Virtual Gold Badge Congrats

[Anonymous]

Virtual congratulations to Steve Snyder for his virtual gold badge in Condor. Here’s the home page from condor.club just now

https://photos.app.goo.gl/vEcue4bmTSZqHLZh9

[Steven Snyder]

Thanks, Frank. It was quite challenging and rewarding. 5 ½ hours and an altitude gain of 16,200 ft.

Also, Frank earned his Silver badge last week.

Steve

From: SSI <webmaster@skysoaring.com>
Sent: Friday, March 18, 2022 8:14 AM
To: Smsrsnyder@comcast.net
Subject: Virtual Gold Badge Congrats, By Frank Hansen, [Sky Soaring]

[Anonymous]

It was asked in a comment in the google photo, the link to which I posted previously, “Now that is really cool! How does one get into the Condor stuff?”

Here’s my rather long reply:
Here’s how I did it: bought the cheapest gaming laptop I could find with a decent graphics card (In Dec 2020 I got one from Bestbuy for about $465) Then since I wanted to practice to get current again after 18 years off I got rudder pedals (a little over $200) and a joystick. The basic condor software is around $60. Steve flys using a screen, but a few weeks ago I bought Virtual Reality Oculus goggles for $300 which for me improve my experience x10. So my whole rig is just under $1200. I can fly pattern practices landings starting at 1000′ at the IP including turning my head and seeing the aim point as often as I can reload the flight. You can set the wind so you can practice crosswind landings. You can pull the release and practice rope breaks. You can do all this at 55LL with trees on final for 09. There are youtube videos where people show their flights. a couple weeks ago I flew in a virtual competition for beginners and it was really cool. The week before I “followed along” as a spectator from Steve’s cockpit point of view while he did that previous weeks beginner’s competition.

the key for me though was getting the VR goggles because I just was not that into it if I had to change the view on the screen with arrow keys to look back at the aim point to judge the turn to base. But with the VR goggles, it’s just very natural and I think that now it carries over to effective practice.

The short answer would be: get a computer with a sufficient graphics card (google for that or ask here), go to https://www.cumulus-soaring.com/ and buy a condor2 license and download the software. Follow the tutorials, do some of the built in “ground school lessons.” Then sign up with condor.club, do some easy tasks, join a beginner’s competition. Key is don’t try to figure it out yourself, ask questions here for help.

I’m not saying it’s equivalent to real flying. But I feel like for a beginner it can help practice so the work load becomes routine and you don’t get behind the plane. I’m not a CFI-G so probably take my claims about effective practice with a grain of salt.

[Steven Snyder]

I certainly agree with Frank on the value of Condor. It may not teach you to fly but it will help you practice the maneuvers that we teach. Plus I will never fly in the French Alps for real but this is a great alternative.

Steve

[Steven Snyder]

And now Frank has his Virtual Gold Badge.

Graduated pilots
Badges and diplomas details for Fch:
Test Performance Badge/Diploma Task Date
Duration performance 3h 21m 56s Gold badge Condor 2 – Gold badge on Jura-Mont Blanc March 19th, 2022
Distance performance 201 km Gold badge Condor 2 – Gold badge on Jura-Mont Blanc March 19th, 2022
Gain of altitude 5371 m. Gold badge Condor 2 – Gold badge on Jura-Mont Blanc March 19th, 2022
Distance performance 53 km Silver badge Condor 2 – Silver Badge on Jura-Mont Blanc March 12th, 2022
Gain of altitude 1177 m. Silver badge Condor 2 – Silver Badge on Jura-Mont Blanc March 12th, 2022
Duration performance 1h 41m 04s Silver badge Condor 2 – Silver Badge on Jura-Mont Blanc March 12th, 2022

[Steven Snyder]

Made my Diamond Altitude yesterday.

Badges and diplomas details for Smsrsnyder:
Test
Performance
Badge/Diploma
Task
Date
Gain of altitude
5639 m.
Diamondsbadge
Condor 2 – Diamonds Badge on Jura-Mont Blanc
March 18th, 2022
Gain of altitude
4933 m.
Gold badge
Condor 2 – Gold badge on Jura-Mont Blanc
March 18th, 2022
Distance performance
201 km
Gold badge
Condor 2 – Gold badge on Jura-Mont Blanc
March 6th, 2022
Duration performance
2h 03m 53s
Gold badge
Condor 2 – Gold badge on Jura-Mont Blanc
March 4th, 2022
Distance performance
51 km
Silver badge
Condor 2 – Silver Badge on Nephi
March 2nd, 2022
Gain of altitude
1360 m.
Silver badge
Condor 2 – Silver Badge on Nephi
February 27th, 2022
Duration performance
1h 06m 25s
Silver badge
Condor 2 – Silver Badge on Nephi
February 27th, 2022

[Steven Snyder]

Ready for some real world flying. Hurry up April!

[Author]

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