First solo glider flight

The 25 of may 2014 I did my first solo flight.
This was at Les Eplatures airport (LSGC) in Switzerland.

[@adhdrenalin4392]

An artificial horizon, now thats not something you see everyday in a glidet

[@neilwalker3204]

I noticed that as well, also noticed that it never moves off straight and level.. Was it caged the whole filght?

[@bentlepa]

I do not like the built up area at the end of the runway,a cable break at low altitude & seems you would have little options for a safe landing.Congratulations on you Solo flight though !

[@fsf507]

+Paul Bentley Thanks ! :) Yes, I agree with you, this isn't the safer airport in case of a cable break, but just next to the buildings there's a shooting galery where we can land...

[@henryalferink1941]

+fsf507 lol a shooting gallery....

[@henryalferink1941]

+Henry Alferink sounds safe...

[@fsf507]

+Henry Alferink So fun !

[@lauraradigan4114]

Congratulations on your flight. Just a recommendation , at the end of your landing roll , as you slow down, keep the stick well back so as to not bang the tail down after stopping. On grass it is not so bad but on pavement it can cause cracks near the tail wheel. Have fun.

[@fsf507]

Thanks ! I'll do that ;)

[@trevorcox3607]

Very annoying concentrate on flying and stop worrying at that altitude about belts buckles etc Bravo

[@szekelyferenczzoltan2274]

I hate that variometer sound!

[@fsf507]

Okey! I'm happy to know that ^^

[@mickgatz214]

Beautiful flight, thank you for sharing. Oh, great landing too!. Cheers from Australia

[@fsf507]

Thanks a lot for your comment ! ;)

[@crazybrit-nasafan]

As someone who is considering taking up gliding this is inspirational. Well done and thank you for sharing this with us.

[@fsf507]

Thank you !

[@MrKbtor2]

haha, I remember my altimeter getting stuck at 1200 while doing solo even though I was well below. I stopped obsessing and looked outside and said "yeah, I'm way low (600-800 feet maybe)". Made a bee line for the circuit and 45+ degree bank into final. Some mates said yeah that happens sometimes others said no it's impossible. Here's proof.

[@fsf507]

haha like you said !

[@1943L]

I wondered if the pilot was just nervous or was there a sticking instrument. Nice video.

[@richardventus1875]

Congratulations - next time, your hand should be on the cable release knob during the ground run.

[@fsf507]

Hi thank you ! :) Yes you're right but only during the ground run ? after I don't want to pull it Inadvertently in turbulence...

[@richardventus1875]

@@fsf507 - yes - that's usually why I take my hand off the knob when I'm sure I'm safely airborne. It's a bit of a judgement call.

[@rcbif101]

Big congrats from Ohio! I did my first glider solo this summer too. Filmed mine also. Aren't modern cameras great? Now we get to keep these moments forever. Not something our fathers could easily do!

[@fsf507]

thanks ! ;-) and congrats to you too ! I have my license now :D Happy flights !

[@fsf507]

***** Yeah that's for sure ;)

[@xXJOHNBOYJPXx]

Congrats on your first solo!! Good luck with the rest of your flying!!

[@fsf507]

thanks a lot ! :D

[@hpmaxim]

Very nice flight. Looked like you handled it well... Except your tow position seemed really high. Please be careful, you don't want to be responsible for the tow pilot having a very bad day.

[@slushyboii7616]

11 months late but agreed

[@JakeBullit123]

tapping the altimeter won't make it climb any faster.nice solo congrats.

[@fsf507]

haha if only ^^ Thank you ! :)

[@dwightjt]

Tapping on altitude meter maybe older And sticky wich frees it up so it reads more accurately glider flying Looks enjoyable

[@angiekempfer2105]

I did this when I was 15 but glider was much more old school.

[@jackdejager3396]

Tapping on the gauge drove me nuts

[@familycurtress6829]

Where do you go if you have a cable break or tug problem in the first 100-300 feet. I could only see left up the hill, very tricky even for an experienced pilot. After the right turn you are OK with the meadows directly in front, but there looked to be a critical window just off the runway where the options are very uninviting.

[@StefanoBorini]

Don't kill the tuggie!

[@derekrobinsonutube]

Definately too high before the Tug had left the ground and in the early part of the climb, this was dangerous; too high behind him all the way around really. The low down trim correction was a particular worry ! To much messing with controls for an inexperienced pilot and stop with altimeter abuse. Rudder under used.

[@mywestsussex5749]

Congratulations Advice stop fidgeting in the cockpit and concentrate on what you are doing

[@OutlawJoseyWales71]

After release he banked to the left, and the tow pilot to the right. Unless the video has been reversed, this is the opposite of what I am used to in the United States. Where was this filmed?

[@redsrollingnow1]

Never tap the actul instrument but tap the panel - it is a delicate instrument! 😩😩

[@GeirWaterloo]

Nice work ! I hope my first solo vil be like this. You look confident in your flight controls!

[@ramonmedina1974]

bravo!

[@fsf507]

Merci ! ;)

[@HotelPapa100]

I hope your tight grip on the stick has loosened up a bit since then. ;-)

[@brunoroussel9672]

il faut faire réparer l'instrument plutôt que de tapoter dessus tout le vol! On fini par ne plus voir que çà!

[@franckbnl511]

L'instrument fonctionne tres bien mais a force de taper dessus on risque de le degrader. geste parasite a corriger... bon c'est le premier vol faut bien evacuer l'anxiété du lâcher.

[@hervegarnier6087]

Voila quelqu'un qui pense comme moi, on le voit souvent et j'ai jamais compris à quoi ça servait à part abîimer le matériel

[@stuart9926]

Awesome landscape to fly a glider in :)

[@MrLukaswalker]

Great flight! After how many flights you got your solo?

[@fsf507]

+Lukas Hellings thanks ;) 50 flights!

[@czarnySP1978]

Well Done!!

[@Wilem35]

Looks like a beautiful place to soar!

[@timzo5313]

what glider was this? also i might film my next flight as I am still training but flying is such an amazing experience. Lastly if anyone is one of those pepole who always says I could never do that then just know with practise and training you can. Also what does it mean to constantly tap the altimeter

[@fsf507]

Hi ! This is a "Glaser Dirks DG-505" with 18m wingspan with the possibility to enlarge to 20m with winglets and it is also a double seater glider that permits aerobatic flight with +- 10g's ;) Thank you for your comment ! I completely agree with you ! everybody should hear themselves and go for what they wants in life and never give up ! It's really cool that you do gliding ! for filiming I used a little camera like "gopros" and mounted it on a suction cup... About the altimeter it was in the club a way of making it working because this altimeter was taking delay in indicating the altitude while climbing or descending. But I don't think it is good for the health of the altimeter... Happy flying !!! :)

[@TRACKSIDELUKE]

beautiful flight my friend

[@fsf507]

Thank you ! :)

[@gregorybaer1399]

Toute mes félicitation pour ton premier vol solo, alors comment tu as vécu ce premier vol seul ?

[@fsf507]

merci ! ;) Plus que bien !!! c'est magnifique d'être captain :P

[@OckertJBrits]

Congratulations. Nice flight.

[@fsf507]

thanks a lot ! :)

[@Mahmoud-lh6iy]

Why does he keep knocking on the dashboarrd?

[@fsf507]

that's beacause the altimeter was having problem to indicate the altitude and the fact of knocking it was solving the problem... but I think it is not very good for the instument...

[@matijakajtez6201]

Congratulations. :) I had my first flight a day before you! Depending on where you live it may have been on the same day! Good job, and good luck with the rest of your flying :)

[@fsf507]

thanks a lot guy ;-) ! haha yes, I fly at Les Eplatures airport in Switzerland and you ?

[@matijakajtez6201]

I fly in Serbia, Veliki Radinci airport :) We fly in Krosno KR-03A Puchatek glider, how about you?

[@fsf507]

Matija Kajtez cool ! in this video this is a DG-505 but we have a LS-4 and a LS-6.

[@capnordest]

Here in France we are taught to lose altitude well away from the runway approach, you seemed to be pretty close to the runway as you were turning to lose altitude.

[@jjdavidian]

Congratulations fsf on your solo flight Hard to say what altitude you flew and what the field elevation is ... but you pulled it out quite well ! How is it with swiss precision these days ?

[@carlossevero4439]

bam meu que merda , imagina um piloto de um avião com passageiros juto. e você ter que ficar batendo nos instrumentos para funcionar eu to fora. credo em cruz

[@dutchglidingchannel7971]

Congratulations!! :)

[@fsf507]

thanks a lot ! :D

[@hervegarnier6087]

what's the point of typing on the dial

[@pilot_Julius30]

Congratulations and its a nice video, but why you don't centered the thermals?

[@fsf507]

Thanks, because it was not the aim of the flight

[@pilot_Julius30]

@@fsf507 OK. I understand it. Thanks for answering. Always happy landings wishes Julius Schieck

[@carlossevero4439]

da até ansiedade ver tu a todo tempo batendo nos instrumentos.que bosta

[@frankvendetta9230]

What the hell is wrong with this pilot stop fiddling around mate concentrate. OMG its so frustrating watching this pilot constantly adjusting the same stuff over and over and over again even touching the meters as if the are wrong? Good landing though. well done. Next stop fucking around with everything.

[@fsf507]

Hi thanks for your comment ! Yes I don't like doing it but that is because the altimeter don't show the true altitude, it have some delay so we need to knock it to know the true altitude... I know that the altimeter don't appreciate that but we don't have another solution. And if it can comfort you, we don't do this with the others glider we have. And sorry if my english is not very well...

[@TWCHHK]

Superbe Video et tres interessante!

[@fsf507]

SWISSPilot101 Merci beaucoup ! ;)

[@frosty2331]

get a door bell fitted

[@zonaceritakereta9556]

Pingin punya yang beginian. Hhee..😂

[@unlisted_armyu.s9117]

do u need licences to fly the glider? cause i really want to fly one

[@fsf507]

Yes! like for the airplanes but this is an another one .

[@denniss.6829]

Which type of sailplane is it in the video?

[@fsf507]

this is a DG-505 Elan Orion ;)

[@denniss.6829]

Nice! *-* While watching the video I thought it had to be a DG, but I didn´t manage to figure out which one :D I´m just training hard for my first solo in a Grob G103 Twin II Acro ;)

[@fsf507]

yes their cockpits are very similar especially for the double seated gliders. oh cool ! and you are watching videos of first solo as well hahaha. good luck in your aviation career ;)

[@denniss.6829]

Yes, I know what you mean... I was a little surprised about the artificial horizon in a sailplane ;) Are you trained to use it? Thanks mate :) Same for you! By the way: nice flying :)

[@fsf507]

No I'm not. But it is there because cloud flying is permitted in Switzerland but under certain conditions, one is to be trained to do it haha. Happy landings ! ;)

[@carlossevero4439]

os aviões no brasil são melhores

[@henrygorr]

Nice video, could I know the video setting on gopro please :)

[@fsf507]

+henrygorr thanks ;-) sorry this isn't a gopro this is a "Isaw".

[@hudsonhaverford1319]

At what altitude does the cable get released?

[@fsf507]

at 1600m or 600m above the airport

[@crlguitar1]

Wondered what the aircraft was that you soloed in? It looked far more sophisticated than the 1-26 Schweizer I flew for the first time. We didn't have 'audio' varios either. They sound a bit irritating even if they provide needed information, LOL.

[@fsf507]

haha we just have three gliders in the club so we are directly flying on a moderne airraft ^^ it is a DG-505 ;)

[@crlguitar1]

Thanks for your fast reply! Very very nice! I wish I was a member of THAT club! Be safe!

[@fsf507]

it would be with pleasure ! where do you fly ?

[@francisringwald8038]

Je ne voudrais pas etre a la place de l'altimetre, on m'a appris que frapper sur un instrument peut nuire a sa precision dans le futur car ca use les pivots. Mais je pense que si tu le faisais c'est parce que beaucoup d'autres eleves avant toi ont fait la meme chose ce qui fait qu'il est moins sensible aux petites variations d'altitude......

[@fsf507]

Bonjour oui ça les uses de taper dessus. mais du coup avec celui la on fait avec ^^

[@outlander-x]

nice!

[@fsf507]

+R. Stewart Thanks ;-)

[@outlander-x]

+fsf507 you're welcome, m8! beautiful there in switzerland! (greetings from ohio, usa) i can imagine that you have probably many days with good soaring conditions, what with the terrain there. i am in the appalachian part of ohio, but our mountains (only a few qualify as such, the higher ridges are in pa and wv to the east and south) are low, with peaks and ridges of only around 1,100-1,400 feet at best, but soaring conditions here are good, though for some reason, one does not see too many gliders operating in my neck of the woods.

[@fsf507]

+R. Stewart Hi Stewart thanks again ;-) here in Switzerland we have roughly three aeras : one with high moutains up to 4000m AMSL (called alps), one with little mountains up to 1000-1600m AMSL (called jura) and one totally without mountain called middle land... I do gliding in the jura ^^ you can see in my videos that there isn't a lot of big mountain near my home base wich is at 1000m AMSL haha so in the Jura we mainly climb in thermals and not with dynamic lift. happy flights ! :D

[@glidingpassiongermany407]

Is this a dg500?

[@fsf507]

Yes it is!

[@trevorcox3607]

Mm.nnn A very casual wat if flying- brighten up young man before you get hurt

[@xTurkiishDu92x]

GG et ta quel age ??

[@fsf507]

merci ;-) j'avais 15ans mais maintenat j'ai 16

[@xTurkiishDu92x]

:O t'es dans une ecole d'areonautique ?

[@fsf507]

TFC Nexus /// TFC Clan 〈3 Pas vraiment^^ j'ai fais ma formation dans un aéroclub.

[@xTurkiishDu92x]

c'est le BB (brevet de base) ?

[@fsf507]

TFC Nexus /// TFC Clan 〈3 Non, je suis n Suisse et sa fonctionne pas comme en France.(c'est mieux haha ;-)) Il ya pas de BIA, BB etc... on a juste par exemple pour le vol moteur une licence de pilote privé ou pour le planeur une license de pilote de planeur, rien d'autre. On peut commencer (pour le planeur) à partir de n'importe qu'elle âge tant qu'on est assez grand et lourd mais il faudra cependant avoir 14ans mini pour faire le premier vol seul et 16ans pour passer l'examen pratique et la license.

[@kelinjohnson7421]

why do you keep knocking on the gauge?

[@fsf507]

+Gifted TX850 that's because the needle have late (often) and when I knock on the altimeter the needle indicates the correct altitude.

[@kelinjohnson7421]

fsf507 OH how much is it to buy one of these they look cool

[@fsf507]

+Gifted TX850 sorry I don't know haha

[@folkenvanvanel6611]

+fsf507 please don't do that, these things are sensitive. If it trails behind, please send it to winter for revision. :-)

[@fsf507]

+Folken Van Vanel thanks for the advice ;) I yes I will see with the others pilots

[@axiomist1076]

Having to listen to that squeaking ruins the flight. They rave about how silent it is to glide. Well, this sucks.

[@karolissaduikisgliding4034]

What is this glider?

[@fsf507]

This is a DG-505 ELAN ORION :)

[@karolissaduikisgliding4034]

Looks better than Puchacz:DDD Wish that my club would have something like that:) By the way, nice flight:)

[@GRWP]

STOP TAPPING THE F***ING INSTRUMENTS...…. IF THE ALTIMETER IS STICKING _ FIX IT !!!!! If you already have that bad habit, that was NOT first solo...… (you was also following the tug a bit too high..... )

[@jackbelk8527]

Is there a reason to not turn that infernal howling into a simple light bar? NO WAY could I put up with that noise for more than five minutes!!

[@jayderrett7362]

The vario is already a visual instrument (the big top-right dial) - the sound is so that you can centre in on lift while looking out of the cockpit instead of staring at the dials. Not that he used it in the flight (understandable for a first solo); most pilots would have dug a wing in on 6:50 and at many other points in the flight. Good to keep the vario turned up anyway, just to alert you to heavy sink. Excellent first solo, by the way!

[@tomeraltman7491]

I know im very late but through some magic various always seem allot more annoying on video than in real life