On Thu, 2003-11-20 at 11:33, Adam Woolley wrote:
> G'day All,
>
> The club that I'm currently flying at has a rule that, a Pilot that hasn't
> done a paddock check is NOT allowed outside the CTAF (10mile) because it is
> considered unsafe. I was chatting to a number of the members last night
> about their rule and I asked them, 'say I'm at 10,000ft and 11mile out of
> the aerodrome, am I unsafe?'
>
> The answer I got back was, 'Yes, as you are NOT aloud outside of the CTAF
> until you get a paddock check!'
>
> Wouldn't it be safer to say 'You must not go out of Glide of the Aerodrome?'
As has been suggested by others in this thread, this covers a multitude
of issues...
1) Safe Gliding range
As an instructor, my emphasis with students is on 'angle fred' back to
the airfield.
This requires us to be within safe gliding range of a normal circuit
(when outside the circuit area) or within gliding range of a safe
landing when within the circuit.
As we discuss on the ground, this varies with wind (strength and
direction), air mass sink rate and glider performance.
Judging this depends hugely on experience - and it is our job as
instructors to make sure that a student gets this experience and can
apply it when they are flying. Part of that is to encourage the more
timid students (under our guidance) to venture further away and to
ensure the more venturesome do not get themselves dangerously out of
position.
2) I find the level of angst about outfield landing expressed on this
list (and elsewhere) somewhat strange. In effect, every single landing a
glider pilot undertakes is an 'outfield landing' in every respect EXCEPT
paddock selection. We have to get it right first time!
I think there are a number of reasons why this is so...
* some instructors go XC rarely (if ever) and for them, outfield
landings present a significant unknown (at least in recent experience).
* post solo training does not give sufficient emphasis to
o- choosing a touch down point and landing there
o- safely minimising the landing run (correct use of flaps, brakes,
wheel brakes, speed control etc - and knowing the length of that
landing run!)
o- minimum safe clearance over obstacles
3) Pre XC training
Whilst the instructor manual tells us that the purpose of training is to
produce safe, competent XC pilots, I think that there is insufficient
emphasis on this in post solo training.
Darling Downs Soaring Club restricts XC flying at three levels,
providing training and club based certification in order to progress
between these levels.
* Initially, you must remain inside 'angle fred'.
* As skill levels increase (times aloft increase showing improving
soaring skills, post solo sequences satisfactorily completed etc),
pilots progress to the initial category XC rating (club based).
To gain this, a pilot must undergo a lengthy briefing on outfield
landings (at which they also get a set of briefing notes),
satisfactorily perform one (on to a strip never previously used) and
then undertake an orientation flight (silver distance out and return) in
a two seater with an XC rated instructor into the club designated
initial XC area. During this flight, the pilot must demonstrate paddock
selection skills (pick a paddock, tell me why it's OK - what's wrong
with that paddock etc) as well as everything else involved in safely
conducting an XC flight.
If satisfactory, the initial XC rating is awarded - which restricts the
pilot to a specific area (large enough to complete Silver distance).
* Once Silver distance is gained, a pilot applies for an open XC rating.
This requires a further satisfactory dual XC flight - but this time over
an area that has significantly more challenging terrain. In this flight,
the pilot must demonstrate good forward planning - diverting around
unlandable areas if unable to glide across, selecting from amongst more
challenging paddocks.
I am sure that it is possible to improve on this system - but this is
much more comprehensive than I initially received back in England in the
1970's when I went off to do my Silver distance. I was however WELL
trained in getting my glider down and stopped quickly - that *every*
landing should be a short field landing practise.
Caboolture glding club is in the process of creating and adopting a
similar system (at its Watts Bridge site).
As a matter of interest, I have a total of two outlandings in my log
book - despite going XC at every possible opportunity - including some
fairly marginal conditions: I've scraped away from selected paddocks
with and without water ballast quite a bit! Despite this, I do not fear
outlandings as every landing I do is a conscious practise of the needed
skills. Similarly, at all times whilst out of gliding range of my home
airfield, I have chosen a specific paddock (when below 3000' agl) or a
'paddock group' (when higher). In fact, I feel physically uncomfortable
if I don't know where I am going to land...which is a good reaction to
develop!
I am also conscious that I am an error prone human, so all of this does
not guarantee that I won't screw things up. Hopefully, however, any
screw up I make will be recoverable because of my training - both that
given by instructors and that which is self imposed and never stops.
--
Robert Hart [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Strategic IT & open source consulting +61 (0)438 385 533
Brisbane, Australia http://www.interweft.com.au
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