Re: [Aus-soaring] Skynch

Hi Mike, We have speed conrol from the glider right now. Its called a VHF radio with a press to talk button on the control column and a boom mike. Calling down speeds to the winch driver is not that hard. Not perfect but we have the technolgy in most gliders. Just try and convince the GFA. Th

[Aus-soaring] address

Has anyone got an address (email) for David John Goodley. Last seen in the Northern Territory (!) with a slightly used Hornet, VH-GMU. Probably best reply direct to me (gavi...@hotmail.com) if you can. Thanks. Gavin Wrigley.

Re: [Aus-soaring] Skynch

20+ years ago we we would always repeat speed twice to winch driver using the old boom mics- never an issue and you could always use signals - and the other good thing I used was a vacuum gauge in field of vision when on winch and I could launch a glider by numbers - remember it well and really wor

Re: [Aus-soaring] Skynch

Mike Borgelt wrote: Doesn't have to be electric. I've long been an advocate of putting the winch throttle in the glider pilot's hand. Sure beats using semaphore with the glider airframe. This system comes pretty close: http://www.skylaunchuk.com/launchassistant.php _

Re: [Aus-soaring] Skynch

Hi All, From a practical point of view re pilot control of a winch self -launch, I would imagine the interesting bit would be foolproof control of - wind in and appropriately stopping - the cable after release from the glider! I understand that there is equipment available working on 2400 MHz

[Aus-soaring] Updated weather forecast for the weekend 29 -30 May 2010

Hi folks The updated weather forecast (which has improved slightly over yesterday's outlook) is now available at http://the-white-knight-speaks.blogspot.com -- Robert Hart ha...@interweft.com.au +61 (0)438 385 533 http://www.hart.w

Re: [Aus-soaring] Skynch and launch coord over VHF

I agree with Harry. At glider launch we persist with [semaphore] signals used 50 years ago, whereby the wing tip runner [who is not in the communications loop] still manages the take off process. And I have seen winch clubs that coordinate launches on CB radio: that puts the glider pilot out of th

Re: [Aus-soaring] Skynch

I'm against the use of radio to report speeds. We've had instances of other VHF radio users making spurious calls when the glider is being launched and if only for this reason then I am opposed to it. And I think the wing down aerotow retrieves is a bit of a red herring - two very different thin

Re: [Aus-soaring] Skynch and launch coord over VHF

The wing tip runner does not 'manage' the take off process - the pilot does. There seems to be a trend whereby pilots think that the launch process is something that is controlled by the wing-runner and they are a passive participant - this is completely wrong. The take-off process does not happ

Re: [Aus-soaring] Skynch and launch coord over VHF

Hi All, Please bring up some logical arguments. The one that the pilot cannot see behind him just doesn't have merit. We regularly permit aerotows with no wing runner - a wing down takeoff. At least with a winch launch we have the winch driver looking in the direction of the launch which may n

Re: [Aus-soaring] Skynch and launch coord over VHF

I'm interested you mention the BGA. Several UK airfields don't have the winch in view of the launch point - the only option is radio. many use CB as the amount of launch traffic would drown out the 2 gliding frequencies - 4 times the number of gliders as we have and all in radio range on each o

Re: [Aus-soaring] Skynch

>I'm against the use of radio to report speeds. Isn't radio just the least unreliable method? Wing waggling at speeds close to the stall is likely to cause more exciting problems than a dud radio. D On 28/05/2010, Dave Donald wrote: > I'm against the use of radio to report speeds. We've had in

Re: [Aus-soaring] Skynch and launch coord over VHF

>Many use CB as the amount of launch traffic would drown out the 2 gliding frequencies I think any discussion regarding radios should be prefaced by the disclaimer that VHF radios don't work very well, especially on the ground. UHF CB radio is many times more reliable than the VHF in gliders. It

[Aus-soaring] Wing Signals

>Isn't radio just the least unreliable method? Radios are more likely to fail than controls, I would trust my control linkages more than the radio. >Wing waggling at speeds close to the stall is likely to cause more exciting problems than a dud radio. I certainly hope no-one has let their spee

Re: [Aus-soaring] Wing Signals

Thanks Michael, particularly with respect to the speed and lowering the nose. If only ever this lesson was learned, then accidents/incidents would drop dramatically. At Harry's suggestion I cruised the BGA Safe Winch Site and looked at the simulations http://www.gliding.co.uk/bgainfo/safety/win

Re: [Aus-soaring] Skynch and launch coord over VHF

At our club we winch launch, on both strips where the winch and launch point are not visible to each other due to the topography. We use UHF radio communication from the launch point, usually with a radio operator at the 'piecart' overseeing the launch and taking verbal instructions from the win

Re: [Aus-soaring] Flexible solar array to mount on glider

At 02:12 PM 27/05/2010, you wrote: 1.0 KW system Grant $8000.00 govt paid RECs $800.00 govt paid System cost $8920.00 Tile brackets $120.00 my cost Level 2 electrician connect to grid $360.00 my cost $2500.00 deposit loss of interest @ 5% average rate 12 months $412.50 my loss Cost and Loss to

Re: [Aus-soaring] Skynch

At 06:35 PM 27/05/2010, you wrote: This system comes pretty close: http://www.skylaunchuk.com/launchassistant.php ___ It must be about 25 years ago that I provided an electronic airspeed sensor to a

Re: [Aus-soaring] Wing Signals

At 01:29 PM 28/05/2010, you wrote: Thanks Michael, particularly with respect to the speed and lowering the nose. If only ever this lesson was learned, then accidents/incidents would drop dramatically. At Harry's suggestion I cruised the BGA Safe Winch Site and looked at the simulations

Re: [Aus-soaring] Wing Signals

And according to BGA winching in the UK is 7 times more dangerous than aerotow - from memory that's 7 times as many deaths as from aero towing. Michael -Original Message- From: aus-soaring-boun...@lists.internode.on.net [mailto:aus-soaring-boun...@lists.internode.on.net] On Behalf Of Mike

Re: [Aus-soaring] Wing Signals

>I certainly hope no-one has let their speed drop that far and remained >on the wire. They probably didn't remain on the wire. They probably stall/spinned off it :-( The BGA says this: A glider with a 1g stalling speed of 34kt is likely to stall during rotation at about 50kt if the rotation rat

Re: [Aus-soaring] Wing Signals

Michael Shirley wrote: And according to BGA winching in the UK is 7 times more dangerous than aerotow - from memory that's 7 times as many deaths as from aero towing. Michael As a innocent bystander, whose club uses winch launching, I think both of these statements really require further devel

Re: [Aus-soaring] Wing Signals

On Fri, 2010-05-28 at 14:22 +1000, Mike Borgelt wrote: > Stalling has nothing to do with speed and everything to do with angle > of attack which is controlled by the pilot by where he puts the stick > in the fore and aft sense. > When that sinks in to everyone including instructors we might get

Re: [Aus-soaring] Wing Signals

May I refer you to Soaring Australia, November 2007, for the full article and correct my error it states the ".the fatal and serious injury rate is eight times that on aerotow launches." Michael _ From: aus-soaring-boun...@lists.internode.on.net [mailto:aus-soaring-boun...@lists.inter