Monthly Archives: May 2023

There is surprisingly little written about the use of water ballast in gliders, and this is true of the flight manuals produced with many gliders and which explain the manufacturer’s systems in detail but say very little about when and how to use the systems. Most of the knowledge in the sport seems to be handed down with the sale of used gliders as old owners impart their experiences to the

The decision to buy a new glider depends on so many different factors, whether it be that the club fleet is getting harder to use due to utilisation, your competition desires are changing, new goals emerging, your budget has changed, how much you’re willing to spend versus the amount of time you can actually fly it, the list goes on... 

It’s an

It’s not soaring, exactly that’s the risk. It’s sunlight. But unless you assemble and stage under an awning, unless you only thermal in cloud shadow, it’s as risky as any other situation when the sun shines on your skin. Caucasians in Australia have much more sun and much more damaged skin than in northern Europe. Sun angle.

It’s

I’m on the jet home from the Flight Challenge Cup in Prievidza, Slovakia. It’s among the first few competitions that get flown in Europe alongside the Pribina Cup, often they both receive 100-plus entries each (year).  The spring conditions at the FCC can either bring really exciting flying and fast speeds along convergence lines, super tactical weather, or just rain.  Fortunately