[Frank Colver]

Please see the BLOG section of this forum for all new posts to the "Basic Trainer" thread.

Frank

[Craig Muhonen]

Hello Frank, your concept and design work on a "training" glider will probably do more to advance young people into "hang gliding" than anything I've seen, in my limited time as a ushawk. I have a question about your new glider. I remember when I first learned to fly, surf, skateboard, and ski, going "straight off" was fine at first, but I couldn't wait to learn how to "carve" a turn. I have seen in the various training videos, that, the take off, then glide, then landing, is practiced over and over (as of course it should). When do "students" get the confidence to "turn" the glider and then land? And since "base to final" is so critical, how do you build a glider, and teach what "stall spin" is all about. Can you build a glider that 'compensates' for a young pilots inherent want to increase AOA? And without a rudder, how do you teach a 'coordinated turn'? My dad said " a nose heavy airplane is hard to fly, a tail heavy airplane....flies once". Your idea to have a perfectly balanced glider for your new pilots comes from your confidence and experience. It will pay great dividends. TTYL
Craig