By : Jim Lumley

I will never forget my very first flight in a glider. It took place twenty-two years ago on 30 May 1976. I was just 14 years old. Although I had already logged several hours of dual in my grand-father’s Champ and my father’s Chipmunk; I had neve experienced the quiet thrill of a sailplane.

First glider flight, May 30, 1976

My father (Bill (Lumley, IAC 1064), two of my brothers and I flew down to the Kendall Glider Port southeast of Miami, Florida on that spring morning and rented a Schweizer 2-33. The Schweizer 2-33, undoubtedly the best known sailplane in the United States, is a two-place trainer made of wood and fabric and manufactured by the Schweizer Aircraft Corporation in Elmira, New York. Before I knew it, I was strapped into the front seat while my older brother connected the 200-foot tow rope to the release hook on the bottom of the glider. My younger brother held the wings level while the tow plane slowly taxied forward taking out the slack from the rope. My Dad and I completed the pre-flight checks (belts, flight controls, canopy locked, altimeter set to zero, trim set and spoilers locked) I then gave the "thumbs up" sign to my brother on the left wing. He, in turn, gave the “ready for takeoff” hand signal to the tow pilot, and we were off !

The Schweizer got airborne first at about 45 knots as my dad held it just five feet above the ground as we waited for the tow plane to break ground. I was beginning to wonder if the two plane was ever going to get airborne. It finally did, and we both climbed toward the Atlantic Ocean at a speed of 85 knots, keeping the elevator of the tow plane on the horizon. We towed up to 1,500 feet, at which time my dad “pull” the yellow knob, which released our glider from the tow rope. We then slowed to a speed of just 45 knots, and things got very quiet. There is no way I can describe the awesome view and emotion I felt as I looked outside the canopy. I felt like an eagle. It was so calm, graceful and serene. The visibility from our glider was excellent. The only thing missing was engine noise and vibration.

We found lots of lift in the warm south Florida skies that day and climbed up to 2,500 feet (with no engine). Actually, gliders have been flown to altitudes that require oxygen and for distances that span hundreds of miles. The first thing I noticed was that the glider takes a lot more rudder during a turn due to the lack of prop wash flowing over the vertical stabilizer. We were aloft for a total of 30 minutes…although we could have stayed up much longer. But, my two brothers were down on the ground (probably hunting for snakes) waiting for their ride. We turned back toward the airport, extended the spoilers and entered the downwind at 1,000 feet. That’s when my dad said : “Okay, Jimmy, this is a real dead stick landing. If you land short you’re grounded”. I made sure I did not get grounded.

Jim Lumley is a Saab 34OB Captain with American Eagle based in Miami, FL. He is a member of the 1995 U.S.Glider Aerobatic Team, a commercial glider pilot and air show announcer.

Since that first glider flight two decades ago, I have enjoyed many thrilling adventures like ridge soaring in the family Grob-103 over the mining mountains of Whitwell, Tennessee, or riding shotgun in a Cessna L-19 as photographer for the 1995 US Glider Aerobatic Team while towing my dad in a German MU-28 over Fayence, France with the Swiss Alps in the background. But, there is nothin like the thrill of performing precision aerobatics in a glider.

Gliders have a rich history and have contributed significantly to the development of modern aviation. Glider flying began in the 1800’s with the works of George Cayley in England and Otto Lilienthal in Germany. The Wright Brothers by building and test flying glider in their pursuit of powered flight. At the end of World War I, the Treaty of Verailles prohibited airplane construction and fostered the development of gliders in Germany. During World War II, large cargo and troop gliders were built and used to quietly land behind enemy lines carrying jeeps, supplies and military personnel. Since the 1950’s, glider technology has advanced quickly, as fuselages were covered, cockpits enclosed and airfoil designs enhanced. Soaring and glider aerobatics went from an art to a science in just a few short decades with advances in performance, comfort and safety. Mechanical failures are rare with sailplanes because there are fewer things that can go wrong.

Most competition sailplanes are manufactured in Europe where glider aerobatics is very popular due to high fuel prices. The glider of choice is the Polish built Swift S-1 designed by Roland Kung and Ed Marganski. It’s made of carbon and fiberglass and has a wingspan of 41.2 feet. The empty weight is 680 pounds with an L/D of 30:1. It can pull G forces of +10 and 7.5 with a red line speed of 154 knots. The Swift roll rate is about 380 degress in 2.5 seconds and has a price tag of $ 60 thousands dollar compared to the price of a new Pitts S-2C for $ 165,000-plus. The Swift can be put together in about 17 minutes and is stored in a trailer which can be pulled behind your vehicle.

Ridge soaring with dad in a Grob in Whitwell, TN

Another good competition glider and aerobatic trained is the two-place Fox (also built in Poland) flown by five-time WGAC champion Jerzy Makula. Other aerobatic sailplanes include the Celstar built in South Africa and flown by US team member Charles Kalko, the SZD-50-3 "Puchacz", and the German MU-28 glider, which was built by the University of Munich and flown by my good friend Martin Scheuermann. The MU-28 features wing flaps that operate opposite the elevator which help the plane turn square corners with more precision.

Most aerobatic gliders are single seat. Maintenance for a glider is low because there is no engine and fewer parts to break. The cost of an aerotow to 4,000 feet AGL in $ 10 to 25.

There are only there categories in glider competition : Sportsman, Intermediate and Unlimited. To review the 1998 Knowns, see the January 1998 issue of SPORT AEROBATICS, page 42. Glider competition is gaining wide acceptance as more gliders are showing up al local IAC contests all over the United States. The US Glider Aerobatic Team participates in the WGAC (World Glider Aerobatic Contest) in old-numbered years, opposite the power team, and competes against other countries such as Russia, Poland, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Japan. Members of the US Glider Aerobatic Team are chosen based on scores from the National Glider Championship held the previous year. The WGAC schedule calld for a minimum of four flights, which include one Known Compulsory, one Freestyle, one Unknown Compulsory and a final Free.

Jim Lumley (acrotow) in the Grob-103 over Delray Beach, FL

With previous aerobatic experience, transition to glider aerobatics is not difficult. For those with no aerobatic experience, I would suggest getting several hours of instruction in a two-place aerobatic glider such as the Fox. If a two-place aerobatic glider is not available in your area, take dual time in a Pitts followed by basic instruction in a glider. Then hang out at some of the local contest and learn.

Obtaining a glider rating is fun. These are over 150 commercial gliderports in the United States and dozens of soaring clubs. In the US, you only need to be 14 years old to solo a glider (ask my younger brother, Danny, who recently soloed the Grob-103 on his fourteenth birthday) and no medical examination is required. If you already have an airplane rating, no written test is required and only ten solo glights are needed plus a check ride to obtain your Private Glider Rating.

More and more pilots are discovering the excitement and challeng of glider aerobatics. Whether for competition, airshow performing or just pure fun, glider aerobatics is gaining popularity within the United States and with the IAC, Try it sometime…your may get hooked like I did twenty-two years ago.