[relate2]

Hi everyone,

It has been a while since I reported on how my new Lightsport 3 was going. Well I have just over 10 hours up on it now and loving it more and more. I have only had one scare so far. An intermediate syndrome of thinking a couple of hours in a new high performance wing lets you throw it around as much as your old Sonic.

Just a note to anyone who after throwing a few chandels or wingovers finds themselves heading vertically straight up to remember to put in a little roll on the way up to stop your glider from tail sliding backwards and flipping upside down.

No I didn't do that but luckily I was listening and more importantly remembered what a mate of mine was told about the roll thing when this happened to him. Unfortunately for him he was told this after he tail slid, flipped upside down, feet into the keel and luckily kept a death grip on the base bar and his Lightsport recovered and he landed safely.

It is quiet interesting how fast the mind thinks when you are heading skyward vertically at a rate of knots going "This is not good, WHAT was Adrian told to do when this happens".

Anyway now to what I found my new Lightsport 3 does very well, luckily for me.

Today at Stanwell was a classic end of winter day. Beautiful flying but unfortunately the lagoon where we normally land was full so we had to use the emergency landing area at the other end of the beach. Well what with a new landing area, all new considerations, not as much run off area, ocean very close I lost my focus and normal procedure as I started my landing approach.

Everything was going well, I lost my height well, made sure I missed the power lines As I made my final turn I struck a bit of turbulence as the wind was a bit south and had a fleeting thought WOW the glider is not handling as good as it usually does. By this time I was down to about 50' and glided over the water (there are two lagoons one at each end of the beach) and again fleetingly, as you do, thought, WOW the glider seems to be gliding further than normal.

Luckily the wind was about 12-15 knots and not really light as I was heading over the sand and the ocean was only about 150' in front of me I came down and flared and had another fleeting thought WOW that was a crisp flare, the glider virtually stopped dead.

I then looked down at the base bar and saw this looooong white cord leading off the basebar trailing behind me for about 10'....Oh S**t I just landed with full VG!!!!!

Do I ever want to do that again, no thanks, makes the glider way to stiff controlling it in that last 50-100 feet, but good to know that full VG landings are possible.

To make this post even longer here is a little story about VG landings. Steve Moyes was coming into land, inland and found himself running out of space as he was heading towards a barbed wire fence. He quickly pulled on a couple of handfuls of VG flared hard and the glider stopped dead just before the fence.

Certainly another situation where you pray to God you remember this story during those fleeting seconds of going "Oh S**t this is going to hurt,"

Cheers

Robert

[Tex]

I have done that so many times and always thought I would never do it again,... of course sometime later I did. The only problem, if it is a problem at all, is the set up and long glide out. But they sure do have a nice crisp rotation on flare, and should by rights stall a little slower.

Never messed up a landing like that yet, but had to battle to get the thing where I wanted it " Boy this air sure is thick today" The joy of nailing the flare and a no step landing is soon over come as you walk your glider off, stand/trip on the VG and nose in

[relate2]

Oh Tex you had me laughing out loud....stand/trip on the VG and nose in. Classic

[day dreamer]

Great story relate2! I was at Fort Funston yesterday for the fly-in and saw a guy pile in HARD with the noseplate whacking him in the back of the head. He was a local whom i have seen fly many times, and is very accomplished. Later at the saftey meeting, he told us that his VG was stuck on! Will B. helped him to repair the problem. Since i have no VG on my Eagle i was amazed that having the VG on too much can be a problem. Thanks for sharing that though brother.

[noman]

its nice flying a race car.good story and am glad u made it in with no probs.I broke 3 ribs on my first flight in my stealth 2.Arg the pain.