When we changed the circuit pattern in the UK it was to acknowledge the fact that experienced glider pilots do not do square circuits - and therefore why should we kid ourselves teaching new recruits to do so?
I invite CFIs to do what we did back then - ask your experienced pilots and all your instructors to do a square circuit, and then look at their traces. At Booker, there is a line of tall trees on the eastern boundary, and over the years 2 or 3 (maybe more) gliders doing a left circuit onto 24 didn't make it over the trees. Allowing people to modify the circuit, and letting them know that it is OK to do so, can save these accidents from happening. Circling overhead approaches within the airfield boundary are the norm at waves sites in the alps on days with very strong winds and very strong sink, and unlandable terrain outside the fence. Works a treat. Pam From: Aus-soaring [mailto:aus-soaring-boun...@lists.base64.com.au] On Behalf Of Ron Fox Sent: Monday, 18 July 2016 7:00 PM To: 'Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia.' <aus-soaring@lists.base64.com.au> Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] Loss of control accidents The Stockholm Gliding Club in Sweden uses the circular downwind-to-final approach. They didn't see any sense in losing sight of the field with a square approach. They also added to the scenario with "down circling" at the upwind entry point close to the field boundary, arriving at around 400m AGL where they ease the airbrakes & gently circle down 150m before starting their proper downwind leg. The gliders are stacked in a descending pattern at a given point. It makes them easy to see with the latest arrivals on the top of the stack. While in the stack, you had time to observe the field & other gliders as you descended. If someone called on a low level approach, the other gliders can put away the airbrakes and have more time to adjust their circuit. Helps space the arrival times on the field. Something different. Ron From: Aus-soaring [mailto:aus-soaring-boun...@lists.base64.com.au] On Behalf Of Harry Sent: Monday, 18 July 2016 3:49 PM To: Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia. <aus-soaring@lists.base64.com.au <mailto:aus-soaring@lists.base64.com.au> > Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] Loss of control accidents The Americans were regularly killing pilots landing on aircraft carriers until they adopted the British system of a continually curving final glide path. I have been told that the idea is sometimes used in NZ when landing on short or difficult strips. Perhaps others can elucidate. Harry Medlicott From: dennis hipperson <mailto:dennishipper...@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, July 18, 2016 1:12 PM To: aus-soaring@lists.base64.com.au <mailto:aus-soaring@lists.base64.com.au> Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] Loss of control accidents It was and is necessary for warplanes like Spitfire etc where forward visibility is limited, this landing pattern allowed pilots to see the runway for the entire pattern. Dennis On 18/07/2016 9:50 AM, Mike Borgelt wrote: >From latest Aviation Week and Space Technology discussing GA accidents, primarily loss of control aka "stall spin" Not all interventions will require new devices. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) is working with UND's aviation department to test a circular landing pattern used by the military, an operational modi- fi cation of cials think can reduce the stall-spin problems occurring in the rectangular landing patterns taught to and used by virtually all GA pilots. George Perry, senior vice president of the AOPA Air Safety Institute (ASI), says the circular pattern, which he used as a U.S. Navy pilot, is "easier, more stabilized and allows the pilot to more easily identify the precursors of an impending stall" than the tradi- tional rectangular pattern. "The only pilots who do the crazy box pattern are the GA pilots," he says. The study, which started in June, will "get hard data to show whether it is a better way to fly a pattern based on workload and standardization," says Perry. A preliminary study with 13 pilots flying a wide variety of air- craft (Cessna 140 to Cessna Citation) at AOPA's headquarters in Frederick, Maryland, showed that the pattern "works for a full spectrum of GA air- craft," says Perry. If the results of the UND study are positive, Perry says, ASI will work with the FAA to introduce the concept to pi- lots in training and testing materials. "My goal is that in 3-5 years, the square pattern will [have gone] the way of the Dodo bird." 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 _______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list Aus-soaring@lists.base64.com.au <mailto:Aus-soaring@lists.base64.com.au> http://lists.base64.com.au/listinfo/aus-soaring _____ _______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list Aus-soaring@lists.base64.com.au <mailto:Aus-soaring@lists.base64.com.au> http://lists.base64.com.au/listinfo/aus-soaring
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