[FlightDek]

I'd say also stretching the definition of sailplane.

I think I read somewhere that to practice the glide they used something like a Learjet with flaps and gear extended. Even then they had to modify it to allow reverse thrust in flight to come down a 20° glide slope without overspeeding

[Josh]

It was a Gulfstream

20° glidepath initially before flaring to a 1.5° slope for landing. Pretty messed-up sight picture I would imagine.

[Lefty]

There is an iPad / iPhone game called "F-Sim Space Shuttle" - in which you fly the Shuttle "glider" from C. 15K ft to touch down.

Quite interesting.

[Paul_Sengupta]

from C. 15K ft

Short final then?

[Lefty]

Some years back - I wanted to test my then fairly new (normally aspirated) PA32-300 Cherokee Six - so I took her up to 17,750 over the Shobdon / Welshpool area. The climb rate wasn't great above 12,000.

[Lefty]

from C. 15K ft

Short final then?

Bit like doing PFL's all the way to touchdown in a slab wing PA28R (as I was doing yesterday)

[Paul_Sengupta]

[davef77]

It was a Gulfstream

20° glidepath initially before flaring to a 1.5° slope for landing. Pretty messed-up sight picture I would imagine.

Sounds like landing a Pitts to me, except you are usually flying sideways as well

[akg1486]

(I saw an interview with a former test pilot once, including a list of aircraft he had flown. He categorized the space shuttle as a glider.)

That was more of a brick, wasnt it?

He didn't say it was a good glider.

[Full Metal Jackass]

Hi everyone,

Aside from obvious considerations of airspace (Class C above FL195), oxygen and aircraft performance, is there a hard altitude limit placed on VFR flying, or attached to certain licences? Can't find anything in my books and never asked my instructor as it didn't come to mind.

If we don't have it here, does it exist in other countries? Just curious as I haven't needed to fly above ~4000ft yet, but it might be nice one day to appreciate the view from higher up!

Thanks!

Generally, Class C exists above FL100 in Germany, means if you want to fly above that level, you will need clearance......

[kanga]

Self Launching Sailplane (certainly not a TMG)
... should you desire this sort of pedantry

ISTR from our time in US in '80s reading in a GA magazine there that all the shuttle pilots were military test pilots, which gave them some sort of FAA exemption, but that any civilian pilot would have required a 'sailplane CPL' (or possibly even ATPL, because of max landing weight)

[Ebbie 2003]

My Archer II runs out of puff around 14,000ft, it can get a bit higher but is most comfortable around 9,000

So the 18,000 thing is not too relevant to me.

Myself and a friend were looking at a MIG 21 a few years back before he died unexpectedly - serious VFR:)

[kanga]

..

Myself and a friend were looking at a MIG 21 a few years back before he died unexpectedly - serious VFR:)

There's still a pile of MiGs at Tirane airport, seen at a distance last week: 17,19,21. Oh, and an Il-28 with them. An Albanian friend told me they were for sale. Don't know about their condition, though!

[Lockhaven]

..

Myself and a friend were looking at a MIG 21 a few years back before he died unexpectedly - serious VFR:)

There's still a pile of MiGs at Tirane airport, seen at a distance last week: 17,19,21. Oh, and an Il-28 with them. An Albanian friend told me they were for sale. Don't know about their condition, though!

One of these would be better, especially as this particular one is flying again in Norway

450Kts normal low level speed even VFR, and when they were operational 600Kts final speed to the target and 750Kts escape speed after the target, now thats serious VFR.

[chevvron]

..

Myself and a friend were looking at a MIG 21 a few years back before he died unexpectedly - serious VFR:)

There's still a pile of MiGs at Tirane airport, seen at a distance last week: 17,19,21. Oh, and an Il-28 with them. An Albanian friend told me they were for sale. Don't know about their condition, though!

Plenty available in the USA; there's a company there uses them for air combat training.