Why We Fly.

Nice little video.

http://vimeo.com/81879622

Nice! Thanks.

That's was cool

and that is why.

Yes absolutely, but what was that aircraft?

In reply to JtspellS:

Pilatus B4

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilatus_PC-11

Probably not worthy of its own thread, but as a counter-point, there is this: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=1157166247334

EDIT: P.S. - before someone else says something, I would agree something looks edited/"not right" about the video.

Thank you, that is a good video. I am impressed with the inverted stall at the 1 minute mark.

In reply to pilotbraden: Yeah, me too. Without the incredible power to weight ratio on those planes, no way that guy doesn't buy the proverbial farm.

In reply to kazoospec:

There is not much power involved, it is a glider. I am refering to the original video.

In reply to pilotbraden: Sorry, gotcha. The video I posted had an inverted stall at roughly 1:00 too.

In reply to kazoospec:

That second video is an advertisement. The flying is done with a model airplane. The airplane stops with the "missing" wing away from the camera and the pilot gets out.

Man, I would love to get into gliders.

Too scared of heights. My dad and uncle used to fly around in them. I was hoping my dad could retire and start gliding again. I may try to overcome me fears for that.

This thread is now for badass in flight footage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1X8SE-FDjk&sns=em

Saw this live. Sure, its airshow footage, but its a Phantom, chasing a MiG 17. Doesn't get much better than that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXntQfMexdM

Guess I'm sort of a fan of the "loud side" of aviation.

In reply to kazoospec:

That is badass.

Anti-stance wrote: Man, I would love to get into gliders.

http://www.southerneaglessoaring.com/

I paid $500 to join but that included all instruction. $15 for a 1,000 ft. tow, 2k for $20, 3k for $30.

I haven't done it, but a fellow member added up the cost of everything up to the point he got his license and it was $2700. An LSA License from a local field is $9,000.

Go for an introductory flight, see if you like it.

Dan

Only until you've flown by yourself, with only your thoughts, can you answer "Why we fly." It is unlike anything I've experienced. Mere words cannot convey the feeling.

Because I fly, I envy no man on Earth.

In reply to 914Driver:

I took flight lessons as a teenager in a Cessna 152 in the 90s but stopped because of money. I remember the school had a discovery flight to see if people wanted to start lessons. I didn't even think about trying that with gliders. I may have to try it out.

A couple of questions for you.

First and foremost, I am a big guy, 6'5" and about 270 lbs, are there even training gliders I can go up in? I saw on the website for the club that they have a 242 lbs weight limit per seat.

I have a friend that flies hang gliders. He was telling me about thermal lift, do you guys use warm air columns like that? I thought that might have been what the three gliders in the video were doing when they were circling.