The plane enthusiasts thread

[Smurfy]

One of our Consultants, flies from the Club at the top of Sutton Bank, & has offered to take me up one day

It's ~£90 for a trial lesson if you get bored of waiting for an invite.
http://www.ygc.co.uk/trialflights.php

I went up on a winch and don't recall paying more than ~£10 at Nympsfield, so I'm puzzled as to why it is now so expensive.
http://www.bggc.co.uk/index.php/learn-to-fly/trial-lesson

Edit: I think my cheap flight must have been part of an 'evening party'.
http://www.bggc.co.uk/index.php/learn-to-fly/evening-flying

Probably I was paying the winch fee for the person who took me up.
http://www.bggc.co.uk/index.php/learn-to-fly/costs

 

[Smurfy]

Some nice vintage pictures of Lancasters, their crews, support crews, and the designer.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...celebrate-giant-smashed-Nazi-war-machine.html

Apparently it is the 75th anniversary of the first flight of the Lancaster prototype at Manchester's Ringway Airport.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

It's ~£90 for a trial lesson if you get bored of waiting for an invite.
http://www.ygc.co.uk/trialflights.php

My wife & I went up to Whitby, in October, for a couple of days for my 50th

I chose a very circuitous route to get there, one of the points of interest (after a walk round Thirsk) was a drive up Sutton Bank (I once took a caravan up it....), & a right turn, to watch a few glider take-offs - if they were operating
Yes they were, and on the winch, crikey!!!!, what a semi-vertical take off, from (more or less behind) it looked a very steep angle

 

[Smurfy]

Yes they were, and on the winch, crikey!!!!, what a semi-vertical take off, from (more or less behind) it looked a very steep angle

Yes, it is very steep, and would be a bit of a shock if you weren't expecting. Also, the cable releases with quite a bang, as even at the top of the launch when the glider isn't really climbing much, the force from the weight of the steel cable below is pulling quite hard. During the launch it's a balance between pulling back hard enough to get a good climb, and not breaking the weak link that exists to protect the glider from folding its wings.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2Qh95I_YM0



View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLPNaI5pQjM



View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7n3qyETzlw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7n3qyETzlw
By the way, there are plenty of clubs to choose from.
https://www.gliding.co.uk/club-finder

I once took a caravan up it....

Tut tut!

 

[Illaveago]

At Keevil airfield in the early 70's a friend and I used to go down there and help push the gliders back after they had landed. In return we were taken up in a Slingsby 2 seater. The gliders were pulled up by a large Chevrolet V8 pick up which used to thunder down the grass strip. We used to get towed up to 800ft at the top of which would be a loud bang as the cable released and then silence.

 

[Smurfy]

and then silence.

That's the best bit! The only thing closer to being a bird is hang gliding or para gliding. And who hasn't dreamed of being a bird?

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

The one time I went up in a glider, there was a very audible "parp" between the bang of the cable release and the silence of flight.

I can't tell you how relieved I was to get back on the ground and discover it was only a fart.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Tut tut!

A 90 V8, made easy work of it, plenty of torque, a good turning circle
Oh!, & that glorious engine sound
This one, in fact, but it was around 2000(?)

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I saw the last two Navy search and rescue Seakings of HMS Gannet fly over Dumbarton (19 and 25), and one of the two green navy helicopters.

Sit back and enjoy the noise which I have been privy to for YEARS, even if the filming is a bit crap!!


View: http://youtu.be/ga4LYL-13TQ

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

When I lived on Arran, the emergency landing pad was right beside my house in Whiting Bay and the approach took the Sea Kings along the line of my hedge. The wheels were below the top of the hedge! The noise was incredible.

 

[Illaveago]

It's the Pitts! Taken at Weston S Mare Airday last year. It was blowing lovely smoke rings.

 

[Bobby Mhor]

I saw the two Navy Seaking fly over Dumbarton (19 and 25), and one of the two green navy helicopters.

Sit back and enjoy the noise which I have been privy to for YEARS!! :


View: http://youtu.be/ga4LYL-13TQ

Watched them fly past...
they use the corridor up the Leven valley mostly on their return journey and did that day, I heard the exchange with Glasgow Tower as they flew through...
they tend to fly over the Cross Keys(from Lomond to Helensburgh)then skirt down past Gourock to Prestwick..

edited to add.
@Mad Doug Biker
BBC Scotland Outdoors Show have a podcast HERE
I'm assured it was worthwhile to listen to.
(I'm a couple of podcast episodes behind this one)

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

View: http://youtu.be/7mN6U2UF3Aw

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

HMS Gannet was one of, if not the busiest search and rescue stations in the country, but it was the small gestures like this that really made them stand out.
I saw them doing the same as in this video, but only on Cristmas morning at Clic Sargent House in Prestwick - Santa came and gave everyone presents (they did this at various different local locations).


View: http://youtu.be/DuAZJIa7P7Y

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

They also featured in the channel 5 programme 'Highland Emergency', and great thing to watch it was too, but I cannot find anything on Youtube.