A visit to the Gliding Mecca of the World was a long-held dream for me, well-experienced in the flight simulator.
Three months of drought, and then we arrived! The weather looked decidedly iffy: rain the night before, and another front rolling in from the southwest.
We had only the Saturday, and so waited through the afternoon for the tiniest sign of a thermal or breeze.
Finally at 3 o’clock the tow plane took us up to 5,500 ft and we cruised the ridges on puffs of air that you might not feel on your cheek, if you were walking it.
With a 42:1 glide ratio the Duo Discus had a lot to do with the experience which was totally thrilling.
Sometimes you felt you could reach out and touch the rock wall as the aircraft sniffed the updraft.
I’m used to a much older and noisier glider, this machine is in a class of its own.
Very quiet, fully instrumented, and twitchy as hell.
My hamhanded stick inputs initially produced a series of spiral yo-yo’s as I tried to fly the course.
I finally settled down, flying with thumb and forefinger delicately on stick, and minute rudder input.
A real thoroughbred.
Much too soon, we had to return to base.
I will return there in the spring one day, they fly 500km legs as a matter of course when the weather is right.
Highly recommended.
Great set Charl .
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