vario
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April 18, 2024
If you’ve ever watched a glider gracefully manoeuvre through the sky, or you’ve just started your life’s soaring adventure you might wonder how they or we manage to stay aloft for so long without an engine. One of the key tools that we use to help us as glider pilots achieve this beautiful feat, is called a variometer. In this article, I want to describe in simple terms how this clever
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June 14, 2023
I started gliding through my family, and since solo I’ve been flying for 24 years now, amassing 3500hrs soaring experience. So many tips and tricks I’ve learnt along the way, in this article I plan to share with you some random experiences and thoughts on them!
Clear your head
When it comes
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June 09, 2022
I've been flying with LXNAV's new HAWK vario system. To explain really quickly, it isn't a Total Energy vario. It works like this: if you can model the performance of the glider, and you can keep track of the attitude and airspeed, then you know
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February 16, 2022
Ask G; "My variometer doesn't seem to work correctly. How do I check the system? Maybe the newest pressure transducer variometers with wind gust algorithms have better results?"
Go back to basics for a moment: remember that a pilot should be able to discriminate between going up because he's in lift, and going -
February 03, 2022
Welcome to the new series of newsletter articles by the author of The Soaring Engine books, G Dale. This series is titled "Ask G" takes your questions directly to G for answers to be published in a future article. What's your question? Curious about soaring weather? Glider fundamentals? How does a
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May 13, 2021
Real-time Wind Indication
For the glider pilot, it is essential to know how the air mass is moving in its surroundings. Today's TEK Varios work very well for measuring vertical airmass movement if the airplane's speed is approximately constant, e.g., when circling.
As important as the vertical movement of the airmass is
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April 08, 2021
You have just invested in your new to you, pride and joy. It could be a pre-loved Libelle, it could be into a syndicate, or if your stars and hard work have aligned, a new-new toy! One of the things that help all of us enjoy a great and/or fast flight, is a nice panel – dedicated to your requirements and liking. I have put my father through four new panel builds over my time, each
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September 13, 2018
The Nimbus pilot who will not be named is at it again... I almost feel bad because I charge him shop rates to fix his problems, then he gives me a wealth of material for the newsletter. I received a frantic call that I need to fix the vario in his glider, because it is screwed up, again. Honestly, the computer has had its share of problems and has been back to the factory, installation errors
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August 02, 2018
We finally made it to the last practice day at the World Gliding Championships. It has been a string of difficulties from car delays, to weight issues, missing paperwork, phone issues, missed connecting flights, etc.
But we made it and took to the skies. Mike learned of an issue in the tail battery during his training flight in Terlet, so we are just using them as tail ballast. So an easy fix
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May 25, 2017
You spent more money then you care to admit to your spouse on upgrading the panel of your sailplane. It's functional and sexy, it's no longer using wire and twist-on cap splices purchased at Home Depot. You even prepared for different failures. But can you actually fly on it?
In my nimbus 3, I had a 302/303 and a 302a for my backup. I also flew with an iPAQ running SeeYou mobile. In case of