Sinus owner Joel Grasmeyer explains how he and his teenage son Cody, have learned and bonded together while learning to fly Pipistrel’s Sinus aircraft.
“My name is Joel Grasmeyer. I’m from Park City, Utah. Since I was a kid, I always wanted to get my pilot’s license. So, I didn’t do that until just this last year mainly because my son, who’s 16, was also interested in getting his license.”
“My name is Cody Grasmeyer. I am 16 years old and I have been able to get my full glider self- launch license with this aircraft. I like the Sinus because it’s a glider but also an airplane. You can get your glider license at 16 and then a year later your private license at 17.”
Joel said, “So we bought it last August, started flight training with two flight instructors in September and it’s been really great.”
Cody said, “Doing the first solo was an unforgettable experience because it was a beautiful morning. The sun was just coming up so golden skies and it was completely calm.”
“It was just such a proud moment to see him up there being totally calm and collected and flying three perfect patterns. It was a very proud dad moment for me,” Joel said. “This airplane is very efficient. It only burns 3 gallons an hour. And we only need 10 hours of training instead of 40 because it’s a motor glider. So, we can shut the engine off in midair, feather the prop, glide around with an LOD of 20 with the short tips or 27 with the long tips.
“It’s got a full glass cockpit, autopilot, ballistic parachute, and it handles very benign. So, you can pull the stick all the way to the back corner, idle, and it’ll just mush around.”
“So, I’m hoping to become an airline pilot for Delta, and this is a great starting point, “Cody said. “I was able to start flying at 15 years old, and with that kind of preparation, I’ve got plenty of time to get ready for the airlines.
For more information on the Sinus, click here.
