Glider Ops in Southern CA

Retro Manger

Retro Manger

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Retro Manger
Hi guys/gals!
Is there a glider operations in Southern California besides Crystal where you can fly & train on something different than the 2-33? Motorgliders are an option too.
Thanx
 
Lindberg said:
Have you looked here?

https://www.ssa.org/where-to-fly-map/

According to SkySailing's website they have Grobs and Stemme.
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Just gave them a call. Thank you!
They said 2-33 initially, now I am waiting for someone to call me to clear up can I fly something different. My guess is probably not, but let's see.
Many have better planes, few offer you the privilege to fly something decent.
 
Thank you, but what I see is only 2-33 for training.
Looking for Grob, Super Blanik, Ask-21 or similar.
 
I follow SoCal Soaring Academy on instagram. I don't know much more than that - just throwing it out there. Love that stuff..

Some day I'll get into soaring.
 
Retro Manger said:
Thank you, but what I see is only 2-33 for training.
Looking for Grob, Super Blanik, Ask-21 or similar.
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I remember some blaniks back in the day, not sure if they got hit with that AD, but I’d give them a call, you never know. What I remember was it was a very good club, not so much a assembly line for certificates, they attracted some very accomplished CFIGs
 
SkySailing is only 2-33 also. So no.
Blaniks are with ADs /only in US though, the rest of the World seems to fly them/ and unfortunately there aren't many Super Blaniks in Soutern CA that I know of used for training.

It is amazing how in 2022 there is nothing but 2-33 for training. Crystal so far seems to be the only option.
 
Retro Manger said:
It is amazing how in 2022 there is nothing but 2-33 for training. Crystal so far seems to be the only option.
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That's interesting - do they give any reason why?
 
kayoh190 said:
That's interesting - do they give any reason why?
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Either insurance or availability of higher performance planes.
Not that it matters.
What concerns me is where to fly on anything else. Super Blanik or Ask21 would be great.
 
A tow pilot down there tells me that sky sailing was the last place, and if they don't have them anymore you'll have to go to LA county. But he also heard they still have Grobs 103s.
 
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Lindberg said:
A tow pilot down there tells me that sky sailing was the last place, and if they don't have them anymore you'll have to go to LA county. But he also heard they still have Grobs 103s.
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I just wrote about that above. No training on anything else but 2-33.
 
Look man, if you have nothing to say about training in something other than 2-33, please don't flood the subject anymore. I get how you made 11,500 posts. Not the best place to continue increasing those here though.
Thank you for you input.

Please if anybody knows an option for Southern California, including motorgliders - write here.
Thanx in advance.
 
Retro Manger said:
Look man, if you have nothing to say about training in something other than 2-33, please don't flood the subject anymore. I get how you made 11,500 posts. Not the best place to continue increasing those here though.
Thank you for you input.

Please if anybody knows an option for Southern California, including motorgliders - write here.
Thanx in advance.
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Same to you. And the horse you rode in on.
 
MauleSkinner said:
So do they have the Grobs available after you get the rating?
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I got a ride in something other than a 2-33 during training. It was to do spins. But I don’t remember them training in anything else. They did have more than just a couple of other things than the 2-33’s. This was about 5 years ago.
 
Retro Manger said:
Look man, if you have nothing to say about training in something other than 2-33, please don't flood the subject anymore. I get how you made 11,500 posts. Not the best place to continue increasing those here though.
Thank you for you input.

Please if anybody knows an option for Southern California, including motorgliders - write here.
Thanx in advance.
Click to expand...
May I ask what you have against 2-33’s
 
Don't enjoy flying a plane that does not allow full left or right stick because the designer never considered that the pilot has legs that will interfere.
Nor do I enjoy paying $150 for 25min flight on it.
It is generally unpleasant to fly, it flies like a cow, it is noisy, it is ridiculous on the ground with that skid and many many other points that I have.
Most importantly, I come from a L-13 Blanik. Even the Grob which I also flew for couple times hardly beats that. But at least the Grob I enjoy flying and it is an improvement over the Blanik in general.
I flew L-13 26 years ago. Not in my nature to go backwards in evolution. 2-33 flies worse than some gliders from the 30s.
Of the flights I've flown on 2-33, mostly I have disappointing memories with few exceptions.
If I have to pay for a glider, I would like to pay for something that flies better and brings me fun.
Have lot more to say, but don't want to waste anybody's time. Some people like it - I don't. Nor I intend to spend anymore of my hard earned cash on it.
 
Retro Manger said:
Don't enjoy flying a plane that does not allow full left or right stick because the designer never considered that the pilot has legs that will interfere.
Nor do I enjoy paying $150 for 25min flight on it.
It is generally unpleasant to fly, it flies like a cow, it is noisy, it is ridiculous on the ground with that skid and many many other points that I have.
Most importantly, I come from a L-13 Blanik. Even the Grob which I also flew for couple times hardly beats that. But at least the Grob I enjoy flying and it is an improvement over the Blanik in general.
I flew L-13 26 years ago. Not in my nature to go backwards in evolution. 2-33 flies worse than some gliders from the 30s.
Of the flights I've flown on 2-33, mostly I have disappointing memories with few exceptions.
If I have to pay for a glider, I would like to pay for something that flies better and brings me fun.
Have lot more to say, but don't want to waste anybody's time. Some people like it - I don't. Nor I intend to spend anymore of my hard earned cash on it.
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Ok. I didn’t finish at Sky Sailng but continued here http://www.wvsc.org/ Don’t remember which one it was but my legs were more of an issue than the 2-33’s. I’m 6’ 2”. Sounds like with you’re experience you could do it pretty quickly. These guys https://www.azsoaring.com/ specialize in accelerated training, or at least they did a few years ago. Phoenix ain’t that far away. Anyway, hope you find what you want.
 
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luvflyin said:
Ok. I didn’t finish at Sky Sailng but continued here http://www.wvsc.org/ Don’t remember which one it was but my legs were more of an issue than the 2-33’s. I’m 6’ 2”. Sounds like with you’re experience you could do it pretty quickly. These guys specialize in accelerated training, or at least they did a few years ago. Phoenix ain’t that far away. Anyway, hope you find what you want.
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Thanx, but two things:
You say Phoenix, this seems to be Portland.
I am looking for Southern Cali at the moment. Other than that I found options in Florida.

But I appreciate the input, since Portland is closer than Fl. Thank you! Still hoping on SOCal though.
 
Retro Manger said:
Thanx, but two things:
You say Phoenix, this seems to be Portland.
I am looking for Southern Cali at the moment. Other than that I found options in Florida.

But I appreciate the input, since Portland is closer than Fl. Thank you! Still hoping on SOCal though.
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I did it at Willamette Valley near Portland. I remembered https://www.azsoaring.com/ from when I first wanted to start and was looking. I see I forgot to paste the link in after ‘these guys’ in the post above.
 
Those guys at Hemet I was about to check out two weeks ago but my plans changed due to some travel. I will give them a go.
AGCSC seems like a page without much info, doesn't look reliable. But I will try that if Hemet is a no-go.
Thanx!
Even if 2-33 is calling me, I have no plans to reply to the call. Only as a very last resort. Awful, awful plane.

Update - Cypress fly only Saturdays and maybe some Sundays. A no go for the moment.
 
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Imagine a club wanting you to prove yourself in the cheaper, less desirable aircraft. How rude.
 
Salty said:
Imagine a club wanting you to prove yourself in the cheaper, less desirable aircraft. How rude.
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Imagine someone who takes offense at not being able to pound around the patch in a higher-performance aircraft.

(he said, having everything in the “instruction given” column of his glider logbook in Grobs.)
 
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