Bob Lacovara, who chaired the 2011 SSA Conference in Philadelphia, has been working as part of a group to gather data on the future of the SSA Convention/Conference. He and his colleagues on the SSA Conference Survey Committee have devised a survey to see if they can determine the thoughts of the soaring community on this…
News
Jet Sailplane Demo at Sylacauga Soaring April 16th
by Bill Elliott •
The Sylacauga Soaring Society (Alabama USA) will host Bob Carlton’s BonusJet Demo on Saturday, April 16th. The club plans to start flying activities as usual around noon and the BonusJet will make numerous flights during the day and then around 5:00 PM everyone will adjourn to the large hangar for a barbeque dinner and refreshments. Bob Carlton…
Cumulus Soaring Publishes April Newsletter
by Bill Elliott •
As subscribers to Paul Remde’s Cumulus Soaring newsletter, we were delighted to receive a short version of the April edition today. As Paul says in the introduction, today’s edition is a preliminary issue, to be followed by a longer edition in a week or two. We always look forward to Paul’s newsletter, which contains not only new product announcements, upgrade news, rebates, and specials, but photos, short stories, and soaring news from around the world. If you’re not already a subscriber, consider signing up today. Click here to read the newsletter.
New Ultralight Glider World Record Claim
by Bill Elliott •
On April 2nd, the FAI received a world record claim from U.S. pilot Robert Spielman, who flew a SparrowHawk glider around a 100 km triangle to beat the current world speed record for ultralight gliders. The flight originated from SoaringNV in Minden, Nevada. Click on the title for more details.
The 2011 Australian Qualifying Grand Prix Results
by Bill Elliott •
The 2011 Australian Qualifying Grand Prix is over with Bruce Taylor earning 38 total points with his JS1 Revelation. Over the 5 contest days Bruce dominated the qualifier by claiming 1st, 6th, 1st, 1st, and 2nd daily standings. The field of 8 sailplanes included two JS1 Revelations (one flown by Bruce and another flown by Brad Edwards who…
Overnight Soaring Flight
by Bill Elliott •
Gordon Boettger a leading pioneer of wave soaring is willing to perform overnight soaring. He has recently broken the U.S soaring distance record for two-seat open class sailplanes, by flying 981 miles. Now he is aspiring to fly overnight and desiring to confront the limitations of sun setting. His wife Melissa said . “Most people…
Silent 2 Electro Grass Take-Off Video, Alzate, Italy
by Bill Elliott •
The new electric Silent 2 launching for the first time from a grass surface on a calm day. Note the fence movement from the propeller blast. Alisport has recently announced the version will be named the “Electro” and that the Silent 2 Targa with its retractable gear and variable incidence stabilizer will be available with this…
Tom Kelley “711” Wins U.S. Seniors Contest
by Bill Elliott •
After six days of tough competition at Seminole Lake Gliderport in Florida, Tom Kelley (711) emerged the winner in a tough field of 47. Tom flew his ASG-29 in the 15 meter configuration and bested many former U.S. soaring champions in weather that ranged from weak and blue to strong with good cu. In 2009,…
New Flight Recorder Gains IGC Approval
by Bill Elliott •
Today, Ian Strachan announced on the IGC discussion forum that the LX8080F Flight Recorder, manufactured by LXNav, has gained approval from the International Gliding Commission (IGC), effective March 14, 2011. To date, the IGC has approved 48 types of flight recorders from 19 manufacturers. According to Ian, “IGC approval follows test and evaluation by the…
Spring has arrived in the UK
by Bill Elliott •
We received the following note from an interested reader in the UK: At last, spring has arrived at Windrushers Gliding Club, situated in the heart of England. Members have started to pull the covers from their glass ships, dust them off, and stretch their legs as they get ready for the soaring season. The club…
