I'll be going to a Commercial operation at 0E0 (Moriarty, NM). My main concern is keeping the cost down , so I feel like doing the Private is probably the smartest option at this point in time.
I really enjoyed starting in sailplanes. It has helped me imensly moving to my PPL. I use to hate wing down launches in the Blanik since it was a high wing so you started off angled over to one side quite a bit. In the G103 with its mid wing, its not much of an issue or challenge. However the G103 is a pig in the air and I preffered the light feel and control harmony of the Blanik L13 to the Grob. Grob just felt heavy in all respects... Anyone know if the Blanik L13 are still grounded?
Oh damn... you now have me wanting to go back to soaring right now. I have been fighting the urge while I work on my PPL...
if you are a soaring pilot you know motored flight will never be enough
Unfortunately I lack the TW endorsement necessary to Tow gliders in the Pawnee.
The handbook, mentioned earlier, pretty much covers it all. XC soaring and competitive soaring is a different story, but you won't have to worry about that for the ratings. You can learn about that later if you "go hardcore". For the PP-G, just focus on learning the regs, ground ops, visual signals, glider performance,and interpreting soaring forecasts.
Some of my very first TW time was towing gliders in a SuperCub. I was learning how to tow and how to fly a taildragger at the same time and of course I had a qualified teacher along. IIRC there was no problem keeping the airplane pointed straight down the runway with a glider pulling back on the tail but it did get exciting if the glider lifted off and started climbing before the tug was ready to fly.
They are.I really enjoyed starting in sailplanes. It has helped me imensly moving to my PPL. I use to hate wing down launches in the Blanik since it was a high wing so you started off angled over to one side quite a bit. In the G103 with its mid wing, its not much of an issue or challenge. However the G103 is a pig in the air and I preffered the light feel and control harmony of the Blanik L13 to the Grob. Grob just felt heavy in all respects... Anyone know if the Blanik L13 are still grounded?
Oh damn... you now have me wanting to go back to soaring right now. I have been fighting the urge while I work on my PPL...
I really enjoyed starting in sailplanes. It has helped me imensly moving to my PPL. I use to hate wing down launches in the Blanik since it was a high wing so you started off angled over to one side quite a bit. In the G103 with its mid wing, its not much of an issue or challenge. However the G103 is a pig in the air and I preffered the light feel and control harmony of the Blanik L13 to the Grob. Grob just felt heavy in all respects... Anyone know if the Blanik L13 are still grounded?
Oh damn... you now have me wanting to go back to soaring right now. I have been fighting the urge while I work on my PPL...
Wag that rudder! Let's go!
(I need to go soaring.)
.
I think I was of the few that hate them... I just never felt comfortbale in it. I struggled with the cordination in it as I was so use to the Blanik. Perhaps I just needed more time in it. I flew a twin astir once and it got off the ground just before (sometimes after) the tow plane it was so heavy...
My goal one day is to own a Ka8b as I love the vintage gliders and just enjoy lazy days soaring more than anything else.
Ha Ha... that reminds me of a funny thing that happened to me one day. I was in the bLanik SOLO getting ready going through the checklist and such and luckily my canopy was down because for some reason I inadvertantly wagged my rudder. Sub conscious perhaps... But all of a sudden the glider starts moving and next thing I know I have to do a wing down takeoff and go. As soon as the glider moved I realized what I had accidentaly done seconds before... I was like Oh crap here we go...
Needless to say I never made that dumb move again... My wing runner was just as surprised as I was since he had not been given the signal to raise the wing and was thinking WTF is he doing now...
So yes wag the rudder, but make sure your ready to go when you do.
Man, a 1-26 gets going pretty quickly even behind our 150hp Citabria... must be pretty exciting behind a 250hp Pawnee!
Unfortunately, the TW endorsement is the least of it. Even getting the tow pilot endorsement is not a big deal (although it is pretty demanding flying). I believe I could get the tow endorsement in our Citabria with my current skills and the TW signoff, and fly tows without mishap... but I lack sufficient total time, TW time, and time in make and model to satisfy the insurance company.
Ha Ha... that reminds me of a funny thing that happened to me one day. I was in the bLanik SOLO getting ready going through the checklist and such and luckily my canopy was down because for some reason I inadvertantly wagged my rudder. Sub conscious perhaps... But all of a sudden the glider starts moving and next thing I know I have to do a wing down takeoff and go. As soon as the glider moved I realized what I had accidentaly done seconds before... I was like Oh crap here we go...
Needless to say I never made that dumb move again... My wing runner was just as surprised as I was since he had not been given the signal to raise the wing and was thinking WTF is he doing now...
So yes wag the rudder, but make sure your ready to go when you do.
Man, a 1-26 gets going pretty quickly even behind our 150hp Citabria... must be pretty exciting behind a 250hp Pawnee!
Unfortunately, the TW endorsement is the least of it. Even getting the tow pilot endorsement is not a big deal (although it is pretty demanding flying). I believe I could get the tow endorsement in our Citabria with my current skills and the TW signoff, and fly tows without mishap... but I lack sufficient total time, TW time, and time in make and model to satisfy the insurance company.
Technically, I can ride back seat on tows to fulfill part of the tow endorsement, and every now and then I get some "non-acting PIC" time in the Citabria, but it's rare that glider weight and density altitude will allow me to tag along on tows (and fly it a bit afterwards), and it's rare that I get to fly it otherwise, 'cause it's mostly used for towing. Haven't even landed it. Until my finances improve, I can't do much about that situation, so getting there as a lapsed-medical power PIC who hardly ever flies power these days would be a long, slow road that I haven't really started on. Perhaps when I can get my gliding fixes mostly for free as a commercial glider pilot, I will be able to afford to start begging for more Citabria time (much more effective when you can offer money for fuel, LOL).
But when I can afford to get back into power, working towards tow flying will probably be my focus... if I get my own insurance temporarily (and renew the medical), I might be able to work something out with that Citabria or the two others based on the field. I could eventually meet the requirements to tow for the club, and then only pay club dues, and fly tows and glider rides for free.
Trust me, a TW endorsement is definately on my list-I've just gotta find a plane to use (the tow Pawnees at 0E0 are all 1 seater)
Does such a thing exist in NJ?:wink2:Unfortunately, the TW endorsement is the least of it. Even getting the tow pilot endorsement is not a big deal (although it is pretty demanding flying). I believe I could get the tow endorsement in our Citabria with my current skills and the TW signoff, and fly tows without mishap... but I lack sufficient total time, TW time, and time in make and model to satisfy the insurance company.
Technically, I can ride back seat on tows to fulfill part of the tow endorsement, and every now and then I get some "non-acting PIC" time in the Citabria, but it's rare that glider weight and density altitude will allow me to tag along on tows (and fly it a bit afterwards), and it's rare that I get to fly it otherwise, 'cause it's mostly used for towing. Haven't even landed it. Until my finances improve, I can't do much about that situation, so getting there as a lapsed-medical power PIC who hardly ever flies power these days would be a long, slow road that I haven't really started on. Perhaps when I can get my gliding fixes mostly for free as a commercial glider pilot, I will be able to afford to start begging for more Citabria time (much more effective when you can offer money for fuel, LOL).
But when I can afford to get back into power, working towards tow flying will probably be my focus... if I get my own insurance temporarily (and renew the medical), I might be able to work something out with that Citabria or the two others based on the field. I could eventually meet the requirements to tow for the club, and then only pay club dues, and fly tows and glider rides for free.
Unfortunately, the TW endorsement is the least of it. Even getting the tow pilot endorsement is not a big deal (although it is pretty demanding flying). I believe I could get the tow endorsement in our Citabria with my current skills and the TW signoff, and fly tows without mishap... but I lack sufficient total time, TW time, and time in make and model to satisfy the insurance company.
You can always sell them for what you paid for them, they're great 'clean up' planes still.
If you mean DA, sure- DA can have adverse effects wherever and whenever the temp is above standard. It's not like in your neck of the woods, but on a very hot day, with two adults in the 2-33, a 150-hp towplane, and just over 3000 feet of usable runway and trees at both ends, even if the runway's barely 100 feet MSL it's just not a good idea to have another person in the towplane.
That's a great deal but,sadly, even that is out of my league personally (and if I had that money, I'd get myself a decent C140 or Silvaire, and to hell with towing gliders). But the club has talked about upgrading... something like that Ag Cat would be pretty cool. Not sure if we need 450 hp, though, LOL!!See if you can find N10256, an old clip wing A model Ag Cat that when I last flew it was perfectly rigged and sported a dry Covington R-985. You could buy something like that without a Satloc and spray gear for under $20k. Fly some hours on it with no insurance and you can start towing up multiple gliders at a time.
On the final oscilation it banks left and begins to head toward the ground steeply right where an old c130 like fire or rescue plane was parked. Just before the plane hits the guy jumps out tucks and rolls like a skydiver and the plane breaks around him. He walks away without a scratch. Just like bugs bunny the guy exits just before it hits and is fine...
Rottydaddy said:
I believe I could get the tow endorsement in our Citabria with my current skills and the TW signoff, and fly tows without mishap...
Haven't even landed it.
That's a pretty bold statement coming from a guy with a few hours in a Champ, and then attempting to fly an underpowered tow plane with new students trying thier best to kill or at least run you off the runway on evey tow. Mix in flying off the power plane runway and dropping the rope in a small target area on every tow, all from a power pilot who has not flown a power plane in several years.
I have seen what you deal with, and I have even been the offender occasionally.
In hindsight, yes that is what I should have done but I chose not to as I had my checklist done and was otherwise ready to ask the wing runner to lift the wing anyhow. Had my canopy been open or I was unbuckled I would have certainly pulled the release.
That reminds me of another crazy story / accident... I did not see this myself, but it happened at my FBO when I was still flying there...
OK so at Cal City, there use to be a Skydive school that operated there as well. So one of the skydivers has a friend who also flys gliders. So they decide to introduce each other to their respective sports. Flight for a jump sort to speak.
They are going to fly a 2-33. The pilot gets the skydiver in the front seat all settled and then gets in the back. They get hooked up and are ready to go. Shortly after, the pilot gets out to adjust his seat or cushion. while he is outside the plane, the skydiver starts playing with the controlls and wags the rudder. Low and behold the plane heads down the runway. The wing strut on the 2-33 cold cocks the pilot and nocks him down. The skydiver panicks and the glider climbs abruptly and the towpilot releases the rope to avoid stuffing the prop. The glider reaches its apogee and the skydiver opens the canopy stands up as if wanting to jump. The glider goes through an oscilation or two off natural dive, recovery and climb with this guy standing erect in the cockpit frozen.
Wow. There's one skydiver who will argue that jumping is safer than flying...