Gliding: Lake Keepit, Australia

[@brucemcnair2]

Balls of steel!! Lol I thought I was watching a water landing. Never thought you'd make it. Well done. Thanks for sharing

[@terrylawlor6547]

Master of calculating final glide. I love this video ☺️

[@MegaPeedee]

I thought you were going in the drink, mate. I was starting to climb the back of my chair, waiting for the splash. Amazing clip.

[@blubb9004]

Thanks for recording and uploading this, what a beautiful approach. It is so awesome what performance (modern/new) gliders can achieve, as a beginner flying only old equipment that was built for learning (thus not for performance) I got sweaty hands just by watching this, but obviously that is only because I can't properly assess the situation.

[@saildapper2001]

As a fellow glider pilot, but whose flights are in equipment that is decidedly less high performance, such as the Grob 103, my hands are absolutely clammy after watching this amazing video. Fun to watch a high performance machine well flown without the usual over-control the rest of us often do. When you lowered the gear, I expected the worst, but you obviously know your capabilities well. Your craft is so much quieter than everything I've ever been in. Well done. A favorite for sure!

[@dustintravis8791]

I remember when I first saw this video like 10 years ago I thought for sure they were going for a swim. I was just watching another video tonight on KZbin and it reminded me of this. Still such an amazing approach. Nicely done!

[@MegaspeedMilly]

I love the sound of the water still dumping while opening the canopy!

[@JhonBuletreau]

MASTERRRR!!!! Awesome approaching!!!!! Magnific gliding and landing!!! I thought that you were about to touch down on the water before touch land!! You really take my breath away!!! Cheers !!!

[@grparker29]

From 50km out my flight computer was telling me I had a glide home that would be pretty much impossible to get wrong. And at the end, 120kts at ground level only 3km from end of roll, the problem is more about avoiding hitting the fence at the far end of the airfield than landing short. It wasn't just hope and prayer.

[@GelderseVliegenier]

I must have watched this video at least 10 times yet. Amazing final glide man! Lars Groot ASW 28-18E GR

[@chrishamilton4999]

I like the touch in reaching out with the left hand and adjusting the instrument as he flies over the threshold of 14 at about 20 ft agl!

[@allisonmodels]

I can't stop watching this -- it's stunning. Looks like you're doing 200 knots on final!

[@grparker29]

Some days are easier than others. Winners are usually good at finding thermals. They also fly accurately, are good at avoiding bad air, are tactically astute, consistent, mentally strong and have a well maintained glider. And experienced; not many world champions have been gliding less than 10 years.

[@BigRedNZ1]

I've watched this heaps of times, and I know you land fine... but I get gittery every time I watch you endlessly over water

[@grparker29]

Yeah, probably best not done in an Astir. But in a fully ballasted ASG29 the numbers were so far in my favour that the fence at the far end of the airfield was more of an issue than the lake.

[@grparker29]

Think of it like sailing, you can make the fun as minimalistic or as complex as you like. You can spend a little bit of money or you can spend a million dollars. Like sailing the challenge is in using the elements instead of an engine. You can muck about with your mates, have races, or go touring, whatever you like. Hard to appreciate until you've tried it.

[@otsokivivuori7726]

Reminds me of the awesome, awesome final at Räyskälä (EFRY) in Finland.

[@ssouthur]

What a great vid! I bought my kit plane from just down the road (Hunter's Sky Ranch) - did get time to pop in and have a look at the gliding club - but it's some great country around there.

[@grparker29]

Yes. Generally there is a small wing tip skid, and best to be stationary before allowing the wing to drop. Can still get damage if you land in a paddock full of rocks...

[@grparker29]

@saildapper2001 Thanks! Kind words. To fly this speed in a G103 you would be pointing it pretty much at the ground. (Or in this case the water.) Splash down would be about half way across the lake. An ASG29 at 600kg is a different kettle of fish. Massive performance, very stable, a joy to fly.

[@grparker29]

It is running water. High performace gliders carry water ballast for improved performance in strong weather. Best dumped before landing to reduce loads on the undercarriage but it is often still trickling out after landing.

[@grparker29]

@vvcvalais Mostly about 120kts, down to about 105kts as the wheel goes down (2:08min). At 2:13 the computer goes beep indicating crossing of the finish circle 2km from end of roll. At 2:20 start pulling on some flap to slow the whole thing down a bit. ASG29, 18m, 600Kg. It was a really nice day. IGC file is at dilbertfiles(dot)com/?s=21274691-7b7e-426b-a66c-91d24b40cbd7

[@20gilbert20]

Very nice calculation, and very nice flying! I have never owned a glider; I always rent. Of course the majority of my flights have been in a Grob or an ASK. One summer, I had the use of a Schweitzer (can't remember the model--it was the three seater, two behind the pilot), and learned a lot from it.Metal planes ate indeed different. Only one time did I rent a DG 1000, and it was HOT. I think I could have done close ground work in it, but as a renter, I ALWAYS arrived 1000' above the strip.

[@UKPPG]

Timed to perfection, great video guys

[@LSVFlachkurbler]

perfect pilot skills in final glide. You know you made it right when you need to apply the airbrakes only for a few seconds. No waist of energy.

[@winterka100]

I fly a Dragonfly hang glider tug, L/D 7.5 :1 glide. If I was over the lake at that altitude, it would have been a much shorter video!

[@grparker29]

@jacoherbst No. Final glide was from 114km and it was absolutely rock solid from about 50km out. If I was at all worried I might have just pulled the speed back below 100kts for the last little bit... The .igc file can be seen on the OLC website, April 1 2011, number 35 on the list.

[@grparker29]

Depends what you are looking for; proximity, midweek, cross country etc. Suggest you look at the Gliding Federation of Australia website. It has lots of info on all the clubs.

[@propfella]

At least Keepit had some water in it. Have the got rid of that hump on the runway? It looks as if it's gone but years ago just after we landed I looked back down the runway and thought someone had buried it. They simply vanished behind the hump and 10 seconds later rolled over the top. Great scenery for gliding. I can't recall the name of the club pres many years ago. He was working in insurance. Great bloke.

[@David_P132]

Fantastic. I thought for sure he was gonna take a bath. Then after clearing the lake he seemed to be landing at about a million knots give or take a few, yet so smooth.

[@grparker29]

Not sure how familiar you are with high performance sailplanes and competition finish tactics but your point is valid; it pays to manually calculate a final glide at the same time to guard against computer bugs/electrical failure. You need to have a pretty fair idea of the glider's performance characteristics, wing loading, winds, height and distance. In this case the numbers made sense all the way in. Any doubt and I would have slowed down to flatten out the glide.

[@Rahhhhhnman]

I can hardly believe what I just saw, I was wondering how come this guy is so cool about crashing into the middle of the lake, damn glider must have floaties. Amazing glide ratio.

[@HotelPapa100]

With the performance of current gliders a straight-in approach over flat terrain looks scary as hell. Especially on a wide angle lens, that makes distances look so much farther. Do you still fly finishes like that today in Oz? Here (Europe) you usually have to arrive with some safety height, allowing for a proper landing circuit on approach.

[@Wolkenstecher]

Great video, thanks for sharing and greets from Spitzerberg Austria!

[@grparker29]

@dezweefvlieger Task was 360km. Yes the task setters could have been a little more adventurous, although Lake Keepit has a habit of turning off suddenly at about this time of day in autumn. On closer look at the video it was the statistics page the I called up. I had a slender lead in the competition and I had a radio report that the guy on my tail had already landed with a speed of 140kph. Was probably anxious to see if much points damage had been done.

[@grparker29]

No. Wearing of parachutes is mandatory in gliding competitions because of the somewhat increased risk of mid-air collisions in a high traffic density environment. But it is still a fairly uncommon event.

[@LSVFlachkurbler]

must hurt to land if you have still have clouds like this in the air... nice final !

[@Delta-wq9js]

LSVFlachkurbler o

[@YodaWasSith]

How are you able to fly with those 100 lb bowling balls between your legs?

[@fatbudgiekillen8997]

I thought learning to fly and landing at Mangrove Mountain needed concentration! Well done.

[@vvcvalais]

hu breathtaking! what is your speed over the lake?

[@optyqus]

Amazing soaring... never in my life would have crossed the lake from that altitude...almost unbelievable how you flew so much close to the water.

[@JoachimMink]

Exciting, if you don't know, that the aerodrome waits at the end of the lake...

[@dezweefvlieger]

i see you take your time to line up for the landing. wheel down, let the flaps take the speed down. everything very relaxed and smooth. the only thing i don't get is why you operate the flight computer the last moment before touchdown?

[@phantom_wings3401]

That’s because there’s a really great engine on board , great flying !

[@coriscotupi]

Crazy stuff people do in competition. I'll bet my TCAS that you're way, way more conservative in everyday flying! ...Gongrats for the stunt. Thanks for posting the video.

[@grparker29]

@starozy 2200ft at start of video. Airfield altitude 1220ft. Lake altitude 1150ft. IGC file is also on the OLC website: April 1 2011, number 35 on the list.

[@2908mmonfort]

wish we flew this low near lake keepit during flight screening... looks nice =)

[@danielvelezbravo]

Now I get it... the lake was downhill... How else would that vario be showing -3 m/s and the height won´t drop almost nothing...

[@tinchote]

It's a "total energy" variometer. The only kind that makes sense on a glider.

[@grparker29]

Glide computer is an Altair. (from Triadis Engineering, Switzerland) For redundancy I use two GPS inputs; an EW Microrecorder and Flarm.

[@grparker29]

Sadly, days of finishing like this are long gone. Minimum heights, large finish circles now the order of the day.

[@grparker29]

@JamesWiesel I think someone ended up in the lake some years ago after an aerotow rope break but it was no big deal. Yes, it is a fantastic gliding site.

[@grparker29]

Flarm aerial. One of several types I have tried, works best for me in this glider.

[@grparker29]

@kurtlimejello Spoilers actually cracked crossing the shore of the lake. Needed to get the speed down a little more to get below landing flap red-line.

[@eugeniobb]

nice final ! looks like you are going for a dip! which machine do you fly? and what instrument do u use? looks like a huge current guzzling but very handy instrument. cheers

[@grparker29]

@binnieb20 Instrument is an Altair. Search Triadis Altair to find it.

[@grparker29]

Yep. Mandatory in competitions. Although at this altitude not much use other than as a cushion.

[@vladislavzhelezarov2209]

Question: If you touch the ground before the finish line... Does it still count as 'going over'? Or do you have to be flying to 'go over' the finish line?

[@grparker29]

Vladislav Zhelezarov You can roll across a finish line. Not an option here though as the finish (a circle in this case) was about a kilometre out in the lake...

[@vladislavzhelezarov2209]

+grparker29 I love this video and now that I have progressed with my XC rating I better understand XC tasks. That was a really cool finish! I hope to fly there some day.

[@cometjockeydave4041]

grparker29 What type of glider in this video?

[@MoraesFS]

amazing approach!!

[@CornishColin]

Amazing flat glide compared to the gliders I fly .. Oh and what a sky!

[@gypsytheif]

Damn that was some airspeed! You had the afterburners on I guess ;)

[@dezweefvlieger]

@grparker29 such a scenery and final glide, and then be bored. was the task to short? still looks like the weater is good for some more km's to fly

[@shadeburst]

Well-judged final glide. Pity the camera didn't have enough pixel resolution so that we could read the ASI.

[@grparker29]

About 110kts all the way down to lake level. Still 90kts at the far shore. It was quite comfortable.

[@grparker29]

@eugeniobb Instrument is an Altair, made by a Swiss outfit, Triadis engineering.

[@grparker29]

The camera is a Hero GoPro mounted by suction cup to the canopy, at about eye level. So, whatever I see, it sees. Possibly means the view from my glider is better than from your motorised Grob.

[@ElSusurradorDeTermicas]

Dangerous, but amazing of course... liked & sub.

[@grparker29]

Call it a knack if you like, or feel, or simply technique. Most people can be taught how to do it. Like most things, just needs a bit of training and lots of practice.

[@TungstenKid]

Are thermals easy to find? Are the winners of gliding competitions those who are best able to sense where thermals are?

[@uboot1967]

Fantastic!Are there any great white sharks below????

[@sampeterson7781]

Ground effect in acton. Thumbs up!

[@TungstenKid]

I see he was wearing a parachute. Do glider pilots have to bail out very often?

[@Driveline49]

Dad loved flying there.

[@cloudstreets1396]

Was the button you pushed on your GPS so important you had to do it in the landing flare??

[@grahamparker7906]

No.

[@Raphael-jb5nq]

is an asg 29

[@pedrolg]

Thank you for sharing. What is that, a parachute in you back?

[@MrRisan77]

Loved that final glide. Are you using a parachute on you? Thx for video!

[@grparker29]

It was a Gliding Federation of Australia sanctioned competition, so wearing parachute is mandatory. Only serves as a cushion at this altitude though..

[@folkenvanvanel6611]

The glider is probably an ASH-25. It has a normal glide ratio of 60:1. In ground effect like here probably over 100:1. Looking at the ASI he has plenty of reserves. The yellow triangle indicates landing speed. (Money in the Bank vs. Money in the Pocket) The Display is a Triadis Altair flight computer with the voice module. The software running on it is XCSoar. Its freesoftware man meanwhile available for android. Now also highly popular amongst PG pilots.

[@ollymetcalfe1]

+Folken Van Vanel ASG29

[@folkenvanvanel6611]

I see. That explains the similarity of the panel.

[@KapiChris]

Btw: Ash 25 looks very different!

[@folkenvanvanel6611]

Chris x Well its certainly a schleicher cockpit. May also be a 26.

[@KapiChris]

Not at all! There also a magnificent difference. Furthermore the self-launching instrument unit (would be located at the very bottom in the middle) is missing. Therefore no 26e. The sailplane version 26 wouldn't have any engine instrument. --> Asg 29E ... having said that you can easily see it in the specific cockpit shape.

[@SailFlyTri]

What is the software and hardware which composes the large screen? Very nice!

[@michchristy]

too cool man. Kept thinking you were going to end up in the drink .

[@kilothreeaz]

Dude, look at those cus! Why are you landing?

[@OzParkPilot]

Amazing - Really keen to get my glider rating.

[@fatboycrash]

Look at that sky!!!!

[@Robert.S459]

That is some final glide, oh to live in Australia

[@KurtThams]

Riveting! Spoilers closed all they way until final-final??

[@grparker29]

@TheAussieCouple I'm guessing you aren't a glider pilot? No problem, you can land these things anywhere, so long as there are no big holes or obstructions. This particular airfield often fills up with kangaroos in the late afternoon, and on quiet days you have to radio ahead to get someone to go and chase them off. True.

[@bechmann82]

@grparker29 i believe so. to fly like a bird no engine just air.

[@mozzmann]

Camden has a gliding club from memory.

[@KarpatycGhost]

why would it be illegal to fly under a certain altitude ? especially if you're not over a populated area like a city or town or something ???

[@starozy]

The dilbertfiles link didn't let me in. What was your altitude at the start of the video?

[@beeqool]

people do gliding only for the minimalistic fun or are there some advantages? like what i could think of, less money to spend because theres no engine, and no fuel to buy. but im just guessing.

[@milen2711952]

WONDERFUL VIDEO

[@geniennis]

Full sure you were going in the water, nice glide.

[@Robmarbz]

very nice video, thank you!

[@PatsFlyings]

amazing final!

[@StuartSutherland-1]

Cracking video.

[@grparker29]

Yeah you can. Not much in this glider; it is more designed for racing. But some gliders are designed purely for aerobatics.

[@HenryHlord]

I love all the schleicher-planes, the are so fuckin awesome

[@grparker29]

@Hump1957fly No I haven't heard of Arie.

[@TungstenKid]

Yes i should imagine the hottest areas of ground produce the best thermals such as ploughed fields and the massed roofs of houses in towns, so maybe glider pilots should buy small infra-red thermal imaging goggles to detect the warmest areas..;)

[@grparker29]

@milsluker It is a whole different world if you can still do 40:1 at 90 knots....

[@TungstenKid]

But why can some pilots find thermals better than others? Is there a knack to it?

[@JamesWiesel]

1. best location for an airport 2. has there ever been a crash??