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Stretching the Final Glide

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vontresc

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Dec 10, 2009, 1:56:52 PM12/10/09
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A freind of mine sent me this youtube vid today. The pilot hets a wee
bit low during his final glide.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZxvYMC2QvI

Enjoy

Pete

Matt Herron Jr.

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Dec 10, 2009, 5:36:40 PM12/10/09
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LINK seems to be busted...

Wayne Paul

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Dec 10, 2009, 5:55:14 PM12/10/09
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Matt,

It works here in Idaho. I checked when it was first posted and then again after your post. In both cases the link took me directly to the video.


"Matt Herron Jr." <ma...@digitalshorts.com> wrote in message news:1c0400ec-61a7-4e28...@u1g2000pre.googlegroups.com...

Scott

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Dec 10, 2009, 6:03:26 PM12/10/09
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Worked fine for me...

Vorsanger1

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Dec 10, 2009, 6:35:00 PM12/10/09
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I couldn't connect to the link direclty. However, when I highlighted
it, and then copied and pasted it, I got through OK. The pilot had
nerves of steel.

Cheers, Charles

Frank Whiteley

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Dec 10, 2009, 6:36:07 PM12/10/09
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I had to edit out everything ahead of www.youtube.com........from the
URL

Matt Herron Jr.

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Dec 11, 2009, 1:26:18 PM12/11/09
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That worked, thanks

Tony

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Dec 11, 2009, 2:06:14 PM12/11/09
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was that corn or wheat effect that he dove into towards the end? and
i wonder how close he really was to those power lines at the 2:30
mark. pretty neat video!

jeplane

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Dec 11, 2009, 4:09:30 PM12/11/09
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This guy is an idiot.

It's far from showing an example. He is cutting it way too close to
the trees toward the end of the video, as well as only 50 feet
perhaps, above a power line like Tony mentions.

I would be pissed if I saw anyone doing that at my local airport!....:-
(


Richard
Phoenix, AZ

Message has been deleted

Markus Graeber

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Dec 11, 2009, 8:59:49 PM12/11/09
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If you read the title at the beginning of the video it says EGC (as in
European Gliding Championships) 2005 in Nitra (Slovakia). This is a
competition finish at a major gliding competition, there won't be any
student pilots on solo nor will there be "normal" patterns (especially
not at 1000 feet) when it starts raining gliders coming home from the
task at the end of the day...

The final got a bit marginal but he elected for a rolling finish after
going into ground effect on the last few 100 meters, again a valid
procedure for experienced pilots at a competition like this, I have
seen a lot worse... No spectators, cars etc in the way either like
there have been at plenty other competitions...

Markus

Dave Nadler

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Dec 11, 2009, 9:51:33 PM12/11/09
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On Dec 11, 8:20 pm, AGL <sande...@protoproduction.com> wrote:
> Our club rule (advice) is that at 1000 agl you're in a
> "circuit," or a "pattern" for the chosen field.  Didn't he consider
> the other gliders in the normal circuit?  What if there was a student
> pilot on solo concentrating on making his first landing while this
> joker was sneaking in just over the fence?

This is not your local club.

At championships like this a "normal" pattern is
often FORBIDDEN, because it can be too hazardous
when 100 gliders are finishing and landing in a short time.

When I flew in the Bayreuth pre-worlds, we were
REQUIRED to land straight ahead without pattern...

This does look rather lower than healthy however !

Please do not try this at home,
Best Regards, Dave "YO electric"

GARY BOGGS CFIG

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Dec 12, 2009, 11:30:08 AM12/12/09
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I was wondering when the comments were going to start bashing this
guy. One thing I was wondering about is that I didn't hear him
announcing his intentions over the radio. It seems like that would be
a good idea, considering that there were obviously other gliders
landing at the same time. Maybe he announced before the beginning of
the video? He did say something at one point, does anybody know what
he said?

And what the hell was making that rattling noise?


Gary Boggs

Dave Nadler

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Dec 12, 2009, 12:08:21 PM12/12/09
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On Dec 12, 11:30 am, GARY BOGGS CFIG <waveg...@charter.net> wrote:
> I was wondering when the comments were going to start bashing this
> guy.  One thing I was wondering about is that I didn't hear him
> announcing his intentions over the radio.  It seems like that would be
> a good idea, considering that there were obviously other gliders
> landing at the same time.  Maybe he announced before the beginning of
> the video? He did say something at one point, does anybody know what
> he said?

Having 100 gliders announcing "Nitra traffic I'm over the big manure
pile .756km out landing left pea patch Nitra" wouldn't work well.
At Bayreuth we were instructed ONLY to call 2km and BRIEFLY.

>  And what the hell was making that rattling noise?

Gary ! Didn't you fly a LAK for a few years ? ;-)

glidergeek

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Dec 12, 2009, 12:17:06 PM12/12/09
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On Dec 10, 10:56 am, vontresc <vontr...@gmail.com> wrote:

Looks like alot of landing options and speed to gain altitude if
needed. Wish the camera was on his instruments at the same time.

Steve Leonard

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Dec 12, 2009, 3:38:04 PM12/12/09
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On Dec 12, 11:17 am, glidergeek <r.ba...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>
> Looks like alot of landing options and speed to gain altitude if
> needed. Wish the camera was on his instruments at the same time.

Agree. Said 133 KPH or 80 MPH glide speed, lots of nice fields so
that if things went to worms, he had options. And for those worried
about "clearing power lines by only 50 feet of altitude" I can assure
you that if I am going into a short field, I am not going to be 50
feet above obstacles! Yes, it was a close glide, but if you notice,
as he turns the corner onto the field, another glider goes by and also
lands straight ahead in front of him. And his ground roll was 30
seconds. This shows he had a fair amount of energy even at touchdown.

Maybe not the optimum glide in, but it worked.

Tim Taylor

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Dec 12, 2009, 7:54:24 PM12/12/09
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I must be missing something, I don't see the nice fields to land in.
I would expect a ground loop in every field he crossed. The one to
the right of the river is the only one that looks reasonable for the
entire glide.

That said, I have had one final glide like this at the 2006 US
Nationals that was close to this with a forced deviation around power
lines and a hanger to land at 8 pm. The fields under me were better
and I hope to not do that again.

toad

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Dec 12, 2009, 9:04:52 PM12/12/09
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I liked how he seems to ridge soar the trees along the creek.

jcarlyle

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Dec 12, 2009, 9:19:04 PM12/12/09
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Maybe it's like ridge running. When you first see it you think "this
guy's crazy". When you try it you're 300 feet above the ridge
initially, then as you watch people pass you underneath you move down
to 100 feet. I can't help but think this guy's done this a few times
before!

As for me, I'll definitely pass. I had white knuckles while seated in
my chair, fearing for his safety.

-John

glidergeek

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Dec 12, 2009, 11:46:14 PM12/12/09
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Tim
I didn't say nice fields to land in, I said alot of landing options.
The quality of the camera vs what he was seeing vs what everybody
perceived is vastly different. And it looks like he was rather
committed to either make it to the glider port or commit to a off
field landing. He obviously made the right choice. I'll bet you a six
pack of Fat Tire Beer there were at least that many good land out
fields available to him.

LimaZulu

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Dec 13, 2009, 12:51:47 PM12/13/09
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Low final glide on youtube!

You all should read explanation at the end of video, why so low final
part of glide from last thermal actually happened.
With usual rules where finish line is on the airfield, result is
somethimes such a low final part, however unexpected. It is result of
strong sink which cut off 200m of reserve!
Such strong sinks are known during final glides in Nitra from same
direction.

Please read also excelent article on safer finishes, by John Cochrane,
arguing for a high finish gate and no rolling finishes to reduce
accidents on and near the home airport.

http://faculty.chicagobooth.edu/john.cochrane/research/Papers/safer%20finishes.doc

Regards,

Luka Znidarsic, pilot in command during low final glide in this video!

Another solution is also FES system:
www.front-electric-sustainer.com

John Bojack

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Dec 13, 2009, 11:53:21 PM12/13/09
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Holy Cow! That seemed like an unbelievably flat (and successful) glide into
the field that's almost not visible at the start of it all. Amazing.
Especially when it looks like it's all over and then he turns to fly over
the trees for another mile! Am I the only glider pilot that runs into sink
at times like that?

J4

"LimaZulu" <lukazn...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:2bc2bc6e-94a8-4031...@l13g2000yqb.googlegroups.com...

jimboffin

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Dec 14, 2009, 4:07:49 AM12/14/09
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Looked like a pretty well judged final glide to me. He had enough
height to put in a 30 degree banked turn prior to landing and
sufficient energy remaining to do a very long ground run to the glider
rigging area. I'll bet if we could see his asi we would see that he
deliberately put it low to increase glide performance over the last
field.

I believe that ground effect final glides of up to 5km have been used
at Nitra in previous contests.

Jim

Andy

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Dec 14, 2009, 8:24:15 AM12/14/09
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On Dec 13, 9:51 am, LimaZulu <lukaznidar...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Low final glide on youtube!
>
> You all should read explanation at the end of video, why so low final
> part of glide from last thermal actually happened.
> With usual rules where finish line is on the airfield, result is
> somethimes such a low final part, however unexpected. It is result of
> strong sink which cut off 200m of reserve!
> Such strong sinks are known during final glides in Nitra from same
> direction.
>
> Please read also excelent article on safer finishes, by John Cochrane,
> arguing for a high finish gate and no rolling finishes to reduce
> accidents on and near the home airport.
>
> http://faculty.chicagobooth.edu/john.cochrane/research/Papers/safer%2...

Andy

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Dec 14, 2009, 8:36:17 AM12/14/09
to
On Dec 13, 9:51 am, LimaZulu <lukaznidar...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Low final glide on youtube!
>
> You all should read explanation at the end of video, why so low final
> part of glide from last thermal actually happened.
> With usual rules where finish line is on the airfield, result is
> somethimes such a low final part, however unexpected. It is result of
> strong sink which cut off 200m of reserve!
> Such strong sinks are known during final glides in Nitra from same
> direction.
>
> Please read also excelent article on safer finishes, by John Cochrane,
> arguing for a high finish gate and no rolling finishes to reduce
> accidents on and near the home airport.
>
> http://faculty.chicagobooth.edu/john.cochrane/research/Papers/safer%2...

>
> Regards,
>
> Luka Znidarsic, pilot in command during low final glide in this video!
>
> Another solution is also FES system:www.front-electric-sustainer.com

Goes to show that the reserves many of us use are not adequate for
100% of the situations encountered on final glide. I use 300 meters
(1,000 ft) of buffer above a 4 knot McCready and in the western US
even that won't protect you from the worst sink. If you don't know
there are good fields along the last 5-10 miles before the airport
don't push it.

9B

db_sonic

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Dec 16, 2009, 5:50:48 PM12/16/09
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> > Low final glide on youtube!
>

This is really something to watch for those of us who tend to play it
more conservative.
Thanks for posting.

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