Showing posts with label szd-51. Show all posts
Showing posts with label szd-51. Show all posts

Saturday, April 12, 2014

2014.04.11-12 Junior!

Mission codename: "Junior"
Not very inventive but, well... The goal was easy. Firstly I must say I don't know the English word for "laszować" - in short it is when you "get" a new type. Firstly you pass it at the mechanics, he asks you for its details like, speeds, weights, lengths, (dis)assembly and more. Later you have to do around 5 flights (1-2 with an instructor on a plane you already "have" to check your skills, and later 3 on the glider you're trying to "get") to finish the process.
I passed the theory test on Friday and hoped to finish everything that day, well yeah, that was the plan. Around one hour before sunset when I was already in the glider ready for my first check ride a problem arise at the winch making impossible to depart behind it. How great is that?!?
The next day we started late (due to "intellectual" reasons), 12:45 first departure. The winch arrived 2 hours later and that is when I could start flying. Two flights quickly done, a short pause, short intro to how to fly the SZD-51-1, how it behaves etc. and I can get in the air. Three flights, each around 4 minutes. The first one, hmm, it kinda was bad. The steering requires less force, gentle moves are more than enough. Especially when using the elevator. A lesson learned: the steering is very fragile. The next two flights have been smooth and without problems, found the correct amount of force needed and all when almost perfectly. This is how the mission was accomplished. SZD-51-1 Junior is the fourth glider I can fly on. Next on: Grob 102 Astir CS, mission "Astir".
Photos from Friday:
Puchacz (SP-3782) going to the moon

Sunday, March 23, 2014

2014.03.22 Back in the air

After over 8 months without a single glider flight, the past weekend finally gave me the combination I've been waiting for. Good weather and free time. Although my friends have been flying already since at least the beginning of the the month, I haven't had the opportunity yet, or the weather was crap or I had a shitload to do... Well the rules say I have to complete 6 flights with ans instructor and 3 solos before I can continue training that is what I started with. A standard 9am briefing and on we go. Unfortunately there currently is only one available double seater for flights, and as there has been around 8 persons wanting to fly on it, the queue wasn't small. Over all I managed to spend 17 minutes in air during 4 flights. Had some problems at the start, but as time passed got back to the routine. 10 hours at the airport spent and just 17 minutes in the air... Hope to get back in the air soon.

SP-3459 "SJ" SZD-51 Junior