There have been recent changes at the company that produces the ClearNav flight computer and variometer. The ClearNav was developed by the Nielsen-Kellerman Company, which was owned in part by soaring pilot Richard Kellerman. Kellerman has now sold his interest in the company. According to NK, “the ClearNav brand has been acquired by founder Richard Kellerman and…
Richard Kellerman now has working prototypes of the long awaited ClearNav (CN) vario. The new vario will be tested during our winter by pilots flying in South Africa and Australia. Up to now, the ClearNav flight computer has worked only with the Cambridge 302 vario. The new CN vario will take over that task, and also will work with…
I have so far focused on technology. Most soaring pilots are analytic, engineer types, and a story line that focuses on technology is natural to us. But in tracing this story, already we’ve discovered that the technology per se was not the central part of the story; it was how technology changed the “soft stuff,”…
GPS only the start. Here are some things I see on the horizon. 1. Weather information. In-cockpit satellite weather is now available. It can be extremely valuable in a contest. The visible satellite loop and radar loop in particular can help with the agonizing decision, do I go on in this turn area or go…
Werner Ruegger (EL) A high speed pass to finish the GTA race at the Eagleville Gliderport, Eagleville Tenn in July 2008. Notice a rain storm on his heels. Photo Ron Murphy
Bill Elliott landing at the Chilhowee Gliderport in the JS-1 sailplane on Sat Oct 16, 2010. Was a beautiful day to fly, was Oktoberfest, an event that attracts people off the road to see what it’s all about. Photo by Ron Murphy taken with Canon 30D with 35-105 lense in auto settings.
GPS is the most obvious change. GPS made navigation much easier. There was a lot of grumbling, “real pilots know how to look at a map.” To this day, there’s lots of grumbling that “pilots will just stare at their GPS all day,” ignoring how much head-down time map navigation and glide planning took, and…
A talk about the history and evolution of contest soaring in the US which was presented at the 2010 Barnaby Lectures.
Rand Baldwin (NN) Flying north on the Sequatchie Valley in Tennessee, as the race begins with other pilots. Photo by Ron Murphy, using a Canon 30D with a 300MM lense at 500 of a sec at a 400ASA setting. www.murphystudio.com
Eagleville Soaring Club – 30 miles south of Nashville, TN. Rides, Lessons, Tows. Now accepting new members! Come fly with us! www.eaglevillesoaring.org Ridge flying video:
