Builder Profile
Steve Martin said it best…When your hobbies get in the way of your work, that's ok; but when your hobbies get in the way of your hobbies… Well.
Long story short - I am a ME that has been flying RC planes and building things since was a kid. I have my pilots license, but due to the insane costs I have given it up until I am finished with the 3.
Cheap Flying
If you're looking for an inexpensive way to get in the air then this is it. I can also say it's the most fun I've had in any airplane, even more than the Pitts. The only downsides are that you need time to assemble the glider every time you want to fly, a towplane to get in the air, and strong convection to stay aloft. When all three conditions are met, you're in for the ride of your life.
My longest flight was 3.5 hours in the club Blanik L-13 - total cost $26. The first thermal I caught that day took me from 1500 feet AGL up to 8,500 feet cloud base. I must have been climbing pretty fast because at about 5000 feet I saw my instructor jump on below me in a Duo Discus. He jumped out at about 7,000 to start his long cross country. Nearing 8,500 feet I was enjoying the ride and view below me when suddenly the horizon started to get wispy. The Vario was still reading 1500 ft/min up! They call this cloud suck and I had a feeling I was about to get in serious trouble. The only option was to make a break for the edge of the cloud. Pushing the nose over to 120kts I was able to just make it out before touching the red. What a rush! I spent the rest of the day thermaling with hawks and butterflies between 3 and 8 thousand feet.
