How it is to fly a 1966 vintage glider (Schleicher Ka6 Cr)

[@stephaniekent8483]

I flew a K8 in wave to 18000 feet from a low point of 300 feet in 1982, no oxygen,radio,parachute or electric vario just an old ticking barometer behind my head lol and no warm clothing sheesh I was 30 years old then, Im 72 now and the memory is still vivid, I got my gold height award for that and landed at dusk after a few hours airborne once I found a hole in the clouds to spiral down through...the beer tasted good after that I tell ya.

[@thomasgeyer6094]

I flew a friend's K6 back when it was not a vintage, in 1971. I spent 6 hours in wave and ridge lift in the Green Mountain's in Vermont. This video brings back fond memories of that flight. I was only 15 years old and it was a very wonderful flight. I trained in the club(The Vultures in Oxford Michigan)Ka7 and ASK 13 and soloed in the ASK 13, then flew the club K8.

[@paulfreer1302]

Marvellous

[@johnnaylor9668]

I thought the K6 was a Spitfire of the Sky, so nimble & the “feel” was like a finely tuned violin, perfect crisp handling. Once thermalled up from 1500 to 6,000 and half way up a buzzard joined me, it was magical. So much nicer than a big heavy fibreglass numb thing. I think they were around £5,000 for a nice one back when I flew our club one.

[@davetrademarks]

Flying the Ka6cr -67 in our club. (Privatly owned). You can really feel the rising air in that one. Pretty new as a glider pilot, but really like the vintage aircraft. 😁

[@RichardRichmond123]

Hi Rudy, I owned a KA 6CR in the late 70's. Entered a few sports class contests and flew it a lot. I sold it and purchased a Standard Cirrus. It's true that the performance and characteristics are vastly different but flying KA 6CR would bring a smile to any sailplane pilots face, as it did to yours.

[@mikeonb4c]

That brought back happy memories. I was in a K6CR syndicate for a couple of years in the early nineties and did a couple of long flights in in (leisurely 100k distance and some local fooling around in each flight). It was a lovely plane and I felt so in touch with the air when I was flying it. It also felt a very safe plane for field landing as it was very easy to land accurately and in a short distance. One thing I can recall was preferring to circle to the right in thermals because the airbrake lever on the left (and my leg, and the narrow cockpit) made getting full stick deflection to the left difficult for a 6 footer with long legs. To circle to the left, I might find myself have to operate the left rudder pedal on tiptoe so the joystick could just pass below my leg. We winch launched exclusively at my club and the plane had been a club glider. But it had been judged unsuitable as an early solo plane because the grass on the club airfield could at times get a bit long and there had been a couple of incidents of wing drops on launch. When I enquired more, it had always been the starboard wing that had gone down, and my suspicion was that the pilot had not had sufficient stick authority to the left to pick the wing up. So I always started with the stick slightly to the left as 'all out' was called and I was ready (and expecting) to have to immediately move it to the right. It might sound an odd thing to do, but it gave me a 'head start' on corrective action should the right wing go down, and the tactic always worked well for me ;-) Happy days, and a lovely little plane to fly - I doubt I'd fit in one now!

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Hi Mike, thank you very much for your story! I know the thing with the missing full stick authority from our Ka8. Not very good for some pilots :-(. Luckily memories of nice things like flying such a Ka6 stay with us for a long time. Very beneficial for us :-)!

[@Dart-One]

im glider student pilot and i really often fly in polish Szd-30 "pirat" that is vintage too and its also from 1966 :)

[@porcupine460]

Flew my club's K6CR for the first time yesterday - my first single seater flight and it was incredibly fun to fly! In the words of one of my instructors "you only have to think 'i want to turn' and you're turning"!

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

@@porcupine460 congratulations to you first single seater flight 😃! It is truely a great feeling, a single seater is more compact i would say rather than flying a doubleseater alone. Thank you for dropping me your comment 😃😍!!

[@BruceHoult]

When I started to fly in 1986 we used Blanik L13 for training. The single-seaters the club had were two Libelle (one Std, one Club). It was required to get 20 hours solo in the Blanik before moving to the Libelle. It is very very slow to build solo time in a Blanik unless you have ideal conditions, and no other students around. I actually gave up. Then the club bought a Ka6CR, which required only 5 hours solo in the Blanik. They phoned and said "Bruce, come back!". I had one check flight in the Blanik (after some time gap) and then straight into the K6. Lovely! In the same conditions I got 20 minute flights in the Blanik I immediately had (the maximum allowed per person) 90 minute flights in the K6. Within a few months I was flying both the Libelle also, and cleared for cross-country in everything. I later flew Ka6E and Ka8 as well as Ka7 and ASK-13. Sadly, these gliders are getting old and rare now, and they are not making more. But you can get almost exactly the same experience in a PW-5. The speeds and glide angles are somewhere between a Ka-6CR and a Ka-6E.

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Hi Bruce, thank you for sharing your story! Great. I can absolutely imagine that time-building was much easier with a Ka6!

[@jamesa5720]

I had a very similar experience in the early 80's with minimum required hours as I did all my initial training in a Schweizer 2-22, not even the 2-33. I could beat the tow pilot back to the ground sometimes, ha. Then, I found a club that just added a brand new ASK-21, and that changed everything.

[@anttiruo]

Club Libelle should have been ok with a lot less hours. But a Blanik shouldn't be that bad. It's about on par with a K 8 and is easy to fly.

[@BruceHoult]

@@anttiruo The Club Libelle is very prone to violently drop a wing (usually the right wing) behind a powerful tug (e.g. Pawnee 235) before you get the tail up through a combination of weak ailerons and perhaps a high angle of attack. Much more so than the Std Libelle. Unlike with top surface airbrakes, I don't recall opened the trailing edge airbrakes helping a lot with that. The very light parallelogram elevator control is also very different to a Blanik or K13 and you can easily get into PIO trouble on the first couple of takeoffs when you have absolutely zero experience with it. If you learned on a Duo or DG1000 the jump to Libelle as first single-seater would be much easier. A K6 or PW5 really is a good intermediate step. Also Blanik->K6/PW5->LIbelle performance going 165->130->110 in sink rate and 28->32->35 in L/D really makes it significantly easier to soar and go cross country in weaker conditions.

[@fastfreddy19641]

When I was a young lad I flew in an RAF cadet 1. It was a wood and fabric glider with an open cockpit. We got towed up to 1000 feet, flew round the circuit and landed after 11 minutes. I loved it.

[@wearemany73]

I got to fly one of these in my teens in Wiltshire. It belonged to my instructor and he very kindly let me fly her. I got some wonderful thermals in her and radioed him permission for a longer duration flight to which he agreed and it was (and still is) one of the most memorable and beautiful experiences I ever had. No vario for my flight just a VSI and that feeling in your stomach that was far more pronounced in a single seater. Thank you Tim ❤(instructor)

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Thank you very much for sharing your story 😀 ! The thing I love most at this video are all the nice stories of memories told by viewers. I did not expect that I trigger so many of them 😀. It makes me happy to read all of them. I think it is my video with the most comments - thanks to all of you for sharing them with us 😀❤️!!

[@stonelaughter]

So when I was flying, the "vintage" gliders were our first single seaters; they were our bread and butter! I first single seated in a K18 and flew them a LOT; I flew the K6CR a few times, and also got one or two flights in a K6e. I flew a K8 a few times at Cosford, too. Trainers I flew a good few times in K13s and once even in a K4! My favourite was the K18 - the others always felt like I was peering out of a tiny bubble but the K18 had a very low cockpit wall and you could see EVERYTHING - also the K18 felt like higher performance and a bit racier than the wooden fuselage ones (it had a body of aluminium tubes with a stretched fibre covering). A wonderful time, and thank you for this video.

[@anttiruo]

Yes the K 18 is a great performer. On par with the K 6E. Never flew the first one though.

[@davesgliding]

I've flown a 1969 Libelle H201, an SGS 2-33 and SGS 1-34, each with their own characteristics. I co-own the Libelle and I really enjoy it. The narrowness does mean my shoulders are touching the gunnels, and you almost feel the wings are coming out of your shoulders, so you strapped on a glider vs sitting in it. Controls are light and responsive, and you really can feel what the airmass is doing around you. Each of these gliders has spoilers/brakes on top/bottom, so you need to noticeably change your attitude accordingly to maintain airspeed when using them, especially the 1-34. Every different glider I fly, I feel I learn a lot more about what the aircraft is doing vs my own input, so I think it improves myself as a pilot. No matter the performance, these are all fun to experience. Anyone who has an opportunity to fly older gliders should take advantage of that.

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Hi Dave, I completely agree to your last sentence! I have flown a Libelle too, but it was 15 years ago. Me and many more Libelle pilots can confirm the feeling, that with the narrowness of the Cockpit it feels the wings are an extension of your arms and you feel better, what the air is doing around you. Unfortunately I have never flown any Schweitzer glider, I hope I will be able to fly one once. Thank you for your comment 😃👍

[@johngallagher912]

I owned a Ka-8b back in 1978 for a summer. I hated putting it together, but it just floated and floated when airborne. I was really surprised at the sink rate at higher speed. Thermal at 36mph and 70 mph was diving.

[@julianday]

The club I belonged to in England bought a K6 cr from Germany in 1978. The registration number was D5702. I bought it from the club in 79 and did hundreds of hours in it including a diamond goal and height. It was a wonderful glider to fly and found flying glass it didn’t give the same experience somehow.

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Hi Julian, yes i agree, the experience in a wooden glider is really unique. Flying diamond goal and height in a Ka6Cr is absolutely outstanding, congratulations :-)!

[@jamesa5720]

One of the best enthusiastic sailplane videos i have seen; beautiful cloud level soaring in a great ship. As a kid in the mid 60's, I spent my weekends in Rockwall, TX, where my late-father flew another classic, a Schweizer 1-26, but I knew he actually coveted the Ka6cr which a few guys flew at the club. Years later, in my early adulthood, I bought myself a 1-26 and loved every minute of it. After a couple of years, I moved up to another classic, a Standard Libelle 201b, that was an amazing and easy ship to fly; not so easy to land, ha. Great times for sure.

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Great thank you 😃

[@foxwhiskey]

The sound of the e-vario when climbing makes me shiver. Remembering my flights in a K 6, long time ago. Still miss it 😢

[@ArjanHarmans]

Totaly hooked on flying Vintage gliders. I own a 1965 Ka-6CR which I absolutely love. I take her cross-country very often, did a 300km declared triangle in it a few weeks ago. I fly several vintage Slingsby gliders too and am co-owner of a Skylark 3C that we are restoring to flying condition. The Ka-6CR in my opinion is one of the most balanced and relaxing gliders in existence. Although the Skylark 3 with its 18,2m wingspan is quite special too...

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Thank you for your comment, I totally agree, the Ka6Cr is a very balanced glider 😃 - I should fly vintage glider more often too 😍

[@skylarkman2000]

Had a half share in a Skylark 2 , 15 metre . Lovely vintage glider but sooo heavy to rig . K6cr was sooooo delightful. Lovely bit of kit .

[@nathanwilliam1569]

I did my silver C and owned a K6CR about 20 years ago. I've owned and flown many "plastic ships" but currently own a Slingsby Dart 17r. My club owns a K8, K6cr, K18 and K13 so I'm lucky enough to fly and instruct on a number of different vintage gliders. In the UK we also have the Gliding Heritage Centre at Lasham which as a member means I get to fly a wide range of vintage and unusual types. Vintage is best! :)

[@christopherstevenson9737]

I fly a vintage glider every tome i go soaring. Schwiezer SGS 1-34. I’ve also flown in a Lk-10 Army trainer glider. In my soaring area of So. California, we have a Vintage Soaring Association meet in May @ Tehachapi . Many classic and vintage sailplanes. Btw. Excellent video quality- 360 camera work! ❤❤❤

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Flying those gliders is really special, I totally agree 😀. Thank you for your appreciation regarding my camera work 😀👍

[@apocalips8008]

Started 1970 on Blanik, K13 then K8, K6CR and E, then Dart 17. Silver was in a K8, Gold triangle K6E unofficial then repeated in a Standard Cirrus. Those were the days... Instamatic camera mounted on the left side, smoked tinfoil barograph (fixed later with hairspray), chalk board declaration signed by an OO, proper navigation, turnpoint had to be sighted and photographed in the correct quadrant (the negatives had to remain uncut)...no GPS, no motors, no water ballast, many land outs and retrievals..incredible experiences and memories of late night retrievals and above all the amazing cameraderie and friendships made...

[@paulfreer1302]

I soloed in a Ka4 two seater then converted to the Ka 6. Such a beautiful plane to fly . I loved it.

[@florianeiser6084]

did my solo flights while getting my license in 2019 in aK8b built in 63. The club bought and restored it the same year. Basic instrumentation. Amazing glider, unfortunately I never found a comfortable seating position to allow flights longer than 2hrs.

[@seamuscashin2606]

i have a olympia meise climbs like like hell goes down like a homesick angel love it

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Hi Seamus, a olymipa meise must be fun to fly too 😍! Thank you for your comment!

[@leeharrison2722]

I own a Ka-6CR that is.currently undergoing a stripped-to-the-bones safety inspection and refabric/repaint, NOT the result of any damage or prang, but just due to age. (I also own & fly a Discus B ... so the work on the Ka-6 goes slowly.) But they are absolutely wonderful to fly, particularly on weak soaring days. (And we get a lot of those in New York State, USA) The Ka6 is the best-thermaling glider I have ever flown -- low wing loading and lovely controls ... partly because it has a nice big rudder. The Ka-6 series was (and remains!) the most contest-winning design in the history of soaring - dominating the standard class for years and years ... until the glass sailplanes took over. It's ability to dominate the other wooden sailplanes of its era was subtle -- on paper some of the others were better, but the Ka-6s just kept winning. The most-notable competitor to the Ka-6 in its day was the Std. Austria ... that I have also flown. I don't wish to be invidious ... but while the Std. Austria could beat the Ka-6CR on a strong day, they were lousy on weak-to-moderate days, and they had very unpleasant handling characteristics, particularly trying to do a cross-wind landing. Contests are won or lost on the weak and average days -- mostly everybody gets around the course on a strong day, and the speed advantage of winning one won't make up for landing out on a weak one. The Ka6-CR evolved into the E, and PE ... they look very similar but have a finer fuselage, and the wing sheeting was changed to improve laminar flow. In that late era just before glass came in the Std-Austria evolved into the Austria SH, that fixed a lot of the flaws of the Std. George Moffett owned one and extolled its virtues, and sure knew how to win with one ... I've never flown an SH, would like to if I could, but they are rare. A Ka-6 E (and likely a SH) could give a Phoebus a run for the money .... but when the Std. Cirrus arrived it was game-over for the woodies. If anyone ever lets you fly a Ka-6 there is one thing to know, that is implicit in this video, but not stated: land it on the grass, do not try to land it on a paved surface if at all possible. There are two reasons: (1) all the wheel brake it has is a rub-band on the tire. The brake is lousy. You may think you know about this if you are familiar with the Schweizer 1-26, but remember that the Ka6 is a tail-dragger: no skid. (2) The spring+tailspoon will result in zero directional control from the tail (no tailwheel) landing on asphalt as you lose airspeed. This tail does a LOT better on grass. But the standard stupid/newbie "accident" (if one is willing to call it that) is a new pilot makes a "nice landing" on a narrow runway in a mild cross-wind and thinks everything is wonderful until they get down to about 15 its ... at which point that big rudder and fin turn you into the wind ... and off the side of the runway the pilot goes futilely jerking at the brake ... and into whatever is over there. The Ka6 is made for German and English soaring -- big grass aerodromes. It is not made for the smaller one-runway asphalt strips so common in the USA, particularly the typical 50' wide asphalt with landing lights 2 ft (2/3 m) off each side. Recognize its limitations ... don't break up a beautiful oldie in the dumbest and most common way.

[@carljacobs1287]

I've flown an M200 on three flights, it is a 1964 two seater with the strangest seating arrangement - side by side, but with one seat offset towards the back. First time I was still learning to fly, and could not make any sense of how to fly it. Second and third flights were a couple of years later, but both on the same day. The first of these was a check flight, and the second I flew as pilot in command with a non-pilot passenger who was a regular volunteer at the club. Together we flew a 100km task that was centered around the airport (Warwick, Australia). Still one of my most memorable flights for two reasons: 1) I got to share the flight with someone else, 2) the plane is so quirky to fly (you sit to one side, and everything feels skew). I would second your recommendation to give vintage flying a try, it was such an enjoyable experience! Here is a video: same glider, airport and launch direction, but I think someone else's flight. kzbin.info/www/bejne/e57Yonpog5mGsJI

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Hi Carl, thank you ver much for this story!! Very interesting, also the M200 glider. Must be a very special feeling to fly it! I had once a flight in a T21 Slingsby, both pilots seating side-by-side. It was a Cabrio canopy, I will never forget this flight! Vintage gliders are really fun!! 😃👍

[@lauriesimpkins8315]

Hi Carl, glad you enjoyed mastering the old M200. Still flying actively in Hunter Valley and may be visiting Warwick again early Oct when I run a vintage week. Try and drop in if u can, Laurie

[@julianday]

M200 is a heavy glider , I owned a share in one a few years ago in Burn near Selby England. When used to it , it was ok to fly !

[@510109]

Greeting from South Africa 🙂 By chance I came across your video and wow! Brought back so many memories . I started flying in the U.K. in the 1970's and my home airfield was Husbands Bosworth. Won't bore you with how I arrived and introduction to gliding but suffice to say I was hooked! Majority of my pre-solo flying was with a Bocian with a few flights in the Blanik. Once solo and having obtained the minimum number of hours (with check flights for the first few) flying a twin seaters I was allowed to fly the K8. Being a 'club' ship there was a maximum time allowed of 1hr and then after landing you could but your name on the list to fly again but there was seldom enough flying time in the day to have two flights... It was then that I decided I needed to buy into a syndicate but fate played her hand and I became the very proud owner of a SZD (Jaskolka). To be honest there was quite a lot of refurbishment required and eventually this was completed. Unfortunately circumstances relating to employment changed before flying the Jaskolka in the U.K. and we (wife and two boys) emigrated to South Africa in 1982. As a glider pilot only used to flying in U.K. weather, flying gliders in this part of the world is a totally different experience with five meter per second thermals very common! Of course, what go's up must come down and inter-thermal sink can catch you by surprise if not briefed beforehand. For a number of years I enjoyed flying the Jaskolka (manufactured in the 1950's) at various clubs having made the mistake of choosing to live in Benoni which is very close to Johannesburg International Airport. With a 100Km radius restriction for recreational flying (including a ceiling that effectively prohibits flying gliders) flying became more about driving for 4 or more hours (round trip) than being able to visit Husbands Bosworth which was 4 nM from our home in the U.K. In the late 1980's there were major society changes taking place in South Africa and eventually flying cross country became to risky and for a multitude of reasons I stopped flying. As to flying the Jaskolka, I can say that it probably compares to a thoroughbred race horse, there is no trim control and stick loads are virtually zero from stall (about 50Km/h depending on if flaps deployed) to VNE (250Km/h) with climbing in a thermal as if you were a home sick angel! Handling is crisp and as noted in your video, you can FEEL the thermals very easily . With a best L/D of about 26:1 it does not compare to glass ships (I have limited experience but was able to fly a club glass ship for the allotted hour and ended up flying much further distance than would have been possible in my own glider) and unless flying in the company of other old timers, it is not possible to keep up with fellow pilots. The cockpit is roomy and there is even a pilot relief arrangement . Thanks again for sharing your video. Sincerely - Nigel Rotherham ([e-mail]) P.S. My SZD-8 if looking for a new owner.

[@danielminer446]

I own a 1957 Ka6 CR. It's my first sailplane. I couldn't be happier with it. Great video.

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Thank you Daniel, yes it really is 😀

[@Trevor_Austin]

My first glider was Ka6 cr. They are excellent gliders. They are easy to fly, give great feedback, easy to maintain and are excellent value for money. They also smell nice. On strong day like the one when this was filmed they are more than capable of doing a 300 km. They only really suffer when you have fly fast for an extended period of time such as on strong wind days or jumping wave bars.

[@jimpike7445]

I flew a Ka6 and the similar all wood Italian M100 back in the seventies. Going further back I had a winch launched flight with Walter Chmela in a Doppelraab glider where the instructor sat in a sling seat above and behind the main seat and used the same control stick as the student by reaching over their shoulder. Walter is still alive at 96 years old but I haven't seen him for a few years so I don't know if he is still flying. Mostly in my early gliding days I flew Schweitzer gliders 2-33,1-26,1-35, but my favorite was the Blanik. I also flew a friend's Cirrus and a Libelle.

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Hi Jim, i heard about the Doppelraab. Must be a strange feeling from todays point of view, with only one control stick 😀. Thank you for your comment!

[@alanward9521]

What a wonderful privilege to fly such a beautiful glider. The vintage ones have so much charm about them. I'm hoping to start my training soon and can't wait until I can try their K13. Love your channel Rudi. Safe flying everyone 🙂.

[@rs3096]

K6E was the model we used in the club before we switched to glassfibre planes. I loved all of them (Ka6CR, Ka6E, Ka7, K8, ASK 13).

[@carlchristensen1628]

I had many memories flying the Ka8 and then the Ka6 at my old club in Houston, Texas. Ye Ha!! The response to controls and the feel in the seat of your pants was not only exciting, those ships had the "look" of a "real" airplane. Thanks for posting, enjoyed your smiles!

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Thank you Carl for your nice comment :-)! I love it :-)!

[@sszibler]

Our club had a SGS 1-36 Sprite, Schweitzer’s last. So much fun. Nothing like the glide ratios today, but I did my first 5 hour, above 9000’ flight in that in the New Market, VA area. Shenandoah mountains. Beautiful flight!

[@pajuliet]

I was lucky enough to fly John Good's Ka6CR at Sugarbush in the 90s. My then ship was an ASW24. It was utterly delightful to fiy. The handling, responsiveness and, well, all flight characteristics were simply magical. Scleicher builds amazing machines!

[@larsoleruben]

I did my first cross country fligt in a Ka6 Cr. Awesome plane :-)

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Yes it really is. I liked it a lot :-)! Thank you for your comment :-)!

[@b_wisniewski]

Nice video! We still use for training purposes glider from the same epoque- SZD- 30 Pirat.

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Hi Bartosz, wow, i have never flown a Pirat before. I just know it from the ground. In our club, we also still use a ASK13 for the first training flights.

[@hendriknassau]

I flew a ka6 e which was our overland plane in 1994. Beautiful handling. The first plane that approached this was a ls4.

[@wilkoone9155]

I did my training in a Ka7, Ka13 & Ka8 launching with reverse auto tow at Baldonnell military aerodrome West of Dublin.

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Hi, reverse auto tow sounds great, i never saw one in real life. My training was on ASK13 and Ka8 too, so good memories came up while flying now the Ka6 😍

[@wilkoone9155]

@@RudisGlidingAdventures The record launch height at Baldonnell was over 4,000' I think it's a World record, but was never verified. The glider was a Ka6 I think. To get to that altitude the tow car would be going backwards with the brake pedal working in the same sense as accelerator was in the early part of the launch. I often wondered what wing loading of the glider was with 4,000' of high tension piano wire hanging out of it!

[@Thomas-Tower]

I have a Ka6E, it is wonderful to fly. I have an ASH 31Mi as well, it is wonderful too, but they are very different. Together with a friend I have an ASK 13, an old twoseater, fun too. I guess I am a Schleicher fan😊

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Yes looks like 😅 - but understandable, they build very nice gliders since a long time!

[@MrSheymie]

Looks like you had a lovely flight! I co-owned a 1960 Ka-6 CR as my first glider. I believe the glider is still flying today. It was very stable glider on the ground run and landing and great for building confidence. As you observed, it was also very good for climbing in light lift, which made it possible to achieve soaring flights of some hours without much difficulty. Due to glider performance being lower I always stayed close to home.

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Hi, thank you for your comment! Yes, the Ka6 is really nice to fly. The owners also decided not to go cross-country with it, as they want to avoid any possible damages during outlandings.

[@martinNmr]

Nice Video! The wooden gliders are realy fun to fly. In my club you get a trophy if you fly 300km XC in our Ka6CR or Ka6E. Hopefully I will also make it once. 😅

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Hi Martin, wow, thats a great goal to achieve 😍! Makes me think if i should try a 300km flight in a wooden glider too 😀!! Thank you for your comment!

[@kawasexi_ninja]

We have the same at our club! 😊

[@PP-eq4vz]

I have wonderful memories of the Ka6, doing my 50 kilometer flight from Montricher to La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. If I were to fly gliders again, I’d probably want to fly a Ka 6.

[@erikisberg3886]

The Ka6cr was my first singleseater way back in the 1970:s. I agree on the flying qualities, You really feel the thermals in a different way and in more detail. My present club has a very nice Ka6cr from 1961, SE-SWU, I still enjoy flying it especially in difficult weather with tight thermals when the air is free of composite... lots of fun.

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

I totally agree 😍! Thank you for your comment 😀👍

[@anttiruo]

In my club in the 70's you had to have 100 hours total time to be able to fly it. And it took years because you could only fly 30 minutes at a time with the K 8 and the likes because of dozens wanting to fly. 70's were a crazy time and gliding was a fashionable hobby. Back then they used to have 3000 winch launches this time in the summer and today we have only 356. This was before I was born though. Of course that flight hour reguirement had nothing to do with safety but with the older pilots wanting to reserve planes for themselves.

[@erikisberg3886]

@@anttiruo Sadly gliding has declined similarly here in Sweden. Actually it is the same in most air sports. I fly hot air balloons as well, same problems. I got my C-diploma 1974 and I agree, the situation was very different back then... Funny thing is that after corona we now have many of young people getting into gliding in the clubs I fly at, very promising.

[@mikemorgulis9657]

I learned to fly on an ASK13 in 1981 and then moved into the Ka6cr in 1992 and enjoyed flying it very much. I did my first 50km in the K6, and also flew my first contest in it. Such a great ship to fly, if you ‘think’ right, it turns right. You can thermal it on a wingtip and it goes up! The only glider that has the same control harmony is the Discus, but the K6 is still easier to fly. The best one I flew is my friend’s K6E, CFXSX… just a gorgeous glider.

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Hi Mike, i totally agree! It is really a gorgeous glider 😍!!

[@pcordellyb]

Thanks for the K6 flight. I flew a Ka6 br 400 hours and completed my Gold badge Great memories.

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Thank you for your comment! It is great to see that this video triggers so many good memories from so many viewers 😀!

[@thomaskolb8785]

I have also quite a few hours in the Ka-6CR (from 1966 no less) and it was a super fun little airplane! Not the best performance, but man, it sure can climb even in the weakest thermals.

[@yvesklett232]

Well done! K6 CR was my go-to choice for beginner competitions and cross-country in the late 90s as a young pilot. Like riding a bike, no conscious thought necessary for flying. Perfect for outlandings, too. Made it up to 500 FAI with the old EF, happy memories!

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Hi Yves, thank you for your nice comment! I agree, when flying the Ka6 good memories came up also by myself, reminding me on my first crosscountry flights in a Ka8. Good to hear that you liked my video. Thank you 😍😍

[@yvesklett232]

@@RudisGlidingAdventures Rudi, forgot to mention: my father co-owned a Ka6 in the sixties, when it was cutting-edge. Then, it enabled them to roam the Alps. Not a lot of airspace back then, too!

[@wesleycardinal8869]

Great video. Those 360 shots were amazing 👍🇦🇺

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Thank you 😃

[@jacobgeorge1043]

About 23 years ago I flew a Schneider Super Arrow at Bendigo, Australia, a very similar plane to a K6 and it was my favourite glider to fly. Light, easy, just fun. Edmund Schneider designed the famous 'Grunau Baby', and then moved from Germany to Australia where he lived for a time and designed the Kookaburra, Arrow and Boomerang gliders. The Boomerang is very similar to the K6 but has an all flying tailplane. This was found to be a litle bit too sensitive in pitch so a variant with conventional tailplane/elevator arrangement was designed, the Super Arrow.

[@stefankranz]

Very nice Video 👌I'd love to experience the differences with a vintage glider. Only flew "modern* gliders since I learned to fly.

[@rossnolan7283]

Memories... I flew our club (Sunraysia, mildura Australia )Ka6 around a 524 kilometre triangle at age 18 in 1972 for diamond distance -- it was not considered 'vintage' then ,in fact my father owned the oldest glider still flown regularly in Australia - an Eon Olympia 2b ,homebuilt in 1948 but of 1938 design . I won the state championship in it also in 1972 - THAT is a vintage glider . In 1973 I worked for SchemppHirth building Nimbus and Std Cirrus 'plastic' super ships that are themselves now 'vintage' (hardly seems like fifty years have passed ....) The Olympia was considered to have superb handling for it's day and could climb on the smell of an oily rag as the saying goes -- I flew a total of 1000 kilometres in three consecutive days in it (one flight over 400 k ) during a competition in 1971 --my father, Keith Nolan, flew a 500 k triangle in it in the 80s and owned it until 2017 - for 50 years ! It was unique in having 'nose art" - a silouhette of a witch on a broomstick which gave it the famous name of Yellow Witch - it's exploits recorded on Olympia websites . Even flew it open cockpit once or twice (as I did my old Sagitta ) - lighter gliders gave more feedback and 'feel' of lift than modern well sealed ships . Thanks for the revisit.

[@MrJohnspex]

I had many happy hours in a K6cr in the 1970s. Fabulous handling. I also did my Diamond height flight on my conversion flight to the Ka6e which was very similar.

[@dxhunter5277]

Super Video mit schönen Bilder! Danke Rudi.

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Danke für dein Lob! Ich bemühe mich so weiterzumachen, obwohl ich aktuell grade wenig Zeit für Video schneiden habe ... aber wird schon wieder werden :-)

[@lert2161]

When I took up gliding in 1964 I was 20 and the Ka6 was the clubs 'hot ship'. It took 3 or for 4 years before I got a seat in it. Then we got a 301 Libelle!

[@rogerblack4603]

The K6CR was the first single seater I flew. I remember the surprise I had when it lifted off the ground so quickly, and how far I had to push the stick forward to keep level with the ground (aerotow). The progression at the club in the early 90's was: Blanik, K6CR, Club Libelle, Std Libelle.

[@jme104]

I made my first triangle , about 109 km, in a Ka6 cr glider , nice little glider .It was in 1974.

[@Johan-ex5yj]

Great flight, Rudi! 😀 Thank you for showing us that, even with a 56 year old (wooden) glider, you can have fun gliding. 👍

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Hi Johan, thank you for your comment 😀! Yes it was really fun and it got me to the conclusion, that i should fly such oldtimers more often 😍😍

[@ronaldgadget]

I learnt on Ka-7 / Ka-13, soloed K-8 and flew K-6cr and K-6e after building experience. The latter was the best wooden glider I ever flew, and flies like a glasfibre ship of today... That was all in late 70's early 80's

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Hi Ronald, i agree. I also learned to fly on a ASK13, went on a Ka8 afterwards with which i did my first cross-country flights. Good memories came up while flying the Ka6 this time. I should fly oldtimers more often 😀! Thank you for your comment!

[@ronaldgadget]

@@RudisGlidingAdventures yes, also did my first XC on ka-8 - sweet memories!

[@anttiruo]

The LS4 flies and feels remarkably like the Ka 6E.

[@chrisj800]

I flew the K6CR as well as K8, K18 and Slingsby Swallow. Also flew the K6BR which is similar but only had a belly hook so it was a bit more tricky for aerotowing. All these gliders thermalled great and you could often circle tight in the core and outclimb more modern glass gliders.

[@wackaircaftmechanic2312]

I must advise you that one of the few vintage gliders that act similar to modern gliders is the Schempp-hirth Austria. It is built very heavily and is very fast. I can't wait to try out my KA 6

[@ParaSoar]

Nice video, good editing and fun to watch! I flew Ka-7, Ka-8 at my old club, but the Ka-6 definitely looks better!

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Thank you Fons! Yes this Ka6 is really in an exceptional state! Thank you for your comment!

[@leevihalme4615]

I'm just on the beginning of my journey to glider pilot, so far I've had couple of flying lessons on dg500 and flown couple of hours on Puchacz with my friend's dad. Our local club has ka6cr '61 and my plan is to fly it one day!

[@skylarkman2000]

Be careful with the Puchacz . When spinning they lose height at a phenomenal rate !

[@florianhoflehner2877]

Wow! Those new avionics came as a surprise 😅 nice video and aircraft 😇

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Yes they put a lot of effort into taking care about their "baby"! Thank you for your comment!

[@GrantGrove]

I was fortunate to fly the K6 and the BG. My regular glider was a Lark IS28B-2.

[@michaeldietl3541]

Servus Rudi Klasse Video Wir hatten eine Ka 6 gleichnach meinem Abi . Mehr konnten wir uns damals nicht leisten. Trotzdem bin ich mehrmals 300 km geflogen. Einmal sind wir von Ingolstadt nach Frankreich bei Nancy aufgeschlagen...dank starkem Rückenwind. Wenn ich mehr Zeit hätte würde ich mir gern wieder eine herrichten. Gruß Michael

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Coole Sache! Das ist echt eine Leistung, solche Strecken mit einer Ka6 zu fliegen 🤩🤩! Danke für dein Kommentar!

[@tinchote]

Love the Ka6CR. I did quite a number of hours and kilometers in it, and also quite a bit of workshop tim,e painting and repairing a couple. In my club, in the 80s, the progression would be that you trained in the Blanik L13, then after solo fly the Ka8b until 20 hours and then you could fly the Ka6. Next step were the plastic gliders.

[@thehessian7622]

Ich habe meinen ersten Überland-Alleinflug mit einer Ka8 gemacht. Das war ein tolles und spannendes Erlebnis. Als die Thermik nachließ und ich vor dem angepeilten Flugplatz Kassel komplett überfliegen musste, wurde mir das erste Mal klar, wie wichtig es ist, die Gleitzahl zu kennen.😂

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Ja das glaube ich, ich habe auch meine ersten Überlandflüge auf der Ka8 gemacht 😃

[@thehessian7622]

@@RudisGlidingAdventures das ist einfach ein schönes Flugzeug. Ich fliege trotz Schein leider schon lange nicht mehr, aber die Ka8 und die ASK21 waren damals schon meine Favoriten.

[@MardkoMBR]

Many yaers ago I Flown in Segovia (Spain) a Scheibe SF27A. A wonderful experience.

[@richardcaw]

Many memories flying the CR, did my silver height. Did 300km triangle in Ka6 E. and gold height.

[@geoffmcbroom5302]

Thanks for the nice video which brought back fond memories. I was lucky to be a part owner of a Ka-6 CR (BGA No. 270) in the late 1960's. It's handling was perfection, so soarable, very aerobatic and with a roll rate that didn't seem possible with such small ailerons. I was blown downwind to gain my 300Km goal diamond in it, plus a few 3000+ metre climbs in cloud, but never with a barograph. I didn't ever fly a glass or carbon sailplane but can't imagine it could be more pleasant. The only downside would be the cramped cockpit - rather numbing for my 6ft 2 in frame.

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Hi Geoff, great! Flying cross-country with a Ka6 must be fun. It's flight characteristics is really good! Modern glass fibre ships offer better glide ratio and more comfort in seating,, but flying wooden gliders is still a great experience. Thank you for your comment 😃

[@skylarkman2000]

I had the same height problem. I just wouldn't fit into many glass ships . The Polish PZL 51 ( Junior ) was perfect though. Large cockpit snd an absolute delight to fly .

[@erhardspies8779]

I flew the K-6CR, and I loved it! It would buy one, if they were still available!

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Yes it is really a great plane :-)!

[@anttiruo]

There's a very nice looking Ka 6BR for sale in Spain with a trailer for 3000 €.

[@swissgliderpilot6871]

Very nice Video! I like this old parts

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Thank you, yes flying those old planes is really a unique experience!

[@hubsillen]

I did my silver C in a Ka 8, 6.5 hours, couldn't walk anymore after touch down

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Haha, i really can imagine, as i did the same in the Ka8 😂😂

[@YFA912]

It's such a beautiful glider, enjoy 😎😎😎

[@emiliosagichnicht7521]

7:00 In the ka8 you can dive vertically with fully extended airbrakes and you will not exceed 150 km/h, I have been told stories from the old guys where they flew in Thunderstorms and used to dive out of the clouds that way. Sometimes the climb rates were so strong it was the only way to get down. Must have been crazy times.

[@tadeksmutek5840]

Nice video - thank you, Rudi.

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Thank you Tadek for your comment 😃👍

[@richardjoel8051]

Yes, in my much younger days about 50 years ago. it was just a you describe, very responsive and good in thermals.

[@RolandChevalier-p9t]

I Love this video. It really takes me back to my youth when I was actively flying . Yes, I flew a few early gliders in the 70s and 80s. I did some early training on a WWII Pratt-Read TG-32. The actual aircraft is shown in this article [en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pratt-Read_TG-32A] Later I put a few hours on a Slingsby Skylark 2.

[@davidfall9573]

I flew a Ka6BR back in the 80's and 90's. Lots of cross countries and wave flights. Managed to complete a 300k diamond in '89 (7hrs 15mins!). Upgraded to a DG100 - obviously much quicker but couldn't match the delicacy and climb rate of the K6!

[@dsingthermals6931]

I really like watching this I can see the entire glider..... I don't fly full scale because I like to see the ship

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Hi Ken, thank you for your comment. The view from outside is really nice, i agree :-)

[@georgeballantyne7795]

Nice video, Rudi! Everyone should fly an old, vintage glider at least once in their flying career, they really 'talk' to you in the air. You forgot to mention also the wonderful aroma of warm wood, glue, and cellulose doped fabric that they have, an aroma of age and history, past skies and happy smiles...

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Hi George, yes you are absolutely right! The aroma is very special! Actually this flight reminded me of my very first cross country flights, which i have done about 20 years ago in a Ka8. Same limited space in the cockpit and same aroma. Definitly worth to mention! Thank you for your comment George :-)!

[@georgeballantyne7795]

I still miss my old Skylark 3b...sigh!

[@flightofthefelix8820]

Great video of a great glider. I would say that as I own a 1965 vintage Ka6CR. Where in Austria was this filmed?

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Hi Felix, thank you for your comment! It was filmed at Linz-Ost airport (ICAO code: LOLO) respectively in the hilly terrain north of Linz.

[@GiorgioMagnani-gy7uw]

Ho fatto qualche volo interessante col Ka 6 ,con una buona efficienza per l ' epoca ,mi sembra 34 a 80 km / h ...nel mio aerclub dopo un ciclo di ore col k13 si passava al monoposto col su citato ka 6 ...entrambi progettati da Rudolf Kaiser per la Alexder Schleiker ...insomma un buon aliante degli anni 60 ...è stato campione 2 volte nel decennio

[@randomguyinanglider4090]

We sadly dont realy have old clup gliders our oldest is our Ask23 . Moast flightclups are now propularry jealous but i would love to fly an woodship one day

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

yeah, if you get the chance ... take it right away, it is really a great experience :-)!

[@hansludolphi9169]

I flew the KA6 belonging to the Cape Gliding Club near Cape Town and a did my Silver C in this Glider I have fond memories

[@anttiruo]

I'm planning to do the same on a single flight. I just bought a share in a Ka 6E.

[@lucabenedetto5381]

Nice video, reminds me of my, few to be honest, flying hours done on the 6Cr! Too small for my height, nice but too small!

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Hi Luca, thank you for your comment! Yeah every plane has some cons too :-)

[@bjrnhenrymikkelsen706]

I learnt to fly 🥰 in a K7, and I have 100 hr in K8,

[@peterpurdie793]

I flew my first Open Class UK Nationals in a Ka6CR (in 1968) and placed 3rd on one day😂

[@ChipMIK]

I have many hours in the Ka-6 and 17 years old i loved it vs. the Ka-8 as its not allowed to loop LOL. For weak thermals i preferred the Ka-8, also due to the better visibility it offers.

[@anttiruo]

Yes, I fly both and the K 8 is definitely better in weak thermals. I find the view good enough in the Ka 6E, but it is a lot better in the K8.

[@smartbear7450]

Hi Rudi I own an Australian vintage glider called ES60 Boomerang. Ita little heavier and slightly better glide.

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Interesting, I never have heard about that glider before! Is it australian made?

[@simondavie6891]

They were made in Australia by Edmund Schneider. They were based off the Ka6 (of which Schneider had built licensed versions) but with a higher wing loading to better suit the strong thermal conditions typical during an Australian summer

[@skylarkman2000]

Did My 50km for My Silver badge in one of these . Lovely little Glider .

[@dieterkarrer2535]

Ich liebe die K6, viele Stunden drauf geschrubbt.

[@DiscusRussell]

I am sitting one just before launch in my profile picture 😎 Bloody uncomfortable my ass used to go to sleep after an hour. preferred my SF27a. Other than a sore ass a beautifully well coordinated glider to fly. I think ALL silver badges should be done in wood, plastic gliders to easy. Maybe all badges 🤔 Russell

[@HeliZero]

I have flown the K6 also. Wonderful glider but the comfort is of course not on par with modern fiber gliders. ;0) I am from Denmark btw. My first single-seater was a ASK-23.

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Great! I don't know the ASK23, it is supposed to have good flight charactaristics? The comfort is of course better in a modern glass fibre ship. Where in denmark do you fly?

[@HeliZero]

@@RudisGlidingAdventures I flew i Silkeborg Gliding Club but i don't fly anymore. The ASK-23 is the singleseat version of the ASK-21 in wich i learned to fly. Both fine gliders but the 23 is not really a competition glider but more a transition-glider before you move on to something more advanced..

[@tedf1471]

I had a 1950's Olympia 2b in the 70's. It was a delight to fly but had very poor penetration upwind, you had to be really careful in marginal conditions not to drift too far from the airfield!

[@andreluis_it]

Do you know the glide ratio?

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

No, not really ... some sources say it has a glide ratio of 29. Might be possible

[@patrickmaartense7772]

ka6, ka7, ka8 etc ... vintage enough ? EHEH and LOXN

[@haraldschallerl2973]

Wunderschöne Ka6 und gelungenes Video. Die Little Planeteinstellung hat da so richtig gut gepasst. Als ich zu fliegen begonnen habe, war die Ka 6 noch ein modernes Flugzeug und reserviert für die guten Streckenflieger ;-))

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Hallo Harald, Danke für dein Lob! Ja finde ich auch, beim Kurbeln die Tiny Planet Einstellung passt super. Tja wie sich die Zeiten ändern. Heutzutage freuen sich gute Streckenflieger, wenn sie auch wieder mal Ka6 fliegen können 😁😁!! Danke für dein Kommentar!

[@XY-mc2pd]

I Fly an K8

[@RudisGlidingAdventures]

Cool, we have a Ka8 in our Club too. Maybe I do also a video about that glider 😃