singh@glacier.ARPA (Harinder Singh) (01/04/86)
..........................for the line eater.................. ................................................................ Contributing info about one's flying history is an excellent idea, I think. So here's mine: I started flying about 15 years ago, just before starting college in India. I was sixteen then, and decided to go to this small university right where I had grown up, mainly BECAUSE of the attached gliding club - one has strange priorities at that age. I got my private (gliders) licence in India and have most recently been flying out of Sky Sailing Airport in Fremont. My favorite aircraft to-date is the GROB ACRO - it is a fiberglass ship that is simply a dream to fly. It can also do aerobatics etc. (+6G, -2.5 or 3G). Others flown are Rhonlerche-II (my first one), Schweizer 2-33, 1-26 and 1-36. A few months ago I got the urge to get into power flying so I could "go somewhere" with it. Soloed in a 150 out of Palo Alto with the Stanford Flying Club. Of anecdotal interest - I'm absolutely delighted to have William Langewische as my flight instructor. He is a great guy and great instructor in addition to being the son of Wolfgang Langewische (of "Stick and Rudder" fame). Much though I have enjoyed power flying, I must tell you about my first reaction to it as a transitioning glider pilot - I couldn't believe how noisy and flimsy the airplanes seemed. It was like going from ice-skating to riding a skate-board or go-cart over cobble-stones! Just to check things out, I asked to go up in their "best" single after the intro ride in a 150 (at an earlier FBO). This turned out to be a Turbo 210 in which we hopped across the bay to Livermore and back, with some time spent doing turns etc. over familiar territory in Fremont. I'm afraid that flight did nothing to change the initial dis-illusionment. Anyway, I'm quite accustomed to 150's now and hope to go on to an instrument rating and multi-engine rating in the next few years after I get my private ticket. For right now, however, flying is on hold yet again. It seems to take up ALL my spare time and money and then some, whenever I'm doing it actively. So I've tended, in the last 15 years or so, to go through stretches as long as 2-3 years on occasion when I simply do NOT fly in order to get other things done in my life. For a few months in 1985 my gliding licence and logbook were under lock and key with my dance partner to keep me from seeing good clouds for soaring and wandering off... Net.aviation has been very informative and interesting - thanks to all the contributors. Now for a question to which someone is bound to have an answer - Q. Can one get permission to do aerobatics in controlled airspace at a specified time and place?? Unlike power aircraft, gliders operating in the Bay Area cannot go over to the ocean off Monterey to do such stuff. (The location I would ask for would be over the Calaveras Reservoir, except that there is a Victor airway in the vicinity.). I guess hope springs eternal or something, 'cause I know the most likely answer(s) to this question. Happy Flying in 1986, everybody, and keep the postings coming. - Inder ------- End of Forwarded Message ------- End of Forwarded Message