Building my Fleet

tonycondon

tonycondon

Gastons CRO (Chief Dinner Reservation Officer)
Joined
Mar 9, 2005
Messages
15,459
Location
Wichita, KS
Display Name
Display name:
Tony
All my glider buddies down here own about 4 or 5 ships, so I figured it was time to add on. After the VSA rally last weekend Leah decided she should start taking glider lessons and one of the guys there helped convince we should buy her a glider.

This one is the same model as mine, although it is built a little smaller. Questionable whether I will fit in it but Leah will fit great. Sealed the deal tonight and I could have the glider by the middle of the month. Need to find someone headed this way from Lawrenceville, IL that might be able to help out. Many pictures of the glider here:

http://scalesoaring.co.uk/RCSD/pdfs/Hall_Cherokee_II/RCSD-2007-10.pdf
 
I don't think you deserve her...

:no:




In all seriousness. That's very cool. I can't wait to see it.
 
Wow. Since there are "well over 100" Cherokee II's built or in the process of bing built, you own almost 2% of the entire airworthy fleet!
 
WANTED: Occasional weekend driver/helper for recovery truck/trailer used to recover "land out" gliders. Easy job, owner never gets far from airport before he has to land. Contact T. Condon, Wichita.
 
So who's going to instruct her? Do I need to get my CFI-G now? ;)

Congrats, looks pretty.
 
gprellwitz said:
Wow. Since there are "well over 100" Cherokee II's built or in the process of bing built, you own almost 2% of the entire airworthy fleet!
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I only know of 3 airworthy Cherokees at this time. mine, leahs, and one that was recently restored in Oregon. Im sure there are a few others out there but a lot of the gliders are in need of restoration, have been wrecked, or are in museums.
 
wabower said:
WANTED: Occasional weekend driver/helper for recovery truck/trailer used to recover "land out" gliders. Easy job, owner never gets far from airport before he has to land. Contact T. Condon, Wichita.
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ROFL! That's calssic, Wayne.
 
Let me emphasize, we don't necessarily need someone to tow the glider all the way from southern IL to Wichita, any legs in a westerly direction would be a great help. Since Tony and Leah will be in Iowa getting married soon it could get towed to Iowa or even north to I80 where I could get it and bring it west.
 
Swing it on by our club on the way down to Wichita.

Tony's going to need to know that it still flies ok. Will it have all the tin cans hanging behind it and the "Just Married" paint all over the canopy?
 
Nice...I've been thinking about gliders most of the day.

Anyone want to buy a tow plane in Lincoln?
 
Uh oh. You just got rid of your crew! How are YOU going to fly now? ;)

Congrats! :yes:
 
Leah's glider comes today. I'll try to post pictures tonight.
 
Dave Schuur is headed to CA to pick up another Morelli M100 so he's bringing it out on his way.
 
Wow that man collects Morellis like you collect Cherokees :D
 
everybody has to have a hobby. i think these are more project or pieces of morellis than anything. hes trying to get enough parts to build one or two complete gliders.
 
I don't quite get owning a glider. You need someone else to help launch it anyway (a couple somone else's from what I've seen), so what good is private ownership? Not trying to be negative or a pain, genuine curiosity.
 
When they have a 3 hr flight from a $30 dollar tow,... enjoying the view and the majesty of flight in a quiet harmony with the glider,.... while us powered guys burn $30 in fuel just getting over to the breakfast.

Well,.. guess that about sums it up. Now I want to go gliding again like I did in college.... :frown3:
 
steingar said:
I don't quite get owning a glider. You need someone else to help launch it anyway (a couple somone else's from what I've seen), so what good is private ownership? Not trying to be negative or a pain, genuine curiosity.
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The same reasons somebody would want to own an airplane when you could rent one. You know the craft. It's set up exactly as you like it. You know how it's maintained. Etc.
 
steingar said:
I don't quite get owning a glider. You need someone else to help launch it anyway (a couple somone else's from what I've seen), so what good is private ownership? Not trying to be negative or a pain, genuine curiosity.
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as compared to a partnership or club glider?

i bought a glider because i am a selfish jerk and I wanted to fly when i wanted and where i wanted forever how long that i wanted (or could).

This sort of flexibility is tough (but not impossible) to get in many clubs. Chiefly because a typical club operation involves many people all wanting to fly the same glider on the same day. this means each person goes and flies for maybe an hour or so and then lands so the next guy can have his turn.

When I bought my glider I was really hot to trot to fly cross country. That isn't going to work in that typical club situation. Now some clubs have a single seater or two that is specified for cross country flying and i suppose each pilot reserves it ahead of time or something.

Mainly, I wanted something that I could call my own. The only thing that worried me about a partnership was the same worry most people have about partnerships. One was not ending up with a partner who was a moron or lousy pilot and was going to wreck my major source of fun and games. Second was I was concerned that having another person could lead to availabilty issues when I wanted to fly. I didnt need a partner to make the glider I wanted affordable, so I just didn't see the point in introducing competition.

yea you still need to find a towpilot and maybe a wingrunner to get airborne, but that is the case no matter if you are in a club, partnership, or on your own. Most of the time when I fly, others are flying anyway, so it doesnt make too big of a difference.
 
steingar said:
I don't quite get owning a glider. You need someone else to help launch it anyway (a couple somone else's from what I've seen), so what good is private ownership? Not trying to be negative or a pain, genuine curiosity.
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Because you can buy one for like $27.
 
jesse said:
Because you can buy one for like $27.
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especially if you invest your 27 dollars well.

but yeah, i now have 2 gliders and 2 trailers (mostly) and ive done a fair amount of flying and i probably havent spent the total value of Steingar's airplane.
 
The Free Bird is worth more than most gliders, and is far more useful. Fun too.
 
CJones said:
Depends on your mission. Different strokes for different folks.
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There is no "mission" for which a glider is useful. They're toys. Neat toys to be certain, but toys. You don't pack up you and the Mrs. and fly to New York in one.
 
steingar said:
There is no "mission" for which a glider is useful. They're toys. Neat toys to be certain, but toys. You don't pack up you and the Mrs. and fly to New York in one.
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Your airplane is a toy. You don't pack up the Mrs. and fly to Japan in it.
 
steingar said:
There is no "mission" for which a glider is useful. They're toys. Neat toys to be certain, but toys. You don't pack up you and the Mrs. and fly to New York in one.
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Exactly why spend precious spare time and money recreating in a transportation machine. The more impractical a toy the better a toy it is.
 
jesse said:
Your airplane is a toy. You don't pack up the Mrs. and fly to Japan in it.
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No, but I have packed up the Mrs. and me to go on enough holidays that we haven't flown together on a jet since I got my PPL. We normally take at least one long trip in the aircraft per year. I admit its dispatchability leaves a great deal to be desired, but it is far more than a toy.

By defining a non-toy as an aircraft that can reach Japan I suspect you've rendered most regional jets to toy status. I don't know what you guys are getting your panties in a wad about. I really don't. Lots of neat things are toys. Doesn't make them in any way bad.
 
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steingar said:
No, but I have packed up the Mrs. and me to go on enough holidays that we haven't flown together on a jet since I got my PPL. We normally take at least one long trip in the aircraft per year. I admit its dispatchability leaves a great deal to be desired, but it is far more than a toy.

By defining a non-toy as an aircraft that can reach Japan I suspect you've rendered most regional jets to toy status. I don't know what you guys are getting your panties in a wad about. I really don't. Lots of neat things are toys. Doesn't make them in any way bad.
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steingar said:
There is no "mission" for which a glider is useful. They're toys.
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Well mostly because the above statement is just silly. They have a mission, they glide. Your Cherokee is a toy, a glider is a toy, who cares. But claiming they have no mission and acting like buying one is silly is rather rude. That's all.
 
I never said buying one was silly. I did once ask why an individual would own one when it takes multiple people to launch one, and got a really informative answer. To me a mission is something purposeful. Every airplane on the face of the planet is fun.
 
Until you are far from home in an engineless aircraft, alternately pulling 2 gs continuous while climbing 1000fpm and diving at 120knots toward home hour upon hour, racing the sun, scanning the entire sky and landscape every minute for guidance, concentrating on absolutely precise control while riding both the clouds and the dynamic invisible architecture of the wild blue yonder you simply can not get owning a glider.
 
i had a great mission when i bought my glider. i wanted to fly long distances with no engine. and i wanted to outclimb underpowered airplanes in the summertime. i wanted to meet farmers. i also wanted to become an artist instead of a technician. mostly i wanted to have fun while i was in the air.

if we only did practical things no one would ever leave the ground.
 
Pictures!

Trailer:

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Pulling out Fuselage:

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Instrument Panel:
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Leah in her Glider:
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steingar said:
I never said buying one was silly. I did once ask why an individual would own one when it takes multiple people to launch one, and got a really informative answer. To me a mission is something purposeful. Every airplane on the face of the planet is fun.
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Speaking from my one day of hanging out with the gliderfolk and my one season as part of a balloon chase crew I would say they are similar in that they have a big social component. If you enjoy solitude and doing things by yourself neither one is for you, unless perhaps if you have a motorglider. As far as owning a glider goes, I think people do it for the same reasons they own airplanes rather than renting.
 
i didn't sit in it. Will have to try some other time when we have it out of the trailer.
 
That's a nice wedding present you got for her! :D
She looks quite happy with it. Congradulations!
 
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