Back

You're receiving this email because of your relationship with Cumulus Soaring, Inc. Please confirm your continued interest in receiving email from us.

 
You may unsubscribe if you no longer wish to receive our emails.
 
Newsletter Header
Cumulus Soaring, Inc. Newsletter
In This Issue
Gift Certificates
DuoDiscus XL
Steve Fossett Links
SSA Convention
New iPAQs
Cambridge 302 Tips
Paul MacCready Link
SSA Calendar
CONFOR Foam Seat Cushions
Mailing List Options
Price Increases
NK ClearNav
SSA Seeking SOARING Editor
Lange Restructured
Next Month...
Quick Links
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Subscribe to Newsletter
Join Our Mailing List
New Items
Click on the images below to see details
 
 
Hot Items
Click on the images below to see details
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SSA Convention 
SSA Convention 
Issue: 2 November/2007
Dear Paul,
 
I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend.  I had a wonderful weekend with my family - with ice skating, good food, time with extended family and a few good movies.  We have much to be thankful for.
 
Thank you for taking the time to read this 2nd edition of the Cumulus Soaring, Inc. Newsletter.  I hope you will find it interesting.
 
Let me know if you have any suggestions for ways I can make it better, or information to include in future versions.
Gift Certificates
Gift CertificateThe Perfect Gift!
Gift certificates are the perfect gift for a loved one or someone you want to say "Thank You" to.  Or the perfect gift for a loved one to give to you - so you can put it toward any item you desire.  A colorful certificate is mailed either to the purchaser or the recipient.  If time if short, a PDF file version can be e-mailed and printed by the purchaser or recipient. 

We go the extra mile to make this a first class gift.  The gift certificate ships in a colorful "blue metallic gift envelope" so it is a very presentable gift. The gift envelope is placed inside another colorful envelope for shipping to you.  The use of a shipping envelope assures that the gift envelope is free of any shipping labels or stamps. 

Great for:
  • Spouse
  • Soaring friend
  • Retrieve Crew
  • Contest Crew
  • Contest Volunteer
  • Towpilot
  • Soaring Instructor
  • Gliderport operator
New Schempp-Hirth DuoDiscus XL
DuoDiscusXLI have long been a fan of the beautiful and efficient sailplanes from Schempp-Hirth.  I have owned a share of a Ventus b in the past and was impressed with its performance.  I have also had the opportunity to fly a Discus b and was blown away by how easy it was to fly (my favorite glider so far) - and yet how well it performed.  I have also had a few flights in the extremely big Nimbus 3DM and 4DM gliders with pilots such as Ingo Renner and Carl Herold.  The performance was awesome!
 
Schempp-Hirth has recently announced a new version of their extremely popular 20 m (65.62 ft) span DuoDiscus sailplane.  The "Duo" has long been praised for its high performance (~46 to 47:1) and excellent handling.  The new model is the DuoDiscus XL.  This comes just a year or so after the DuoDiscus X was announced.  The DuoDiscus X included many very nice enhancements and the new XL version adds a few more great features.  I have not yet had the opportunity to fly a DuoDiscus (invitations welcome) but I have heard many extremely positive comments on the how the glider handles.  With the new airbrake/flap system and larger cockpit, I'm certain it will be a very popular glider for many years to come. 
 
Below is a summary of the improvements made in the DuoDiscus X and then the further refinements available in the new DuoDiscus XL.
 
Improvements in the DuoDiscus X
  • New sprung undercarriage
    • Low operation forces when extending/retracting
    • Operation and locking now possible from the back seat
  • Winglets - designed by Prof. Dr. M. Maughmer
  • Improved cockpit comfort
  • Improved airbrake system with added trailing edge flaps
    • Lower lift-off and touch-down airspeeds
    • Faster roll rate
  • Optimized light weight construction
    • Full carbon fiber construction (since Oct. 2006)
    • Compensates for the additional weight of the new airbrake and undercarriage systems
  • New all up weight of 750 kg (up from 700 kg) (since Oct. 2006)

Improvements in the new DuoDiscus XL

The XL version includes all the features found in the X version, plus:
  • DuoDiscusXL CockpitNew ergonomics in the cockpit
    • New positions of the handles
    • Vent nozzles in both the front and rear seats
    • A completely separated seat pan with no holes between the front and rear seats
    • An improved waterballast dump valve lever - easy to operate with low operating force
    • Tilt-up front instrument panel and more room in the rear seat - to make it easier to get into and out of the glider - and to get out fast in an emergency
    • 10 cm longer cockpit for more room in both seats to accommodate pilots taller than 2 m (6' 6") tall.
    • Backwards extended rear seat
    • Backwards extended canopy - for improved rear seat visibility - and enhanced safety
    • A new ventilation system in the front of the canopy that is easy to set to exactly the desired airflow
  • DuoDiscus XL Beringer UndercarriageNew Option: Behringer wheel with disc brake which is approx. 2 kg (4.41 pounds) lighter than the Tost wheel with disc brake.
  • Certification of simple aerobatics including spinning because the airbrakes are now sufficient for diving with 45° angle while staying below Vne.
You can see more details in the product brochure:
I do not have any commercial connection with Schempp-Hirth - I am just reporting on this updated sailplane.

Thank you Bernd Weber at Schempp-Hirth for providing the details on this exciting sailplane.

Interesting Articles About Steve Fossett
Steve Fossett
I am still trying to come to grips with the fact that Steve Fossett has not yet been found.  I really enjoyed following his amazing exploits.
 
After including an interesting link related to Steve Fossett in the last newsletter, I was directed to a pair of very interesting articles about a few of Steve's accomplishments.  The articles were written by Brian Utley and published by Technology Evangelist.  Brian is a soaring pilot here in Minnesota.  Brian is a very interesting person who (like myself) enjoys following a wide variety of technical topics.  He is also a Minnesota State Soaring Record holder, three-term President of the Soaring Society of America, and contest pilot with high placings in several U.S. Nationals contests.  His current sailplane is a DG-800B motorglider.  In his role as Director and member of the NAA Contest and Records Board Brian was asked to be the Directing Official for one of Steve Fossett's world record flights in the Global Flyer.  That experience is documented in his article from March 27, 2006 which is available here:
 
On September 2nd, 2006 Brian wrote another interesting article about Steve's recent Glider World Altitude Record.
SSA Convention
SSA ConventionJoin the Fun
I'm already looking forward to going to the SSA Convention in Albuquerque in 2008.  The convention floor is open from Thursday, February 14th through Saturday, February 16th.  There won't be an SSA convention in 2009 - so be sure not to miss the one in 2008.  It is a great time to catch-up with friends in the soaring community, learn about interesting new products and sailplanes, listen to interesting speakers on a wide variety of soaring topics, and much more.
 
Training Sessions
The details aren't all worked out yet, but I do plan to offer one-on-one training and support on Wednesday, February 13th - the day before the start of the convention.  The SSA has graciously made several rooms available in the convention center and I'm sure that representatives from SeeYou, StrePla, LX and others will take advantage of them.   Let me know if you would like to schedule one-on-one training or if you would like to recommend a topic for a large group training session.
 
FLARM in USA? Meeting
I will be hosting a brainstorming session on Wednesday, February 13th from 4 to 5 PM in a convention center meeting room in regard to getting FLARM into the USA.  The exact location will be announced in this newsletter in the January and/or February issues.  FLARM is a traffic advisory system that has been extremely successful in Europe, New Zealand and Australia (8000 units in use!).  It would be a wonderful safety enhancement to get it into sailplanes (and perhaps even general aviation planes) here in the USA.  But there are some obstacles to getting it going here.  For example, it is only able to detect and warn about other FLARM units - so it is only useful if multiple units are in use in a given area.   Also, the manufacturer is not sure whether or not the legal situation in the USA will be a problem.  Please join us for this informal overview and brainstorming session.  A representative from FLARM will be giving a talk during the convention but will probably not be able to attend this meeting.  Please let me know if you are planning to attend the meeting.  Please also let me know if you would seriously consider buying a FLARM unit (assuming a price of less than $1000) if a group of 50 or so glider pilots in your area also agree to buy them.  A group discount would be available.

Help Needed
I am looking for volunteers to help me at the SSA Convention.  I have found someone to drive to the convention with me, but I need soaring pilots for the tasks listed below.
  • 4 to 5 people to help with setting up and tearing down my tradeshow booth.  Setup will be on Wednesday, February 13th and teardown is after the convention hall closes on Saturday, February 16th.  Setup takes a few hours and teardown usually takes about 1 hour.
  • Multiple people to work in the tradeshow booth with me during the convention.  You can sign-up for 2 hour time slots before or at the event.  The work consists of processing orders and pulling together the desired items from inventory.  It is a great way to meet glider pilots from around the world and often you get to meet soaring legends.
I will be offering significant incentives to make it worth your while - such as store credits ($100 for every 4 hours worked in the booth), free phone support/training (in the future) and perhaps free meals.  Please contact me for details.
New HP iPAQ Pocket PCs - Update
iPAQ 200 SeriesiPAQ 200 series
This is an update in regard to the soon to be released iPAQ 200 series.  As mentioned last month - it is not clear whether or not RS-232 serial communications are supported.  The rumor so far is that it is not supported.  That means that it cannot connect to soaring GPS units through an RS-232 serial data cable.  Larry Goddard and I have been working on a BlueTooth serial connection, but so far the testing has proven frustrating.  We have not been able to establish 2-way serial communications between a soaring GPS and an iPAQ PDA.  Also, establishing even 1-way communication has been a bit of a pain over the BlueTooth serial adapters.  However, testing with an EMTAC BlueTooth GPS has worked quite well.  Therefore, at least at this point, it looks like the new 200 series will probably work great with a CF GPS or a BlueTooth GPS, but will not connect to any soaring GPS units.
Tips - Cambridge 302 and 302A
Cambridge 302The Cambridge 302 and 302A were designed so that the flight log memory could never "fill up".  The units store about 100 hours of flight log time when using a 4 second recording interval.  When the full 100 hours have been used the unit makes room for the ongoing flight log by deleting the oldest flight log in memory.  However, it is rumored that the "memory wrap" may not work perfectly.  Some pilots have had flight log security failures that appear when downloading flight logs using the Cambridge 300 Utility. It is my impression that most of the flight log security failures are caused by:
  • The use of an old version of firmware in the 302
  • An old version of the 300 Utility on the PDA or PC
  • A PDA shutdown in the middle of a flight log download 
It may or may not be true that some of the flight log security failures were caused by a bug in the software that appears when the logger memory fills and "wraps" around to the beginning of the memory.  To be on the safe side, I do recommend clearing the flight log memory in the 302 and 302A once a year using the procedure below.
 
Clearing the flight log memory in a 302 or 302A
This may help reduce flight log security issues on future flights.
Important Note: This will erase all flight logs in memory! 
  1. Connect the 302 or 302A to a PC using the RS-232 serial cable that was supplied with the 302.
  2. Power the 302 or 302A with 12 volts and make sure the unit is turned-on.  The GPS antenna does not need to be connected.
  3. Run a terminal emulator program on the PC.  A good one to use is HyperTerminal.  It is included with most versions of Windows.  To access it go to: 
    • Start Menu / All Programs / Accessories / Communications / HyperTerminal
  4. In the "New Connections" window enter "302" for the Connection Name and then click the OK button.
  5. In the "Connect To" window, set the "Connect using" parameter to match the desired communications port.  This is the port which the RS-232 serial cable is connecting with.  It is usually COM1, COM2, etc. and will vary from PC to PC.  Then click the OK button.
  6. In the "COMx Properties" window set the parameters as specified below and then click the OK button:
    • Baud Rate: 4800
    • Data Bits: 8
    • Parity: None
    • Stop Bits: 1
    • Flow Control: None
  7. You should now see GPS data sentences appearing in the HyperTerminal window. 
  8. Hold the "Ctrl" button on your computer's keyboard and hit the "c" button (Ctrl-c).  The flow of GPS data should stop.
  9. At the "cmd>" prompt type: "clear log" and hit the Enter key.  I don't think there is any acknowledgement from the 302 other than that the "cmd>"  prompt reappears.
It is also possible to do the above procedure using a Pocket PC and a "Dumb Terminal" program such as PocketTTY Lite or the WinPilot TTY program.
 
If you need help please give a call to either Paul Remde at Cumulus Soaring, Inc. or Gary Kammerer at Cambridge Aero Instruments at (901) 382-1352.
 
Additional tips are available in a training presentation on the Cambridge family of products that I presented at the 2007 Soaring Society of America Convention.  You can download it here:
Interesting Paul MacCready Video Link
Paul MacCreadyI was fortunate to hear Paul MacCready talk on 2 occasions.  I was extremely impressed by his intelligence and his attitude.  I imagine that most of you are familiar with his many accomplishments and also his recent death.  A friend sent me a link to a free online video of a very interesting talk given by Paul in February of 2003.  I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do. I find it interesting and motivational.
2008 SSA Soaring Calendar
SSA CalendarNow Available
The 2008 SSA Calendar is custom-designed with spectacular full color photos of sailplanes from photographers spanning the globe. Monthly grids feature plenty of space to write notes, make appointments and keep special occasions. Makes a great gift!
 
I must admit that I'm a bit biased about this calendar because the SSA very kindly selected 4 of my photos from the 2008 Albert Lea Soaring Contest for use in the calendar.  Click on the small images below to see medium resolution versions. The photos look a bit better in the calendar.
 
 
Calendar Photo 1 Calendar Photo 2 Calendar Photo 3 Calendar Photo 4
 
New CONFOR Foam Seat Cushion Options
CONFOR Foam Seat CushionsCONFOR Foam seat cushions have been a popular item with glider pilots around the world.  They offer excellent comfort on long flights and their energy absorbing properties enhance safety in the event of a hard landing.  They have been available for some time in 2 sizes - small (16" x 18" x 1") and large (18" x 40" x 1") and in 2 hardnesses - Pink (medium soft) and Blue (medium hard).  The manufacturer recommends the Blue hardness when using only 1" of padding.  However, I have had many requests for cushions that include layers of both the Pink and Blue foams - with the Pink layer for the best comfort and the Blue layer for optimum energy absorption.  I have therefore added 2 additional options in the small size.  One consists of Pink and Blue 1" thick foam pads glued together to make a single 2" x 16" x 18" cushion. If you have room for 2" of padding beneath you in the glider you will find this to be an extremely comfortable option.  If you don't have room for 2" then you may want to try the new option which consists of Pink and Blue 1/2" thick pads glued together to make a single 1" x 16" x 18" cushion.  Optional fabric covers are available for all the available sizes.
 
Mailing List and Discussion Group Options
Several Mailing Lists Available
This newsletter is sent to my "Newsletter" mailing list.  I also maintain mailing lists for the following groups.
  • Glide Navigator II Users
  • SeeYou and SeeYou Mobile Users
  • StrePla and pocket*StrePla Users
  • Minnesota Soaring Pilots
  • FLARM in the USA

You can select the desired mailing lists using the "Update Profile/Email Address" link at the bottom of this newsletter.

These lists are used to send information from Cumulus Soaring, Inc. to those that have opted to be on the lists.  They are not discussion groups that enable 2-way communication. 
 
Below are links to discussion groups which do allow 2-way communication between members of the discussion groups. 
 
Price Increase on Winter & ILEC Products
 ILEC SN10 ILEC Raz Winter Vario
The U.S. dollar has continued to lose ground against the Euro - so instruments from Europe are getting more expensive.  Recent shipments from Walter Dittel, ILEC and Winter in particular have been increasingly expensive.  I have already raised prices on Walter Dittel products.  I will be raising prices on Winter products by about 5% on December 4th.  ILEC prices are very likely to increase when the next shipment arrives in early December.  Order now at the current prices.
NK ClearNav Preview
NK ClearNavNK ClearNav
Hot New Product
The new NK ClearNav is a very exciting product.  I have received many questions about it and customers are already lining up to buy them.  This article is a preview of the product.  Most of the information is taken from the NK web site.  Additional information was obtained during phone conversations with people at NK.
 
Overview
I have sold PDA systems for use in gliders for many years.  I'm a fan of graphical moving map displays because they present key information to the glider pilot in a clear way so that one can glance at the display and get a quick overview of how you are doing.  You know instantly which airports are within gliding range.  That is powerful information and dramatically enhances safety.  The problem is that currently available PDAs have small screens that are quite difficult to read in sunlight.  NK has designed what I consider to be a fantastic solution.  It is a large display that really is easy to read in sunlight.  To be honest, I have not played with one in sunlight yet, but I have talked to several people that saw the units in gliders at a soaring contest this fall.  They all told me that the unit was truly sunlight readable.
 
The Team
The team of people working on the product is very impressive.  It includes:
  • Richard Kellerman - Soaring Pilot (recent Hilton Cup Winner), businessman
  • Dave Ellis - Soaring Pilot, Ran Cambridge Aero Instruments for 14 years, Driving force behind the Cambridge C-NAV, M-NAV, L-NAV, S-NAV, and the first IGC Approved Flight Recorder - the GPS-NAV.  He also developed the Cambridge 302 and 303. In my opinion the Cambridge products were industry leaders in regard to ease-of-use.
  • Chip Garner - World level soaring competition pilot, Software Engineer, developer of Glide Navigator and Glide Navigator II (originally Cambridge Pocket-NAV) soaring flight software.  Big proponent of the "keep the instruments simple - keep your eyes out of the cockpit" instrument design philosophy.
  • Phil Schlosser - Worked with Dave Ellis at Cambridge Aero Instruments for 14 years or so.  Firmware developer for the Cambridge 302 and many other products.
  • Rick Sheppe - Soaring Pilot, functional designer of the Cambridge S-NAV, L-NAV and GPS-NAV.

Key Features

  • Large, extremely bright 5.5" diagonal color LCD screen (the largest PDAs are 4" diagonal).
  • The display is not a touchscreen - to maximize screen brightness
  • Built-in GPS and IGC Approved Flight Recorder
  • Pitot and Static inputs for measuring airspeed to enhance wind speed and direction calculations. - Even better than the high quality sensors used in the Cambridge 302.
  • Remote Keypad - Simple operator interface for operating the screen
  • Moving map with selectable layers
  • Comprehensive task optimization
  • Glide "amoeba" (gliding range footprint) shows areas you can reach, taking wind and terrain into account
  • Airmass history
  • Airspace Monitor
  • Landability status monitor
Specifications
  • Size: 4.3"w x 5.8"h x 1.1"d (109mm x 147mm x 27mm)
  • Display Size: ~3.5"w x 4.6"h (88mm x 117mm)
  • Screen Resolution: 240 x 320 pixels
  • Weight: ~1 lb (450 g)
  • Operating System: Windows CE.NET
  • Memory: 2 GB of internal memory for turnpoint, terrain, map and airspace information
  • Data Transfer: SD Memory Card Slot
  • Power Requirements: 9 to 16 VDC
  • Power Consumption: ~700 mA (at 12V)
Interesting Details
I was very intrigued when I learned that the ClearNav will have a built-in GPS and IGC Approved flight recorder.  That eliminates the need to connect it to an external GPS - which makes installation much easier.  I imagine it will take several months to a year to get the IGC approval (just a guess). 
 
The other very interesting feature is the built-in pitot and static inputs for measuring airspeed.  That will allow the unit to calculate wind speed and direction not only when thermalling, but also when cruising.  I have been told that the software will not use the inputs to calculate speed-to-fly or variometer functions.  It would seem to me that those features would be possible in the long run, but they may be avoiding it in order to keep the operator interface as simple and clean as possible - just speculation.  Adding push-pull arrows and a vario needle could make the screen a bit cluttered. 
 
If you saw the early prototype at the 2007 SSA Convention then you saw a unit that utilized a very small trackball for the operator interface.  I am very glad that they have removed that in favor of a small and simple keypad with intuitive buttons.  The image above shows Left, Right, Up, Down, Enter, Zoom In, Zoom Out, Menu and Home buttons.  If they can make it as easy and intuitive to use as the GPS-NAV and L-NAV I'm certain that they will have a huge international hit.  The current model is also quite a bit smaller than the one shown at the SSA Convention. 
 
What Vario to Use with It?
In the long run NK has plans to manufacture a complete line of soaring instruments, but I don't expect any other new products until 2009 at the earliest.  Many potential customers have asked me what vario would be the best option for use with the ClearNav.  That is tough to say at this point as it is unclear what functions will be supported by the ClearNav in the long run.  At the very least most pilots will want a good speed-to-fly variometer.  Many will probably use a Cambridge 302 because it offers many features in a small box.  The IGC Approved flight recorder in the 302 will be redundant in the long run, but who knows how long it will take NK to get IGC Approval for the ClearNav - it could take a year.  If so, then a 302 is a great companion product.  Once the ClearNav has IGC approval then the 302 would be a great back-up logger.  Other units worth considering include the LX1600 and Borgelt B500.  If you don't need a speed-to-fly vario then a Tasman V1000, Borgelt B400 or LX16 would work fine.
 
Schedule and Price
NK is readying 20 prototypes as I write this.  The plan to start shipping production units in the spring.  The estimated market price is $2500.  I think it is a great value at that price.  There are many glider pilots that are dying to replace their iPAQs with a larger and easier to read (brighter) display.
 
My Impressions
As stated above, I am very impressed with the product.  I am a big fan of Dave Ellis and Chip Garner's "keep it simple - keep it safe" philosophy and the unit seems to keep to that principle well.  I haven't yet played with one so I can't say for certain how easy it is to use.  I will publish an update in this newsletter as soon as I get time to play with a ClearNav. 
 
I must admit that 2 design items surprised me at first.  I was surprised that the unit is not a touch-screen because I have long been a fan of the simplicity possible with touch-screens.  However, I have been told that this compromise was necessary to ensure maximum screen brightness.  Touch-screens consist of plastic layers placed between the LCD screen and the operator and they reduce the amount of light that gets to the pilot's eyes.  Another reason to do without the touch-screen is that touch-screens are not ideal for use in a glider cockpit - while bumping along in ridge lift.  A keypad is a much better option for use in a glider.  I am confident that the keypad solution will be an easy-to-use and intuitive alternative to a touch-screen.  A nice side-benefit to the use of a keypad rather than a touch-screen is that there is no need to mount the screen in a location where it is reachable.  Often PDAs are mounted on gooseneck or RAM arms to get them closer to the pilot - within reach.  That is not necessary with the ClearNav - just mount the keypad within reach.
 
I was also surprised to learn that the screen resolution is only 1/4 VGA (240 x 320 pixels).  Most PDAs use that resolution, so it is not a problem (it is what most soaring pilots are used to), but I have become used to the 480 x 640 resolution on my iPAQ hx4700 Pocket PC.  It can be argued that the higher resolution is not an advantage because you don't want to display small text on the screen anyway - you wouldn't be able to read it while bumping along in a glider.  I'm sure that is true, but the higher resolution of the hx4700 does make even large text slightly sharper and easier to read.  Again, the modest resolution of the ClearNav was necessary to enable maximum screen brightness - which I must agree is a reasonable compromise. 
 
Clearly these 2 complaints are very minor ones.  I agree completely that PDAs are not easy to read in sunlight and the ClearNav is much better solution for use in a glider.  I am not trying to pick apart the product, but I do feel it is important to mention the compromises up front - so there are no surprises when the customer receives his expensive new soaring toy.
 
Gliding Range Footprint
This is a cool feature.  You can see the gliding range footprint in the screen image above. It is shown as a magenta outline.  It takes into account the polar of the glider, MacCready setting, wind data, altitude, arrival altitude and ground elevation (terrain data).  You can make it to any landing site that is inside the magenta outline.  The reason for the strange shape in the photo above is that the region is mountainous.  A ridge shows up as a flat "unpassable" line while long extended "fingers" show where it is possible to glide through mountain passes or down into valleys.  In flat land soaring the footprint will be much more circular or ellipse shaped.  To me the most powerful feature of any soaring software is the ability to glance at the screen and know instantly whether or not you can make it to a nearby landing site.  The gliding footprint makes that very clear and intuitive.
 
Mounting Options
Several mounting options will be available for the ClearNav.  It can be mounted to the front (pilot) side of the instrument panel, recessed into the front of the instrument panel, or mounted on an articulated RAM arm that is attached to the instrument panel. 
 
Conclusions
I can't wait to get a unit to "play with".  I think it is going to be a very popular unit with glider pilots around the world.  I will include updates in future editions of this newsletter.
 
 
Note: I am reporting on this product because I am interested in it.  I am hoping to be a dealer for it, but no formal arrangements have been made yet.  I think I will be an excellent dealer for it as I will be the best qualified to support it well.  I have excellent relationships with the key people at NK and I am optimistic that I will be a dealer and have a unit in my booth at the upcoming SSA Convention.  If you are considering buying one, please buy it through me.
SSA Seeking SOARING Magazine Editor

The Soaring Society of America is accepting applications for the Editor of SOARING Magazine.

 
"We are seeking a person with strong editorial skills and experience to lead our magazine and electronic media to new heights of excellence!
 
This can be an "off site" position which does not require relocation to Hobbs.
 
A detailed work description is available on request. Please submit a letter of interest and resume to Denise@ssa.org"
Lange Restructured
Lange AntaresAntares Sailplanes Again in Production
In June of this year I had an opportunity to sit in the cockpit of a Lange Antares 20E electric motorglider - thanks to Dave Nadler - the U.S. dealer.  I was extremely impressed with the high quality engineering.  Every little detail was done extremely well.  I did not get a chance to fly it but I have heard very positive feedback on the handling and performance.  What a lovely glider!
 
In July Lange declared insolvency, but fortunately, investors were found and the new company is back on track.  It doesn't surprise me that it was possible to find investors in this first class company. 
 
Coming Next Month
  • Preview of the New LX8000 from LX Navigation
  • Update on the JS-1 Revelation 18 m sailplane from South Africa
  • Why the new EW microRecorder is so popular
  • Favorite soaring magazines from around the world
 
Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter.  I hope you have found it interesting.  If you did, please forward it to your soaring friends using the link at the bottom of the page. 
 
I consider myself a servant.  Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help you find the right soaring instruments for your needs, or help you learn how to use an instrument or software product.  Also, let me know if you have any suggestions for products or services to add to my web site, or ways that I can serve you better.
 
I feel blessed because I love my job.  I enjoy serving the soaring community.  Like you, I am passionate about soaring.  Thank you for your business, I sincerely appreciate it.
 
Sincerely,

Paul Remde
Cumulus Soaring, Inc.

Save $5.00

Newsletter Subscribers - Special Coupon - Just for you!
Enter coupon code 071231NL at checkout when ordering through the web site and receive $5.00 off any order of $99 or more.
Offer Expires: December 31st, 2007
This coupon code can be used only once per customer.
You must be a subscribed to this newsletter to receive the discount. 
Only one coupon can be used per order. 
Save $40
Newsletter Subscribers - Special Coupon - Just for you!
1 Free Hour of Phone Support/Training - Any Products
Enter coupon code 071231TR at checkout when ordering through the web site and receive $40.00 off an order for 6 hours of training.  The normal price is $200 for 6 hours of training - which already includes 6 hours for the price of 5.  With this coupon you get 6 hours (a $240 value) for $160.  The training time can be used for one-on-one phone support on any product I sell.  Example product support topics: Glide Navigator II, SeeYou, SeeYou Mobile, Pocket PC Setup, StrePla, pocket*StrePla, Cambridge 302, Colibri, LX7007.  The training time can be used over any number of phone calls.  Free Web Conferencing in included.  - Details
Offer Expires: December 31st, 2007
This coupon code can be used only once per customer.
You must be a subscribed to this newsletter to receive the discount. 
Only one coupon can be used per order. 
Forward email
This email was sent to paul@remde.us, by paul@remde.us
Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy Policy.
Cumulus Soaring, Inc. | 8661 Connelly Place | Savage | MN | 55378