How To Be A Better Mooney Pilot (Glider Lessons)

[HopePilot]

In search of flying something that floats more than my Mooney, I went to Crystalaire Airport with my CFI Tim McCarren, who some of you might have met at Mooney Ambassador events at KSMX and KSEE (he used to own an M20E).  He's, also, a glider CFI and has been pressing me to take some lessons to improve my skills (and become the single greatest Mooney pilot of all time [sic]).  Anyhoo, we rented the DG-1000, which is a very modern, comfortable, glider with retractable gear.  Tim did the takeoff and I took over shortly thereafter.  I thought it was pretty fun trying to keep the Pawnee, pulling us, in the right spot.  There's a real sense of drama trying to figure out where and when you are going to release the line.  Once you release, it's a fight to buy altitude.  We were sinking fast when we found a very tight thermal that we could circle to gain a bit of altitude.  We fought for about forty-five minutes until we had gained enough to make a play for the mountains.  Once we did, the mountains pushed us higher and we were able to start circling Mt. Baden-Powell; having reached over 10,000 feet.  It was pretty cool to look up and see a hawk using the same thermal we were following.  Not so cool was going in tight circles, just above stall, for over an hour with a greasy hamburger in my stomach (fortunately, I didn't hurl).  In all, I found it easier than I had expected, but I enjoyed my morning flight in the Mooney a bit more.  Freedom to me is having an engine to go where you want to go, and see what is over the next horizon, but I have no doubt that new experiences in different categories of planes, makes for a better pilot.

[DaV8or]

I'd like some glider training someday. I think it would be a nice experience and I would like to know how to find thermals and the best ways to exploit them. Also time doing for real dead stick landings over and over should really help one day in the event of an engine failure. In the end, I too am a powered plane lover, just as I prefer power boats over sail boats.

[N9937c]

After you make a couple of hundred landings in a glider, A cfi or examiner wont believe how well you can do power off landings from pattern altitude, It really should be mandatory for ALL pilots to learn energy management.

larry

[FlyDave]

Quote: N9937c

After you make a couple of hundred landings in a glider, A cfi or examiner wont believe how well you can do power off landings from pattern altitude, It really should be mandatory for ALL pilots to learn energy management.

larry

[Vref]

I have fown about 300Hrs in Gliders and about 150 in Motorgliders (from Grob's to ASW20's competitiion glider)

and I have owned a motorglider before I purchased my Mooney doing my emergencies was just a piece of cake (IN fact I loved when the Instructor pulled the power at least I could focus on flying the aircraft... It was emotionaly difficult to sell my motorglider as the flying was great it lacked the four places though and the speed for long distance flights..Cant have it all I guess.

I am sure that gliding ecperience makes you a much better Pilot as you understand much better the aerodynamic limitations. The landing technique in a modern Glider comes in handy when converting to a Mooney..

[HopePilot]

Here's a video of the flight.  Please select 720p when watching.  Thanks!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRUKy6vVsSU

[carusoam]

HopeP,

Thanks for sharing.  I enjoyed the flight, and it didn't cost me a thing...

-a-

[N57039]

I was a 600 hour glider pilot when I got a power rating and eventually bought a Mooney. It's great for basic stick & rudder skills, learning about micrometeorology, and a lot of fun. When a had a double mag failure at 9,000' a few years ago, I greased a landing on an airstrip that ATC helped me find. I wasn't thinking about it at the time, but it was just basic glider energy management. I encourage all of you to get some glider time if you can.

[Carl S]

Is Jeff Larkin still teaching out at Crystalaire? He put me through my glider rating. Great instructor. 

[Immelman]

There is nothing stopping a powered airplane pilot from making power off approaches frequently for such practice... in fact maybe half of my landings are with power to idle on the downwind.

 

[Vref]

Quote: HopePilot

Here's a video of the flight.  Please select 720p when watching.  Thanks!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRUKy6vVsSU