASCOT landing on the higher lati-
tudes, meaning on the asteroid’s poles.
They are seeking to collect samples
of asteroid material, hence the lim-
ited number of options for the sample
collection process. Based on the first
evaluation of data, however, there is no
shortage of interesting regions in the
middle latitudes.
Photos already available clearly show
that the asteroid is scattered with large
boulders and also has craters on its
28
surface. They are not worried about the
craters – Ryugu can even land there.
Currently the Japanese perceive no
challenges from topographical issues.
There are, however, other criteria, i.e.
the gigantic thermal conditions on the
asteroid.
If MASCOT heats up too much, there
will be problems. The instruments
aboard the spacecraft can only work at
their best within their intended operat-
ing temperature ranges, otherwise the
data will be excessively noise-laden.
Again, the battery will suffer if tem-
peratures are either too high or too low
because it would dangerously over-
heat or lose usable capacity. Thermal
activity was never taken into account
in planning hence a likely problem to
overcome.
MASCOT’s landing and operation
on the asteroid are being repeatedly
tested and optimised through simula-
tions. The Japanese space agency is
currently taking gravitational readings
of the asteroid. So as we write, they are
waiting for precise figures on Ryugu’s
gravitational force. Gravity also, will
affect how MASCOT bounces and this
will influence the final position at which
the released lander comes to rest.
Information on the asteroid’s thermal
characteristics is also crucial. That is
still lacking and is being examined at
the moment. Heat generation is some-
what of a mystery. Another important
aspect is the size of the rocks on Ryu-
gu. A certain size of rock could cause
MASCOT to get stuck. So every piece
of new information about Ryugu makes
the MASCOT mission more concrete
and easier to plan.
In their last simulation, they found
that for long hops – meaning if they
take hops of more than 10 metres – a
great deal of time would be lost through
the bounce phase until MASCOT
comes to rest again. However, that
period of time is important because
the operating life is only going to be 16
hours and MASCOT will still have to
upload its data to the Hayabusa2 probe.
It appears that Ryugu’s composition
across the surface of the asteroid does
not vary much. They certainly don’t
need long hops in a bid to find some-
thing more interesting at a measurement
position much further away. According-
ly, the hopping distance will be between
one and five metres.
The first concern is to determine the
right place to land. For the engineers, it
is important that the thermal conditions
are right, but secondly there has to be
a suitable place for MASCOT to land
where the transition from day to night
on the asteroid is favourable. The sig-
nificance of night, after all, is that they
cannot see anything from Hayabusa2,
and consequently cannot upload any
data or store it on the probe.
The lander will operate autonomously
on the asteroid, and it has been made
robust enough to work with these
sequences in order to carry out the
scientific tasks.
The specific landing date is depend-
ent on various criteria. The landing will
take place in coordination with the op-
eration of the Hayabusa2 space probe.
The probe must descend towards the
surface of the asteroid in the process
of separating from MASCOT, and then
has to eject the lander at a certain point
in time and at a specific point in space.
The landing site also has repercussions
for time planning. And, of course, there
is a team checklist: There may be error
messages, meaning that we have to
land at a later point in time. However,
this depends on how serious the error
message is and what steps can still be
taken in order to rectify the error. There
is also a ‘point of no return’, meaning a
point in time after which the controllers
in Germany can no longer interrupt the
landing.
The asteroid lander is monitored and
operated from the MASCOT Control
Centre in the Microgravity User Support
Centre (MUSC) at Germany’s DLR site in
Cologne.
Gliding International
You Can Buy
Your Own Basic
Three D Printer
For As Little As
$300
T
hree D printing is a way to create physical objects directly from digital files. While digital de-
sign is nothing new, manufacturing has traditionally relied on technologies that cut objects
from a larger blocks or sheets of material; or forming methods that rely on expensive moulds
and patterns. In contrast, 3D printing is an additive process that builds objects one layer at a
time from the bottom up. Used across industries, it complements traditional technologies to improve
product design, streamline manufacturing, and even forge entirely new business models.
And as its utility and accessibility increase, so does its potential to unlock innovation for countless inventors, engi-
neers and designers and whose ideas were previously too difficult or expensive to manufacture. This is a quick look
at how some of the world’s biggest aerospace and MRO companies are embracing additive manufacturing. Gliding
International’s correspondent says that when travelling on an aircraft,”I tend to scour the cabin for places where ad-
ditive manufacturing (AM) could be present someday soon”. The life-span of an aircraft, typically between 20 and
30 years, makes maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) and retrofit, both big and necessary businesses. Airbus’
Global Market Forecaster projects that over the next 20 years aircraft upgrades services market will be worth world
wide US$180 billion. According to a variety of market reports, aerospace accounts for roughly 20% of the AM market.
It offers numerous benefits to the sector; part consolidation, reduced inventory, on-demand manufacturing, light-
weighting reduced costs and fuel consumption. For replacement parts where timescales are tight, and downtime
must be kept to a minimum, speed of delivery can be a game-changer. Can (or indeed, should) you 3D print an entire
aircraft? Berlin-based ‘BigRep’ is looking to answer that question from an interior perspective in partnership with
Etihad Airways Engineering. They are taking a close look at every single part of your sailplane exploring where AM
could offer a better solution. If your aircraft is 30 years old and is in need of a refurbish or retrofit, every single parts
can be manufactured and certified. Taking this a step further, BigRep is already embedding “digital smartness” into
parts in combination with digitally tailored design methods. Hybrid manufacturing is also being explored, using off the
shelf 6-axis industrial robots to print onto half-finished parts in-
dependent of its geometry or size as a “digital value add-on.”
The first proof of concept is a full-scale print of an Airbus A320
sidewall. The part was scanned to create a “digital twin” which is
used to provide information to the robot about the part geometry
and print conductive tracks, antennas and ornamental features.
Meanwhile over in Dubai, Emirates Engineering, part of the big-
gest airline in the UAE, have been actively exploring 3D printing
for cabin parts for around two years and recently teamed up with
‘3D Systems’. This company, which provides MRO services for
a wide range of Airbus and Boeing models, used selective laser
sintering to produce video monitor shrouds for its aircraft cabins.
Airbus, the second biggest aerospace manufacturer in the world,
is no stranger to AM and has already produced thousands of
parts such as brackets, clips, and holding devices using poly-
mer processes. The latest is a spacer panel, located alongside
the overhead storage compartments on commercial aircraft. To
the sailplane pilot/owner the part won’t look any different on the
outside, but its weight has been optimised with a bionic design
to achieve a 15% reduction compared to the original. There is a A no frills 3D printer at the
whole new production scenario coming and it’s not too far away. low end of the price scale
September - October 2018 29
 GLIDING INTERNATIONAL’S BOOK ROOM
Aerobatics for Glider Pilots
NZ$ US$
72.00 57.00
GUEST
Beyond Gliding Distance (All New) 76.50 61.00 EDITORIAL COMMENT
Charlie Spratt (See ya at the airport) A great read- A real laugh) 24.50 17.00
Competing in Gliders (Edition II- the ultimate pilot’s book) 129.50 97.50
A
Cross Country Soaring (Reichmann) (The best, 8th ed) 84.50 67.00 RE’S
HE LEM A
Dancing With The Wind - (The Best-ever Gliding Manual) 122.00 84.00 OB S
R
Exploring the Monster (Greatest Wave story ever told) 72.00 57.60 P
N EED
AT ION ALDO CERNEZZI, EDITOR OF THE
Fundamentals of Sailplane Design (About performance) - 36.50 29.00 TH LUT
SO ITALIAN GLIDING MAGAZINE, VOLO A VELA
Glider Pilot Bold (Light reading- a fun book) 23.00 18.00
Glider Pilot’s Log Books (Hard Embossed Cover- Hand bound) 32.50 22.40
GLIDING (Piggott) (The Bible- in everyone’s library) 36.50 25.50
Ground Launches (Piggott) (On winch & car launching) 45.00 36.00
A
Handbook of glider aerobatics (Read before your first loop) 72.00 57.00
I learned to glide for Hitler (Autobiographical- Joe Volmar) 39.50 31.50 good friend, and a veteran glider
pilot, has commented on one of
Instructor’s Manuals (Gliding New Zealand) 42.50 34.00 my social media posts, asking
Instructors Field hand book 8.50 5.80 whether our sport may have
Joy of Soaring (Carle Conway) (Coffee table book) 15.00 10.50 become too dangerous and, especially, too
stressful. There were a few terrible accidents
Master of the Wave - by Terry Delore 76.50 52.80 in the Grand Prix series – he reminds me
Meteorology & Flight (Bradbury) The bible of meteorology 78.00 62.50 – and the daily results in competition show
Modern Soaring Dictionary (Illustrated) (A great reference book) 7.50 6.00 increasingly high speeds on task. He goes
on to ask, do higher performances detract
Performance Enhancement of Modern Sailplanes 35.50 28.50 from the time dedicated to evaluating
Practical Wave Flying- (Previously unavailable for three years) 35.50 30.00 alternatives? Safer alternatives, in particular.
Qualified Glider Pilot - Study Training Manual 32.00 25.60 And again he asks, are we now in a rush to
a massacre? He has fond memories of the
Slingsby Fibre-glass Repair Manual 84.00 67.50 beauty of the different sceneries, and of the
Silver Badge made easy (Bob Wander) 39.50 28.00 deep blue sky, while he was flying the club’s
SKY FULL OF HEAT - (Sebastian Kawa - Worlds #1) 76.00 52.50 Libelle or the DG 300. Is it more difficult
to grow one’s personal relation with the
Soaring Beyond the Clouds (Enevoldson’s 100,000 ft goal) 25.00 20.00 glider up to a level of symbiosis with today’s
Soaring Pilot’s manual by Ken Stewart 72.00 52.00 championship weapons, as compared to the
older and less ambitious machines of the
Stalking the Mountain Wave (New from a Canadian Wave Pilot) 39.00 28.00 past?
The Leading Edge (Dick Georgeson’s book- Second Edition) 42.50 29.00
Theory of Flight For Glider Pilots 22.50 15.50 My friend summarises his argument in the
time/speed factor: the time between every
Thermalling made Easy (Very understandable - stay up longer) 39.00 27.00 single very important decision is shrinking,
Understanding Gliding (By Piggott) 62.00 43.00 while struggling to cut seconds over a 400
Understanding Flying Weather (Meteorology- Great first book) 39.95 27.50 km task. At 200 km/h glides, and 160 km/
average, do we still have the time to simply
Winning II (George Moffat, Twice World Champion) enjoy the pleasures of flying sailplanes? Or is
D V D’s the “stress” eating out all the enjoyment?
• Black Sands- White Wings- DVD $NZ18.00/$US12.40 can lead us to forget about the highest
• Airsports Live- (Final of a IGC Grand Prix) $NZ29.95/$US20.50 value of our own health and life (to our-
Well, my page has seen a few comments
• Wind Born and Champions of the Wave by other friends, following on his doubts
on one DVD (2 hours viewing) $NZ39.95/$US27.50 and observations. I personally appreciated
• Wind Born (Lucy Learns to Fly) - German Edition $NZ29.95/$US20.50 his point of view, but my own competition
• A Fine Week of It - Karl Striedieck shows how he flies results are still a bit short of achieving top
levels of performance. I’ve had an incredibly
a week long contest $NZ18.00/$US12.40 good time and my eyes were full of beauty
• Winds of Contrast- About the Nor-west arch $NZ18.00/$US12.40 on so many occasions except on the poorest
weather situations. As a Director and Task
ORDER VIA OUR WEB PAGEwww.glidinginternational.com Setter, however, I see many happy faces after
30 Gliding International September - October 2018
the landings. Flying fast is exhilarating!
No time for distractions I suppose. Nev-
ertheless, an intense feeling of fulfilment
comes from the prolonged and focused
concentration required by fast competi-
tion tasks. My mind can work at an ac-
celerated yet calm and concentrated pace.
All else disappears. Sports psychologists
call it “a state of flow”. It may be similar
to meditation, and most champions
simply love it.
On the other hand, increasing average
speeds come not only from talented
pilots, but deepen their roots in the coop-
erative effort between the Meteorologist
or meteo service and the Task Setter. By
drawing task legs over long stretches of
convergence, ridge lift and high energy
areas, the pilots will rush at the highest
speeds possible in any sport. Even so,
some of them still manage to grab a few
stunning photos or videos.
I would expand a bit on the hypothetical
relationship between higher speeds and
bigger risks. I don’t think it can be given
for granted that running faster on task
implies putting ourselves in more danger.
It’s probably more the different value,
each of us gives to the final results, which
selves and especially to our loved ones).
Risk perception and assessment are a
very personal matter, varying for many
factors. Sometimes our best judgment
can be blurred without us noticing. May
this be because of stress, speed, competi-
tive greed, or one of a thousand other
individual reasons, I don’t really know.
I would also add that some stress may
have been introduced by the web-based
platforms for cross-country distance
flights. Another friend contributed to the
discussion by criticising the increasingly
quantitative attitude towards XC soar-
ing: he uses the words “billing kms” in a
slightly dispregiative inclination. These
platforms, while being a strong stimulus to
fly for longer durations, do nothing to rec-
ognise the higher sporting and emotional
value of choosing the unusual paths, nor of
more difficult task geometries.
The contemplation of beauty is certainly
easier during non competitive flights. Then
we can explore new areas, go to places
where the chances to meet soaring birds
are higher and reach the top of the most
remote mountains. All this is still part of
modern soaring!
From one of the most experienced
competition pilots came further com-
ments: decades ago, more time was spent
thermalling, and usually in very crowded
gaggles. Accidents weren’t uncommon. He
says that soaring has changed, progressive-
ly, not unlike many other sports: in soccer
(football in Europe), the game is faster, the
players are at the peak of athletic prepara-
tion, and journalists write that there’s no
more room today for a wild talent like
Maradona.
In soaring, average speeds may have
increased due to much higher wing loads,
to the higher altitudes allowed on the start
lines (thanks to G.P.S. removing the need
for observers) and to better navigational
instruments. Much less time is spent read-
ing maps and, maybe, we actually may find
it easier to take a moment for contempla-
tion.
31
31
Our World

36

You have got to be quick! Photographer and keen soaring pilot,

Erwin Vorenhout, from the Netherlands took this photo of his
Discus and caught the recent ‘ lunar red eclipse’ of the moon as
a bonus - Great photo Erwin and congratulations!
32 33
32 Gliding International September - October 2018 33
02-
 GLIDING’S
WORK
HORSE
Developer, William T Piper was
first involved in the production
of a glider, from which evolved
the very first Piper Cub.
109
There is an interesting untold-story for soaring
pilots behind the history of the Piper Cub -
especially the “super 180 H.P. Cub.” There is no
imagination in that statement !

We have done some research which did not

prove to be easy. We wanted to know how many
Super Cubs were owned by gliding clubs world
wide. The number comes out at 109 which sure-

THE FIRST PRODUCTION

ly must endorse the Cub as the most popular
tow-plane in existence. (And our research likely
missed a number of obscure clubs).

Any one disagree with that ? >>>

34
CUBS WERE SOLD FOR $1325
Gliding International September - October 2018 35
W
illiam T. Piper, founder
of the Piper Aircraft
Corporation, one of
the world’s giants in
the light‐plane field, died at the age
of 89, January 1970. He was nearly 50
years old before he was in any way
identified with the aviation industry.
William Thomas Piper became known
as “the Henry Ford of aviation” and
during his lifetime built more aircraft
than anyone else in the world.
His greatest contribution was the al-
most‐legendary Piper Cub, consid-
ered by aviators the world over as pri-
vate aviation’s most durable aircraft.
By pioneering in the development and
manufacture of such a small, cheap
and manoeuvrable plane, he helped
put flying within easy reach of thou-
sands who had never before had the
money or skills to fly.
The Cub truly was, as Mr. Piper liked
to call it, “the nursery in which avia-
tion grew up.” By 1940, four out of
five qualified pilots had learned to fly
in a Cub. More than 75 percent of all
pilots trained for World War II service
received basic instruction in the Cub,
WIILLIAM PIPER
AND HIS PIPER CUB
36
and dozens of today’s jet airliner pilots
first flew in Cubs.
Few Cubs are manufactured today,
but the Piper company, in whose op-
erations Mr. Piper, took an active part
until 1969 (then aged 88), now produc-
es 17 aircraft models, including the
Aztec, the Super Cub, the Comanche
and the 250‐mile‐an‐hour twin‐engine
Navaho.
William was born January, 1881, at
Knapps Creek, N.Y. His mother was
formerly Sarah Maltby. William was
educated at Harvard. He nurtured a
life‐long abhorrence of alcohol, to-
bacco, coffee and tea, was a “star”
hammer‐thrower on the track team at
Harvard, from where he graduated in
1903.
For the next 11 years he worked as a
construction engineer in several parts
of the U.S.A. In 1914 he returned to
Bradford to become a partner in the
Dallas Oil Company, an oil‐well drilling
concern that prospered.
He served briefly in the Spanish‐
American War in 1898 and was a cap-
tain in the Army during World War I.
Mustered out, he returned to Bradford
to live what he later described as “a
good, solid, Rotarian kind of life.” It
was in his capacity as a civic booster
that he got into aviation.
In 1928, at the invitation of the Cham-
ber of Commerce, C. Gilbert Taylor
moved to Bradford from Rochester,
to begin production of a new, two‐
seat, 100‐horsepower aircraft called
the Chummy. Chamber members,
who had subscribed $50,000 to help
finance Taylor Brothers Aircraft Cor-
poration, chose Mr. Piper to represent
them on the Taylor board. The Chum-
my never had a chance to prove itself,
as airplane sales dropped to near zero
with the Depression. “I was almost a
millionaire in oil, but I put everything
I had into the airplane company,” Mr.
Piper said years later. His interest in
aviation became “an obsession,” he
said. He encouraged the development
of a glider, from which evolved the first
of the Cubs. First flown September 2,
1930, its original name was Brown-
bach Tiger Kitten, because of its tiny
two‐ cylinder, two ‐ cycle power plant.
The experimental model did not live up
to expectations, and it was scratched.
But on June 15, 1931, the 37‐horse
power model E‐2 Cub was approved
for flight. It sold for $1,325, a price
maintained until the late 1930’s.
Slow, drafty, frail, and uncomfortable,
the little yellow airplanes sold well,
but not well enough to prevent Taylor
Brothers from going into bankruptcy.
In the reorganisation that followed,
William became the company treas-
urer. In 1936 he bought out Mr. Taylor’s
interest.
In the spring of the following year, fire
destroyed the $200,000 plant, and the
insurance recovery was only 5 per-
cent. Mr. Piper reacted with charac-
teristic calm. “At least we’ll get some
publicity out of it,” he said. So bor-
rowing money to get a new start, he
moved the company to an abandoned
Gliding International
silk mill in Lock Haven, and by the end
of 1937 Cub production had reached a
record 687. The following year the plane
design was modified into the J‐3 model,
dubbed “the putt‐putt” and “the flivver of
the air” and now considered the classic
Cub.
The Cub’s familiar yellow changed to the
Army’s standard colour in World War II.
The Army had advised Mr. Piper to con-
vert his plant to accept subcontracts from
larger warplane manufacturers.
“Instead of taking the advice, I gave the
Army a dozen Cubs for use as artillery
spotters in the 1941 Louisiana manoeu-
vres,” he recalled some years later. “They
worked so well that the Army was soon
ordering hundreds and then thousands of
Cubs.”
Indeed, by V‐J Day, Piper had delivered
5,673 Cubs to the armed forces. The Cub
was used not only for pilot training and
artillery spotting but also for aerial pho-
tography, reconnaissance and medical
evacuation.
They were even launched from an LST
(Landing Ship Tank), a craft used to place
men and material on beaches, from a plat-
form built forward of the aft deck house.
American soldiers called Cubs “flying
Jeeps,” while to the Germans they were
“hell raisers,” because bombing raids of-
ten followed their reconnaissance flights.
The Piper company’s fortunes declined
after the war, parallel to the general de-
cline in the private aviation industry. But
in the 1950’s sales climbed with the de-
sign of the new twin‐engine model planes
and the acceptance by businessmen of
Piper’s belief that “it’s as easy for you to
fly an airplane as it is to drive a car—and
a plane gets you there faster.”
He insisted that his designers give the
public simplified controls. “I’m a poor
pilot myself,” he once said, “but any fool
can fly a Piper. I planned it that way.”
As the Piper line grew in sophistication,
following World War II, the Cub proved to
be a nettlesome ancestor. For when the
name “Piper” was mentioned, the image
of a tiny, two-place “putt-putt” came to
mind. That image could hardly benefit a
company working up to production of its
first light twin, the Apache.
The name “Cub,” and the vision of that
high-winged silhouette, had to be down
played for the good of the company.
Largely for this reason, one Piper aircraft
then in production was all but ignored in
company advertising and promotion. It is
September - October 2018
the high-winged, fabric-skinned
tandem seater. Yes, it’s a Cub – a
Piper Cub, which, in deference to
certain refinements over the orig-
inal, is called the “Super Cub.”
The tail’s a bit longer than that of
the old J-2, there’s a 150-hp Ly-
coming up front where the four-
banger Continental used to be,
and the Lycoming’s hidden be-
hind a curved metal cowl. Flaps
and twin wing tanks were also
added, but these modifications
are just variations on a theme.
This is very much a Cub.
Aside from the company’s low-
key treatment of this Cub, anoth-
er reason one hears little about
the plane has to do with the spe-
cialised roles it plays today, far
from the madding crowd.
The original J-3’s principle role was
William T. Piper
that of trainer. It is said that more
American pilots in World War II learned as they come. William Piper did not learn
to fly in Cubs than in any other aircraft. to fly himself until 1931, when he was 50
The Cub was the primary aircraft of the years old (he soloed in two weeks), and
Civilian Pilot Training Program, the feder- in 1945, at the age of 73, he successfully
ally assisted program through which tens passed the rigid tests to qualify as a twin‐
of thousands of wartime pilots won their engine pilot. He continued to pilot his own
wings. plane until 1957.
Following the war, however, trainers with William tells the story “My son finally said
tricycle gear, side-by-side seating, and to me, ‘Dad, wouldn’t it make a hell of
aluminum fuselages and wings began an advertisement for Piper Aircraft if you
winning student pilots away from the cracked up?’ So I decided to quit.
Cub. The Piper classic had to find a new
role if it was to survive. ”It was not until he was hospitalised two
months before he died that he enjoyed
The job it signed on for was that of jack- the daily quarter‐mile walks, hatless and
of-all-trades. Not only did it survive in coatless even in winter, from his modest
the bush, it thrived. Wherever there was home to the Lock Haven plant. He contin-
a need for a working airplane, but little ued to travel 40,000 miles a year to speak
in the way of airplane accommodations, on behalf of his favourite cause, “an air-
the Super Cub was exceedingly popular. field for every town in America.”
In Alaska, in northern Canada, and in the
western range land, the new Cub worked He continued to take a hand in Piper’s ex-
steadily as an air taxi, ambulance, deliv-
ery van, and mail truck. When the job to
be done called for low, slow, and steady
airwork, such a border and pipeline pa-
pansion. He employed more than 4,300
at three plants in Pennsylvania and two in
Florida. Piper sold 4,474 planes in 1968
for nearly $100‐million. Mr. Piper himself
trol, fish spotting or banner towing, the was fond of stating, the Piper Cub was
Super Cub could do it all. “the nursery in which aviation grew up.’’
According to the book, a Super Cub Piper’s first wife, the former Marie Van-
needs only 350 feet of runway for land- dewater, died in 1937. He left behind his
ing and takeoff, and it can spend a merry second wife, the former Clara A. Taber,
lifetime clomping along at 50 mph. Tear a and five children by his first wife. William
wing and you can patch it in the field. You T. Piper Jr. became president of the Piper
can pick almost any field to land in - the company, and two other sons, Howard
gear can take it. Despite its light weight and Thomas, became vice presidents.
of 930 pounds empty, the Super Cub is
a rugged bird with a skeleton of welded MYLES HYNDE
steel tubes and a lifetime Ceconite skin. We recommend a visit to the Piper Avia-
The wing ribs and spars are aluminum, tion Museum, 1 Piper Way, Lock Haven,
and the O-320 Lycoming is as reliable Pa., U.S.A.
37
 Aviation’s Electric Future
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The Mountain High MH EDS O2D1-2G™ portable oxygen system
makes your flying at high altitudes safer and more comfortable.
Experienced glider pilots know the danger of oxygen starvation
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FEATURES TO COMPARE:
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or accidental disconnects statement that not an issue goes by that
we don’t report on some new electric
s !UDIBLE APNEA DETECTION to ensure continuous breathing aircraft initiative. Then suddenly I was
s $IGITAL -ICRO
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s Does not require dual lumen or bifurcated cannulas
MH
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always correct. The facts are that, we
s WWW-(OXYGENCOM have published something on electric
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 (The 800 number is good only in the Aviation Oxygen Systems it’s closer to 15 percent if you include industry and the media just can’t seem
USA, Canada and Mexico)
all the related drone stories that aren’t
specifically about electric aircraft.
It is surprising to report in hindsight that
some big players wrote copy for us - big
players are getting involved in electric
aviation—Boeing, Airbus, General Elec-
tric, Siemens, to name a few. This, cou-
pled with the sheer volume of stories,
understandably gives the impression
that critical mass is upon us and viable
electric aircraft will arrive “sooner than
you think” as the converted acolytes
like to say. I’ll leave it to you to decide if
sooner is next year or the next decade or
just sooner than later.
But I’ll offer this: All this coverage por-
tends the leading edge of a revolution in
flight, the dimensions which aren’t dis-
cernible at the moment. Based on con-
versations with and emails from readers,
I’m convinced that many are too bogged
down in doubts about battery capacity
and unnatural fears of drone swarming
to understand the shape shifting that’s
on the aviation horizon due to a funda-
mental leap in the ease of learning to fly.
Never mind rules and regulations, aero-
nautical decision making, airspace, cost,
or the rest of it, just how the barriers to
learn to levitate off the surface are, po-
tentially, about to be knocked down.
38 Gliding International September - October 2018
hop out of their (rural) yard and spin
ing water balloons, bricks and radios at
the drone, what’s the operator doing?
Nothing. Thanks to GPS-augmented
No one can answer this yet, although we
point in space, returning to that point if
disturbed. No operator input is required
quiring as it does a certificate, an airport,
Phantom at 50 feet while I fish around for
batteries for the camera.
If you question if this is scalable, here’s
your answer. This appeared in our news
feed last week. To be sure, it’s over
hyped as a flying car, a concept the
Our flood of electric aircraft coverage has
to let go of and this particular iteration
of it may be a dead end. Its endur-
ance and range are too limited to be of
much practical use, but that misses the
point. The technological underpinnings
are conceptually identical to the small
drones: stabilised auto flight that the
pilot merely displaces to go where he
wants to go. One lever for throttle, one
for lateral movement or the like. I don’t
know specifically how the BlackFly is
configured, but that’s got to be close. It’s
not that it has envelope protection as an
option, but that it’s based on envelope
protection.
So can anyone fly such a thing? Prob-
ably not, but vastly more people can fly it
than can or would be willing to master a
fixed-wing airplane or conventional heli-
copter. This particular aircraft is intended
as an ultralight, so no certificate or medi-
cal required. The ultralight weight limit
stunts payload and thus capability and
appeal so, at least for the BlackFly, this is
likely to limit it to the FAR 103 - intended
for recreational use only.
Advancing battery technology will
improve endurance, but the commercial
viability of such a thing lies in the nexus
between price and perceived value.
Will enough buyers materialize to spend,
say, $150,000, for a novelty vehicle to
Your
Electr
Future ic
All Be
Are O
ts
ff
?
around the fields and pastures to consti-
tute a viable business?
know precious few are willing to spend
that much for a light sport airplane, re-
probably a hangar and significant train-
ing. It matters not a whit if the BlackFly
itself represents the breakthrough; the
technology that animates it already does.
There will be others of its ilk. The Black-
Fly, by the way, appeared at AirVenture.
revealed another trend: a necessary im-
patience with the glacial pace of battery
improvement. Although the urban mobil-
ity crowd, spearheaded by Uber Elevate,
is clinging to pure electric designs, we’re
seeing more hybrid proposals, which I
see as an open admission that electric
propulsion, for all its benefits, isn’t keep-
ing up with what designers imagine to be
the case. But even at that, hybrids have
their limits, too. The SureFly VTOL, which
was also at AirVenture, is a hybrid, but
with only a 400-pound useful load and a
70-mile range. As range extension goes,
that doesn’t leave me gasping for breath.
And at Farnborough mid-July, Rolls-
Royce revealed its design for a six
propulsion electric hybrid with a 435-mile
range and payload for four or five pas-
sengers.
It uses a turbine engine to drive a gen-
erator with batteries for surge power
needed at takeoff. Rolls says it will fly in
the early 2020s. If their numbers are re-
alistic, that strikes me as intercity urban
mobility sort of range, provided the noise
the thing makes doesn’t crump the idea
before it gets off the ground.
Joseph King
39
BUSINESS JET HITS A GLIDER AT 16,000 FEET
The spate of mid-air accidents in recent times set us thinking about how we
could highlight the seriousness of pilots lacking ‘awareness’. Accompanying in-
attention leads to fatal results. We published this article a decade ago. It has
been updated - much new information has been added to the original hastily
presented text which was then just a news report. Readers: enjoy and absorb !
A
cheer went up at the Minden-
Tahoe Airport when searchers
learned the Japanese glider
pilot who bailed out over the
Pine Nut Mountains was found alive and
ambulatory.
The Rescue team members found the
pilot at about 6:45 pm, nearly three hours
after he collided with the executive jet in
the skies over Douglas County. The pilot
was found at the mouth of Lone Pine
Canyon after searchers found a para-
chute and harness not far from his totally
wrecked sailplane - an ASW 27. “He had
no apparent injuries but they still took
him to get checked out,” said Jeff Page,
who was handling public information du-
ties for the search.
He hit the jet at 300 knots and had the
presence of mind to bail out. He was a
very lucky man.
The two aircraft collided in mid-air
about five miles south of the Douglas
Carson line at 16,000 ft. The ‘bis-jet’
was being tracked by the Reno control
tower. The glider was equipped with a
transponder, but it was switched off. A
very “lucky outcome” for all involved.
The glider pilot took off from the Min-
den airport, the scene of intense gliding
activities.
The glider pilot was in the USA on holi-
day and had flown to the Carson Valley
to specifically fly gliders and get up more
air time. Akihiro Hirao said he didn’t see
the jet that tore his wing off and sent his
craft into a spin.
“The jet took part of the wing off, but
the fuselage and other wing was intact,”
Hirao said. He was able to stand, pull the
canopy off, and bail out.
Hirao, 57, parachuted to safety over
Douglas County just after 3 pm.
40
YOU BETTER
BELIEVE IT - THIS
COULD HAPPEN TO
There are no airspace restrictions over
the Minden-Tahoe Airport and gliders
can be difficult to see. The transponders
that could alert aircraft to their presence
are not required in gliders.
A glider has the right-of-way for land-
ings or during an approach, but in any
other circumstance the rules are the
same as any other aircraft.
John Morgan, a glider pilot and
Douglas County resident, said gliders are
almost impossible to see when they are
coming either toward or away from other
planes.
“There is no speed limit at 10,000
feet as long as planes don’t exceed the
sound barrier. At those high speeds, glid-
ers can easily remain undetected until it’s
too late,” Morgan said. “I am constantly
on the alert for gliders when flying pow-
ered aircraft.”
“You can see gliders from a mile away,
maybe two,” he said. “If the sun happens
to shine on their wings, maybe three. It’s
not the easiest thing.”
Many glider pilots in the same situa-
tion don’t get a chance to bail out due to
the plane’s attitude as it descends. It all
depends on what kind of accident and
whether they can get out or not. This
time, the pilot was very fortunate.”
The glider was flying at an altitude of
about 16,000 feet, and the pilot was on
oxygen. He was part of a group of gliders
flying that day.
Once on the ground, Hirao waited by
his glider for almost two hours, but no
one picked him up so he started walking.
Hirao had hiked about three miles
before he was picked up at the mouth of
Lone Pine Canyon in southeast Douglas
County at 6:50 pm by Washoe Tribal
police.
YOU
His general location was deter-
mined by Care Flight, who spotted the
parachute on the ground. Lyon County
Search and Rescue and six private air-
craft joined the search.
The Carson City Airport reopened at
2 am the following morning after the jet
was removed from the runway.
Using cranes to lift the front and back
ends, the landing gear was lowered and
the plane could be rolled into the El Aero
hangar. Weaver Aircraft employee Jess
Edwards constructed a tow bar attach-
ment and a lifting mount to assist in
moving the jet.
Morgan said he has a transponder in
his glider. The installation cost $2,000
but a power source in these unpowered
planes is a challenge.
“The way FAA rules are currently writ-
ten, they don’t allow gliders to turn off
their transponder in flight, but gliders
often don’t have the power capacity to
run them constantly,” Morgan said.
Writing in the Pacific Area gliding mag-
azine, ‘West Wind,’ editor, Peter Deane
says: “It has finally happened. A mid-air
between a jet and a glider in our region
too. Incredibly no-one was hurt. Unbe-
lievably the glider wing spar only had to
move another foot into the cockpit of the
jet and all control would probably have
been lost, either due to pilot injury or
mechanical failure. It was a miraculous
escape. I hardly need to mention that
had this been a major carrier airline, the
potential consequences for both loss
of life and severe restrictions to future
soaring activity would have been much
higher. Not only those directly involved
in the accident, but the whole soaring
community in our region and the whole
country. We were very very lucky.
Gliding International
This situation is something we all knew
could happen but thought was unlikely.
Big Sky theory simply doesn’t make
a valid argument any more, given the
history of near misses leading up to this
latest incident.
Our organisation has been
advocating transponder installa-
tion and usage for many years,
despite the lack of a mandatory
requirement for them. All glid-
ing operations in California and
Nevada face real issues with the
proximity to increased jet traffic in
the vicinity.
It seems that we no longer have
the luxury of the libertarian ap-
proach we have taken in the past
with respect to transponders. At
best this could only buy us some
time for a glider friendly solution
to emerge. As one of our mem-
bers vividly puts it, the analogy
is ‘crossing the freeway at night
without lights and expecting the
cars to see us.
Perhaps now it is time to volun-
tarily identify, select and implement
a solution as part of our regional
and national soaring culture before
we have one imposed upon us.
Fortunately there are some op-
tions”.
INSIDE THE JET
The mood couldn’t have been
more relaxed aboard the executive
jet carrying three inclined residents
as it began its descent towards
Reno Tahoe International Airport.
Mike Chipman was dozing while
his wife, Evy, read a book. Steve
Dizio was also reading and oc-
casionally looked-up to check the
flight’s progress on a CPS read-
out.
Then, they heard what sounded
like an explosion coming from the
cockpit. The cabin depressurised
and the plane veered to the right
before going into a steep dive.
“The pilot had just put on the
seat belt sign, and a few minutes
afterwards there was this explosion
. . . . a really loud bang or crash
from the cockpit,” recalled Dizio, a
retired high-tech start-up manager.
Travelling from the Carlsbad
Airport in San Diego, the Hawker
800XP jet struck a glider in a mid-
air collision over the Pine Nut Mountains
southeast of Carson City.
The accident, which took place at
about 3:10 pm, destroyed the jet’s nose
cone and the glider. The pilot, a Japa-
nese citizen. Akihiro Hira, had been glid-
ing for over 30-years.
The fermale jet pilot quickly brought
the jet back under control as the three
startled passengers secured their oxygen
masks. After deducing that the damage
September - October 2018
to the starboard wing, part of which had
caved-in and was leaking fuel vapour,
was too extensive to have been caused
by a bird.”They would all be dead if they
had struck another conventional aircraft,”
said passenger Mike Chipman, (a part
owner of the Arizona Diamond Backs)as
he surmised the truth. “I knew there were
gliders all over the place . . . . the only
thing I could figure out was that it wasn’t
a bird so it had to be a glider,” he said.
Dizio and the Chipmans said”they did
not panic after the crash”.
“Things go through your mind, but
it was sort of like a dream” Dizio said.
“There was nothing we could do. We just
sort of went calm.”
“I did some deep breathing and
said a few prayers” Evy Chipman said.
“Though I was aware of the damage to
the wing,there wasn’t much I could do,”
said Mike Chipman. “The pilots
clearly had it under control, but it
certainly had my attention.”
Though the passengers didn’t
know it at the time, the starboard
engine had failed Moreover, part
of the glider had ripped its way
through the plane’s nose and into
the instrument dash panel, caus-
ing it to burst into the pilot’s face
and lap.
Despite a gash to her chin, pi-
lot Annette Saunders remained in
control through-out the remainder
of the flight, even after a two-foot
piece of the nose structure had
bent its way in front of the cock-
pit window.
After passing the Carson City
Airport, the pilot swung the
plane around to bring it in for
an emergency landing. As they
levelled-out, the co-pilot turned
and yelled over the noise that
they had lost control of their
landing gear and would skid to a
halt on the aircraft’s belly.
Though passengers assumed
the emergency position, they
said the landing could not possi-
bly have been better. “The land-
ing was as smooth as you could
imagine, not even a bump” Dizio
said. “We stayed on the runway
right up to the end, so she (the
pilot) must have had that just
perfectly lined-up, even with the
crosswinds.”
Upon landing, pilot Saunders
was taken to the Washoe Medi-
cal Centre with minor injuries.
According to Lyons County
Sheriff’s Department, Captain
Jeff Page of the tribal police
spotted a Japanese man, asked
him if he was a glider pilot and
told him that a lot of his friends
were out looking for him.
They drove to the Minden-
Tahoe Airport, where he had
taken off earlier that afternoon,
where he was greeted by
friends, examined and quickly
released with only scrapes and
bruises.
“To be quite honest, I don’t think any-
body was expecting the outcome that
we had,” Page said. “In my 20 years in
law enforcement, I’ve never seen a mid-
air collision where anybody survived.
Here, everybody made it - well done!
41
 U.S. SENATORS

Senate Bill Will Help

SUPPORTING AVIATION
NASA’S NOISE-REDUCTION RESEARCH
COULD MAKE FOR QUIETER TOW PLANES
Revitalise the Sport

D o e s Yo u r C l u b H a v e
Noise Complaint Problems
With Your Neighbours? Legislation offers financial and rule revision incentives

N
Ladda Tammy Duckworth (born March 12, 1968)
NASA noise-reduction research could make for quieter airfields. They have been testing three new technologies to reduce airframe is an American politician and retired U.S. ArmyL- ew legislation, proposed by senators Tam-
Lieutenant Colonel, serving as the junior United
noise as planes are in their landing cycle. States Senator for Illinois since 2017. A member my Duckworth and Jim Inhofe (pictured at Air-
of the Democratic Party, since 2013 she served as Venture 2018) will offer grants of as much
Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental
Every glider pilot is familiar with tow-plane noise and NASA has taken it upon themselves to address the problem, testing three new Affairs in the United States Department of Veterans as $500,000 to organisations ready to help.
noise reduction technologies on a series of Acoustic Research Measurement (ARM) flights. They have managed to cut airframe Affairs (2009–2011), and as the Director of the Illinois
noise during landing by more than 70 percent, that is - on aircraft bigger than the average tug. Never the less . . . Department of Veterans Affairs (2006–2009). Duck-
worth was the first Asian American woman elected There is no end to the number of people around the world who
For this project, NASA focused on reducing airframe noise, which is created not by the engines but by wind rushing past the frame
to Congress in Illinois, the first disabled woman to be
elected to Congress, the first female double amputee
want to see the aviation industry thrive. Late July, two U.S. Sen-
of the aircraft. To test out the new technologies, three experimental designs were mounted on their research test aircraft, which was in the Senate, the first Senator to give birth while ators, Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill, and Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., joined
in office, and the first member of Congress born in
flown at an altitude of 350 ft (107 m) over an array of 185 microphones laid out on the Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards Air Force Base. Thailand (American father and Thai mother). Duck- the bandwagon of supporters by introducing a bill titled, “The
worth is the second Asian-American woman serving
in the U.S. Senate. An Iraq War veteran, Duckworth
Securing and Revitalising Aviation Act (S.3270), to address the
“The number one public complaint the Federal Aviation Administration receives is about aircraft noise,” says Mehdi Khorrami, prin- served as a U.S. Army helicopter pilot and suffered need for pilot development and encourage more individuals to
cipal investigator for Acoustic Research Measurement. “NASA’s goal here was to reduce aircraft noise substantially in order to im- severe combat wounds, losing both of her legs and
prove the quality of life for communities near airfields. We are very confident that with the tested technologies we can substantially damaging her right arm. She was the first female enter the field of aviation and for other purposes.”
double amputee from the war. Having received a
reduce total aircraft noise, and that could really make a lot of flights much quieter.” medical waiver, she continued to serve as a Lieuten-
ant Colonel in the Illinois Army National Guard, until A provision within the SRAA legislation would create an aircraft
The landing gear as a plane is approaching an airport was identified as one of the main culprits of airframe noise, so two of the new her retirement from the Army in October 2014.
pilot education program to help high schoolers join the work-
pieces of technology were designed to improve that area. To reduce the noise of air rushing past the fairings, NASA designed a ver- force through aviation-related courses taken at their school for
sion full of tiny pores on the front face, that allows some of the air to flow through it while pushing the rest around the landing gear.
That idea has been done before, but NASA says this design is based on detailed computer simulations that maximise the balance
credit. The bill is also designed to increase the number of des-
between noise reduction and drag. ignated pilot examiners, while enhancing due process protec-
tions for pilots who already possess an airman certificate.
Landing gear cavities, the openings in the underside of the aircraft body ( where landing gear retracts into if fitted), are also noto-
riously noisy. While they’re open, air rushes in and loudly bounces off the inner walls. To reduce that, the team added sawtooth Pilots who fly volunteer missions and FAA designees not cov-
patterns called chevrons to the area just in front of the cavity, and stretched a net across the opening. That helps the air flow past
ered under current agency regulations could also see improved
the gap more efficiently, while a soft sound-absorbing foam on the back inner wall reduces the noise from the air that does get in.
immunity coverage. The new bill would grant the NTSB fresh
The final piece of the puzzle targets the wing flap, the part that raises and lowers from the trailing edge of the wing to give more lift authority to review FAA denials of airmen certificates.
during takeoff or help slow the plane during landing. But these mechanical parts leave gaps between them and the rest of the wing
James Inhofe worked as a businessman for 30
body, which can get noisy and reduce fuel efficiency. years before becoming a full-time politician. He Should S.3270 become law – the legislation has been sent to
worked in the field of aviation, as a real estate de-
veloper, and in insurance, eventually becoming the
committee for discussion – the FAA will also create a $5 million
NASA’s answer to that is the Adaptive Compliant Trailing Edge (ACTE) wing flap, a technology it’s been testing for a number of years.
This new version is flexible and seamless, bending to do the job without leaving gaps in the wing surface.
president of the Quaker Life Insurance Company. grant program each year to support the education of future pi-
Inhofe became active in Oklahoma Republican
politics in the mid-1960s. With some success lots, as well as the development of the aircraft pilot workforce
After the ARM test flights wrapped up in May, NASA reports that the three new technologies together managed to reduce airframe
he was a member of the Oklahoma House of
Representatives, and a member of the Oklahoma
for fiscal years 2019 through 2023.
noise during landing by over 70 percent. Senate. In 1977 then-President Gerald Ford visited
Oklahoma to campaign for him. It is reported
that he lost 57 pounds during the campaign and That could mean as much as $500,000 per grant in any one of
“This airframe noise reduction produced by NASA technology is definitely momentous, and the best part is that it directly benefits was down to 148 pounds. In 1978, he won the those years to an airline, academic institution or flight training
the public,” says Kevin Weinert, ARM Project Manager. “While there are obvious potential economic gains for the industry, this ben- race to become mayor of Tulsa. In 1980, he won
efits the people who live near major airfields, and have to deal with the noise of aircraft coming in to land. This could greatly reduce re-election unopposed and in 1982, he won re- school, a state or local government agency or an organisation
election with 59% of the vote. Intensely interested
the noise impact in these communities.” in aviation, in 1986 he decided to run for the U.S.
representing aircraft users, owners or pilots.
Senate and won a seat for the Republican primary
Source: NASA with 54%.He was re-elected in 1988 an on going
NASA And Industry Team Tests Aircraft Noise-Reducing Technologies story. In 1987, he voted against President Ronald Thinking about starting up a Soaring Club in your home town?
National Aeronautics And Space Administration, Science Daily
Reagan’s budget, which included tax increases
and no increase in defence spending. He first
- Well this just might be your year ? SSA - get in touch with the
New Wind Tunnel Aimed At Making Airplanes Quieter To Those On Ground came to national attention in 1993, when he led Senators! No prizes for ignoring this possibility!
the effort to reform the House’s discharge petition
University of Florida, Science Daily rule, which the House leadership had long used to
Future Helicopters Get SMART bottle up bills in committee. Want more news like this?
NASA, Science Daily

42
42 Gliding International September - October 2018 43
Elizabeth Langdon
I HATE TO ADMIT IT,
BUT WOMEN PILOTS
MAKE ME NERVOUS
I am ducking for cover as my story
and this issue of the magazine is being
distributed. I have to admit that most
readers will declare my phobia has an
irrational concept - you see I find it diffi-
cult to explain just how my phobia found
its way into my cockpit.
My headline is not new. It has previ-
ously been addressed in a South African
printed periodical that was written and
published in 2018 by a student pilot.
This student freely admitted that her
viewpoint would more than likely to be
seen as inflammatory and outdated.
But she firstly apologised for being an
antiquated uneducated sexist.
She went on to . . . (a) list her own insta-
bilities, attributing them to her gender
and (b) confirmed her anxiety about any
concern that a female pilot could fall
prey to - for harbouring such emotional
vagaries.
She wrote - “I became an atrocious
student at certain times of the month.
Might it be conceivably related to my
pre-menstrual period? It always seemed
to be related and shrouded in the
inevitable arguments with my daugh-
ters. These scenes seemed to leave me
distracted and upset for days. Could I
be prone to getting flustered?”
Of course, we, as pilots know this can-
not be true - replies the student’s local
pilot/instructor. As a fellow female, I
have never experienced the symptoms
just described by my student. There is
no place for fluster in a cockpit, regard-
less of age, sex, outside stresses, and
pretty much everything else.
Part of being a pilot means maintain-
ing a cool, calm, collected demeanour,
44
especially in times of crisis. It means
constant mindfulness, hyper-aware
vigilance, and logical, succinct decision
making. Though all the pilots I know
display these traits on the job, I doubt if
any of them are wholly unshakable. We
may keep it together in the cockpit, but
perhaps we do allow unfiltered emotion
and irrationality into other aspects of
our lives.
I for one, am not unshakable. I was
born an artist, with a free, impulsive
spirit and not what you’d call a linear
way of thinking. Over the decades, I
have engineered a different personal-
ity inside of my mind: that personality
is the pilot! I have grown to respect
and admire this person: the cool, calm,
competent decision maker. The “pilot in
command.” And the PIC is unshakable
in the cockpit (as a few crises have de-
termined). However, the irrational side
still exists, and it needs an outlet.
There is a large aggressive snake in
South Africa called the Black Mamba
(Dendroaspis polylepis). Perhaps
the most feared snake in Africa and
certainly the largest venomous snake.
It can grow to between 2.5 and 4.5
metres (14 feet). It is one of the fastest
snakes and can move at over 20 km/
hour. It predominates all other snakes
where I lived most of my life. Their main
diet is beetles and insects.
I was absolutely terrified of the snakes
and the beetles too. They have been
my bane since childhood. Attracted to
heat, the beetles made for my dark hair
as it warmed in the sun. To my dismay,
there seemed to be a large population
at our gliding launch site. I learned to
bribe the younger members of our club
with tip money to sweep the beetles
away from my safety briefings. This, so
my phobia would not become apparent
to my students.
My co-club members found this be-
haviour hilarious, and would query me
about it often. In trying to explain it, I
would say that it helped me become a
better instructor. I allowed this irrational-
ity to become an outlet. Keeping me,
the pilot, separated from the person
that runs screaming from the beetles,
was a mental state that I managed. It
was a harmless way to be a flustered
person - the two persons in this sce-
nario never met.
Last year, while on a final approach, my
student started swatting at her neck.
She swatted a big, fat, black beetle
right onto my leg. It stuck there, looking
up at me with its awful pincers and its
unimaginable horns. I realised that my
phobia had somehow found its way
into the cockpit.
The next few seconds seemed to
stretch out into eternity as the two sides
of my personality faced off. The pilot/
instructor won, (of course) and after
flicking the beetle down between the
rudder pedals allowed me land the
sailplane quite nicely. My student never
knew that he’d almost changed the
outcome of the flight.
Doing a quick D.I. before the next
launch, I heard a loud “brrrrrp.” There
was a beetle stuck to the glider by the
canopy catch. The instructor in me just
shrugged her shoulders as the flustered
female student ran screaming for the
hangar.
I, in the meantime, felt very proud of
myself!
Elizabeth Langdon
Gliding International
TOW
T
he first ever tow by an Egrett
was designed, fabricated and
tested by the Perlan Project
team. Continuing their expedi-
tion in Argentina, a much more powerful
tow plane has been the dream of the
whole team - one hour on tow to 10,000
feet has been typical. Jim Payne, the
chief pilot for Perlan came up with an
idea - “What we really need is Einar’s
Egrett.”
The Egrett is a very large, very power-
ful single-seat plane capable of flying
relatively slowly. The Perlan founder,
Einar Enevoldson, was the test pilot at
the Grob factory in Europe many years
ago. He was the test pilot for the G-520
Egrett, a 108 foot (33 metre) wing-
span, turbo prop,
single-engine, 750
horsepower, super
plane.
Through Einar’s
contacts at Grob,
he discovered there
was an Egrett avail-
able. Mike Malis
(retired aviation
engineer, tow pilot
and glider pilot)
led the charge to
find the appropri-
ate tow equipment
for the Egrett. Mike
procured, refur-
bished, designed and fabricated tow
component parts for the Egrett which
he installed. Certification was obtained.
Jim talked to Sherman Griffith and
they located a traditional glider in Texas
which happened to be a Grob 103 like
the one in which Jim had soared to
42,000 feet in. Thanks to Dennis Tito,
Tim Gardner flew Dennis’ turbo Cessna
206 to Texas with Jim and Mike. Miguel
Iturmendi joined them in Texas for the
test mission. The ground test included
figuring the power setting for taking off
with a glider with minimum prop blast.
The Cessna looked decidedly tiny com-
pared to the Egrett.
Tim flew Jay in the 206 as a “photo
chaser” while Jim and Miguel flew in the
glider behind the Egrett - 10,000 feet
September - October 2018
10,000 FEET IN
10 MINUTES
THE PERLAN SAGA CONTINUES
altitude in under 10 minutes on tow. The
Egrett “never broke a sweat!”
Now the Perlan team continue to figure
out how to safely do something in avia-
tion, even if it’s never been done before.
This is an exciting, leading-edge aviation
team, poised to do amazing things in Ar-
gentina - if weather supports them! Click
on this link to view a film of the initial tow
event - https://youtu.be/q-1qBOUMfwo
- Stay with Gliding International as the
adventure continues, as atmospheric
science is validated, and as students are
inspired.
The Grob G 520 is a turboprop long-
endurance, high-altitude reconnaissance
and surveillance aircraft built by Grob
Aircraft with short runway capabilities
and full approval for all-weather IFR
operations. Developed and certified
in 1991, the Grob G 520 is one of the
world’s largest fully composite manned
aircraft - a several world record holder
which went back into production in 2014.
First produced in 1991 the Grob G 520,
the Egrett’s name is derived from the
three companies involved in its design:
E-Systems, Grob Aircraft, and Garrett.
It was intended to fill a joint German Air
Force – US Air Force requirement for a
high-altitude, long-duration surveillance
platform for treaty verification and envi-
ronmental monitoring. The initial D-450
EGRETT development aircraft first flew
in 1987, and in September the follow-
ing year set a class altitude record of
16,329.35 m (53,573.96 ft). In 1992, the
German Air Force placed an order for the
production of nine EGRETT IIs. However,
in February 1993, the whole program
was cancelled when Eastern Europe
ceased to be perceived as a threat. The
two-seater-version G 520T was sold to
Airborne Research Australia in Adelaide.
In 2014, Grob Aircraft repurchased the G
520T and flew it back to Germany. The
repainted aircraft was presented publicly
at the Farnborough Airshow 2014, high-
lighting the resumption of production.
World Records Set.
• Time to climb to 15,000 meters: 40 min-
utes 47 seconds
• Altitude in horizontal flight: 16,238.55
meters (53,276.09 feet)
• Altitude without payload: 16,329.35 me-
ters (53,573.96 feet)
The G 520 is a fully
composite conventional
mid-wing monoplane
with extremely high
aspect ratio wings. Power
is provided by a single
turboprop Honeywell TPE
331-14F with a 4-blade
Hartzell propeller, and its
tricycle undercarriage,
can be retracted. The
flexible payload-bay of
the G 520 can accom-
modate 850 kg of mission
equipment making it
ideal for a wide range of
missions.
Major owners: German Air Force
Length: 13.82 m (45 ft 4 in)
Wingspan: 33.0 m (108 ft 3 in)
Height: 5.66 m (18 ft 7 in)
Wing area: 39.67 m2 (427.0 sq ft)
Empty weight: 3,300 kg (7,275 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 4,700 kg (10,362 lb)
Fuel capacity: 1,070 kg (2,360 lb)
Powerplant: Honeywell TPE331-14F
Turboprop engine, 560 kW (750 hp)
Propellers: 4-bladed Hartzell, 3.04 m
constant-speed propeller
Performance
Maximum speed: 469 km/h; 291 mph
Cruise speed: 283 km/h; 176 mph
Stall speed: 107 km/h; 67 mph)
Range: 3,670 km (2,280 mi)
Service ceiling: 15,240 m (50,000 ft)
Take off +15 m (50 ft): 670 m (2,200 ft)
Landing distance + 15m: 685 m (2,247 ft)
45

Suspicion led to the destruction
of an early New Zealand glider
The gliding connection between
Germany and New Zealand
started in 1916
G
erman raiders in New
Zealand seas, the rumours
of submarines about our
coasts, departing troopships
(to Europe) and returning casualty lists
brought the First World War home to
New Zealand in 1914. New Zealanders
looked askance at enemy nationals
living in New Zealand.
In the spirit of a more polite age that
we enjoy today, the authorities in-
terned (imprisoned) only those whose
loyalty lay with Germany. Those who
had migrated to New Zealand and
settled in good faith were restricted by
weekly reports to their nearest police
station, and later in the war this was
often reduced to a weekly telephone
call.
In 1911 Herr. G. Husheer, a Ger-
man by birth, left Hamburg, for New
Zealand where he set up an experi-
mental tobacco farm in the district we
know as Pakipaki. By about 1913,
46
46
enough interest had been aroused to
form a company which began growing
tobacco at Haumoana (near the city of
Napier).
Mr. Husheer lived on the farm with his
wife and four sons. When war was
declared, none of the family were
interned, but later events made it clear
that the family did not enjoy the confi-
dence of all the community.
About 1915, Torvaid Husheer, the third
son, whose interest in aviation had
been quickened by the ballooning and
airship activities he had seen while
still a child in Hamburg, found in the
pages of “Chums” or “Boy’s 0wn An-
nual” plans for a simple type of flying
machine called a ‘hang-glider’. It was
a biplane with a wing span of 18 feet
and a 16 feet fuselage. All in all it was
little more than a modified box kite.
The covering on the centre-section of
the lower wing was omitted and the
Robert Downe
Ver y f
Kiwis ew
kn
about ow
this
stor y
pilot secured himself in this space by
passing straps over his shoulders and
pushing down with his forearms along
the ribs where the wings joined the fu-
selage. With the lower surfaces of the
“plane at waist level,” the pilot’s legs
served as the undercarriage.
A good breeze, a steep slope and a
fast downhill sprint was all that was
needed to get into the air. And - so
long as the glider’s angle of descent
was less than that of the hill, the flying
machine remained aloft. Once air-
borne, the sole control the flyer had
over his machine was in his ability to
swing his body to overcome any unde-
sired movements of the aircraft.
Young Husheer, then a lad of 16,
was proud of his success, as he had
every right to be. It is unfortunate that
consequent events were to shackle an
interest that could have paved the way
to exceptionable fuller achievements.
Gliding International
In 1916. Lantern flashes, thought to
be signals to a ship lying out in the
bay, were seen at the tobacco farm. A
report was made and the police arrived
to investigate. Police enquiries re- One Hundred Years ago (plus a thermal or two)
vealed no evidence of espionage and
it was not thought that they expected
to find any but in the course of their
search they noticed the glider parked
in an empty tobacco curing shed.
The boy was called to tell them what
it was. Following his explanation he
was given an abrupt order to destroy
his work. While they looked on, he
wrecked his machine.
The source of the mysterious “signals’’
were never discovered, but at the time
a boat was being built in the same
shed as the one in which the glider
was kept. Much of the work on the
boat was done at night and during the
riveting of the hull the lantern had to be
repeatedly transferred from the inside
to the outside of the boat.
No photo of the Husheer glider (that we are aware of) exists today,
BUT AS AN ASIDE but our library has this photo of a “Boxed Wing Glider” photographed
in 1913. Most reference material about aerial observation activity dur-
During World War I, the British, Ger- ing World War I highlights the use of man carrying kites used by both
man, French, Italian, and Russian ar- the British and German forces. (See below)
mies all used kites for enemy observa-
tion and signalling but as the airplane
became firmly established and the
war ended, the kite was used less for
military purposes or scientific research
and more for recreational flying. Our
last 50 years has seen renewed inter-
est in kites. New materials like ripstop
nylon, fibreglass, and carbon graphite
have made kites stronger, lighter, more
colourful, and more durable. Impor-
tant inventions like Francis Rogallo’s
flexi-glider wing and Domina Jalbert’s
parafoil kites helped develop modern
hang-gliders and sport parachutes.
In 1972 Peter Powell introduced a toy
dual line stunter and the public began
to fly kites not only for fun, but also
for sport. Enthusiasts experimented
with new designs that could fly precise
manoeuvres, go faster, or perform in-
tricate tricks. Competition where fliers
competed to music became popular.
Larger and more powerful kites were
designed and in the 1980’s, Peter
Lynn of New Zealand introduced a
stainless steel kite powered buggy.
In the 1990’s, kite traction on wheels,
over water, and on ice have become
increasingly popular. In 1999, a team
used kite power to pull sleds to the
North Pole.
47
September - October 2018 47

Believe it - Designed in 1938
Q
uite by accident, I found the
International Aviation Muse-
um at Schwenningen (Baden-
Wurttemberg), during my Manfred PfJumm’s life-long collection of
recent visit to Germany. Here
was a treasure trove of aviation his-
tory. The museum located outside of
the city centre, next to Schwenningen’s
airport has a private collection of post
war aircraft with a couple of reproduc-
tion first world war aircraft. Unfortunately
many of the exhibits are outside in the
open, some showing the effects of this.
Never the less they display a fine collec-
tion of different aircraft - like the Star-
fighter, Bronco, and a Canberra that ac-
tually flew into Schwenningen logging its
last flight. The collection of aircraft has
been assembled by the museum owner,
Manfred Pflumm.
The museum covers an area of 13,000
square feet displaying over 90 aircraft.
In addition to helicopters, there are glid-
ers and jets to admire. With his son-in-
law, Roland Steinert, the two are working
continuously on new exhibits, both for
their own collection as well as numerous
assignments for foreign museums.
Their best-known replicas include a BF
109E, Fw 190, Me 262, Fokker Dr 1, and
an E Ill.
Here are exhibits from the 1920s: from
the SG 38 to the pretty Elf 17 as portrayed
above. The Akaflieg’s FS26 is elegantly
displayed. A Red Baron (Richthofen)
three-winged Fokker 1 can capture the
imagination; likewise a E-111 Fokker
monoplane decorates the hangar ceiling.
Real eye-catchers are the Canberra, the
48 Gliding International September - October 2018
Fiat G-91 and the famous Starfighter TF
104 G
historic aircraft started in 1950 when he
was deeply involved in gliding. But, as a
gliding journalist, my interest was quickly
diverted to the gliders in his collection.
I was astounded to find the Neukom Elfe
(above) was designed in 1938 by Swiss
designer W. Pfenninger. It was one of a
family of Swiss single-seat high-perfor-
mance sailplane designs. The sailplane
is a shoulder-wing-cantilevered mono-
plane with a wing made from a balsa and
plywood sandwich and covered in fibre-
glass, whilst the fuselage was built with
plywood.
W. Pfenninger’s first Elfe was a nine-me-
tre wingspan sailplane that flew well be-
fore World War II. Gliding came to a halt
in Switzerland from 1939. Pfenninger pro-
duced a new design in 1947 and named
it the Elfe 2. This was probably the first
sailplane to feature a laminar flow airfoil. It
unfortunately crashed due to rudder flut-
ter.
The Elfe series was then taken over, im-
proved and strengthened by the Swiss
engineer Markwalder, who first produced
a third Elf prototype, called the Elfe PM-
3. This sole PM-3’s construction was
started in one factory, but was finished in
another. It first flew in 1955 and then went
into storage for three years. The aircraft
was built from Swiss pine and birch ply-
wood and has a 52.5 foot wingspan. The
PM-3 has dive brakes and full-span flaps
with aileron interconnects to the flaps. It
originally had a retractable main wheel.
Robert Downe
THIS I
REAL
GLIDIN
HISTO
G
S
RY
(Undoubtedly, the Swiss led the manu-
facturers stakes through the 1950s and
the 1960s).
The PM-3 was retrieved from storage and
flown in Europe by Rene Compte who
bought it to compete in the U.S. Nation-
als at El Mirage, Arizona in 1962. After the
US Nationals the glider remained in North
America, was sold and registered as
N6351U in the Experimental – Exhibition/
Racing category. In 1999 the PM-3 was
again sold and was eventually moved to a
new owner in the United Kingdom.
The first active owner, Compte, reported
that the glider was very pleasant to fly, but
it did not do well in weak soaring condi-
tions. It performed well only in conditions
of strong lift. The PM-3 has a glide ratio
of 40:1.
Albert Neukom then took over the design
and developed the Elfe M, Elfe MN and
the AN66, followed by the V-tailed Stand-
ard Elfe S-1, which first flew in 1964.
The second prototype, the S-2, was simi-
lar to the S-1, but had a conventional tail.
The S-3 was the production version of the
S-2 and was first flown in 1966 and en-
tered production that same year. It had a
cruciform tail, trailing edge airbrakes and
a retractable main wheel.
In competition, a Standard Elfe that was
flown by Markus Ritzi of Switzerland,
placed second in the 1965 World Glid-
ing Championships held at South Cerney,
United Kingdom. United States pilot, A.J.
Smith finished first in the Standard Class
at the 1968 World Gliding Championships
held at Leszno, Poland in an S-3.
49

MARTIN HEIDE HAS RETIRED AFTER 37 YEARS OF
DESIGNING AIRCRAFT AT ALEXANDER SCHLEICHER,
POPPENHAUSEN. When Martin joined Alexander Schleich-
er Segelflugzeugbau in 1981, the type designations ASK and
ASW had already been well established in the world of soar-
ing. Martin, an almost “Qualified Akaflieger” from the University
of Stuttgart “ joined Rudolf Kaiser and Gerhard Waibel in the
design office. At that time the flight testing of Gerhard’s just
finished ASW 22 became an opportunity for a thesis to com-
plete his studies at the University’s aircraft design institute. His
Edgar and Uli Kremer, Joschka Schmeisl, Martin Heide and Peter Kremer
collaboration with Rudolf Kaiser was to last for four years until
Rudolf’s retirement. Subsequently he and Gerhard Waibel led
the AS design team for another 18 years until in 2003 when Gerhard also left Schleicher to retire. Schleicher’s collective design team is
a “Who’s Who” of World Soaring! After a very short “apprenticeship” Martin took on his first project, the development of the two-seater
AS 22-2 which was the foundation for the ASH 25. Martin was responsible for the development of the completely new aircraft ASH 26 E
18m motorised sailplane where he designed a new propulsion system based on a Wankel engine, the motor which has been used for all
Schleicher self-launchers. (The company has produced 258 motorgliders in total).
A BONANZA 18 MONTHS - RADIO TEST REPORT It has been big for radio man-
ufacturers and dealers working hard to grab a slice of the business generated by the
8.33kHz transition. A last-minute contender has emerged, in the form of the diminu-
tive Yaesu FTA-250L handheld transceiver. Their compliant 250L unit builds on the
success of the Japanese company’s other popular models, all competitively priced.
The FTA-250L really is a dinky-toy in size (52 x 105 x 30mm or in inches 2.1 x 4.1 x
1.2in) and only weighs 300g including the aerial, battery and belt clip. The LCD screen
is small but clear and features embedded menus, so you’ll need to read the manual to
get the most out of the unit. It is easy to change the 25kHz default to 8.33kHz channel
spacing. The speaker is very clear and plenty loud enough at 700mW, whilst its fifteen
levels of squelch are accessed via a menu. The memory holds up to 250 channels,
which you can name and there are side buttons that allow you to toggle through the
last nine entered frequencies. As an airfield handheld, the FTA-250L performed well,
with aircraft at around ten miles and 1,500-2,000ft reporting clear transmissions from
the 5.0 W PEP transmitter. The Yaesu has standard waterproof protection so you
need have no qualms about using it outside during a passing shower. Using the built-
in aerial and a regular passive headset gives excellent results. A headset adapter is supplied with the unit. A test of the dual-watch
feature provides good reception and range. The test unit was still going strong after eight hours of use whilst Yaesu claims up to
15 hours. The FTA-250L would work well panel mounted with an external aerial. Some resellers are offering the unit for less than
$US265, so it is probably the most cost-effective way for a European aviator to be 8.33kHz-compliant. We have been impressed
and this from an Icom user of 20 years.
HEAR THIS SAILPLANE OWNERS/PILOTS - U.S.A avionic manufacturers Dynon have an-
nounced their new DRX - a low-cost ADS-B traffic and weather receiver. Small enough to fit in your
pocket, the DRX will run all weekend on a single charge of its internal battery. DRX supports connec-
tivity with most mobile apps, including ForeFlight and FlyQ, allowing pilots to see the entire traffic
picture with both 978 MHz (UAT) and 1090 MHz ADS-B reception. Pilots will benefit from in-cockpit
ADS-B weather products such as NEXRAD Radar, METARS, TAFs, and more. DRX additionally
provides WAAS GPS position to mobile devices and has auto-dimming status lights. Available now,
the DRX lists for US$395. Dynon said some dealers are offering the unit at prices as low as $349.
INTRODUCING THE ALL NEW FRASCA RTD SIMULATOR Their press re-
lease tell us that it is time to get real about flight training. Their “Reconfigurable
Training Device” is claimed to be affordable. Until now, affordable training de-
vices have been just that – affordable. RTD claim their simulator is “real-world”
affordable. The RTD can be reconfigured to convert to different aircraft models.
Its durable design and easy maintenance makes it a reliable training tool that
is “much more than a simulator. It’s a solution. Prices start at US$58,000 with
Browser Based Instructor/Operator Station (IOS) - The RTD features a browser
based IOS interface that can be used on a tablet, desktop or your phone for
the ultimate in convenient instructor access. Through the IOS the instructor can
control the RTD’s simulated environment (wind, temp, time of day, etc.) and
cause simulated failures.
50 Gliding International
HARD TO ACCEPT THAT ROLLS-ROYCE IS INTO TAXIS - It’s a well
known fact that the luxury automotive company has a separate division
that makes world-class engines and propulsion systems for aerospace
purposes. Now, Rolls-Royce plans on joining the flying-car race by build-
ing its first EVTOL (Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing vehicle). Show-
cased at the Farnborough International Air Show this year, Rolls Royce’s
EVTOL concept currently uses their M250 internal combustion engine,
and the company is looking to turn it into a hybrid system. The EVTOL
concept can carry as many as five passengers at speeds of up to 250
miles per hour. The vehicle Is a helicopter/aeroplane hybrid design, with
a cockpit and a large overhead wing with propellers that rotates to face
forwards and upwards, allowing the EVTOL to take off vertically like a
helicopter, and then propel forwards like an aircraft. Designed to integrate with existing heliports and airports, Rolls-Royce sees
the EVTOL market as an emerging one, as companies like Uber and Aston Marton spearhead the flying-car movement to combat
traffic congestion and over-population. If the technology works and is feasible, and if things go well, Rolls-Royce says their EVTOL
concept may just become a reality within the next two years, being used not only for public and private transport, but for military
applications too!
FIRST SERIES/PRODUCTION ELECTRIC TUG GETTING CLOSER
-The Sun Flyer 2 has applied for an FAA type certificate, and company
officials expect it to become the first all-electric airplane in the world to
receive the agency’s blessing. N502SF, the company’s proof-of-concept
prototype, first flew in April in Colorado. “We’ve been flying, and our FAA
Part 23 type certification application has been made,” said George Bye,
chief executive at Bye Aerospace, which owns the Sun Flyer. The com-
pany hopes to radically reduce the cost of flights. Bye said direct oper-
ating costs for the Sun Flyer 2 will be about $3 per flight hour. The FAA
certification process is being done through the agency’s Chicago office,
and Bye said he expects it to take about two years. The two-seat airplane has a retail price of $US289,000, and the company has
deposits for 140 aircraft. The production version of the Sun Flyer 2 will have a slightly longer wing and wider cockpit than the pro-
totype, and it will carry additional batteries. The airplane is designed to cruise at 138 KTAS at 5,000 feet and climb at about 1,000
fpm. It currently has about 3.5 hours endurance, and Bye said that number will rise as battery technology improves. The Sun Flyer 4
is expected to carry four people and cruise at 150 KTAS for up to four hours. German industrial conglomerate Siemens is providing
a 90-kilowatt motor for the Sun Flyer 2, and it is projected to fly up to 10,000 hours before overhaul or replacement. “It only has one
moving part,” Bye said. “The engine will probably last longer than the airframe.” Bye said pilots accustomed to piston engines will
be astonished by the lack of noise and vibration as well as the smoothness of electric propulsion.
ATTEMPTS TO PRIVATISE U.S. AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL CONTIN-
UES - Although the concept has been fully considered in the U.S. Con-
gress and rejected despite years of repeated attempts, there are now
over three hundred GA pilot organisations, state and local aviation of-
ficials, airports, manufacturers, labour unions, businesses, management
associations, and consumer groups standing united against air traffic
control privatisation. The chorus of opposition to the idea of privatising
includes congressional leaders from both political parties, more than 100
aviation organisations, over 100 business leaders, 100 U.S. mayors, con-
sumer and agricultural groups, conservative think tanks, and the majority
of Americans. General Aviation Manufacturers Association, Experimen-
tal Aircraft Association, Helicopter Association International, National Air
Transportation Association, and National Business Aviation Association are all in the “OPPOSE” camp. The Administration contin-
ues to reintroduce this failed proposal. General aviation, contributes $219 billion to the U.S. economy and creates over one million
jobs in the U.S.
TWO EXTREMELY UNCOMMON GLIDERS - The Western Antique
Aeroplane & Automobile Museum in Hood River, Oregon, brought two ex-
tremely uncommon aircraft to EAA AirVenture, Oshkosh 2018. Both aircraft
are gliders that were used to train pilots to fly larger troop-carrying gliders
like the Waco CG-4, and both were developed from more common pow-
ered aircraft of the day. The first, a 1943 Piper TG-8 (TG for training glider),
was developed from a converted Piper L-4, essentially the military version
of the J-3 Cub. The TG-8s feature an expanded three-piece cockpit area in
lieu of the engine and firewall, and incorporated spoilers and a nose skid.
Of the estimated 250 that were built, only a handful survive, in a large part because Piper, with the support of the Civil Aeronautics
Administration, offered a kit to inexpensively convert surplus TG-8s to J-3s after the war. The other glider is a TG-6, which was derived
from the Taylorcraft L-2. Like the TG-8, it’s a three-seater, built to accommodate an instructor, a beginning student, and an intermedi-
ate student. WAAAM’s example is the prototype, which was reportedly converted from a stock L-2 in about a week and a half. Both of
these rare training gliders are airworthy and flew at various times through the AirVenture week
.
September - October 2018 51
FAI IS RECOGNISED BY THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE - FAI joined sporting organisations around the world
in celebrating Olympic Day - an international initiative designed to promote fitness and well-being, as well as the Olympic ideals of
Fair Play, Perseverance, Respect and Sportsmanship. Introduced in 1948 to commemorate the birth of the modern Olympic Games
on June 23, 1894, Olympic Day promotes participation in sports of all kinds regardless of age, gender or athletic ability. Nowadays,
the event is based on three pillars: Move – getting physically active; Learn – sharing Olympic values; and Discover – encouraging
people to try new sports. It is around these themes that the many events organised around the world are conceived. Located in the
Olympic Capital of Lausanne, Switzerland, the FAI, World Air Sports Federation, state that they are delighted to be part of the global
Olympic Movement. FAI’s recent press release says that its role as an IOC Recognised Federation involves furthering aeronautical
and astronautical activities worldwide, ratifying world and continental records and coordinating the organisation of international
competitions. FAI advances these views by claiming that the advantages of IOC recognition are numerous. • They include IOC
patronage for FAI events, annual support through the IOC Recognised International Federation Development Programme, and affili-
ation with the Olympic Movement educational, medical, scientific and anti-doping initiatives. • The FAI’s IOC status also has major
benefits for its member National Air Sports Federations, which are affiliated to their country’s National Olympic Committees which
as a result, means they can receive government subsidies and conduct internationally recognised championships. • It makes FAI
and its Member Organisations part of the Olympic Movent. • The FAI has held its place at the heart of the Olympic Movement since
1985, when the IOC recognised it as the governing body for air sports on a global level. • The decision marked the 80th anniversary
of the Federation, which has been certifying world aviation and space records and overseeing air sports since 1905. • And the FAI’s
Olympic Story continues to go from strength to strength, notably thanks to its recent partnership with the Olympic TV Channel. It
has recently been announced that the FAI administered “Indoor skydiving” sport discipline will be included in the 2024 Paris Olym-
pic Games. However, the realities of all the above (best described as window-dressing) does not address the obvious - Why
can’t gliding be re-instated as an Olympic sport?
NORWAY’S FIRST ELECTRIC-POWERED FLIGHT TAKES TO THE SKIES - Norway’s Minister of Transport and Communi-
cations and Avinor’s CEO took part in Norway’s first electric-powered flight during July. The flight represents a key milestone in
efforts to electrify Norwegian aviation. The flight was conducted aboard a Pipistrel Alpha Electro G2. “The Norwegian govern-
ment has tasked Avinor with developing a programme that paves the way for the introduction of electric aircraft in commercial
aviation. “At Avinor, we want to demonstrate that electric aircraft are already available on the market, as well as help make Nor-
way a pioneer of electric aviation in the same way as the country has become a pioneer of electric cars,” said Avinor’s CEO Dag
Falk-Petersen. Avinor is responsible for the 44 state-owned airports and air navigation services for civilian and military aviation
in Norway. “Along with energy saving measures, the ongoing modernisation of aircraft fleets and the introduction of sustainable
bio-fuel, electric aircraft can help to reduce total greenhouse gas emissions from Norwegian aviation in the coming decades. As
electric engines cost much less to operate than current engines, this will result in lower prices for flight tickets,” Falk-Petersen said.
SCHNEIDER ES-56 NYMPH RESTORED - ORIGINALLY BUILT 1955
This ES-56 Nymph Mk. 1 was the prototype for the design. Restored to flying condition after spending several decades hanging from
the ceiling of a furniture warehouse in Sydney, (Australia) the Nymph is once again in excellent flying condition and a true beauty. This
photo (from a video clip) was taken on the 23/06/2018 at the Hunter Valley Gliding Club. The Nymph, with its 11.9 m (39 ft 1 in) span
laminar flow wing was designed by Edmund Schneider, who emigrated from Germany in 1950 and built four of them in his Australian
factory. It is wooden framed and mostly covered with plywood, though parts of the wing and all the rear control surfaces were fabric
covered. Its one piece high wing was built around a single spar, well set back from the leading edge and with closely spaced (210 mm
(8.3 in)) ribs to preserve the laminar flow profile of the ply covered forward section. This covering included the plain, upper surface
hinged ailerons and a torsion resisting D-box around the leading edge from the spar. There is 2° of dihedral. Metal, Schempp-Hirth
type spoilers, opening above and below the wing, were fitted just behind the spar. The fuselage of the Nymph is a plywood covered
box formed with frames and stringers, with inward sloping sides, a central keel from nose to mid fuselage and an upper turtleback or
semi-conical decking behind the wing’s trailing edge. Its first flight was in December 1955. In the next month Harry Schneider, Edmund
Schneider’s eldest son, flew it 310 km (193 mi). It also has some aerobatic capabilities, being certified for loops, stall turns, spinning and
rolls off the top. Despite these demonstrations of its capabilities, the Nymph proved less popular than its near contemporary, the even
shorter span, less aerodynamically advanced Schneider ES-57 Kingfisher - Mk 1, the prototype. One built. Wing area is slightly greater
than the production version due to a bigger tip chord.
52 Gliding International
FIREWORKS HAVE BECOME A WILDFIRE LIABILITY IN STATES and cities in
the American West where persistent drought has turned lands into tinder. The alter-
native on July 4 was drones. This year in Aspen, Colorado, the city put on a show
with drones outfitted with LED lights instead of a fireworks display, says Debbie
Braun, the president of the Aspen Chamber Resort Association. “This year we real-
ised it was a low snow year, so we were going to be a likely risk,” she said. “So we
started innovating, and that is how we came upon the drone show.” City organisers,
inspired by the drone show during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olym-
pics in South Korea, arranged a show that featured 50 drones with lights timed to
music, and staged from the surrounding mountains.
STRATOSPHERIC TOW OF PERLAN 2 BY EGRETT (August 17, 2018) Perlan 2 made it’s second tow into the stratosphere. The
team awoke to pounding rain from 4:30-5 am followed by snow flurries. But after that frontal passage the skies cleared as Dan
Gudgel had forecast. On this flight (only #48) Jim and Miguel Iturmendi towed behind Arne in the Egrett to just over 44,000 feet
(Flight Level 440). We did not expect wave. But each pilot needs to be experienced with the challenges of stratospheric flight. This
is the highest documented tow ever of a glider and it was another “rocket ride.” They were at 40,000 feet in 45 minutes from takeoff.
So almost 1,000 feet per minute on average behind the powerful Egrett. (See Story on Page 45)
THE LATEST EDITION OF THE FAI ANNUAL REPORT IS NOW AVAILABLE. The
report contains details about the past year’s major competitions, new world records,
and the achievements of air sports athletes from around the world. The decisions
taken at the FAI General Conference are itemised. The past year 2017, was a busy
one for FAI competitions, including The World Games in Poland. The report focuses
on the growth of air sports in Asia, and the booming sport of drone racing – for
which the Federation has organised a number of events such as the first-ever FAI
International Drones Conference and Expo, and the second edition of the FAI Drone
Racing World Cup. There are details on the 2018 Asian Games and the FAI World
Air Games in Turkey in 2020. The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), also known as the World Air Sports Federation, is
the world governing body for air sports and for certifying world aviation and space records. The FAI was founded in 1905 and is a
non-governmental and non-profit-making organisation.
GARMIN UNVEILED A TANDEM COCKPIT EXPERIENCE at the 2018 Farnborough
International Airshow, July 16-20. They continue to grow their markets by providing
stand-alone, cost-effective solutions that solve obsolescence issues. The Garmin Head-
up Display (GHD) system on display was a feature of the Garmin exhibit. The projection
is crisp, clear view of pertinent flight information within a single display. Compact and self-contained, the GHD projection system
offers a large 30° by 24° field-of-view. The GHD projects a familiar presentation of critical flight information, symbology and more,
contributing to increased operational benefits throughout every phase of flight.
FACEBOOK IS ENDING ITS AQUILLA PROGRAM AFTER FOUR YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT. Aquilla was a high-altitude
platform station (HAPS) system designed to deliver internet in remote locations. In part, the company points to increased industry
interest in drone technologies as a reason for stepping away from Aquilla. They have decided not to design or build there own air-
craft any longer, and to close their facility in Bridgwater, [U.K.]. Although it will no longer be developing its own drone, Facebook has
said it will continue working on HAPS technology with partners like Airbus. The solar-powered Aquilla was designed to fly between
60,000 and 90,000 feet and to stay aloft for up to 90 days at a time, while providing broadband coverage to a 60-mile-wide area
on the ground. The drone flew for the first time in 2016, during which the aircraft experienced a structural failure right before landing
and sustained damage to the right wing. A second test flight was completed successfully in 2017.
THE SHORTAGE OF PILOTS IS HAVING AN IMPACT WORLD WIDE. The shortage has led to cancelled
or delayed flights and some airports losing service completely. The global pilot shortage has been a growing
problem for several years, with tens of thousands expected to be needed to fill open jobs in the coming years.
The largest retiring age is coming up now - starting in 2021. You have a global economy that’s more connected,
people are flying more for business than they ever have before and the need and demand for flight training for
flight travel has risen over the past several years. The growing shortage is actually good news for flight schools.
One such European school reports that they are signing up applicants for 2020 with big numbers of people
expressing interest in careers in aviation. According to one U.S.A. flight school “The pay rates have gone up
exponentially and students are literally lined up at our the door waiting for flight spots with us.” The pilot short-
age has hit regional airlines and the smaller airports the hardest.
SKEYE NANO 2 CAMERA DRONE - The World’s Smallest Camera Drone Will Give You the Most
Dynamic Recordings You’ve Ever Seen (Video thumbnail $29). The world’s smallest camera drone
boasts an unrivalled flying experience, streaming a real-time first person view of the tightest spaces
directly to your smartphone. With adjustable gyro sensitivity and six-axis flight control system, this tiny
drone is easy to control for even the most novice pilots. Heck, if you’re just controller-averse, you can
even use your phone as a remote controller thanks to on-board WiFi. The skies are waiting! - • Take off,
land, and hover easily with built-in auto-function • Record incredible real-time, • FPV video with HD,
WiFi-controlled camera • Fly immediately with ‘Ready to Fly technology’ • Enjoy a completely stable
flight • Go for a nighttime flight with the built-in LED lights
September - October 2018 53
 RETURNS TO LAND LIKE A GLIDER - VIRGIN GALACTIC BREAKS
MACH 2.4 and powers into the Mesosphere Space, Virgin Galactic’s manned
space plane has hit another milestone, breaking Mach 2 as it roared into the
mesosphere. With test pilots Dave Mackay and Mike Masucci at the controls,
VSS Unity was released from the mothership ‘VMS Eve’ at an altitude of 46,500
ft (14,200 m) before firing its hybrid rocket engine for 42 seconds to power it to
170,800 ft (32.3 mi, 52 km) and a speed of Mach 2.47 (1,832 mph, 2,948 km/h).
The July 26 morning flight over the Mojave Air and Space Port is the third pow-
ered flight in four months of the Unity as Virgin Galactic ramps up to eventual
commercial flights to carry passengers and payloads into space on suborbital

Wheel / Brake Kit

LS4 - ASW20
Discus/Ventus 2A
Duo Discus - Arcus
HPH 304S - Lak 17A / Minilak
Jonker - Pegase
H201 Libelle - Swift
Upgrade your safety
and save weight
trajectories before returning to land like a glider. It’s also the first flight of the experimental space plane to reach the lower reaches of
the mesosphere – the region of the atmosphere above the stratosphere ranging from 31 to 62 mi (50 to 100 km). According to Virgin
Galactic, the mesosphere is an under-explored layer of the atmosphere that it hopes to help gather more data on by its flights. In the
meantime, the onboard telemetry for the tests continue to record temperature, pressure, humidity, acoustics, thermal response, vibra-
tion, acceleration and radiation to better understand the craft and its aerodynamics. In addition, today’s flight included a “passenger” in
the form of a test dummy. “It was a thrill from start to finish,” Mackay said after the flight. “Unity’s rocket motor performed magnificently
again and Mike Masucci pulled off a smooth landing. This was a new altitude record for both of us in the cockpit, not to mention our
mannequin in the back, and the views of Earth from the black sky were magnificent.” The money being spent on ‘glide angle’ research
is mind boggling - not only in USA, but China and Russia too. Source: Virgin Galactic
YOUNG GIRLS SOAR IN AVIATION - THE “WOMEN SOAR YOU SOAR”
camp that takes place during the week of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh has en-
gaged many young women over the past 14 years. This camp includes many
airplane discussions, informational seminars, and some air-time. Women Soar
You Soar first started encouraging young women in 2004. The camp is for
high school students. The hope of the program is to increase the number of
female pilots, which currently is only 6 percent. Emma Moore, 15, from Michi-
gan attended this year for her first time. She said the mentor sessions were

Tubeless wheel a highlight because she appreciated the time spent discussing her future,
which she now believes will be in flight. Another aspiring pilot, Sally Debaun,
Powerful brakes 15, found out about Women Soar You Soar on the EAA website, applied, and
attended for the first time. Sally said she dreams of possibly becoming an airline pilot or an aviation journalist. She decided to attend
Anti-skid to get more familiar with airplanes and investigate other jobs in aviation. Being at this camp was an eye-opener in aviation, as there
are so many different opportunities. Sally and many other attendees found the scholarship seminar to be very informational. Sarah
Benish, a five-year attendee of the program (four day camp), is currently a scientist onboard a research aircraft that collects air pol-
lution samples. “Women Soar You Soar provided me with a strong mentor network across the nation in aviation-related fields,” she
BERINGER AERO Headquarters : said. “Insert your passion in your future” is Nancy Lawrence’s motto for young girls. Nancy has been a mentor for the Women Soar
sales@beringer-aero.com You Soar program for 10 years. She keeps coming back to volunteer each year because she knows how important it is to prepare
young girls for their college experience. She said it makes her happy to see girls pursue careers in aviation.
+33 492 201 619
PIPISTREL ALPHA ELECTRO TWO-SEATERS NOW OPERATING IN THE
NZ Dealers on : www.beringer-aero.com UNITED STATES, but regulations for light-sport aircraft declare they can’t be
used for paid flight training. The Slovenian manufacturer of the battery-powered
Agreements : airplane believes the rule will be amended early 2019, a change that would
Quality and Performance since 1985 EASA Part21G / APDOA usher in an age of electric-powered ab initio training for U.S. flight schools.
When the FAA wrote the regulations for LSAs more than a decade ago, the
words “reciprocating engine” were specifically added to the new class of air-
planes to prevent manufacturers from dreaming up turbine-engine conversions.
«I use BERINGER because I fell in love Few within the aviation industry expected electric propulsion being ready to
enter the mainstream quite as quickly as it has. Flight schools are keen to add
with the feeling on the brake handle lower-cost electric aircraft to their fleets now that suppliers like Siemens are
when I used it for the first time... providing the means for manufacturers to do so. The FAA is revisiting LSA rules
to allow small electric airplane to be used for flight training at a time of unprecedented demand for commercial pilots. The Alpha Electro
BERINGER is just the best feeling, can stay aloft for about an hour on a single charge. Perfect for ab initio training through first solo. Price of the airplane is just under
feedback and performances !» US$140,000, while the cost to charge the batteries for an hour’s worth of flight time is just $3. Even accounting for the cost of main-
tenance, depreciation and eventual battery replacement, Pipistrel claims the hourly operating cost of the Alpha Electro is $25, a figure
that is far below that of gasoline-powered trainers. At EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in July, Pipistrel showed off a new rapid charging station
that will replenish the batteries quickly in between lessons. The manufacturer also is showing off a $40,000 virtual reality simulator that
Luca Bertossio offers a compelling training environment for students to take advantage of the cost savings of “flying” that this equipment provides.
Airshow performer FAA HITS 100K REMOTE PILOT CERTIFICATES ISSUED As of August 15 the FAA reports that more than 100,000 enthusi-
Jet Swift glider asts have obtained a Remote Pilot Certificate to fly a drone for commercial and recreational (not qualifying as “model aircraft”)
use since the FAA small drone rule went into effect on August 29, 2016. Under Part 107, the person actually flying a drone –
formally an “unmanned aircraft system” (UAS) – must have a Remote Pilot Certificate, or be directly supervised by someone
with such a certificate. The majority of drone pilots get certified by studying online material (PDF) and then passing an initial
aeronautical knowledge test at an FAA approved knowledge testing centre. You should have no trouble if you study – the exam
success rate is 92 percent.

\
54 Gliding International September - October 2018 55
 CLASS D AIRSPACE APPROVED FOR FARNBOROUGH AT THE EX-
PENSE OF LASHAM BASED GLIDING The already hugely complicated air-
space in the south-east of England will become even more difficult from next
summer when a new Class D airspace zone around TAG Farnborough Airport is
introduced. In addition, there will be two blocks of Class E airspace with manda-
tory ‘Transponder Mandatory Zones’ (TMZ) status. This is the airspace change
approved by the CAA after a protracted and hard-fought battle with GA groups,
notably the British Gliding Association (BGA). The gliding centre at Lasham and
gliding activities over the South Downs are affected. CAA acknowledges that
some pilots will also need to obtain an RT licence to access new Class D air-
space, and the Class E+TMZ airspace if not equipped with a serviceable tran-
sponder. The BGA has issued this statement: “The BGA, and other organisations,
has provided clear, accurate and compelling feedback throughout the TAG Farn-
borough ACP consultation process. Our views remain unchanged. The BGA has
condemned the CAA’s decision to award Class D airspace to TAG Farnborough
Airport, calling it “a new and more fundamental low point in the CAA’s attempts
to be a responsible guardian and regulator of UK airspace”. The BGA released a
hard-hitting statement on August 1, the latest in a series of airspace decisions
that test credibility and defy reason.
“This decision has all the hallmarks of being written as an attempt to show that
process has been followed, but with little if any concern for making the correct
or most appropriate decision. The emphasis on process is not matched by depth
of analysis, logical rigour or concern for the legitimate needs and safety of all
airspace users. The decision redirects huge volumes of airspace from the safe en-
joyment of a great many pilots to serve the self-interests of one party alone based
on a case that was presented only on the need to avoid any delays in inbound/out-
bound movements at Farnborough airfield. There was no safety issue that needed
to be addressed – but in arriving at its decision, the CAA now runs the risk of cre-
ating a major one. The decision will give rise to the most complex volume of new airspace, the operation of which will critically depend on
air traffic control and SSR working perfectly and at potentially greater capacity levels than almost anywhere else, a level of service deemed
necessary by the CAA. There was no safety issue that needed to be addressed – but in arriving at its decision, the CAA now runs the risk
of creating a major one’ It will create an even more significant choke point in an area that already has one of the highest concentrations
of aviation traffic in the country. CAA has not required the sponsor to categorically show that these risks have been quantified and can be
reliably mitigated, and has not carried out its own independent assessments, demonstrating clear flaws in the CAA’s work. There is abso-
lutely no imperative for TAG/Farnborough to have this airspace now. They have repeatedly stated that they can manage a doubling of their
movements (to 50,000 per year) without the need for controlled airspace. The CAA has proved itself incapable or unwilling to determine
the true need of an airspace change sponsor or, yet again, to take any view other than that of a sponsor. The inadequacy, however, of CAA
analysis and decision making, coupled with a flagrant disregard for carefully made GA inputs exhibited in CAP 1678 indicate a very worry-
ing future airspace scenario for GA. It is therefore imperative that GA works together to do whatever it takes to challenge and modify the
CAA’s decision. There are several actions that can be taken and the BGA will work with its GA partners and others to establish the most
effective approach available to us. The task may not be simple, but the cause is vital for the future of GA in the UK. CAA is also facing a
Parliamentary inquiry into its airspace decision making, led by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on General Aviation.”
CAA (U.K.) has said that given the increase in business aviation at Farnborough Airport, there was a material safety case for in-
troducing controlled airspace around the airport, to create a known traffic environment. However, to accommodate the needs of
other airspace users, two airspace blocks to the southwest and south of the airport will be classified as Class E, not Class D. These
blocks will be notified as ‘Transponder Mandatory Zones’ (TMZ), allowing access for aircraft without the need for air traffic control
clearance – providing they are equipped with a transponder. Radio equipped aircraft that lack a serviceable transponder may still be
able to access these blocks through local arrangement with Farnborough air traffic control. ADS-B devices will be accepted once
considered fully interoperable with ground-based safety systems. Farnborough will also be required to collaborate on reasonable
access arrangements for gliders in three further Class D airspace blocks in the vicinity of RAF Odiham and Lasham Airfield. Jon
Round, Head of Airspace at the CAA, said, “This has been a long and complicated application and we respect the concerns of some
sections of the GA community who have opposed it. However, we believe there is a very real safety case for creating a known traffic
environment in the vicinity of Farnborough Airport to protect all airspace users.” The new airspace, which will become operational in
2019, is the minimum necessary to contain the international requirements for new performance-based navigation flight procedures.
AN “ALL PARTY GROUP” OF PARLIMENTARIANS DO NOT AGREE WITH THE DECISION - so the battle over the airspace
grab in the congested south-east of England by Farnborough Airport isn’t over. The influential All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG)
on General Aviation is to investigate the way that airspace changes are processed by the CAA). The APPG’s decision follows the
CAA’s highly controversial decision to grant controlled zones to a large swathe of airspace near Farnborough. The wide-ranging
inquiry by parliamentarians will study the CAA’s current powers and make recommendations on how the law might be changed to
address deficiencies in the current process. In addition to making representations to ministers, MPs and Lords may also introduce
legislation to change the current law. “We start from a position that says airspace belongs to everyone,” said RT Hon Grant Shapps
MP, chair of the 170-strong APPG. “We entirely accept that there will be cases for implementing Controlled Airspace, but are con-
cerned the current procedure circumvents parliamentary and ministerial oversight; both in terms of policy direction and decision-
making. “The CAA’s controversial decision on Farnborough airspace has raised another issue about where power lies to make
such decisions. Currently the CAA quite literally writes its own rules using Civil Aviation Publications, or CAPs, and then judges the
outcome of any applications. “The U.K. CAA recently updated its process for deciding on airspace changes, moving from CAP725
to CAP1616. However, there has been no known parliamentary or ministerial oversight of this process. This means that both the
actual airspace decision and indeed even the rules being applied, have gone through absolutely no democratic filter. This does not
seem right to the all-party group and so if ministers are not prepared to take an interest, then Parliament will have to take control.”
The APPG regards Farnborough as a ‘test case’. The chair of its working group on airspace, Lord Kirkhope, said: “Parliamentarians
are already exercised about the apparent inability of the CAA to amend or withdraw controlled airspace once it has been allocated.
56 Gliding International
LATEST ON THE FAI WORLD RECORD SCENE
European claim: 13.5m Class Gliders, ∆ Distance Location:Font’bleau Moret-Episy (France) Performance : 501.8 km
Pilot : Ghislaine Facon (France) Female Glider : LAK 17 / Lithuanian Av Date : 12.07.2018
Current record : no record set yet
European claim: 13.5m Class Gliders, Distance 3TP. Location: Font’bleau Moret-Episy (France) Performance: 501.8 km
Pilot : Ghislaine Facon (France) Female Glider : LAK 17 / Lithuanian Av Date : 12.07.2018
Current record : no record set yet
European claim: 13.5m Class Gliders, Free ∆ Distance Location: Font’bleau Moret-Episy (France) Performance: 506.9km
Pilot : Ghislaine Facon (France) Female Glider : LAK 17 / Lithuanian Av Date : 16.07.2018
Current record : no record set yet
European claim: 13.5m Gliders, Free Distance 3TP. Location: Font’bleau Moret-Episy (France) Performance: 523.23 km
Pilot : Ghislaine Facon (France) Female Glider : LAK 17 / Lithuanian Av Date : 12.07.2018
Current record : no record set yet
World claim: 13.5m Gliders, ∆ Distance Location:Font’bleau Moret-Episy (France) Performance : 501.8 km
Pilot : Ghislaine Facon (France) Female Glider : LAK 17 / Lithuanian Av Date : 12.07.2018
Current record : no record set yet
World claim: 13.5m Class Gliders, Free Distance 3TP. Location: Font’bleau Moret-Episy (France) Performance: 523.23 km
Pilot : Ghislaine Facon (France) Female Glider : LAK 17 / Lithuanian Av Date : 12.07.2018
Current record : no record set yet
World claim: 13.5m Gliders Free Distance Location: Font’bleau Moret-Episy (France) Performance: 506.9 km
Pilot : Ghislaine Facon (France) Female Glider : LAK 17 / Lithuanian Av Date : 12.07.2018
Current record : no record set yet
World claim: 13.5mGliders, Free Distance 3TP. Location: Font’bleau Moret-Episy (France) Performance: 523.23 km
Pilot : Ghislaine Facon (France) Female Glider : LAK 17 / Lithuanian Av Date : 12.07.2018
Current record : no record set yet
World Claim: 13.5m Female Speed ∆100 km Location: Font’bleau Moret-Episy (France) Performance:102.68 km/h
Pilot : Ghislaine Facon (France) Glider : LAK 17 / Lithuanian Av Date:24.07.2018 (#18656/7/8)
Current record : no record set yet
European Claim: 13.5m class,GeneraL Free ∆ distance Location : Hellmonsödt (Austria Performance : 578,7 km
Pilot : Rudolf Schlesinger (Austria) Glider : Silent 2 Electro Date : 24.07.2018 (# 18654)
Current record : no record set yet
European Claim: 13.5m class,GeneraL Free 3TP distance Location : Hellmonsödt (Austria Performance : 607.3 km
Pilot : Rudolf Schlesinger (Austria) Glider : Silent 2 Electro Date : 24.07.2018 (# 18654)
Current record : no record set yet
African Ratified: Open Class - Female , Free distance 3TP Location : Bitterwasser (Namibia) Performance : 1161.4 km
Pilot : Susanne Schödel (Germany) Glider : Nimbus 4 M Date : 27.12.2017 (# 18375)
Previous record : 1141.7 km (17.12.2016 - Anja Kohlrausch, Germany)
European Claim: 13.5m Class Female Speed ∆ 500 km Location : Font’bleau Moret-Episy (France) Performance: 60.43 km/h
Pilot : Ghislaine Facon (France) Glider : LAK 17 Date : 12.07.2018 (# 18660)
Current record : no record set yet
World Claim: 13.5m Class Female Speed ∆ 500 km Location : Font’bleau Moret-Episy (France) Performance: 60.43 km/h
Pilot : Ghislaine Facon (France) Glider : LAK 17 Date : 12.07.2018 (# 18659)
Current record : no record set yet
NOTHING TO DO WITH SOARING - BUT INTERESTING NEVER
THE LESS It is built for oversize cargo. The Airbus BelugaXL took off
on its maiden flight on July 13, creating a unique sight as the jet with
the bulbous upper half rolled down the runway. The Beluga XL’s paint
job “features beluga whale-inspired eyes and an enthusiastic grin.
The “Whale” flew over southern France, soaring over the coast and
mountainside. Gliding International received four photos from glider
pilots indicating more than casual interest. Its expansive cargo area
(the fuselage is nearly 30 feet in diameter) can carry two wings for the
Airbus A350 jetliner. Based on an A330 cargo plane, the BelugaXL
features an oversized tail section, with a large horizontal stabiliser
and fins. To accept cargo, the plane’s “forehead” (in keeping with the whale metaphor) hinges open, revealing a cavernous opening
above the cockpit — which sits below the cargo floor. The jet is capable of taking off with a total weight of 227 tons. Carrying a
full load of more than 50 tons, the lumbering plane’s maximum range is 4,000 kilometres (about 2,485 miles). Good to call in for a
mass land-out /retrieve!
THE SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM, IN WASHINGTON, D.C., has accepted a $10 million donation
from the Thomas W. Haas Foundation to help finance its new “We All Fly” exhibit, which will focus on general aviation. The new
exhibit is scheduled to open in 2021. It will provide visitors an opportunity to explore a variety of people and fields within aviation,
highlighting themes such as sport, private, business, humanitarian and utility flight. The exhibit will feature new educational interac-
tive technology and engaging videos that will explore the valuable impact of general aviation on society and encourage the public
to join in. (Report from NASM)
September - October 2018 57
 IS IT GOOD-BYE TO PROPELLERS? Every drone on the market has one
iconic detail. The propellers that provide vertical lift-off and sustained flight.
Propellers are pretty much the most important part of the drone, but it’s also
the most vulnerable. The minute even one propeller snags a tree branch or
catches the corner of a building, the drone plummets downwards and begins
flailing around like an injured bird. To overcome this, some drones come with
propeller guards. Other, more advanced drones come with obstacle detec-
tion and collision avoidance technology… but RCA student Marcus Kung may
have the most creative solution yet. Ditch the propellers altogether. Marcus
Kung’s Impeller Drone gives away the secret in the name itself. Rather than
using an axial fan, or a propeller, Kung’s drone uses centrifugal fans, or impel-
lers. The kind found in leaf blowers and hair dryers; impellers pull air from the
back and instead of pushing it out the front like a regular fan, push the air out
sideways. The Impeller Drone, therefore, uses centrifugal fans arranged the way wheels on a car are. The air is pulled from the sides,
and pushed downwards, thanks to the housing around the fan that directs the air-flow. The housing additionally protects the impel-
ler from making contact with anything outside, and the air inlet itself remains guarded by a grill. The advantages of an impeller setup
are that your drone is much safer from object collision and irreversible damage to crucial components. The impeller housing also
allows air to be pushed out with more force through the outlet, allowing drones to fly higher with less power. The only disadvantage
is that just like a leaf-blower or a hair dryer, the Impeller Drone is going to make a great deal of noise . . . . but that’s just a small
price to pay for a drone that’s more robust and sturdy, right? Designer: Marcus Kung.
THE PORTABLE SENTRY ADS-B RECEIVER IN FLIGHT. - ForeFlight and
uAvionix have developed a compact unit to offer pilots a full suite of safety-
enhancing capabilities at a low price. ForeFlight has just introduced a com-
pact portable ADS-B receiver that is a step up in features and price from its
Scout product introduced last year. The Sentry is a 2.2-inch by 3.3-inch by
1.4-inch receiver that weighs 119 grams and includes dual ADS-B antennas
optimised for 978 MHz and 1090 MHz frequencies. The receiver will give pi-
lots access to FIS-B weather, flight information, traffic and a backup attitude
display in the ForeFlight
WHERE WAS GLIDING? Preliminary attendance figures for AirVenture 2018
show that over 601,000 enthusiasts attended ‘Air Venture’ at Oshkosh this
year. Yet another incredible year for the organisers. No doubt about it - Air
Venture is the World’s greatest aviation spectacular. You could feel the energy
as thousands of aircraft arrived early and stayed longer, pushing aircraft camp-
ing sites to capacity for most of the event. The aviators and enthusiasts who
attended were engaged, eager, and passionate, demonstrating how Oshkosh
is the best example of why general aviation is so vitally important to the U.S.A.
(and the world) and 2018 is being hailed as the best Air Venture week ever. But
remember - the organisation could not be the success it is without the support
of the army of volunteers that arrive year after year to be part of this gigantic
exposition. That army of 5000 volunteers obviously have a goal of making the
event an unforgettable aviation experience for everyone who attends. More
than 10,000 aircraft arrived at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh and other airports in east-central Wisconsin. Last year as a guide
there were 19,588 aircraft operations in the ten day period from July 20-30, which is an average of approximately 134 takeoffs/landings
per hour. One every 27 seconds!
Total show planes: 2,979 : 1,160 home built aircraft (third straight year over 1,100), 1,094 vin-
tage airplanes, 377 warbirds, 185 ultralights and light-sport aircraft, 75 seaplanes, 22 rotor-
craft, 52 aerobatic aircraft, and 14 hot air balloons - Commercial exhibitors - 867. - Sailplanes
nil. There were almost 12,300, aircraft parking sites at Oshkosh, not to mention 40,000 drive-in
camping locations. Forums and workshops staged 1,500 sessions attended by more than
75,000 people. Economic Impact on Wisconsin was $170 million. (2019 dates - July 22-28)
More than 15.4 million people accessed the events via the Oshkosh social
media channels during AirVenture (double the 2016 total); the AirVenture app
had 1.7 million screen views; 2.2 million hits of the event’s video clips were
viewed and there were 9.8 million hits on the 1900 photo library of last year’s
event. Web streams accessed totalled more than 500,000 times by viewers in
192 countries, who watched more than 170,000 hours of activities from the

Pilot World Rankings

Mobile App on an iPad. In addition, Sentry offers a 12-hour battery life and
comes equipped with a high-capacity data card for weather replay and stor-
age. Sentry was developed by ForeFlight and uAvionix to support the full range
of FIS-B weather and data. It will also receive air-to-air traffic information from
aircraft equipped with ADS-B Out, and re-broadcast traffic information (ADS-R
and TIS-B) from FAA ground towers. In a future ForeFlight Mobile release, once
Sentry becomes available, the unit will support the new FIS-B weather prod-
ucts including icing, turbulence, cloud tops, lightning, G-airmets and centre
weather advisories. Sentry retails for $US499.
U.S. AIR FORCE TESTING
3D PRINTING TO LOWER
THE COSTS OF PARTS -
INCREASES IMMEDIATE
AVAILABILITY - A GOOD
LESSON HERE! The U.S. Air
Force’s main F-35 operating
base is experimenting with 3D
printing as a way to drive down
repair costs and increasing
aircraft availability. The 388th
Maintenance Group at Hill
AFB, Utah, recently bought a
3D printer, and is testing ways
to fix damaged parts such a
wiring harnesses, grommets,
fasteners, housing boxes, and cable splitters, according to a Hill press release.
“In the (Air Force Repair and Enhancement) program, we receive parts that
have been damaged and fix them so that they can be returned to the supply
chain more quickly,” said . Scott Mathews, assistant AFREP manager with the
388th Maintenance Group at Hill, in the release. “It’s much more cost effective
for the Air Force than buying new parts.” Our repair centre program has faced
a parts shortfall, which has negatively impacted our mission capable rate. Up
to now the Air Force has had a slowdown in fixing jets and refurbishing parts,
sometimes forcing the Air Force to go back to the manufacturer to make new
parts. The high sustainment costs for our jets is the biggest issue facing the
program, potentially growing too expensive for the services to afford. Sailplane
manufacturers take note!
AT 25.08.2018
( R) Current Ranking List (P) Previous Ranking is a waste of time for Gliding! Well we disagree with that line of thinking as does
P
oints Name Nationality
( R) (P)
1 999.3 Sebastian Kawa POL
2 998.4 Michael Sommer GER
3 996.9 Rissel Cheetham GBR
4 996.3 Killian Walbrou FRA
5 993.2 Andy Davis GBR
6 992.6 Louis Bouderlique FRA
7 990.5 Laurent Aboulin FRA
8 +2 989.3 Holger Karow GER
9 -1 988.8 Uli Schwenk GER
10 -1 988.1 Eric Bernard FRA
11 986.9 Jan Rothhardt GER
12 983.4 Lukasz Wojcik POL
13 982.5 Felipe Levin GER
14 982.3 Karol Staryszak POL
15 980.1 Mario Kiessling GER
16 980.0 W Janowitsch AUT
17 +1 979.4 Oscar Goudriaan RSA
18 +3 978.0 Bert Schmneizer BEL operational up to 30,000’ and 250 knots and is available in two configurations, the 2-1/4” round or 6-1/4” stack version. It has a high
19 977.9 Mak Ichikawa JPN
20 -3 977.7 Guillaume Girard FRA
AirVenture grounds. International visitors registered and recorded were 2,714
from 87 nations. There were 976 press/media representatives on-site, from six
continents. There isn’t a sole Gliding International reader that cannot but be
impressed these figures which openly leaves us with the question - Where was
gliding? Hardly visible and as usual ignored by our leaders claiming AirVenture
the majority of gliding club pilots. Our subscribers must be tired of our claim
that I.G.C. needs new leadership and new delegates who can think beyond
competitions. Your national association (a FAI member) can be forced to change their priorities if enough seek change. How about you?
THE NEW FACE OF DITTEL (TQ AVI-
ONICS) FROM GERMANY - THE
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK - Though
this may be the first time you’ve heard
of TQ (Technology in Quality) Avionics,
they have been around and operating
West of Munich, Germany, since 1994.
Founded with three employees and a
budget of 3-4 million dollars, TQ Avionics
has grown to over 1522 employees and a
value of $250 million while remaining pri-
vately held. Their services range from concept and design, through to the manufacturing of the finished products. TQ’s customised
development and production assemblies are used by a number of industries, including aviation, medical, automation and robotics.
TQ Avionics has been providing the aviation industry for 15 years with engine controls, cabin management, cabin controls, air con-
ditioning and waste water management as well as interior and exterior lighting. If you adjust your temperature or overhead lighting
on an Airbus aircraft then you are using a control unit manufactured by TQ Avionics. TQ Avionics is about to sign on with several
leading Avionics suppliers to sell and service their line of compact radios, transponders, and -- soon to come in the near future -- a
glass display to compete with Dynon and Garmin. In 2016 TQ Avionics bought out Dittel Avionics that produced small transceivers
popular within the Sailplane industry. TQ Avionics improved on the Dittel product and is introducing the KRT2 radio transceiver and
mode-S transponder and in 2019 will have available their eCopilot Glass Cockpit system. The Transceiver, declared to be the most
popular transceiver in Europe is an 8.33/25 kHz VHF compact transceiver with 2278 channels measuring 2-1/4” and weighing .82
lbs. It is packaged in a standard (round) or mini-landscape or Mini-portrait configuration. Their KTX2 is the newly developed, super-
light compact mode S transponder with low power consumption and a high-grade TFT colour display. The Class 1 Transponder is
precision, temperature compensated altitude encoder when connected to the static port and is capable of ADS-B out. TQ expects
to have their transponder certified in 2019. The eCopilot glass display will be in production in 2019. TQ currently had prototypes in
their booth at Oshkosh. The eCopilot will have an extremely intuitive interface that you can use without referencing a 400 plus page
manual. It’s target pricing is below other non-certified glass panels like Garmin and Dynon.

58 Gliding International September - October 2018 59

 OSHKOSH ODDS AND ENDS AirVenture had an army of volunteers (5000) that contributed their
time doing jobs that you might not think are related to aircraft ... and in fact, they’re not. There’s
garbage to pick up, rest rooms to maintain, grass mowed and a hundred other jobs that are done
to make it a fantastic aviation experience. Stopping by the ‘’Lost and Found office for no other
reason than to talk with some of those 5000 that do the necessary but mundane jobs. “What was
the most unusual item that has ended up here in the Lost and Found?” One of those volunteers
with years of AirVenture service told me someone turned in a glass eye that someone lost. I’m not
sure how the owner wasn’t aware that it was missing, but it was never claimed. And there was
the guy who turned in a brown paper bag with $10,000 in cash in it - just loosely stuffed inside. It
was subsequently claimed but only after he described the unique method of carriage before the
loot was returned in full. This year, one character (John Zapp) manning the Lost and Found booth
was a member of the Flying Musicians. The flying musicians love aviation as much as they love playing music. John told me that
it is well documented that the skills required to play an instrument and fly are remarkably similar. He named some of the more fa-
mous musicians who are members of the Association. If you’ve been to AirVenture you probably know Aron Tippens who comes to
Oshkosh on a regular basis. Another big name you might know is Alan Jackson. One of the missions of the Flying Musician’s is to
award scholarships through their FMA SOLO program. This is a scholarship program for junior or senior high school music students
who have a great desire to fly. A scholarship is awarded if the student is first nominated by their music director. The depth of my
knowledge of music only extends to knowing the difference between C-chord and wing chord so our conversation was really quite
short. (Arthur Tilson)
AFA STUDY: USAF NEEDS TO DO MORE, IMMEDIATELY, TO ADDRESS PILOT SHORTAGE - The U.S. Air Force needs to
take even more action to address the growing pilot shortage, including ramping up production beyond current plans and ensuring
that the next generation T-X program is not delayed, according to a new white paper by AFA’s Mitchell Institute. The Air Force is
short of about 2,000 pilots, and the problem is only going to grow as shortages in commercial airline cockpits draw more pilots
away from uniformed service. Addressing this issue, and ensuring the Air Force has enough capable pilots to fight future wars, is
urgently needed in many new ways. “As Air Force pilot training ramps up to overcome the service’s severe pilot shortage, opportu-
nities exist for transformation of the training enterprise,” the paper states. “The Air Force should embrace innovations, utilise more
contracted services, and eliminate inefficiencies. Initial flight training has validated that contractor-run operations are viable.” The
Air Force needs to up its pilot production to 1,600 per year, up from the roughly 1,200 today. Current aircraft and infrastructure does
not support this increase, so more is needed. Steps to increase long-term capacity is needed “in months, not years,” according
to the paper. The Air Force’s current T-X acquisition program to replace the aging T-38 “cannot be allowed fail”. In order to retain
pilots, the Air Force needs to energise crisis action at all levels, improve the pilot resource management structure, ensure its reten-
tion efforts are fully understood, increase its overall size, and make sure its budget is sufficient and stable enough to keep pilots
flying, (Brian Everstine)
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS- 35th FAI World Gliding Championships, Type : World, Date: 08.07 - 21.07.2018
Standard, 15m, and Club Classes. Location: Ostrów Wielkopolski Michałków, Poland. Final Results :
STANDARD (47) 15 METRE (37) CLUB (48) With its daughter companies, which will be established in the next months, the Pipistrel Asia-Pacific will
1 Sjaak Selen 6,309 Discus 2A 1 Sebastian Kawa 6,047 ASG 29 1 Rasmus Ørskov 5,736 ASW20 all the infrastructure plus tourist facilities and all the supporting activities.
2 Makoto Ichikawa 6,288 LS8 2 Łukasz Grabowski 5,961 Diana 2 2 Tomasz Rubaj 5,723 SZD55
3 Mateusz Siodłoczek 6,235 Discus 2A 3 Christophe Ruch 5,837 JS 3 3 Jaroslav Tomaňa 5,709 Std Cirrus
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS -: 35th FAI World Gliding Championships, Type : World, Date: 28.07 - 11.08.2018
Open Class, 18 metre Class, and 20 metre class. Location: Hosin (Czech Republic) Final Results :
Open Class - Overall - 31 Entries
1st : Michael Sommer GER EB - 29 R 10,662 plies to both conversion kits and full kits purchased in 2018 with the long wing option. The
2nd: Felipe Levin GER EB - 29 DR 10,571
3rd : Petr Tichy CZE EB - 29 R 10,301
18M Class - Overall - 45 Entries
1st: W Janowitsch AUT Ventus 3T 10,236
2nd: Mario Kiessling GER Ventus 3T 10,097
3rd: Jean-Denis Barois FR JS - 3 9,915
20M Class - Overall - 18 Entries
1st: Sebastian Kawa &
Christoph Matkowski POL ASG 32 Mi 10,600 and expected compliance dates.
2nd: Steve Jones &
Garry Coppin GBR Arcus T 10,325
3rd: Juha Sorri &
Antti Lehto FIN Arcus M 10,211
Team - Overall 1st: Germany
2nd: France
3rd: Czech Republic
60 Gliding International
.
.
CHEAPER TOW-PLANE MOTOR MAINTENANCE The idea of being able to see inside and
repair a complex machine has been dreamt about for generations and was even the subject of
the 1966 Academy Award-winning film ‘Fantastic Voyage.’ Just as Fantastic Voyage launched
the career of actress Raquel Welch, so robots are heralding a new era in aircraft maintenance.
Engineers at Rolls-Royce and the University of Nottingham have created miniature robots for
aircraft engines. Their technologies offer the promise of faster engine inspections and the ability
to perform maintenance work in situ. According to Rolls-Royce, the technologies ‘represent an
opportunity to improve the way engine maintenance is delivered, for example by speeding up
inspection processes or by removing the need to take an engine off an aircraft in order to perform maintenance work.’ This has
the potential to offer significant benefits for customers by reducing the cost of engine maintenance, increasing the availability of
an engine and ensuring any maintenance required is completed as quickly as possible’. Panasonic has done an admirable job
packing high-end marquee features into the tiny compact GX9 ‘street shooter’ – in particular, a sensor, wireless comms and dual
image stabilisation to equal the flagship Panasonic G9. Question - what has been sacrificed in the name of portability?
OSHKOSH AT NIGHT The two night air shows during EAA AirVenture Os-
hkosh are always premier events during the week, but a Wednesday rain-
storm made having the show that day impossible. As much as EAA Director
of Flight Operations Dennis Dunbar wanted to put on a show no matter
what, safety had to take precedence. Due to safety concerns, Dennis and
his team had to make the tough decision to cancel the Wednesday night air
show. The volunteers that make up a crucial part of Dennis’ air operations;
staff met daily to keep everyone involved with the daily air show events on
the same page. They met again after Wednesday’s cancellation to figure out
if it would be possible to move the show. After ensuring that everything on
the regulatory side was in order, all that was left to do was let the staff and
performers know that they could put on a night show after all, just a day
later. But one thing’s certain, when the AirVenture night air show went on as
planned the following night - it was worth waiting for.
PIPISTREL ESTABLISHES A CHINESE BUSINESS ENTITY (THE FOURTH COMPANY IN THE PIP-
ISTREL GROUP) The Pipistrel Group has established a new manufacturing company in Jurong city
(Jiangsu province), China, founded by Ivo Boscarol (51% owner) and Danny Wu Hao (49%), who entered
as the financial partner and will provide the capital investment required for the construction of “Project
Jurong”. The ownership of both Slovenian companies, Pipistrel and Pipistrel Vertical Solutions remains
100% Slovenian. The new company will produce two types of aircraft; the Alpha Electro and Panthera
Hybrid. Pipistrel will sell the technology and the rights for production and sales for the two aircraft mod-
els to the new company - Pipistrel Asia-Pacific. Over the next two years, a new airport, aircraft factory,
villas compound and a department of the aviation university will be built into the “Project Jurong” centre.
also take care of acquisition of terrain, construction and management of a 300 acre airport complex with
A LONG TIME SINCE EUROPA HIT THE HEADLINES - Europa Aircraft’s long wing vari-
ant of the Europa XS, sometimes known as the ‘motorglider’, has received approval from
the UK Light Aircraft Association (LAA). The interchangeable wings are already approved
in many other countries around the world. The LAA’s approval specifies a maximum take-
off mass (MOTM) of 621kg (1370 lb), the same as the Europa XS aircraft. To celebrate the
announcement, Europa Aircraft is offering 12.5% discount off long wing kits, which ap-
long wing option adds more than 20ft to the wingspan, and 39sq ft to the wing area. Its
obvious application is as a motorglider. The factory-stated glide ratio (with propeller feathered) is 27:1 at 53 knots.
EUROPE IS STRUGGLING WITH ITS ADS-B MANDATE Only 20 percent of European aircraft are ready for the 2020 deadline,
which many will likely miss. The European Commission is warning that if you are not ready for the EU’s ADS-B compliance date
of June 7, 2020, there will be no dispensations - the deadline will not change. “The final implementation dates stand and must be
met,” says Henrik Hololei, the EC director general for the mobility and transport directorat. This in a memo following a July 4 ADS-B
workshop. One of the reasons for the delay is a lack of harmonisation among European states surrounding ADS-B ground station
deployment as well as lingering questions about equipage plans for older aircraft that will need substantial upgrades. The European
Commission has indicated it will consider allowing exemptions to the deadline while requiring airlines to provide compliance plans
STOP PRESS - VENTUS 3F IN A FATAL ACCIDENT - Moriarty, New Mexico USA
— Authorities say an Albuquerque man is dead after his sailplane crashed east of the air-
port in Moriarty. The New Mexico State Police say 65-year-old Renard Rozzoni was fly-
ing his 2017 Ventus 3F sailplane near the Moriarty Airport when it crashed for “unknown
reasons”. Rozzoni was pronounced dead at the scene. The crash occurred about three
miles east of the Moriarty Airport on private land near Stage Coach Lane. The relatively
new Schempp-Hirth sailplane, Ventus 3F, first flew December 2017.
September - October 2018 61
 THINGS WITH WINGS
GOVT TO REVIEW - MILITARY AERODROME SELL-OFFS - The U.K. government’s plan to sell off 15 U.K. military aerodromes around
the UK for housing is to be reviewed. The All-Party Parliamentary Group on General Aviation has urged officials to pursue a mixed-
use approach so as to meet the government’s stated objective of making the UK the best country in the world for General Aviation.
PILOT WORLD RANKINGS The first top 20 placings as recorded by a German managed web page, provides an interesting spread
of countries: Germany 7, France 5, Poland 3, Great Britain 1, Austria 1, Sth Africa 1, Belgium 1, Japan 1, Australia 0, New
Zealand 0, U.S.A. 0.
JUNE 21, 2018 - A GREAT DAY FOR BRITISH GLIDING - and has been declared to be the best day for 14 years for British glider
pilots. There 162 flights covering a total 766,645 km, an average of 473 km per flight. There were four 1,000 km flights. Other
flights recorded were 800 km (3), 750 km (14), 600 km (23), 500 km (35), 400 km (27), 300 km (35).
USA’S FAA TO AWARD $677M IN AIP GRANTS - The Federal Aviation Administration will award 241 Airport Improvement Grants worth
a total of $677 million. The grants will fund 346 airport projects including runways, taxiways, terminals and aprons. Advice to Gliding
organisations - Get yourself on the list for rule off dates and next year’s grants!
MARINES OFFER CASH INCENTIVE TO RETAIN PILOTS - Military pilots leaving the service for commercial opportunities, are getting
offers up to $210,000 to extend their commitment for an additional six years. While the Marines have not seen as many pilots leave
as the Air Force or Navy, the new financial incentive will make it more competitive with the other service branches.
SURVIVING A PARTIAL POWER FAILURE AFTER TAKE-OFF. The Australian Safety Bureau notes that fatal and serious injury accidents
resulting from partial power loss after take-off are avoidable. They have published a booklet that shows how to prevent the risk of
bodily harm following a partial or complete power loss after take-off. https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/4115270/ar-2010-055_no3.pdf
A GENERAL ATOMICS SKYGUARDIAN DRONE MADE HISTORY - JULY 9 by becoming the first Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) to
complete a transatlantic flight. The unmanned aircraft touched down at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, England after a flight of
3,760 nm (4,327 mi, 6,963 km) from Grand Forks, North Dakota that took 24 hours and two minutes.
UK AEROSPACE, AVIATION LEADERS TEAM UP TO HIRE MORE WOMEN Over 50 top aerospace and aviation companies in the
UK have joined forces to boost the recruitment of women in airline pilot and senior executive roles. The charter will set hiring goals,
report on progress and tie executive compensation to internal targets to ensure transparency and accountability.
AMSAFE’S AIRBAG SEAT BELTS RECEIVE FAA STCS FOR 541 AIRCRAFT MODELS The FAA has granted AmSafe supplemental
type certificate approval for its State of the Art Restraint System airbag seat belts. The system is approved for 541 models of aircraft
and can be retrofitted on experimental aircraft that already have two - and three-point harnesses.
A NEW INTERNATIONAL AVIATION EVENT - DRONE RACING. The first ever FAI World Drone Racing Championships – kicks off in
Shenzhen, China from November 1 to 4, 2018. The four-day event will bring together drone racers from the world over. Competition
is fierce among drone racers fighting it out to be picked for the event. Only pilots selected by their country or by FAI can take part.
THE WISEST GLIDER PILOT ONCE SAID “The best glider syndicates have an odd number of people in them and three is too many.”
A glider syndicate is like a marriage. It’s has been said that one should chose one’s syndicate partners just as carefully as one does
one‘s spouse. Syndicate divorce is equally as bad as a real life one! Both difficult to “call an end to."
NEVADA BONUSES - Five small Nevada airports are getting nearly $5 million in Federal aid to refurbish taxiways and make other
improvements according to the US Department of Transportation. The Carson Airport, and the popular “gliding home” at the
Minden-Tahoe Airport are on the recipient list. Likewise the Alamo Landing Field and Tonopah airport.
LATEST FROM GLIDE BRITAIN It is a well known fact that there are a lot of misconceptions about gliding. The latest video from Glide
Britain attempts to dispel them and is a credit to the creators. Can we suggest you share the video with your non-gliding friends.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHr2Hxk-E8Q&t=21s
ANOTHER NEW HANGAR AT LASHAM - Gliding Heritage Trust officially opened their second new hangar on August 25 by Sir John
Allison. This will allow the presentation of more vintage sailplanes to the public, a further saving of our history for future generations.
More at www.glidingheritage.org.uk
GP 15 SE JETA - The maiden self-launch of the GP 15 SE took place at its home airfield in Krosno, Poland on May 19. Test flights continued
throughout June with pilots Tomas Kuzmickas, Sebastian Kawa and Piotr Grzebien resulting in a certificate of airworthiness being
issued by the Slovak Federation of Ultra Lights, with a 525 kg maximum take off weight.
FAA NOW HAS BETTER GPS COVERAGE ACROSS THE U.S. Their Wide Area Augmentation System navigation payload, is now
operational and fully integrated into the WAAS network. The GEO 5 joins two others correcting GPS satellite signal ionospheric
disturbances, timing issues, and minor orbit adjustments, increasing coverage, improved accuracy, and better reliability.
U.K TO BAN KIDS FROM OWNING DRONES - Proposal under consideration would limit people under 18 from owning a drone
over 0.55 pounds. The U.K. Department of Transport has new drone rules under consideration that would ban people under
18 years old from owning a drone weighing more than 250 grams (or 0.55 pounds).
GLIDER PARTS FOR SIMULATORS - DG Flugzeugbau Germany has DG-800S and DG-1000 Cockpits (ideal for production of
simulators) available for sale. The parts were in use as mock-ups or pre masters and cannot be used for spare part purposes.
The prices are open to negotiation.

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