Hi Mike, As usual, good robust discussion.
Re the 3 km finish circle for competitions, please CAREFULLY re-read Matt Gage's post on this. My comment is that this arrangement "just did not happen", but is in fact the end result of a process of evolution that spans many years of experiment worldwide . As a current competition pilot, I will further suggest to all forum members, most of whom are NOT competition pilots, that this arrangement is the best that the combined minds of the gliding movement has been able to come up with, and most certainly one that I agree with. Straight in and land long is the name of the game. If you have excess height then do a (non conflicting), circuit onto another strip. The recommended procedure will of course be spelt out at the daily briefing. If people want to do stupid things, or push the limit (on final glide or elsewhere), that is their choice: Sometimes they will get away with it. If they survive the first fuck-up and don't learn, they will ultimately, without the slightest doubt, end up dead. Please read again that article by Bruno Gatenbrink that I earlier posted. Do keep in mind that even If you are a World Champion and you badly fuck up, there is only one outcome. As to comment on the Waikerie crash: Taboo on discussing such accidents does not enter into it . Simon Hackett in his post, went to some pains to explain why. As the pilot survived the crash, we will in the fullness of time get a definitive report on this accident. So please be patient. Regards, Gary From: Aus-soaring [mailto:aus-soaring-boun...@lists.base64.com.au] On Behalf Of Mike Borgelt Sent: Thursday, 3 March 2016 5:48 PM To: Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia. Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] Potential dangers in the sport of gliding Well the Pete Cesco thread turned into a useful discussion on safety. All to the good. I understand the desire to move the finish away from the airfield but making at the ground 3Km out was so obviously stupid I still can't believe it. We've only severely broken two gliders and risked pilots' necks before starting to fix that. If you want a remote finish move it vertically. About 1000 to 1500 feet above the middle of the airfield will do fine. Don't make it at that height you get distance points only. That will DEFINITELY encourage not cutting it too fine, just as the ground does. Must be above the minimum for the last 3km(or say 5km). Lots of time to sort out a crowded circuit as the racing stops below finish height. For some strange reason discussing accidents seems taboo. FWIW I've heard from 3 sources that the Waikerie accident was a spin in, not a misjudged final glide. If what I've heard is anything like true the story needs to get out at least in preliminary form as soon as possible. With any luck the flight recorder data is available. One other thing - eyewitness accounts, even from the participants, are notoriously unreliable. Wernher von Braun and his mates found that out at Peenemunde in 1942 when several witnesses would give totally conflicting accounts of what happened to the failed rocket launches, hence started filming them. There is also a well known phenomenon of people suffering a traumatic event or shock not remembering a damn thing for some seconds to minutes even though they were conscious and functioning because it doesn't go in to long term memory. You don't even have to be injured for this to happen. (I consulted a flying shrink about that one) Mike Borgelt Instruments - design & manufacture of quality soaring instrumentation since 1978 www.borgeltinstruments.com <http://www.borgeltinstruments.com/> tel: 07 4635 5784 overseas: int+61-7-4635 5784 mob: 042835 5784 : int+61-42835 5784 P O Box 4607, Toowoomba East, QLD 4350, Australia
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