August 29, 200619 yr Looks like the pilot is playing a DB Cooper....lol https://www.kolotv.com/home/headlines/3754767.html
August 29, 200619 yr This is no joke! At the end of a long haul day about 2 years ago I damn near had this happen to me... We were flying from Ramstein to Miramar with a load of Marines in the back. After the AR we settled in to mind the radios and do morale speed into Cali. On the descent into Miramar, you fly right over some great mountains and cliffs where the high desert starts. TCAS was alive and well with multiple unidentified targets. We continued our descent, warned by ATC that there was a large amount of glider activity in the area. TCAS starts to chirp up, we are eyes outside. It goes from TA to RA and starts to give us "Climb, Climb." We STILL cant see the little bastard. We go right over the top of the TCAS hit and as we pass it, I see the glider slip under our left wing. We querry ATC only to find out he is 'gliding' up into the arrival corridor altitudes... regardless, it scared the B'Jesus out of me. ATC started to vector guys around him. Wake Turbulence created by a C-17 is hellatious, hence our spread-out formations for airdrop. When we landed back home that evening, I checked the local news in California for word if a glider had crashed. I figured we killed the dude. Im sure he tells the story about seeing the "big, grey airplane up close" to this day. Chuck Edited December 30, 20222 yr by Chuck17
August 29, 200619 yr As a long time glider pilot (about 1,000 hours in gliders over 20 years), I am here to tell you I hate it when all you powered guys get in the way.
August 29, 200619 yr Preach on ClearedHot, you all need to see and avoid! The news article said he was over the Pine Nut Mountains, which puts him well in Class G airspace, but the Hawker was probably on a Victor Route and hence Class E. Like in Chuck17’s story, the glider pilot was legal to be there (assuming it was not close enough to the airport to be in controlled airspace) but it’s like flying into a MOA…more risk is no good. [ 29. August 2006, 16:42: Message edited by: Wink ]
August 30, 200619 yr Quick question for you glider pilots. Is a battery-operated transponder standard equipment in the US? The reason I ask is that I had a very similar experience taking off out of Spang, but Germans gliders don't show up on TCAS. They do show very nicely when silohoutted (sp?) against the clouds above them. Anybody else seen these gliders near Spang?
August 30, 200619 yr Originally posted by Vetter: Nope, gliders don't require a transponder. It Depends... There are areas and altitudes (especially out west), that require a transponder, but in general they are not required.
August 31, 200619 yr Gliders are also exempt from the Class B Mode C veil if not equipped with an electrical system.
October 2, 200619 yr Old topic but as Paul Harvey would say... "Here is the rest of the story" The crew of the jet did a super job landing with no dash and a part of the wing missing. https://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/TB/200...00025/-1/REGION
August 3, 200718 yr Author <thread revival> some more pics. doesn't get much closer than this. couldn't even imagine...... Edited August 3, 200718 yr by MD
August 4, 200718 yr Flying my instrument check at Laughlin from the back of a T-6. I was coming home from Cotulla - aka BFE, when from under the visor I kept seeing things in the corner of my eye. I finally just ripped it off and looked up, to see one of those little bastards whiz by me at what had to be less than a quarter mile. Freaked me out. The IP was young and didn't want to file the paperwork, partly because he would have gotten some heat. We had passed a whole bunch at or near our altitude, and not one was sqwuaking. Some world glider championship out of Hondo or some damn thing.
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