DLG 2 0 - First launch

There are no DLG pilots in my club, so I get to figure out discuss launching the old fashion way..............trial and error.

[@Jimbo-in-Thailand]

Greetings from Thailand! Back in the 1980s I used to fly the excellent _Gentle Lady_ 6' wingspan glider. It was powered by a Cox TD .049 engine that would run long enough to get it high enough (~200'-300') to find thermals and up and up she would go. OTOH I could never get it to go back up once it was as low as your hand launches. I know nothing about the DLG 2 0 and just wondering if it's possible to hand launch and get enough altitude to snag a thermal?

[@obee1kanobee]

I also have a gentle lady here in nz. Beautiful plane. I launch it off hill tops and have had some excellent flights half hour plus

[@Jimbo-in-Thailand]

@@obee1kanobeeThat's great! My buddy and I flew ours out in a flat farming region in the US, which is why we had to have a small motor. On a sunny day, a freshly plowed field would heat up quickly and made some fantastic thermals. One day I lost sight of my GL as she was in a huge thermal and she was already very high. My buddy yelled to put her in a spiral and watch for the sun to reflect off of the shiny Monokote covering. Sure enough, after a few panic stricken seconds I caught a quick flash of the sun way up high and was able to get her back. What an incredible little glider she was. I kept her for years and finally sold her, along with all my RC planes and equipment when I decided to move to Thailand back in 2005. Today I fly a little DJI Mini 4 Pro drone, also an excellent little flyer! 😁

[@highster]

Thanks for asking Jimbo. I didn't want to brag, but ON THE FIRST DAY, I snagged a thermal and took it to 328'. I am 70 and fully expected that it might be a long long time before I could catch a thermal, if ever. So quite happy. Part of the fun of DLG is that you can see the glider better because it is at a lower altitude and the super tight turning radius that really helps core a thermal. Look up Marcus Stent for launching videos.

[@Jimbo-in-Thailand]

@@highster OK will look up Marcus Stent. Cheers!