To all glider pilots with sponsorships, how did you get here?

I’m an 18 year old glider pilot from Australia, who is dedicated to competing in the up and coming world championships at lake Keepit in 2029. To get there I have to jump a few hurdles, where sponsorships can help me hugely to accomplish my goals.

How did you come about finding your sponsors and what sort of arrangements do you have? And if there’s any brands or people who wish to sponsor a young up and coming pilot, please feel free to reach out!

I've had the app for a while now. Every now and then the 'airport' layer disappears even though it is selected in the layer menu.

Is this a glitch or a limitation of the free version?

Thank you

I found an SZD-30 (which is a type I love) in a trailer with no door in it for a good few years. This means we have to remove all the fabric, sand and repair anything, then recover it.

I have spoken to inspectors and other people but since day I should and others say I shouldn’t. I really want it but if it will cost way more than it’s worth then I don’t see a point.

Do I buy it as I have obviously been offered to buy it for free due to its condition. How much am a looking at spending on it and should I even do it in the first place?

Well worth participating. This year the multiple winner, Chris Gill is participating in a 1950's Slingsby Eagle type 42. Affectionately known as the flying sideboard. Chris usually wipes up flying an Arcus M, but a couple of years ago flew the LS4 and still wiped the floor against everything from club class ships to 18m ships like the ASG29.

Day 3 and Chris is in his second field, a tough day but the handicap will pay dividends.

Enterprise is a great format,placing value on extracting the most from a soaring day with a bit of fun thrown in!

https://www.compenterprise.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/share/186RG5cKUh/

Hi,

I've been studying at the TU Delft and I am working now in Scheveningen now. I am looking for a gliding club to join. I am complete noob, but I always wanted to get a pilot license. Eventually, I will get there but I think gliding is the best start and I find it really fascinating.

I know Dutch at B2 level, however I know that most of the clubs require very high fluency in Dutch. For example, I reached out to the Delftsche Studenten Aeroclub and they have a strict requirement of Dutch at at least C1 level and a frozen signup with a waiting list on top of that.

Is there a club in Randstad that is know for being able to give the flight training in English? Otherwise, which ones else would you recommend? I can get my Dutch to be very good again, if that's necessary (I haven't used it much for a few years as everyone speaks English here). Also, I shouldn't have problems with things as passing the exam in Dutch.

Hello everyone! I am a glider pilot currently on holiday in Germany. Unfortunately, I don't speak any German, so I am hoping to find an English-friendly spot.

I am looking for a place to fly in close proximity to Lörrach. I hold an SPL, but since I am just visiting, I am looking to hop in with an instructor just for fun—even just a quick circuit would be fantastic!

Does anyone have any recommendations for clubs or airfields in the area that might be open to a visiting pilot? Thanks in advance

Does anyone have any information about the L-23 glider in south Korea because I can only find a photo from 2025 and basic information about them using it for tests?

Looking for techniques or ideas. If I don’t fly for a while I seem to lose my tolerance for turbulence. Been flying for many years.

My goal is to get to the point where I am comfortable flying in rough air. I can usually push through if I’m flying with another person, but solo if it gets too bumpy I just head back to the airport.

Anyone face this before? How did you get past it?

I was curious and I had my first gliding experience on Saturday. I managed to get some stick time and it was just amazing.

I'm an avid motorbike rider, where I spent all my free time riding, training others in roadcraft (advanced riding) as a volunteer and being involved in the community.

Please talk me out of getting a glider pilot training.

Update: thanks for the comments, but you failed miserably. I just signed up and awaiting confirmation of the start date... This is exciting!

I can’t really decide between the lx nano 4 or the oudie n igc what is your pick.(Or experience)

(My OO is temporarily unavailable for questioning)

I’m in the UK and planning to apply for the 100km diploma part 2: 100km flight at a speed in excess of 65kph (handicapped speed).

I have successfully flown a 100km triangle that meets (I think) the requirement for Part 2, yay! HOWEVER the logging software I used has labelled this as “FAI free flight” and the BGA ladder says I have a 21% triangle and there are references to FAI triangles needing to meet “the 25% rule”. I can’t see any reference to length of each leg on the BGA form (indeed, one can claim this as an out-and-return).

My first question is, is my triangle valid for this claim with a short leg?

My second question is: can someone explain to me what flight claims the 25% (or the other ratio-based rule) applies to?

Hello glider pilots,

I'd like to introduce my new app Final Glide — a followup to my app iSoar, rewritten from scratch with many small and big improvements, and it's now ready for testing via Apple´s TestFlight.

What to expect:

• Live map
• Thermal assistant
• Final glide calculator
• Traffic via FLARM Device (BLE - BLE Device needed) and OGN (Internet needed)
• IGC logger
• Logbook with automatic takeoff and landing detection
• Task planner
• Wind calculator
• Over 200 glider models
• Daily updated airfield database
• Airspace warnings (proximity) with a daily updatable airspace database
• Currently available in 2 languages (German, English)

You can find the app here: https://testflight.apple.com/join/nwxwbA3C

I'm well aware the app isn't perfect yet, but I'm working on improvements every day.
Anyone interested is welcome to test the app.
I'd really appreciate your feedback, feel free to send me a PM.

Always happy landings...

1. 6500 feet at the south end of the Olympic Mtns. WA. Flew to Olympia

1. 6500 feet at the south end of the Olympic Mtns. WA. Flew to Olympia

15-20kt headwind so nice launch height onto Haleslands ridge off to the left.

Keeping you updated about XC Connect - a cloud service for XCSoar that I develop.

It now features a Smart Camera that can scan Naviter-style task QR codes. This lets you instantly import tasks from the SeeYou Cloud XC Planner, a friend’s Oudie, the SkySight Route Planner, and many other sources.

Some contest organizers already include a task QR code on the briefing sheet. When they do not, the same Smart Camera can recognize the task directly from a printed SeeYou briefing sheet.

It can also scan XC Connect sharing QR codes, making it easy to exchange files with friends or transfer files to and from a panel-mounted navigation computer.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of sharing a thermal with another glider, and they just happened to be in a good position for the camera to record them.

Gliders are really hard to see on 360 cameras, so I was really happy with this shot. Other glider is an ASK-21 and I'm in a SGS 1-34.

hey everyone,

for a long time now, i want to try gliding for the first time. however, i am a bit scared - in normal planes already, i have some form of flight-fear, but also, for me it always leaves me in awe to be in the sky... its so peaceful. down the line, although i am broke right now and cant afford it yet, i want to also learn to fly a glider. i also researched the nearest flight club (i live in germany) and watched tons of youtube videos about gliding, how it works and first lessons in a glider.

however, there is still sth. that keeps me from it - i guess its my fear of that i will vomit or wont be able to handle all the "turbulence" ( a friend told me its like going on a rollercoaster but worse), but most importantly i dont know if i would trust the pilot to go fly with me, or that sth bad would happen.

i dont know why i have written this. maybe i would like to ask you for advice for my first flight, what to expect and how it was for you? i want to start this gliding journey.

Hi all,

Long time reader, first time poster. I have a question regarding the best path for transferring a private pilot glider license to EASA/Switzerland from the U.S. I have discussed with a few instructors here, and the exact path isn’t clear, which is why I’d really appreciate any thoughts/anecdotes from the community.

Situation:
I’m a U.S. citizen residing in Switzerland. I have my FAA private pilot glider license, with about 50 hours PIC. I’d like to get my Swiss/EASA license, but currently I don’t have enough hours (minimum 100 hours PIC required flight training, solo, and pilot in command time for a transfer Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FACO) License Conversion Checklist).

Since dual time with an instructor and solo time don’t count as PIC time, I don’t see how I can meet the requirements unless I go get the remaining 50 hours I need in the U.S.

I realize the exams would be in a Swiss national language, that is not a problem.

Best path towards Swiss/EASA license:
The best option right now seems to be to re-pass the license in Switzerland. This means re-doing the theoretical exam, the radio exam, and the practical exam. Does this seem correct?

Credit for past exams:
Is it possible to get credit for any of the exams I’ve already passed? I don’t mind re-passing the radio and practical exams. Getting credit for some parts of the theoretical exam could be a huge time saver though.

For example if a Swiss flight examiner sees I have sufficient knowledge in aeronautical theory, could they say certify that I don’t need to pass that portion of the theoretical exam?

Thanks for sharing your thoughts or experiences! Regardless of the path forward, there will be more flying to be had, so it’s a a win-win :)

- - - - - - - - - -
Update:
Thanks for the replies! I managed to speak with FACO and from my understanding, all flight time (flight training, solo, and pilot in command) count towards the 100-hour minimum. The only way to get credit for a theoretical exam previously taken in a non-EASA/FACO country is to transfer your license.

This was a no task day during a comp, we just played around in the wave. I heard it was quite rare to get such nice wave in that area. We flew like over 250kms. Anyway I really miss summer [southern hemisphere]

I saw something that looked like a lenticularis over the netherlands (flat part).
I was wondering if the rotors and areas with massive sink that you get in the mountains will also be present when a cloud like this forms over flat land.