Though the Let L-13 Blanik glider is nothing to shout about – being one of the most produced gliders of all time – the pair I found at Lučko today looked very inviting, so I natrually got the camera out and set to work :). The two machines in question are 9A-GBC and its sistership 9A-GBD, both belonging to Aeroklub Velika Gorica based at Buševec airfield (LDZB) south of Zagreb. As far as I’ve been able to find out, they’re in town for some towing practice, where new tow pilots flying the club’s Piper Super Cub, 9A-DBU, hone their skills (hope to join them soon…).
Gliders galore at Lučko. Both GBC (foreground) and GBD (background) sport attractive liveriesA stiff 12 knot crosswind, with gusts to 16, and impending severe weather coming from the west and north kept our nice visitors grounded the entire day. Though not much of a wind, the orography of Lučko's surroundings causes quite strong rotors on approach and departureGiven the small number of gliders on the Cro register, most have sequential registrationsA shot meant to remind me of the reg (24 and already senile 🙂 ) turned out quite nicely in the end...The typical slender glider fuselage exemplefied on poo-stained GBCA very nice paintscheme with some gloss to boot!Pretty much the same case as with GBC. Looks like a pipe dumped in the grass 🙂
In addition to visitors from the south, I might as well post a couple of photos of two of our resident Blaniks, 9A-GBA and GBB (see the sequence?). Owned by Aeroklub Zagreb, they’re the main training gliders at Lučko.
Just touching down after a long duration sortie above town. The paint scheme is not nearly as attractive as GBD'sGBB in the hangar (the WW2 one from the previoius post 🙂 ), with GBA in the back and a Pilatus B4 hanging from the ceiling
GBB on approach during one of the few times I've seen it in flight personally
Achtung, Skyhawk! 