Comments on: Stefan Langer – Compilation of glider low passes over beach, lake, and mountains

By: Mike Borgelt

Mike Borgelt — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 09:22:19 +0000

Thanks, Bob.

By: Jeff Wright

Jeff Wright — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 06:39:19 +0000

Doug Revelle did work on infrasound.

There are what are called “rotors” as Mike describes…horizontal tornadoes after a fashion.

Mountain weather
https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/amsm/59/1/amsmonographs-d-18-0022.1.pdf

Perlan II got as high as 76,000 ft.—-and you have to have something like the Andes to help support you:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windward_Performance_Perlan_II

By: Robert Zimmerman

Robert Zimmerman — Sun, 11 Jan 2026 21:56:58 +0000

In reply to Mike Borgelt. Mike Borgelt: I added a link to your website, as it was missing in your original comment. Thanks for the education. Most enlightening.

By: Mike Borgelt

Mike Borgelt — Sun, 11 Jan 2026 21:32:03 +0000

I’m an experienced 2700 hour sailplane pilot, never been an instructor, the vast majority of the time solo, cross country. I’ve flown in thermals, wave (24,700 feet at Minden Nevada) and done a fair bit of ridge soaring.
Some of the stuff in the video can easily get you killed and has killed many very experienced pilots. Ridge soaring is great fun but a thermal rolling up the hill can easily roll you into contact with the terrain. It has happened many times to very experienced pilots. The low level beach stuff is the Coromandel Peninsula, North Island, New Zealand. I personally know some of the people who have done it.
One part seems to show the approach to Omarama, South Island New Zealand. If you clear the high ground you have the height to get to the airfield. A guy I know was doing that and caught the tailskid in the top wire of a low fence. The glider slowed and fortunately landed with no damage like a carrier arrested landing. I got to fly that glider once, afterwards. Had a nice ridge soaring flight out of Waharoha, North Island NZ.
After 59 years of soaring and 50 years of making a living in that industry (see website) I’m aghast at the pile of broken gliders, maimed and dead bodies in that time. My risk appetite is a lot lower than what is seen here.
Dumb stuff like the video doesn’t help except as an example of what not to do.
Stefan Langer is young. If/when he dies in a glider I will not be surprised.

By: Blobfish

Blobfish — Sat, 10 Jan 2026 06:46:22 +0000

For some more interesting glider footage, search “ morning glory glider” – there is a unique ( or uniquely predictable) cloud formation in Australias Gulf of Carpentaria.

By: Ray Van Dune

Ray Van Dune — Sat, 10 Jan 2026 05:51:25 +0000

Took a week-long aerobatic gliding course once, from a former world champ. First flight he showed me how to do a landing pattern at 100 feet, 120 knots (it was his private field). Later that day I went up with instructor #2 (female world champ) and naturally tried the same thing. She was not amused, in fact downright angry! Women!

Ps. She was accustomed to sitting in the rear tandem seat, but because I was a bit portly, they put me there. First time we rolled inverted, her long hair suddenly and completely blocked my view! Quite the diva, she refused to tie up her hair, so for the rest of the week, I flew exclusively with the Big Kahuna! Learned a lot.

By: Alex Andrite

Alex Andrite — Sat, 10 Jan 2026 02:14:45 +0000

It is “FALLING WITH STYLE”.

Buzz Lightyear.

By: Chris

Chris — Sat, 10 Jan 2026 01:30:54 +0000

Very nice