Sailplane Takeoff in Microsoft Flight Simulator

Video Transcript

"DIXON GILLETTE: Welcome back to Expert Village, my name is Dixon Gillette and let's continue our tutorial on Microsoft Flight Simulator X. So just because we don't have an engine, it doesn't mean we can't fly. Here, I'm going to show you some of the take off, landing and staying aloft procedures for flying in a sailplane. The other way that you can get aloft in the sailplane is by calling for a tow plane. By pushing control, shift and Y on your keyboard, you'll call for a tow plane and it will essentially hook itself up to your glider. You'll hear its engine begin to rev up and then you know your glider is being towed. Now keep in mind, even though you're getting a tow, you still have to fly your sailplane. And because your sailplane has a much longer wing span, it's going to rise in the air quicker than your tow plane will. So what will happen is in about 40 knots, you're going to get the airplane or your sailplane in the air and you're going to hold just 10 feet off the ground until your tow plane becomes airborne. Then as your tow plane begins to rise, you're going to maintain an above-altitude approach to your tow plane as you fly up to your assigned altitude. Try not to fly directly behind the tow plane because the plane's prop wash will buff and shake your aircraft making it harder to control and stay within range. Also if you veer too far out of your tow ropes' capacity, your tow rope will break and that's going to end your tow prematurely. Hopefully, you're not too close to the ground. After you've received a sufficient height in your sailplane, push shift and Y and this will essentially break off your connection to the tow plane. Now, you'll notice your tow plane is going to dive off to the left, what you need to do is dive off to the right."