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Touring Motor Gliders Association (TMGA)

Introducing another happy new owner


Barry.h

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I am very proud to introduce myself as the proud new owner of #21 - the only Phoenix in Australia. It is very well set up with a Dynon Skyview, all the dynon options including autopilot, an LX9000 and a ballistic chute.

I have been on this forum since 2013 when I was flying a hired Dimona HK36R but I lost access to that about 3 years ago and have been looking at options ever since.

I learnt to glide at age 13 when my father took me along on some of his gliding weekends. I soloed about a week after my 15th birthday and had a few years great flying in Dad's Grob Astir CS. I dropped out of flying for many years doing the family-work thing and got back into flying and then motorgliding about 9 years ago. 

I have always loved the concept of a motorglider, flying an IS29-M2 back in a 1982. I also had a beautiful big RC motorglider for a number of years, so I have always had my eye on owning something  like the Phoenix.

I have great plans for various adventures, but I guess top of the list is to ride the Morning Glory. Perhaps next year. The Phoenix will be perfect for the 1,200nm trip up there then hopefully riding some waves. (BTW. If you don't know about it, there is a great documentary about the Morning Glory now posted here:

)

Anyway ... I am getting a bit ahead of myself. I only have about 15 landings booked so far so I have a long way to go to be comfortable coaxing her down nicely, and learning all the screens, plus getting her all set up just right. (Which reminds me ... anyone got any ideas about adjusting the rudder pedals for vertically challenged pilots?)

I look forward to sharing knowledge and experiences with the group, and many many happy hours in my beautful phoenix.

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  • Registered

Welcome to the Phoenix club! I envy you your plans to fly the morning glory, as I've been fascinated by it for years, but it's a long ways from the US and my home in Washington state. When do you think you might make the attempt?

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Yep, that is my baby! VH-GHX. 

The Glory season is late September/early October. I hope to make my first trip in 2022.  I will be very happy to get a wave like the one John got!

But I have lots of learning to do before that...

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I made a set of rudder pedal extensions for one Phoenix owner.  See photo.  They are adjustable, but don't have to be.  Another owner placed plastic cylinders around the rudder pedals to increase the diameter of the rudder pedals by an inch or so which was the only extension that he needed.

DSCN2338.JPG

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Barry, 

Congratulations.  

I asked Jim if there were any Phoenix's in New Zealand and apparently there are not any there.  

Hey it is only a 1000 miles over open water. 

I hear that the flying there is amazing.  Of course, it might not compete with Morning Glory.

Still it is on my bucket list.  

I am with you on your desire to work very hard to learn fly the Phoenix.  It is a great plane but I too have much to learn.  

I got my glider pilots license at 19.  I am now 69.  I am so grateful to now get to fly the Phoenix after hoping to own an airplane for 45 years and waiting for #54 for 3 years. 

Tom

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  • 1 year later...

Hi Barry 

I'm very interested to hear how you are going with the Phoenix.

I nearly bought it from John S.

We have an HK36TTS here on Queensland Fraser Coast.

You can email me on icanflysailplanes@gmail.com

Best wishes 

John Ennis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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