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Never got to fly a winch launch. That and a seaplane rating are the only things I regret not doing back in the day.Just to continue
Climbing
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Cable release
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Landing
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There fun. 0 to 60 in approx. 2.5 seconds whilst bouncing on a grass field and balancing on one wheel. Standing start to about 2,000ft in around 30 seconds.Never got to fly a winch launch. That and a seaplane rating are the only things I regret not doing back in the day.
How long is your launch field? As a kid I rode through a couple winch rides in the hellhole of a Schweizer TG2 (SGS 2-8), and on a 5,000 ft strip, the best we could do was 1200 ft altitude on the CG hook and 1000 ft on the nose hook. The ship was a lightweight "floater" limited to 72 MPH on tow, and it sure felt like a cat shot at the start. MGTOW 850 pounds with two aboard.There fun. 0 to 60 in approx. 2.5 seconds whilst bouncing on a grass field and balancing on one wheel. Standing start to about 2,000ft in around 30 seconds.
Clearly it depended on the field, conditions and the Glider you are using. Most of my training was on a Capstan before moving to a K13 / K21. Solo in a Pirat before moving on to the K23 and Discus. 60 knots would be the normal winch speed, any less 55 knots and we would indicate that the winch operator would need to speed upHow long is your launch field? As a kid I rode through a couple winch rides in the hellhole of a Schweizer TG2 (SGS 2-8), and on a 5,000 ft strip, the best we could do was 1200 ft altitude on the CG hook and 1000 ft on the nose hook. The ship was a lightweight "floater" limited to 72 MPH on tow, and it sure felt like a cat shot at the start. MGTOW 850 pounds with two aboard.
There's a bunch of names I've never heard of. About the only British glider I'm familiar with is Slingsby Skylark, and then only by sight. My variety of experience is pretty limited. (1-26, 2-32 & 2-33 Schweizers, KA6 & ASK21 Schleikers, IS28B Lark, and Grob 103.Most of my training was on a Capstan before moving to a K13 / K21. Solo in a Pirat before moving on to the K23 and Discus.
Some of them are the same. The ASK21 is what we call the K21 and the Grob 103 we know as the Twin Astir. Our club did have a Twin Astir but I didn't like and tried to avoid it if possible. It could have been just ours but I found it very heavy on the controls if you tried to thermal.There's a bunch of names I've never heard of. About the only British glider I'm familiar with is Slingsby Skylark, and then only by sight. My variety of experience is pretty limited. (1-26, 2-32 & 2-33 Schweizers, KA6 & ASK21 Schleikers, IS28B Lark, and Grob 103.
Back in my day they were the backbone of American glider training.The Schweizers are very few and far between in the UK, I cannot remember seeing one.
Ours were both very light, almost "twitchy" in pitch, but rather heavy in roll, with a very light and powerful rudder, which meant keeping the string straight was definitely an acquired skill. I found it much easier to transition Schweizer 2-33 trained pilots into the ASK21 than the Grob.Our club did have a Twin Astir but I didn't like and tried to avoid it if possible. It could have been just ours but I found it very heavy on the controls if you tried to thermal.