Sailplane does a gravity take off from top of a hill

[@gajetsky]

here the version with upslope wind kzbin.info/www/bejne/gXK4fZp8ibF5f6c

[@PureGlide]

Hi Patrick, I was interested in featuring a small clip of the gravity launch video on my KZbin channel PureGlide, as part of a video on different launch methods. It would be a short clip and I'd link to your original video in the description. Any chance you can flick me an email if that's OK or not? [e-mail] Thanks in advance!

[@cptVLK]

What an crazy takeoff, beauty :) You had there wonderful thermals clouds, the clouds were beautiful, why just jump, or it was training ? :)

[@gajetsky]

@@cptVLK correct, just training. The task was to do the minimum required amount of gravity launches in order the get the rating for that.

[@jakerazmataz852]

60yo private pilot. I've never seen that.

[@braeduin]

Translation of what they guy on the radio said: Weather is fine with a moderate headwind of 8 knots I shall now perform the preflight ritual of sacrificing a demon by strangling it with its own entrails **

[@anglerissues1457]

That was great!🤣

[@DullPoints]

You got me!

[@jomo6913]

Whaaaaaaa!!

[@Mint-Lynx]

That seemed legit until the second half.

[@Brewskie86]

@Graf von Losinj Facts!

[@EkosFoxLeviathan]

guy on radio: JDFAISOFHIWQFJWQUFEQWHURTOHQEOFGUIHQWEOITEQ guy on plane: *nods, understanding everything to the letter* Edit: DUDE I didn’t even noticed the replies and the likes. First time I get so many lul

[@houstonhelicoptertours1006]

Just a matter of practice

[@macdom24]

I think it would be easier to understand if you spoke the language they were speaking...

[@terben7339]

It's Polish, every 5th letter should be W or Z.

[@stahoo007]

@@macdom24 im Polish, but i did not understood :D

[@daze8410]

That's how I felt my first time on public transit

[@rooftopvoter3015]

Beginning of video: Placing an order at a drive through and the guy reading it back to me

[@TriggK4T]

those old ass shitty mcdonalds boxes

[@TheGarnerjustin73]

And me just eating Mayo on my Burger even though i explicitly said No Mayo but it's not worth waiting for the correct order.

[@Showboat_Six]

Wayne’s world ordering their food!

[@RecklessG1]

.... and a large orange drink

[@Wolf88888]

It's like that old Dane Cook skit.

[@basecubing612]

*Ah yes.. The Earrape*

[@Dude8718]

I saw this comment right before the earrape started and laughed my ass off 😂 what the fuckkkkkk Hahahahahaa

[@Skeptic89]

What else would you expect from a russian video

[@abdou.the.heretic]

​@@Skeptic89cuka blyat yebat inakhoi

[@GIDasha]

much appreciated, I left the volume up form. previous video and got on the button just in time to save the 2am silence, also it was funny af 😂

[@javo5270]

​@@Skeptic89polish*

[@dorsetdumpling5387]

Now, if he’d landed back at the top of the hill, that would be impressive.

[@gajetsky]

this was quite common in the past until a glider hit the hangar on the top and people got injured.

[@nicholas1460]

I was going to say I assume he landed with a tailwind.

[@technophant]

So now they disassemble and tow?

[@nicholas1460]

@@technophant Use a golf cart?

[@robertbarlow6359]

Could have been possible with ridge/hill lift or a thermal. I've never seen a sailplane gravity launch before, though I've seen a down hill bunjee launch.

[@antonik2674]

i went here with my grandad 5 years ago and this is where i had my first flying experience, i will never forget it

[@fretted]

Must be a pain to carry that back up the hill 🤪

[@peacockhorsepower3181]

They use anti gravity craft to take it back up

[@vhollund]

Yes and Wishful Thinking

[@米空軍パイロット]

Ski lift?

[@MadofaA]

They use elbow grease!

[@steveurbach3093]

You must be a Hang glider pilot, because I was thinking of many of my training flights where I spen more time hiking it back up the hill.

[@Flightcoach]

THIS JUST BLEW MY MIND. been flying HG and PG for 26 years, thermalled together with sailplanes countless times... but never imagined they could launch like this. Just push em off a hill... yeah why not? (i see some reasons why but hey this was epic)

[@sadlife8495]

would be cool, could be done on a road :)

[@MatthewPettyST1300]

I too found this method very unique never having seen it before. Intuitively so simple. Hang gliders like me do it but use our feet just to keep moving over the ground.Newbies use wheels but mainly (only) for landing.

[@alanaldpal950]

“Gravity” or “slope launching” a super floating at Crestline HG launch: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e324hmiVibWpgqc

[@MatthewPettyST1300]

@Chris_1024_ Looked like a little bit of a ski jump at the end. If it wasn't pitched up then even a straight level edge with a drop off of the hill side would do it at that speed.

[@richardstewart6900]

I did a week's gliding course at Long Mynd a LONG time ago. They have the usual winch launch but also occasionally use a bungee - literally an elastic rope with a few folk at each end and someone holding the tail back. Then they let go ... Sadly, although some on our course got a go at it, the conditions changed before it was my turn. Not sure if they still do it now.

[@RALPH7109]

Couldn't keep it up for longer than 2 minutes. Story of my life.

[@cougar02000]

What a fun way to take off with a glider and hopefully straight into slope lift. Much cheaper than an aero tow and more fun by the look of it.

[@voornaam3191]

A winch start is not that expensive either. And a lot more spectacular, once you learned how to do that. Ever felt 200 hp on a 400 pound plane?! Heeeeepah!

[@user-nk4td9bg6w]

wow that is glider heaven. I can still feel the intimidation of those first flights when you aren't too sure how far out of the pattern you want to venture to find some lift =)

[@RalphDratman]

What a great way to get in the air!

[@JohnDoe69986]

I like my ultralight better if I don't wanna hear the engine all I gotta do is turn it off and glide back down, and hell it's only a little harder than riding a bike.

[@RalphDratman]

@@JohnDoe69986 Good point! Is your ultralight a good glider? Can you catch thermals?

[@icorezx14r]

I like the efficiency of take offs and landings from the same area like PGs and HGs do at Torrey Pines Glider port. Dragging that plane back up the hill must be a big pain in the ice.

[@MENSA.lady2]

Reminds me of Sutton Bank in the UK. Gliders are launched from the top of a 600 foot cliff using a large elastic band.

[@nickcarter9538]

My favourite place. Love the drive up to the top.

[@MENSA.lady2]

Up the drive in my 1275 Mini Cooper S was almost as much fun as my first launch.

[@si_vis_amari_ama]

What a great way to practice circuits! Love it.

[@jamesmagnum]

Scrolled down to say something similar, what I had been in flight sims, first time witnessed in real life! Amazing.

[@SteveAkaDarktimes]

ah yes, the smooth silence of a engineless plane. WHOWOWOWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWOOPoPWOOWFOOOSSHJHHPop.

[@eeeeeek]

it's only for about a month.. after that the noise should disappear

[@galiltm5168]

@@eeeeeek how?

[@eeeeeek]

@@galiltm5168 cause you'll have hearing problem at that point 😂

[@jefflamb5218]

@@eeeeeek Haha...nice setup k!

[@JohnVHRC]

Id love to have a glider, and a place to enjoy it

[@TheSoaringChannel]

Where do you live?

[@JohnVHRC]

Sailing the Sky NW Wa. Usa

[@voornaam3191]

Join a club and you can fly your balls off for less then a thousand euro a year. Move to Yurp. Germany. The Netherlands. France. And the list goes on. Do something instead of just wishing. Jesus, you need help! Join a gliding club! Do it today!

[@Kpiotr]

One look and I knew it was Bezmiechowa. Epic place!

[@jkoysza1]

Reminded me of Wasserkuppe.

[@stjbananas]

Now this looks fun! And what a perfect spot for takeoff and landing! Great video. Thanks for posting.

[@DullPoints]

Graceful landing and takeoff! Looks like you really matched the angle of the slope when landing.

[@jackjuhasz533]

we had rides in a schweizer ,( sorry sp ) 2 seater at harris hill ny , loved every minute !

[@barkebaat]

Must be a good place to practise take offs & landings - you could do many in one day. And such a lovely landscape ... I could happily live the rest of my days there, with my small woodworking shop tucked under some big, old trees ... with a cat or two, perhaps.

[@lesp315]

Just move to Poland. You can live well on $2k or maybe even $1K a month.

[@MatematicaTel]

some day, I would go, from Brasil, to fly in this amazing and beautiful place!

[@joaopartiti2681]

Olá Professor, bom ver vc aqui kkk

[@MatematicaTel]

@@joaopartiti2681 hehehe, onde tem planador, lá estou eu. É meu esporte!

[@someguy5035]

Did you read the description? "The place is called Bezmiechowa and located in Poland"

[@spider-man3234]

@@someguy5035 no need to be rude, Some guy...

[@someguy5035]

@@spider-man3234 How is that rude?

[@finlayshakespeare4675]

THE SOUND

[@MisterIvyMike]

is awesome...

[@SimmerGamer-vq9hq]

Headphone user warning!!!!

[@pikachu6031]

We call them Gliders in the U.K. I did my very first Solo Flight in a Kirby Cadet MkIII. It’s a very old open cockpit Glider that I made my first Solo flight in when I was just 16 years old back in 1984. Also, 16 is the minimum age to Solo in a Glider, and 17 is the minimum age to be able to fly Solo and hold Private Pilots License in the U.K.

[@brianb-p6586]

They're gliders everywhere, but higher-performance gliders are called sailplanes.

[@aurataxi2563]

Sailplane? Oh you mean a glider.

[@forton615]

This is why people put music on glider video's, to protect people with headphones.

[@legshakermaker1968]

But why do people insert unnecessary apostrophes when forming plurals?

[@forton615]

@@legshakermaker1968 I'm sorry. After speaking dutch for 52 years I might have got some bad habits communicating with my fellow humans who can speak only one (less sophisticated) language.

[@legshakermaker1968]

@@forton615 well, firstly I have to apologise for my embarrassing anglophonic assumptions! If it was an isolated occurrence I'd have attributed it to a simple error but, as I'm sure you're aware, the grocer's apostrophe has seriously afflicted our American cousins and is spreading to the UK like a highly infectious virus. To be fair, my experience of travelling in the Netherlands and meeting Dutch people is that your English is generally a notch above that of the average native speaker.

[@forton615]

@@legshakermaker1968 Hahaha. But here I have to correct you sir, your guess is too far north. I live in that little country south of our cheese eating wooden shoe wearing friends. The country where we have to switch between Dutch, French or even German (or sign language if you're lost in Brussels). Have a nice day.

[@legshakermaker1968]

@@forton615 I seem to have taken one foot out of my mouth only to create space to insert the other! I'm just going to apologise again and leave it there before I embarrass myself further. ;0)

[@TralfazConstruction]

That is the most marvelous sight I've witnessed; albeit on YT.

[@joewoodchuck3824]

Fantastic launch and flying. I'm 100% Polish with my grandparents arriving in America in the late 1800s.

[@gajetsky]

thanks. That's by the way an interesting history. All the best !

[@Ratzfourtyfour]

That's an awesome roller coaster. Would go there.

[@steveanacorteswa3979]

Wow, skidding all those turns is dangerous, watch the yarn! Also that is like doing a slip and losing altitude, couldn't see if the spoilers were open.

[@a64738]

That is the first time ever I have seen any airplane take of just from using downhill... I did not even think of that possibility lol ;)

[@fantabuloussnuffaluffagus]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJa0gWB-lJhkgLM

[@kajetkawa6024]

PL ~~ ATC: Pirat 15, Bez żaglowania, (tylko grawitacja) po starcie w prawo 45* i lewo do lądowania ENG~~ ATC: Pirat 15 (glider type), without ridge flying, (only gravitation flight), after departure turn right 45 degrees after that - turn left for landing Or something like that :D

[@monostripeexplosiveexplora2374]

this is so cool

[@markplain2555]

Simple question: can one not convert a ski-hill into a gravity launch site? In winter people ski and in summer glider launch?

[@unelectedleader6494]

radio: the weather is good but watch out for the djsnwbebjsnsbe. Pilot: roger. Clear for takeoff.

[@jkoysza1]

That is Polish for covfefe.

[@ggalfi]

Good ol' Pirat - a caring and friendly flying machine!

[@paraglidingprospector]

I’ve had some short sledders in my flying experiences, but wow this one was quick! Still, it counts! 👏🏻🙌🏼👏🏻

[@natesturm448]

Glad to see you got the comms from my last game of Counter Strike in there. Classic.

[@dwightbernheimer331]

Looks like a great place for an Ozone speedwing if you want to get the exercise. Great stuff thanks for posting

[@nairolf5177]

take off very economical and ecological too but not much time to catch a thermal and in this case a lot of work to get back to take off ...

[@nairolf5177]

@@cluelessbeekeeping1322 No i didn't but now i just did, Interresting, ty for telling me 👍

[@Fester_]

That is pretty groovy, thanks.

[@antondillet466]

Impressive take off! And: I love flying PIRAT!

[@clarazegarelli5861]

doesnt get cheaper than flying like that.

[@jeffstepp-ou8re]

This is pretty cool, I'd never seen this before.

[@davidholmen]

Thanks for sharing, wonderful video!

[@dirkhoekstra727]

Downwind landing?

[@Nightshft42]

Awesome video, feels like sitting in the cockpit yourself!

[@Alterscapes]

Whelp, my bucket list just got another item...

[@111111111Tiger]

hmmm, How do I get this back up the hill?

[@itinensanzen]

Whats the point for such a short gliding? Landing exercise maybe?

[@gajetsky]

exactly. New airfield, new launch technique => some exercise needed. This particular flight took place in 2014, the requirement for getting approved for this type of launch was 3 flights with an instructor, 2 solo, all short flights just like this one. Then you can use it to go on the ridge if at least 16 kts headwind, or land down below (where the threshold is) and do a classic winch launch (uphill).

[@dopeboyz8284]

Spectacular

[@TheKamar2]

2 min flight time, whats the point of it?

[@dennisk5818]

Awesome. I hope this place has some fantastic lift at the end of the yellow brick road. The vario doesn't look promising. And talk about a short final! So, do they land at the top of the hill, then use this to do a final landing below, all for an altitude gain of... -120 ft.?

[@brianb-p6586]

No. They no longer land at the top of the hill, but when they did they could cycle back to the same location. Now they normally launch and land at the bottom of the hill, but in the right conditions they can do this launch from the top, land at the bottom, then tow the glider back to the top (with a car).

[@ridermak4111]

Pavers ?! That took awhile.

[@justflying5323]

The glider is a SZD-30 Pirat. 🙂 I loved my time flying Pirats so much.

[@richardweil8813]

Wow, not sure how that would get logged by launch type. I've done hundreds of aeros and a few winch (which are very fast), never a self launch, which requires a motor, but this was amazing. I would guess that trying it ub a strong crosswind would take some real skill--you'd have to cross-control all the way downhill then straighten it out fast when airborne. Maybe not a great idea to try it then.

[@voornaam3191]

I guess crosswind is exactly the same problem during this launch, as it would be while landing there uphill. Crosswind is crosswind, right? Why mention it? There is a limit. Yeah. Duh.

[@brianb-p6586]

There are also ground motor vehicles launches, if you have enough space and are willing to selling for very little altitude. I haven't flown for decades and haven't done anything like this downhill coast launch, but I think I would rather try it than get hooked up to a truck.

[@breeze787]

Why is there so much wind noise?

[@90secondsofaviation86]

Incredible. That is so dope

[@ripbaker]

nobody: my teammate turning on his mic 0:04

[@MemeReviewer]

What is the airport code?

[@kanenewman5517]

Who put distortion on this?

[@USNVA11]

Very cool. I still like having that spinny thingie on the front. Just in case. 😉

[@SoupyOatmeal]

Wow that is some great flight

[@ThePaulv12]

I enjoyed that! What a ride.

[@clxudzYT]

why no beep boop device

[@LoanwordEggcorn]

Reminds of ski jumping with wings and no snow.

[@electriceyeslide5959]

You could have flown up there a long time it seems, why land so quickly?

[@YPOC]

How did you not drag the wings on the floor at low speeds?

[@tholespe]

I would assume that there was a person holding the wing and running with it for the first few meters as this is the normal procedure for other glider launches. At around 30-40km/h there is already enough air flowing over the wings for the ailerons to work and keep the wings level👍🏻

[@sanjuansteve]

A downwind uphill landing?

[@gajetsky]

correct. This specific day was calm, but usually the wind is blowing up the slope.

[@intarsienschrankzwetschgen4224]

How do you get the glider back up the hill without dismanteling?

[@maxflight777]

Didn’t feel the need to maintain the centreline ? 😳

[@EleanorPeterson]

I wonder if you could do that off the Cerne Abbas Giant in Dorset, England. It'd make his eyes water a bit... 😲

[@Diego-we5ui]

whats the point of flying 2 minutes?

[@sergeig685]

Landing practice for one. But given good flying weather with thermals he would have continued for many more hours.

[@apocalips8008]

Please be careful in the turn to final....too much rudder can lead to a spin and death....

[@BillPalmer]

It may be a little hard to see, but that’s what the yaw string upon the forward part of the canopy is for. It did show a bit too much rudder input on the turn to final. But mostly ok.

[@apocalips8008]

@@BillPalmer beg to differ but at 1:56>, string is indicating a massive skidding turn....which is not good on the turn to final...

[@fabiena1787]

I must say, I'm not a pilot myself, but looking at this string I was a bit worried too.

[@petergoulding2421]

Its not using too much rudder that will cause a spin, too much rudder will just cause a skidding turn. The wing must be stalled and rudder input before a spin will occur. Not looked at the video.

[@petergoulding2421]

@@BillPalmer Yeah I agree bit untidy slipping turn but safe enough.

[@jimsanders4412]

OK, that’s just nuts!!👍😄😄

[@TheDingus9]

why such a short flight though?

[@nufnuf13]

Where is it ?

[@redbaronrc]

Did he just land downwind?

[@ashhawk2346]

Looks like a fun ride

[@Z06C5]

Really short flight. No thermal lift that day.

[@HotelPapa100]

The clouds tell a different story. (Doesn't mean that it was accessible during that flight. But I'd assume that the order for a first solo is to put it straight down at the landing site anyway.)

[@whileistillcan9338]

Now what? Tow it back up the hill?

[@mpc1mil]

Sounds like the guy that takes my order at Burger King

[@Tvgamerxx7268]

Aren’t they called gliders?

[@CSTNKTAP]

Bezmiechowa is quite unique. I flew there uphill and either way, it's not for the faint of heart!

[@axel07121]

did they use a toaster as a radio?

[@kenshinbattousai374]

Landing a sailplane, or reentry in an Apollo command module? Sounds the same to me.

[@peterrowntree8]

Now what? How do you get back to the top?

[@Sam-81_98]

Where is this? Beautiful

[@gliderarts3573]

Is this for training purposes?

[@gajetsky]

Exactly

[@whyreally685]

2:24 It was the sound of the guy speaking yet again through the radio. Prove me wrong.

[@jamesnack3077]

This is so cool. Wherever this? Love the wind sound.

[@rohingosling]

This is so cool.

[@Andy-df5fj]

Why with our advancements in technology, does aircraft radio still sound like a broken drive thru speaker?

[@gajetsky]

that was most probably due to an excessive discharged battery.

[@Teledabby]

like to see the downside of the plane... are there some kind of ski or just the belly?

[@dirkhoekstra727]

No, they normally have a single wheel protruding out of the belly below the pilot. And also a tail wheel.

[@christopherrobinson7541]

The Pirate is a Polish glider and does have a small nose skid in addition to main and tail wheel (also sometimes a skid). This is an old school wood and fabric glider.

[@Curious_Skeptic]

OMG! This looks like so much fun!

[@penguinista]

If you like that, paragliding might be for you. I've been in love with it for 20 years. You have to be patient and have the willpower to not fly when the conditions are bad, but it is very safe if you are conservative with your decision making. If you don't have hills around, paramotoring is great too, just noisy.

[@alanwood4968]

Do you mean a Glider?

[@SteveWrightNZ]

Wheres the lift? :D