From The Chairman
Chris Price Replies
Flying A Different Glider
The Continuing Saga Of "The Kitchen"
Accidents And Incidents Procedures Manual
Safety Officer's Gripes
Club Trophies
Sodit
Dancing In The Clouds
Dehydration - "The Killer In The Cockpit?"
Andy's Cloud Climb To 11,000 Feet
Visit By HRH The Duke Of Edinburgh
Food For Thought!!!
From The Membership Secretary
The Flight Envelope And Winching
Honourable Mentions
I Hope It Never Happens To You
Summary Of British Weather Records
Bob Answers Questions Up The Ladder
It Grows You Up And It Grows You Down
Welsh Borders Wave Week - Shobdon March 1999
Daily Inspections - A Matter Of Life Or Death?
Competitions 1999
New Solos
A Take Off With The Elevator Disconnected?
The ESGC Club Web Site (Nerd's Corner)
The East Anglian Inter-Club League 1999
British Airways Flight Operations Department Notice
Rules To Fly By
From The Winchmaster
The New Daily Notice Board
New ASH-21
Club Shop Prices 1999
Bob Ivermee - Obituary
Sunday 6th June, 3rd Scouting Force Itinerary
Visit Us!
Calendar
Parachutes - A Plea From The Safety Officer
And Finally...
Firstly, I would like to thank everyone for putting their trust in me in taking over from Chris Price, who has stood down as Chairman following seven years in office. The club owes Chris much for what he has done in bringing the club to where it is today. It is mostly by his persistence, his local knowledge, and contacts with the people within the area that the club has achieved so much, particularly with the unrestricted flying arrangements. It was opportune that the last year of Chris’s chairmanship saw the opening of the hangar by HRH Duke of Edinburgh on 3rd June . This facility is the envy of many clubs in the area, and has made our daily operations so much easier and more pleasurable. However, everyone should know how to de-rig and rig a glider: occasionally this needs to be done.
You will know that last year I applied to the Foundation for the Sports and the Arts for a grant to help us purchase a further two seat and one seat glider. It is with regret that I have to tell you that we have been turned down. I am currently seeking advice as to whether we can apply to the National Lottery. We shall have to wait and see.
Last year saw increased income as a result of our extended flying arrangements; however, extended operating times puts more burden on the equipment, which means more maintenance, and people’s time. It takes six people to launch a glider into the air. On busy summer days, extra people are needed for retrieving and moving gliders at the launch point. YOU don’t want to sit for an hour waiting for a launch, so YOU must help at the launch point. Learn to drive the tractor, the winch, keep the log, and use the radio. The more of us who help, the less arduous the task. The second winch is just about ready, so at busy times we shall have four cables, but only if someone –YOU?– collects them promptly. PILOTS, if your glider is on line then you must be at the launch point, ready to go when the cables arrive. So please do not put your glider on line if you are not going to be around to fly.
Last Christmas we held a very successful Dinner/Dance in the new hangar. Despite the coldness of the evening, heaters and dancing kept us warm; we then heard some interesting anecdotes from ‘Woody’, and a good evening was had by all. Please note that we shall be holding another Dinner/Dance this year on Saturday 11th December, so book the date in your diaries now!
Here’s hoping that 1999 will be a super soaring season!
P. F.
Firstly, I should like to take this opportunity of thanking members for the honour of being elected Vice President of the Club on my retirement as Chairman; this was entirely unexpected.
Secondly, I can report that the long journey north to Aboyne with nine gliders, over Easter, was thought worthwhile by most of those involved. The weather, although by no means perfect, nevertheless only prevented flying on one of the nine days I was there; most of the party experienced wave flying and a number of Gold Heights were achieved. At the risk of tempting providence I hope to organise another visit to Aboyne over Easter 2000, i.e. from before the 21st April until after the 24th.
C. P.
Perhaps you have just bought a "new" machine, or you are about to fly one of the club's single seat gliders for the first time. What should you do?
To begin with, read the handbook. The manufacturer writes this so you may assume that they know what they are talking about. It's full of useful information about speeds to fly, weight and balance, "g" limits, and flight characteristics. It is possible that some of the weight or speed limits have been changed, as a result of repairs or re-painting, so don’t forget to cross-check the figures with the placard in that particular aircraft.
I will assume that the glider is airworthy and "ready to go", but that doesn't prevent you from doing a pre-flight check and having a good look around it for any signs of repairs. There are many gliders flying that are not quite as they were when they left the factory! You may find some "twist" in the fuselage or wing which, while being perfectly airworthy, may affect the flying characteristics. If you find something that you are unsure of then talk about it with someone who "knows" that aircraft (preferably an instructor). Even when you are told that it is all right, if you are not completely happy with the glider then do not fly it! Whilst looking around, if you see signs of repairs to a wing, then that may affect the stiffness of one wing relative to the other. Repairs near the tail may affect the weight and balance of the glider causing the cockpit weight range to be unusual (refer to the handbook, placard and logbook for repair details). Remember to relate these minor imperfections to your evaluation of the flying characteristics of this glider. They may help to explain some "odd" (for instance asymmetric) effects.
Light and heavy pilots are familiar with their own problems and will probably check the cockpit load before doing anything else; however, most people are of average build and so may fly most gliders without too much thought towards the balance. Everyone, but particularly the "average" people must check that they are within the "normal" weight range for a new type of glider. Ensure that the ballast weights (water or lead) in the tail, nose or in the cockpit are either removed or in place as appropriate. If you are light, then extra weights to bring you well above the minimum limit are a good idea, particularly when winch launching. It is worth stressing here that any ballast weights must be securely attached to the airframe so that they cannot move in flight. Simply sitting on a temporary weight is not good enough to prevent that weight from moving in extreme circumstances.
What else can you tell from a pre-flight walk around?
By looking at the size of airbrakes and spoilers in relation to the wing area, you can often guess if they are going to be effective or ineffective, although in general airbrakes are more effective than spoilers, they are also more likely to cause an attitude change when deployed. The effectiveness of trailing edge brakes is difficult to guess, but their position makes them act a bit like flaps. Consequently, it is usually not a good idea to reduce the brake setting near the ground since this may reduce the lift generated by the wing and result in a heavy landing. Some trailing edge brake designs, for instance the Sport Vega, do not seem to suffer from this brake/flap interaction problem significantly, but beware, others do! The handbook will tell you if the brakes are speed limiting. If they are not, then they may be relatively ineffective.
In a glider with a forward CofG (like the K13) which rests on its nose wheel (or skid) you should apply full back (or "up") elevator during the slow part of the ground roll in an effort to keep the nose off the ground. This applies to both the takeoff and landing roll. With a powerful winch launch this is not done in order to avoid pulling the glider off the ground and into an early rotation, and some types (e.g. Oly’ or Janus) actually need the tail held down by an assistant to prevent the glider smashing its tail onto the ground. However with a less powerful winch and no wind) or an aerotow, not holding fully back results in a long and unpleasant ground run. With a CofG behind the wheel, a more neutral stick position is appropriate, although you may need to keep the tail down in order to hold a course at low speed when the rudder is ineffective and there is a cross wind. Sometimes, where the rudder is very effective you may need to lift the tail as soon as possible to permit you to steer.
If your glider normally rests on its tail and does not have a nose wheel or skid then it's not a good idea to use too much wheel brake when landing because this may result in a pitch forward which scrapes the underside of the fuselage. When that stops, the tail usually slams onto the ground, which may cause further damage.
The vertical distance between the wing and hook are also significant. A surge of power when the glider is level and the tow cable is (almost) horizontal will result in the glider pitching up. This effect will be greater with a larger wing to hook height difference. In high-wing, low-hook designs be prepared to move the stick well forward to prevent this, particularly if you are a light weight pilot. This is equally true for aerotow or winching but is often very noticeable in a light weight glider like a Ka8.
Now it's time to get in to the new glider. Make adjustments to the seating position and be prepared to get out and back in several times until the seat is "just right" for you. There are several important points:
Close the canopy, and then get someone to hold the wings level. If the tail is not on the ground then get someone to hold that down and make a mental note of the view forward. This is the view you will need to see when the glider touches down on landing. Similarly, you may like to get someone to lift the tail to give you an impression of the "normal" flying attitude.
If the type you are about to fly has a reputation for "dropping a wing" on launching or if the tips are quite "close" to the ground, then ensure that the wing runner is familiar with the (potential) problem and will give you a "good" run if necessary. It is a good idea to tell the winch driver or tug pilot that this is a "first flight on type", because you don't want a trainee winch driver (or tug pilot) sitting at the controls. A good tug pilot should give you an "easy" tow and leave you near the airfield.
For those who have already flown many different types of glider a "new" type is less of a challenge, and much of the evaluation of it may be achieved almost subconsciously during a "normal" flight. For those that have only flown a few different types a more structured "programme" may be advantageous. But, for everyone, a few increasingly ambitious objectives will improve your ability to quantify your findings rather than just express qualitative opinions (which may of course be as valid, if not more valid, than the quantitative results)!
Your first launch in a new type is always a "landmark" event. By the time the launch has completed you have already found out a great deal about this glider. You have an impression of the "stick and rudder" forces and deflections required, you know what it "sounds" like (at least at launch speeds). You also know what it "looks" like, and you may find that the different seating position or different positions of the cockpit edges make the "attitude" appear quite different from your "normal" glider.
Assuming that you are at a reasonable height and do not have to land immediately then what should you do next? If you can find a thermal and stay up, then do that. There is a saying, associated mostly with powered aircraft, which states that when something goes wrong your priorities are: 1) Aviate, 2) Navigate, 3) Communicate. In other words your first priority is to keep the aircraft flying as well as possible, then know where you are and where you want to go, finally and when everything else is settled, talk to someone else to tell them what's going on. On your first flight, similar priorities apply. They are:
I often start by "rocking the wings", keeping the nose pointed at a heading. If you bank to between 20 and 40 degrees, and then reverse the bank a number of times, you can quickly find out how much control input is required to co-ordinate a turn at that speed. The entire exercise only takes a few seconds and should be repeated at typical "cruising" and "landing" speeds. Whilst doing this, you will also find out how much you need to adjust the attitude in order to change the speed, and about the effectiveness and operation of the trimmer. If the glider has flaps then the exercise should be carried out with flap settings appropriate to the speeds, and also in a typical "landing" configuration.
Does the glider fly "straight" if you let go of the controls? Perhaps a repair is not perfect. Is it "stable"? A test pilot has already checked this type, so it should be, but if the CofG is too far back (perhaps because of a light pilot and heavy tail repair) you may find that it's not as stable as it should be. Whilst flying straight, raise the nose slightly and then let go. The nose should immediately go down and then rise after a couple of seconds. This oscillation should continue, decreasing in amplitude for a few cycles. If, when you let go, the nose does not go down, or (worse) continues to rise, then try holding the stick still in the neutral position. This should result in the decreasing (damped) oscillation. If either of these tests fail, then you should carry more ballast weights next time you fly, and it may be a good idea to get the glider re-weighed to ensure that you are flying it within the CofG limits. Without more nose weight (moving the CofG forward) you will find that the trimmer is not particularly effective and it will be difficult to maintain a constant speed. It may also be difficult (if not impossible) to recover from a spin.
It is a good idea to find out how and at what speed the glider will stall with you in it, so after pre-aerobatic checks, stall the glider slowly so that you can gauge the "onset" of the stall. Note the airspeed, sound, "feel" and stick positions. Do the ailerons remain responsive in this stalled state? Does the glider have a tendency to "drop" one wing? You may like to try a slightly steeper stall to see how the nose "goes down" in this glider; and try slightly uncoordinated stalls to see if a wing drop is easily provoked. What effect do the flaps have on the stall characteristics? Unless a high launch has been taken or you are able to find lift then a full spin is probably best deferred to a later flight. But once you are happy with the low-speed handling, try "rocking the wings" a few knots above the stall speed (imagine that you are just about to touch-down and a gust catches you). Do the ailerons remain "responsive"? Is this still true with positive flap?
You will soon have to use the airbrakes (or spoilers) for landing, so whilst still at a good height, increase speed to your landing speed and try opening the brakes to half way and then fully. Note the force required on the brake lever and see if there is a tendency for the glider to change attitude as the brakes open; also note what attitude you have to adopt in order to maintain your landing speed, because you will need to know that later! Again, this exercise should only take a few seconds and need not "use up" too much height. By doing this you will also gain an appreciation of the airbrake effectiveness; you may check the vario' reading to actually measure the rate of descent, but even if you don't you will know whether the brakes are "poor" or "good", which may influence your choice of circuit.
Try out a few steeper turns to see how responsive the controls are in these conditions and to see if you need to hold "opposite aileron" in a turn (this should be repeated at various flap settings). Then (after ensuring that it's still clear!) try slowing down in these turns to find out where and how the "accelerated stall" happens.
If your launch was a "normal" aerotow or a reasonable winch launch then you will probably be thinking about a circuit by now. You may still have sufficient height to perhaps time the rate of roll from a 45 degree banked turn one way to the other, or to attempt a sideslip. Don't be tempted to leave the circuit to the last possible moment; a conservative circuit will allow you to settle down to an appropriate approach attitude and speed in good time.
Do not expect to find out everything about the glider in one short flight. Even if you are lucky and have an extended first flight, some things must be deferred. Indeed, it is a commonly quoted truism that you never stop learning, and this applies equally to flying in general and specifically to a particular "type". I suggest that the "basics" are the most important things to learn about; so the primary flight controls and the glider's responses, attitudes and sounds should be evaluated. You can leave such things as retractable undercarriage or sophisticated instrumentation to a later flight. It only takes a moment or two to raise the undercarriage, but most people will then lower it again, check that it's really down, and then repeat the "up" and "down" cycle a couple of times before continuing. For those who have flown a retractable "type" previously this is probably not a problem, but for someone raising the undercarriage for the first time it's quite a big step. Rather than have this distract you from finding out how to handle and land the glider, it is better to leave the undercarriage until later.
The same argument may be applied to electronic instrumentation such as vario's or GPS's etc. It may be true that if you had turned it on during your first flight, the electronic vario' may have told you about lift that could have kept you airborne, but conversely it may also distract from the main objective (Aviate, Navigate, Evaluate) whilst you adjust switch settings.
Furthermore, in "calm" conditions, (which you might choose for your first flight) electronic vario's are often silent. It is only when you open the brakes on approach that the vario' starts wailing at you about the terrible sink that it is "seeing". Just when you didn't want a distraction! Similarly, the GPS will probably not be much use during the first flight or two, and if someone has programmed it with your home airfield as a turning point, then it may tell you that you have "arrived" just as you cross the runway threshold.
You have tried flying at moderate and slow speeds. Now try high speeds. How "slippery" is this glider? Does it gather speed rapidly? Practice going between thermals and then pulling up into a thermal core. This is most interesting in a flapped glider in which you can experiment with different flap settings at given speeds and techniques for "getting into" a thermal whilst adjusting flap. How does the glider respond at high speeds? This doesn't have to be "at Vne", just "high speeds", and remember not to use large control deflections when exceeding the maximum manoeuvring speed.
When you get an opportunity (and good height) then try to spin this glider. You have already approached this manoeuvre, but it is good to know if it will spin or simply spiral dive. Remember that the modern "clean" gliders tend to accelerate rapidly so do not let the speed become excessive.
On each subsequent flight you can still set out with an objective: Practice out-of-position aerotows, simulated cable breaks, steep turns, sideslips, different seating position, different ballast etc. After each flight consider what you have just learnt from that flight. If the answer is "very little" then make sure your next flight is different!
J. A.
As we were saying in the previous chapter, we all take the kitchen for granted. We help ourselves to the goodies on the shelves, make our cups of tea, and, sometimes, forget to pay for the items taken. Well, I know this is dull and boring, it's not a flying story, but just keep reading, please, and bear with me.
The kitchen is running at a loss, in spite of a markup on all the goods. We can only run if we make a profit. If we don't, we shut up shop. Therefore:
W. K.
There is now an ESGC "Accident and Incidents Procedures Manual", a copy of which is hanging by the telephone. All club members should be aware of it, and please read it when you get a chance. It will assist you in the event that either a glider does not return to the site as expected or there is an accident on or near the airfield. Please do not remove it from the clubhouse, and return it to its proper place when you have finished with it.
A. S.
First of all, not a gripe, but many thanks indeed to Vivien for her good record and hard work. A tough act to follow.
Those who were at the AGM in March will already know that I didn't feel there was much to be gained by going over last year's accidents one by one, as there were so many of them, though I did mention a few trends.
Unless you have been sound asleep, club members will be very aware that last year was the worst for gliding accidents on recent record, and this year has seen the trend continue - we have, as a club, been very lucky not to have had any serious incidents recently, and if we think otherwise, we will soon be in trouble. I have already written in one of my previous briefing notices that one of the things that has impressed me is how easily avoidable most of the accidents were, including most of the fatal ones.
Many members will also be aware of the BGA accident statistics on the club web site: I wrote a search engine for it, and had e-mails from all over the world. I was moved by a couple of the e-mails, regarding friends killed in accidents, and I hope never to have to write any similar mail from here:
"Our two friends were both very experienced pilots, both military and now civilian aircraft. We cannot understand why they would spin to impact."
"For your information, I was flying into the start zone at Bidford when the two Kestrels fell out of the sky in front of me. Not a sight I ever hope to repeat."
"I am responding to the note on the safety page on the BGA website. As an instructor I am interested in teaching good practice and would appreciate learning from others. A friend of mine was recently killed at Seighford."
1998 was the year of mid-air collisions (I nearly had one, and if I had not been looking out I might not have survived). Here at Wormingford, no lookout = no fly: we have electric audio variometers in both K13s now, and XK10 vario instruction sheets are due to be produced so you all will know how to use them. I will be sorely tempted to ground either K13 or the Twin Astir if it does not have a serviceable battery installed. If you are too lazy to install one, I don't know what to say.
We had a near collision in the circuit. What is the default circuit direction and landing area, if not obvious? Look at the new safety "Daily Notice Board" near the launch point.
The whole point of a circuit is to arrive at the final turn, with sufficient height, and with plenty of options available should the unexpected occur: there are still some pilots doing low final turns. Final turns should be COMPLETED by 300 feet minimum, please. If you can't detect that without an altimeter you should not be flying solo, so expect all check flights to have the altimeter blanked off. However, when doing cockpit checks, do please notice if an altimeter is blanked off with the rubber disc: two pilots (we know of) didn't and launched with no altimeter! Not a problem for them, I hope, but the suspicion is that they didn't actually notice it.
Finally, who can stop a launch?
Think ahead, and...
...might happen, and it then may not. If members assume it can't happen to them, then someday it surely will.
Have a nice and safe soaring season.
A. S.
| Points | |
|---|---|
| 1815 | Chris Nunn |
| 1742 | Tom Brenton |
| 1339 | Chris Bailey |
| 1330 | Pete Nicholls |
| 1306 | Vivien Haley |
| 1295 | Mike Benson |
| 1269 | Andy Sanderson |
| 1223 | Phil Duffin |
| 964 | Bob Adams |
| 877 | Dennis Heslop |
| 847 | Paul Rice |
| 828 | Paul Robinson |
| 801 | John Gilbert Jnr. |
| 583 | Alan de Tourtoulon |
| 488 | Rob Nunn |
| 466 | Kevin Bye |
| 420 | Peter Codd |
| 350 | Chris Price |
| 340 | Allan Roberts |
| 250 | Kes Young-Smith |
| 244 | Paul Foulger |
| 244 | Penny Foulger |
| 240 | Nick White |
| 118 | Mike Friend |
| Distance (km) | |
|---|---|
| 392 | Vivien Haley |
| Speed (km/hr) | |
|---|---|
| 75.22 | Vivien Haley |
| 72.90 | Dennis Heslop |
| 71.72 | Paul Rice |
| 62.44 | Vivien Haley |
| 58.02 | Andy Sanderson |
| 57.23 | Bob Adams |
| 43.36 | Alan de Tourtoulon |
| Speed (km/hr) | |
|---|---|
| 67.73 | Phil Duffin |
| 54.00 | Pete Nicholls |
| 52.03 | Chris Nunn |
| 46.06 | John Gilbert Jnr. |
Oops! Apologies and abject grovelling from the Editor to Tom Brenton for missing him off the 1997 club ladder listing in the last issue of Winglet: he came 3rd.
A. S.
Further to missing out on a gold height gain by 37 feet during his cloud climb last year described elsewhere in this issue, your intrepid Editor is proud to put himself forward for serious consideration for this year's "Sodit Trophy" by missing out on a diamond height gain by a paltry 132 feet (give or take a few) at Aboyne over Easter.
With a full bladder, frozen feet, and a decreasing supply of oxygen, he made a precautionary and rapid descent after having spent over half an hour above 19,000 feet battling a 55 knot (indicated) headwind, just unable to get the final few feet. The altimeter had indicated that the gain was probably over the requirement by about 195 feet, but subsequent measurement of the barograph trace was not enough to agree the claim. Moral: never trust your altimeter.
That is unless anyone does anything dafter this year... nominations to Bob Adams.
And there she sits - waiting for me in that open field,
her wings glistening with anticipation from the early morning dew
as the sun crests over the treeline. She waits for me
to set her free (the same it seems she does for me).
The tow plane coughs and sputters to life, and with every turn of the prop, my heart beats a little faster.
These words keep rattling around deep inside me:
"Leave all your troubles on the ground...
and just for a while,
go dancing in the clouds."
The rope now taut... and we rumble down that grassy runway,
As we climb, my bird fights to be set free, pulling and straining and buffeting against the restraints of that cord. Finally the lever is pulled, rope released, setting me free, carving a perfect, graceful arc in the sky, away from the tow plane that brought me to this beautiful place.
Searching for lift;
Searching for Life.
Sometimes... finding both.
Now I'm free to soar with the eagles, and I must ask myself
How dare I invade his space - he, an effortles master of the wind, and I, an awkward tourist with metal wings strapped on my back. Just listen to the sound of the wind rushing past my wings!
A sound unlike any you can find on the ground. It's a sound that lifts the spirit as much as the plane. Music to the ears of a flyer, as far below people scurry like too many ants on a busy anthill.
Time, it seems, works differently in the air. I'm too busy living to notice it slip away. The morning somehow melts into evening, and time to tether this freed spirit to the ground again. I touch her wing as I say goodbye, and dream of the next time I can:
"Leave all my troubles on the ground...
and just for a while,
go dancing in the clouds."
D. A.
It's forecast to be a superb soaring day and the trailer park is filled with hot and sweating pilots rushing to rig and be first in what looks to be a large queue. All saw the late night forecast, some after a night on the beer, and in the morning some rushed out after only two cups of coffee.
Many long tasks are drawn on maps or programmed into the flight computer or GPS and many, because the flight will be long and provision in the cockpit for relief is lacking, do not drink. The next couple of hours are spent on the grid beside the glider, waiting under clear blue skies for those first cumulus to appear, with individuals' stress levels rising and then the rush to launch.
The first hour of the flight is hard work until the convection grows strong enough for the fast climb cruise expected. Cockpit temperature rises and the small carton of fruit drink was used up ages ago. A twinge of cramp hits the calf muscles and although it's hot the feet feel cold. The vario signals lift but the pull up puts you past it and returning to the lift becomes the norm and the lift is harder to work. Often when leaving the thermal you are not on track and have to reorientate to the heading; the glider joining you in the thermal seems to have come from nowhere and seems to give you problems so you push on.
Lower and lower until on the ground you check the glider for damage due to the ground loop you had to put in because you did not notice that the field sloped away from the landing direction: you ponder what went wrong on such a superb day. Luckily, the glider is undamaged, and before you go to phone you seek relief behind the hedge and notice that the urine stream is very dark. Off you wander to find a phone, but walking is hard work, you are breathing faster than normal and you feel cold and slightly clammy, a headache has come on and you will be pleased to sit down and wait for the retrieve.
The male machine is made up of 60% liquid, the female machine 50%.
The machine loses 2.5% of total water per day in normal conditions through urine and expired air, about 1200 millilitres. If, in addition to this loss, the loss through perspiration is increased, within only a few hours dehydration may result in shock or death.
Loss of water from the machine is invariably associated with loss of salt; this imbalance of electrolytes causes further problems for the smooth running of the machine.
As water is lost, the cardiovascular system begins to shut off the blood supply to cells and capillaries to maintain blood volume, heart rate increases and blood pressure falls. This is why extremities feel cold.
The older machine is affected sooner, due to the reduced cell content of water with age. The thirst reflex is also reduced with age.
Stress causes dehydration and dehydration causes stress.
Dehydration causes cramps, mental confusion, headache, dizziness, lower blood pressure, rapid and weak pulse, yellow or orange urine, and shock.
Not urinating within six hours is a sign of dehydration, as is blotchy skin at knees and elbows. If the machine has reached the state of pale, cool, clammy skin, rapid heartbeat and shallow breathing, it's in shock.
As alcohol and caffeine both contribute to dehydration, drink water or sports isotonic drinks, which help replace electrolytes.
Unfortunately, only severe dehydration can be detected post-mortem, so what caused the accident, if fatal, may not be discovered. One incidence of a very experienced pilot who collapsed through dehydration after landing is known and happened at a local club. We will not know, due to the problem of post-mortem identification of dehydration, if other fatalities are linked to the affects of dehydration.
P. R.
This is already elsewhere on the site here.
The Club was highly honoured on 3rd June by a visit from the BGA’s Patron, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, who opened our new hangar in the presence of many club members. Also in attendance were civic dignitaries and a representative of the Sports Council; the National Lottery provided a large part of the construction funds. The Duke arrived by helicopter at 10:00am and, after the opening of the hangar and a tour of our other facilities, he watched a demonstration flight of our club Twin Astir. Though the weather was rather showery, it did not manage to ruin this special occasion. Reports of the visit appeared in the local press and a short item was featured on the evening TV news.
After the Duke had left, the club accepted gifts including the flag of the United States of America that flew at Wormingford during the Second World War, together with two Presidential Unit Citations, donated by Mr. Martin Lucash, who served with the 362nd Fighter Group of the US Army Air Force. An impressive number of war veterans visited us, including the Group’s wartime commanding officer, Colonel Morton Magoffin.
A ceremony was then held at the War Memorial to remember those airmen from Wormingford who died in battle during the War, and prayers were offered for the peacekeeping work of the United Nations.
Questions which all club members should have considered the day they joined the Gliding Club and/or the day from which they flew solo.
The answer to the first question is "Yes & No".
All Essex & Suffolk Gliding Club members have the benefit of the club insurances. These provide a host of coverages ranging from Aircraft Hull, Passenger Liability, Third Party Liability, Premises Liability, Hangar-keepers Liability and Automobile Liability (Airside).
Aircraft Hull:
Physical damage to the club's glider
Passenger Liability:
Claims by passengers (P2's)
Third Party Liability:
Claims by third parties
Premises Liability:
Claims by third parties on/about the airfield
Hangar-Keepers Liability:
Claims by third parties in respect of gliders in club hangar/workshop
Auto Liability:
Claims by third parties against your vehicle - airside/airfield
The club purchases liability coverage in the sum of £2,000,000 for 2-seat gliders (Third Party & Passenger combined limit) and £1,000,000 for single seat gliders (Third Party only).
Private/syndicate owners also purchase a minimum of Third Party Liability coverage with the usual sum insured ranging from £500,000 to £1,000,000.
Therefore, when flying solo/P1...
(other than Aircraft/Third Party Liability).
All club pilots should check that they have reviewed and/or taken advice from their financial adviser or broker to adequately insure themselves and/or provide cover for their family should a serious accident occur.
Make sure your insurance company/broker knows that you glide and that you will be flying as pilot in command and/or as P2.
Most policies exclude the life assured engaging in air travel except as a passenger in a properly licensed multi-engined aircraft being operated by a licensed commercial air carrier.
It is possible that your insurance company could deny/refuse to pay a claim if you do not make them aware of your circumstances.
Although a 'safe' sport, gliding may be considered high risk by some Life Insurance providers, who may charge a small monthly loading to your existing premiums.
Play safe and let the insurers/your lender know. It isn't worth going to all the trouble of arranging and paying for Life Cover if it fails to pay out when your estate/executors wish to make a claim.
This pays the Insured in the event he/she sustains bodily injury during the period of the policy an amount according to the policy schedule of compensation based on a pre-agreed capital sum.
e. g. £20,000 sum insured:-
Schedule & Scale of Benefits:
It is also possible to obtain 24 hour Personal Accident cover (All Risks) to include flying activities. However, the cost would be significantly greater than the Flying Only rate.
Essex & Suffolk Gliding Club have been provided a premium indication by their Lloyd's broker (Bradstock, Blunt & Crawley Ltd.) in respect of Flying Only Personal Accident cover, which is dependant on the take up volume. For £20,000 of cover they are seeking a premium of approx £50. However, if sufficient numbers are interested, the cost could fall to £35 or less.
Please let me know if you are interested, together with your "Sum Insured" requirement, so that I can let the broker know the level of interest.
P. D.
Following a flurry of new members joining the club in the last month we have nearly regained last year's membership levels.
Our paid-up membership so far this year is as follows:-
| Full | 94 |
| Family | 7 |
| Youth | 8 |
| Honorary | 3 |
| Social | 2 |
| Cadet | 5 |
| Total | 119 |
I am still waiting, however, for a number of membership forms to be returned with the medical declaration signed.
Please check if you still have your form, and if so sign as applicable and return it to me at the club.
Remember that until the form is returned you are not a flying member of the club.
J. B.
You know the temptation. The winch driver has rocketed you into the air at full power, and, worried that if you don't pull back you might go over the placarded maximum winch launch speed, you pull back and rocket into the sky, waggling the tail furiously as soon as you can.
But what next? If, in the unlikely event that you have not just broken the cable or the weak link, the winch driver sees your distress, and, being a helpful sort of a soul, cuts the power somewhat more than he might have done, and you are now in exactly the same situation as a low cable break... (1) LOW, (2) SLOW, (3) NOSE HIGH and (4) SPEED REDUCING STILL FURTHER. You do not need to be a genius to see what might happen next.
So, how do we get round this 'problem'? The first thing to do is understand the forces on the glider during the launch, in particular at the bottom of the launch, where you are at most risk from inadvertent contact with the ground.
In normal, straight and level flight, the lift from the wings is exactly the same value as the weight of the glider, acting upwards, and we say that the wings are working at a load of one "g", i.e. to just counteract one normal gravity. Any other vertical accelerations, for instance a pull-up from a dive or a loop entry, will add to the work the wings must do, and clearly there is a maximum g-limit before either the wings will stall or exceed their design load limit. The design flight envelope at normal flying speeds actually comfortably exceeds the placarded 3.5g limit imposed on the glider, though you MUST treat the placarded limit as the one that you stay within. Almost all modern gliders are therefore capable of withstanding at least 3.5g from the stall right up to Vne, though you need to be careful with the control movements near to and above the "maximum manoeuvering" speed Va (near and often equal to, and sometimes also wrongly called "maximum rough air" speed). In a K13 this is 80 knots, and you can confidently use full elevator and aileron deflections below this speed at any g-loading up to 3.5g.
The 'problem', if there is one, is that during free flight you can feel the g-loading. At 3.5g you feel pretty heavy, and you know the wings are having to do extra work to pull you and the aircraft around the sky. But on the winch, you don't feel the extra work the wings must do to support the tension in the cable. The wings might be working at 3.5g and you might only feel 1.0g, with the other 2.5g of load existing as tension in the cable. You may therefore be completely unaware of what the wings are being asked to do. You have only felt this force in the "bang" when the cable last broke on you: remember, the force that caused this "bang" was present all the way up the launch until the cable broke.
Actually, this exact scenario, a 3.5g wing loading on the winch launch, is not very likely for one simple reason: the weak link for any glider is chosen so that it will fail under a tension of approximately twice the all-up weight of the glider, which is really the same as saying that, provided a single weak link of the correct rating is used, there should never be more than 2g-worth of load in the cable. Adding the (1g) weight of the glider onto the maximum cable load gives a maximum of 3g wing loading, providing there are no vertical accelerations (of course any wild pull-ups on the launch will increase wing loading).
So, if we draw together these two things: (1) there should never be more than 3g wing loading before the weak link breaks and (2) the flight envelope allows for up to 3.5g all the way to Vne, it should therefore (in theory at least) be possible to do a winch launch at Vne. Hmmm... I hear you say you are not convinced, and to be fair it isn't quite that simple, as the distribution of the forces on the glider is markedly different on the winch from a loop or pull-up, with a lot of the downwards force concentrated at the hook. Nevertheless, I believe it makes for an interesting point of discussion. My own view is that you are relatively safe on the launch at any speed up to about Va (max manoeuvering), though I would strongly recommend having all the controls progressively centralised towards this speed.
So, with controls progressively centralised as the speed increases above and beyond the placarded limit towards Va, what have you got? The speed is higher, and the nose is lower than in a normal climb, and you are racing towards the winch rollers at an alarming rate. You are on an aerotow! But it will not have escaped your attention, even at winch-only Wormingford, that the aerotow maximum speed is higher than the winch launch maximum. Have a look the next time you sit in the glider. So why panic about the high speed? Relax.
Here's what you do:
If the winch rockets you violently into the air, keep the controls in a more-or-less central position (or even forwards of centre such as in a K6 with its low belly hook), allowing the glider to go up to any speed our winch is capable of, in a gentle but steady climb, even if it is fast.
Progressively ease back on the stick until the winch driver realises he is too fast, and as the speed begins to decay towards the placarded limit, ease back further until, when you are below the placarded limit, you can bring the stick fully back with little risk of breaking the link. If you pull back too soon, you may break the link, and what for? An extra 50 feet? On the contrary, I have found that some of my higher launches started a bit fast.
Don't actually hold the nose down, as you risk meeting the parachute if the winch suddenly reduces power, but the main thing is to relax, not worry too much if the speed is high, but just get safely clear of the ground in a controlled manner.
If the winch driver has had three Shredded Wheat and won't slow down, just give a little wiggle when you are at a safe height, and if he still won't listen, stay on with the controls centralised until you are at a nice height to pull off and do a controlled landing ahead or a circuit. More often than not, the winch driver will gradually reduce power and you can do the rest of your launch with full back stick at just below the maximum placarded winch launch speed. Nice.
The moral is: there is no point in panicking if you get a fast initial launch: stick with it until you are at a safe height and then deal with it in the safest way. If you panic and pull back or waggle too early, you will probably only give yourself either a cable break or a power failure, and definitely a fright as well.
A. S.
The Darwin Awards traditionally commemorate those who improve the gene pool by accidentally killing themselves in an extraordinarily stupid way.
The stupidity displayed by the participant in the following tale stops short of the ultimate sacrifice. Nevertheless, we salute the spirit and innovation of his misadventure.
1982 Darwin Awards Honourable Mention
Larry Walters of Los Angeles is one of the few to contend for the Darwin Award and live to tell about his exploits.
Larry's boyhood dream was to fly. When he graduated from high school, he joined the Air Force in hopes of becoming a pilot. Unfortunately, poor eyesight disqualified him. When he was finally discharged, he had to satisfy himself with watching jets fly over his backyard.
One day, Larry brightened up: he decided to fly. He went to the local Army-Navy surplus store and purchased 45 weather balloons and several tanks of helium. The weather balloons, when fully inflated, measured more than four feet across. Back home, Larry securely strapped the balloons to his sturdy lawn chair. He anchored the chair to the bumper of his jeep and inflated the balloons with the helium. He climbed on for a test while it was still only a few feet above the ground. Satisfied that it would work, Larry packed several sandwiches and a six-pack of Miller Lite, loaded his pellet gun - figuring he could pop a few balloons when it was time to descend - and went back to the floating lawn chair where he tied himself in along with his pellet gun and provisions. Larry's plan was to lazily float up to a height of about 30 feet above his back yard after severing the anchor and in a few hours come back down.
Things didn't quite work out as planned for Larry. When he cut the cord anchoring the lawn chair to his jeep, he didn't float lazily up to 30 or so feet. Instead he streaked into the LA sky as if shot from a cannon. He didn't level off at 30 feet, nor did he level off at 100 feet. After climbing and climbing, he levelled off at 11,000 feet. At that height he couldn't risk shooting any of the balloons, lest he unbalance the load and really find himself in trouble. So he stayed there, drifting, cold, and frightened, for more than 14 hours, when he found himself in the primary approach corridor of LAX (Los Angeles International Airport).
A Pan Am pilot first spotted Larry. He radioed the tower and described passing a guy in a lawn chair with a gun. Radar confirmed the existence of an object floating 11,000 feet above the airport. LAX emergency procedures swung into full alert and a helicopter was dispatched to investigate.
LAX is right on the ocean. Night was falling and the offshore breeze began to blow. It carried Larry out to sea. Right on Larry's heels was the helicopter. Several miles out, the helicopter caught up with him. Once the crew determined that Larry was not dangerous, they attempted to close in for a rescue but the draft from the blades kept pushing him away whenever they neared. Finally, the helicopter ascended to a position several hundred feet above Larry and lowered a rescue line. Larry snagged the line, with which he was hauled back to shore - a difficult manoeuvre flawlessly executed by the helicopter crew.
As soon as Larry was deposited on earth, he was arrested by waiting members of the LAPD for violating LAX airspace. As he was led away in handcuffs, a reporter dispatched to cover the daring rescue asked him why he had done it. Larry stopped, turned, and replied nonchalantly, "A man can't just sit around."
Editor's note: some parts of the above story may not be accurate: though the essential history of this event is undoubted, another report states:
When the mooring was cut, however, Walters shot up into the sky unexpectedly, soon reaching the 16,000-foot level. He passed a few private planes on the way up and was spotted by baffled jetliner pilots. The dizzy balloonist managed to shoot out about 10 of the weather balloons before his gun fell overboard 90 minutes into the flight. His craft then drifted back toward earth. The balloons eventually became entangled in power lines near Long Beach Airport, and Walters was able to hop down from the lawn chair into the waiting arms of the law.
That's as far as the story goes in the Darwin Award announcement, which trumpets Walters as one of the few Darwin winners to survive his award-winning accomplishment.
Editor's other note: Larry was actually not a Darwin Award Winner. Because he survived intact, he was ineligible.
But the saddest part of the story was yet to come.
Walters had to pay $1,500 in a settlement with the Federal Aviation Administration, which accused him of flying in a reckless manner, operating too close to the airport and failing to maintain contact with the control tower.
He self-publicised the stunt into a brief moment of fame, including late-night talk-show appearances and a Timex watch commercial. But fortune eluded him, and within months he had declared bankruptcy. Thus began a long string of disappointments. By 1993 he was working only sporadically as a security guard and did volunteer work for the U.S. Forest Service. In October of that year he hiked into a remote canyon of the Angeles National Forest and shot himself dead.
I was not looking forward to the journey ahead. Aboyne was some 550 miles north and the journey time was due to take 10 to 12 hours. I was not expecting to keep up with Angus and I was proven right when he passed us at least 15-20 mph faster, and we where blazing along at 60 mph. I did a mental calculation and cringed at the fact that Angus would be in Scotland in 39 seconds! We made the A1, I say we: Graham was with me and decided to sleep through it all. The traffic was running reasonably well and mental calculations cured the boredom momentarily on the road. 60 mph, 400 miles, that's 6 hours 40 minutes - wow! The traffic started to bunch and drive off again. I had managed to overtake Mike Friend and Ricey, and they were a good two hundred yards behind. The traffic bunched again and came to a stop; this was going to ruin the 6 hour 40 minutes travelling time. Couldn't see what was causing the bunching, probably drivers further on "rubber necking" at the opposite lane. The traffic bunched another time, this time coming to a halt, with a car close behind me. We stopped close up to the car ahead, a company rep in a Honda. I looked in the side mirror and thought immediately, "if that driver is not watching ..." crunch! We were hit from behind with quite a whack. The trailer and car leapt forward and hit the car ahead.
When all had settled, Graham asked "are we here yet?" as I got out of the car. Outside lane of the A1 is not the safest place to walk, however the traffic decided to filter inside and continue it's relentless movement North. I went back to the trailer and saw a young girl, in a Peugeot 206, obviously shocked, bruised but uninjured. The Transit driver behind her volunteered as a witness and said "she didn't brake." She must have been preoccupied with her makeup/hair/nails etc. The Police came, took statements and breathalysed all drivers involved. The girl confessed liability to all who would listen. Once the RAC recovered the car and trailer back to their depot at Doncaster, the hard sell began. The recovery firm were all too willing to offer me free car hire and an uninsured loss service if I signed away my rights. I politely refused this generous offer and suddenly the service I was getting reduced in quality and speed. It took 4 hours to repair the trailer hitch and find a driver to take me home. The homeward journey cost an additional £242 due to the trailer. The RAC do NOT recover trailers. The garage that inspected the car also offered a free car hire option - what is it with all these people?
Even now, some five weeks after the accident, I still have a hire car, no glider and no compensation. The insurance does not cover you for inconvenience, time lost to reading/writing letters and the loss of my car which was worth more to me than the second hand value.
What have I learnt from this? A number of things.
As a last thought, the girl admitted liability at the scene of the incident. All insurance policies say NEVER admit liability. This admission by the girl could leave her insurance with a get out and me with the headache of suing her personally for my losses!
I went to Aboyne the next day with Rupert with Air Yuk. I ended my two month abstinence that day in the airport, April 1st 1999. I had a great week, as did all of us. We had another good reason to be grateful for good luck that holiday, the subject of another story.
Thank you everyone who stopped on the A1, or telephoned or just sympathised. Human nature does have a good side and I saw that with all the friends who greeted me in Aboyne that evening after the accident. Several people offered their gliders, for which I am grateful. It was the kind of accident that can happen to anyone and this time it happened to me.
M. B.
We used to but it didn’t work, so we adopted the best points of the National Ladder, and over the years changed the rules to suit our club members' wishes and East Anglian conditions.
Twofold. Firstly, the club ladder trophy has developed into the most prestigious of all the club trophies awarded in any year. Our records show that it has always been won by one of our top cross-country pilots flying long fast declared tasks. Secondly, every solo pilot who attains even a modest flying success is noted on the ladder for all to see and be encouraged by that achievement.
I offered to make National Ladder submissions last year but got no valid submissions.
The difficulty is to satisfy both of the points above, i.e. the competitive nature of the top pilots and the spirit of club camaraderie. The more closely the rules are defined, the more precisely do the contenders expect scrutiny and justifiably expect them to be adhered to.
I always check the evidence of pilots in contention for the trophy. We must expect our ladder champions to get it right. I rarely check other flights unless a pilot specifically asks for constructive criticism in order to benefit for a future badge flight. It is not that I distrust fellow members, but it is amazing how easy it is to mess up a rounding a Turn Point, or even turning the wrong one, and how difficult it is to time the start and finish.
Of the 13 differences, I list the major ones. Only flights from Wormingford count, so that a Regionals Competition flight is not accepted nor is a height gain in Scotland. We also give more points for height gains because it is more difficult from a flat site, than in wave. Our year is the calendar year, the National ladder runs from 1st October. Our scoring for speed on cross-country is different for both undeclared and uncompleted tasks. We have no time limit for submission of evidence. We score a pilot’s best 2 flights of the year, whereas the National ladder scores the best 4. The National ladder differentiates between pilots who can or can’t fly midweek as compared with weekend only. We don’t.
Yes, and they are still evolving by a general consensus. GPS is forcing change too. Please come forward with further suggestions.
There are three start points this year. The BGA turning point of Wormingford Airfield has changed from the runway intersection at the muck heap to the hangar. Some pilots like the main runway, especially as a finishing line, and so the rules allow any of the three without having to declare them in advance, nor need to finish at the same one. This applies to all the club trophies too. But, beware that the rules for a badge flight have not changed. For the first time, speed points are to be awarded for undeclared flights. This year, a declaration in data logger format is admissible.
It is easier to fly just downwind than to do an out and return which requires an into-wind leg. Thus a pilot returning to site (home) is less heavily handicapped than a pilot doing a downwind dash. A handicap figure denoted Sih (h meaning home) is less than the international handicap Si, exactly as the national ladders.
Yes, very much so. I have to keep my ears open to hear of achievements and I put them on the ladder even if the pilot thinks it was a poor flight. This may not always please, but I feel it is in the spirit of friendly rivalry.
Neither observation from the ground nor databack cameras check whether a glider is below the 1000m start limit, as competition directors know, too. On a 40:1 glide angle, even an extra 100 foot start height gains a minute or two on a 100km flight. Regional competitions, and above, all now require data-loggers which do prove heights and position throughout the flight, but I am reluctant to ask for data loggers for our ladder. However, any new club record must now be supported by data logger evidence.
(This poem was found on the Web)
Wingtip turns above the far horizon;
Dive into a quarter roll and pull up toward the sky;
Wind has brought a turning of the season;
The year rolls by;
Sing a happy song and think of harvest time below,
Watch your tach and airspeed, listen to the radio,
And grin in wonder at the leap that got you off the ground;
It grows you up and it grows you down.
Silver rivers thread the velvet nighttime;
Lakes are burnished golden mirrors in the waning day;
Roads that you have traveled through a lifetime
Just fall away;
It paces your survival with your faults and foolish pride,
Finds you so accountable there's little left to hide,
And gives you such humility you wear it like a crown;
It grows you up and it grows you down.
'Spin' and 'auger in' - they're said together;
Maple seeds will auger in but birds go spinning too;
Spins will draw the line down at the hangar;
They always do;
But climbing up to altitude through sky of brightest blue
To stall and roll, to pirouette like all dust devils do,
Then laugh and climb again to watch the ground go
whirling 'round and 'round and 'round -
It grows you up and it grows you down.
If you, like me, have lived afraid of dying,
Then study stick and rudder and the law of gravity;
There's nothing like a simple dream of flying
To set us free;
It's the voice of every river, it's the vision on the hill,
The fire in the belly and the dance of wind and will;
It fills your days with sweetest peace and turns your life around;
It grows you up and it grows you down.
Based at the Hereford GC site, each year the London GC make a visit to explore what can be quite substantial wave from the Welsh hills. As usual, I joined them, together with 3 Snitterfield gliders and 6 from the local club. With 30 different gliders to launch at various times during the day, 3 tugs (LGC Robin, Nympsfield Scout & Long Mynd Pawnee) made short work of any queue, as launching took place from 8am to shortly before sunset.
Wave over Shobdon occurs with the wind in any direction from South thru' West to North, and this year consistent northerlies provided an upper usable limit of about 12000'. Most pilots made entry on the first 3 days from quite strong thermals, which enabled us to quit the tow relatively low below 2500', and still reach wave.
The airspace above Shobdon is restricted to FL195. but during the winter is lifted to FL215 enabling diamond height gains.
On day 1, with lenticulars beckoning above thermal flat cumulus, most pilots were seen taking off with oxygen masks hanging round their necks, but word came on 130.1 that thermal interference was causing wave to flatten out, limiting climbs. Only 2 gold heights that day!
The week progressed in similar fashion, and gradually oxygen masks and scarves were replaced by open necks and sun cream!
Only 2 land-outs during the week - the Duo-Discus into Talgarth (aerotow retrieve), and the K6e local at Presteigne. It was a week of mild wave up to 8000', with several occasions up to 12000', but no diamonds due to the northerlies.
At less than 5 hours by road door-to-door, Shobdon provides one of the nearest practical sites for experiencing wave from a large flat airfield, which also has good thermal and ridge-soaring possibilities, and includes a safe overhead let-down should you be caught by cloud closing in.
With 30+ pilots & crews, each evening in the pubs was suitably loud, and full of flying stories.
Highlight of the week - ridge soaring with Steve Lynn in Platypus's ASH25 at rock-polishing closeness to Wapley Hill!
P. C.
If you have any experiences at other sites, why not write a small article? - Ed.
Recently, two potentially fatal defects were missed during a DI on a K13. Several bundles of wires were broken in the port front rudder cable where it joins the pedal. One half of the split pin retaining the clevis pin that joins the front to back cable was missing. Should the other half have broken off, the pin could have fallen out, and if the glider was being flown solo at the time, the pilot would have lost rudder control. This emphasises the importance of a thorough check of all the primary control circuits when doing your Daily Inspections.
| May 17 - 28 | Overseas Nationals ESC, Ocaña, Spain |
| May 30 - June 6 | Norfolk Regionals, Tibenham |
| June 2 - 18 | 2nd World Class World Championship Leszno, Poland |
| June 12 - 20 | Bidford Regionals |
| June 19 - 27 | Cotswold Regionals,Aston Down |
| July 2 - 18 | European Women's Championships Leszno, Poland |
| July 3 - 11 | Cairngorm Competition Enterprise, Feshiebridge |
| July 3 - 11 | London 15m Class Nationals, Dunstable |
| July 11 - 24 | World Junior Championships, Terlet, Netherlands |
| July 17 - 25 | Bristol & Glos Club Class Championships, Nympsfield |
| July 17 - 25 | Booker 18m Class Nationals |
| July 31 - Aug 8 | Standard Class Nationals, Soaring Centre, Hus Bos |
| July 31 - Aug 8 | Yorkshire Regionals, Sutton Bank |
| July 31 - Aug 8 | Turbo/Self Launching, Bidford |
| July 31 - Aug 15 | World Gliding Championships, Bayreuth, Germany |
| August 10 - 19 | Inter-services Regionals, RAF Bicester |
| Aug 14 - 22 | Open Class Nationals, Lasham |
| Aug 14 - 22 | Lasham Regionals |
| Aug 21 - 29 | Junior Nationals, Bidford |
| Aug 21 - 29 | London Regionals, Dunstable |
| Aug 21 - 29 | Cambridge Regionals, Gransden Lodge |
| Aug 21 - 30 | Enstone Eagles Regionals |
Since the last issue of Winglet in early we have seen a bumper crop of new solo pilots and re-solos, many of whom have now progressed even further. [Apologies if I have missed anyone out from this list - Ed.]
John Bone, Peter Darton, Brian Darton, Graham Drinkell, Steve Jones, Eric Hibbard, Peter Phillips,Steve Matthews, Ken Rogers, Steve Grant, Jean-Pierre de Tourtoulon, Rob Austin, Sergei Kotomin, John Kelk, Chris Borley, Sheila Graham, Ben Jones, Paul Stocker, Colin Neil, James Wilson, Ken Lewellen, Dick Skinner and Peter Gartland.
Pilots should be aware that it is possible for the controls to move properly visually, and even to be moved against a force applied in one direction, whilst still being disconnected.
Positive checks must be made very carefully, and against both up and down movements of all the control surfaces.
In one recent week we received a record total of 6000 hits, but our average is around 2-3000 per week.
Any contributions, anything at all, in whatever format, including handwritten if you must, would be very welcome. Alternatively, why not learn a bit of HTML and have a go yourself? It really is not at all difficult, and I'll help any club member who is interested in electronic publishing. The site is quite well known, but could probably do with more development and maintenance time than I can put in on my own. And it needs some more photos, please.
The Club's web site address is:
| 15th / 16th May: | Tibenham |
| 29th / 30th May: | Rattlesden |
| 31st July / 1st August: | Wormingford |
| 7th / 8th August: | Crowland |
Less than 150 hours P1 by April 1st. Not competed in a rated competition (i.e. Regionals/Nationals) by April 1st. Not flown a 300km Gold Distance Leg by April 1st. Required to fly a glider of handicap 103 or less.
Not competed in a National level competition by April 1st. Not flown a 500km Diamond Distance by April 1st. Can fly any glider.
Any pilot flying any glider.
There appears to be some confusion over the new pilot role titles. This notice will hopefully clear up any misunderstandings.
The titles P1, P2 and Co-Pilot will now cease to have any meaning, within the BA operations manuals. They are to be replaced by Handling Pilot, Non-Handling Pilot, Handling Landing Pilot, Non-Handling Landing Pilot, Handling Non-Landing Pilot, and Non Handling Non-Landing Pilot.
The Landing Pilot is initially the Handling Pilot, and will handle the take-off and landing except in role reversal when he is the Non-Handling Pilot for taxi until the Handling Non-Landing Pilot hands the Handling to the Landing Pilot, at eighty knots.
The Non-Landing (Non-Handling, since the Landing Pilot is handling) Pilot reads the checklist to the Handling Pilot until after the Before Descent Checklist completion, when the Handling Landing Pilot hands the handling to the Non-Handling Non-Landing Pilot who then becomes the Handling Non-Landing Pilot.
The Landing Pilot is the Non-Handling Pilot until the "decision altitude" call, when the Handling Non-Landing Pilot hands the handling to the Non-Handling Landing Pilot, unless the latter calls "go-around", in which case the Handling Non-Landing Pilot continues handling and the Non-Handling Landing Pilot continues non-handling until the next call of "land" or "go-around", as appropriate.
In view of the recent confusion over these rules, it was deemed necessary to restate them clearly.
'Pilot', August 1996
A. M.
My thanks to all winch drivers for duties carried out over the last 18 months.
Having gained some new drivers for the rota we have lost one to Aboyne, but many thanks to Tom for all his past efforts. If anyone can persuade any other members to join us, please encourage them. The more winch drivers we have the less often you will be required.
Mervyn has carried out the modifications to the covers on the orange winch, and what an excellent job he has done. I hope you agree with me that it’s now easier to carry out the DI on the winch.
Just three Safety Notes:-
The above items have been agreed by the committee. If you are not happy (for any reason) with launching and safe cable retrieval, discuss it with the Duty Instructor or Safety Officer.
The work on the new (German) winch is nearing completion, and we look forward to being able to launch the grid more quickly using four cables.
R. B.
There is a new Daily Notice Board that lives in and around the launch control vehicle. Please make sure that you have read it before you fly. It does NOT replace your routine visit to the safety board, but it is intended to draw your attention to the most important points to consider before flying.
Please would Duty Instructors ensure that all of the following are considered when completing the Daily Notice Board and, if appropriate, that brief notes are made.
ACTIVE LOCAL TNWs must be checked and noted on the board on a DAILY basis, and please add a reminder to CHECK the full list on THE SAFETY BOARD in the clubhouse.
Note hazardous weather conditions, trends and forecasts, e.g. thunderstorms, increasing winds, approaching fronts, sea-breeze effects, high cockpit temperatures, etc.
Any unusual matters regarding the general condition and/or airworthiness of each of the gliders, ground equipment, winches, cables, and runway, care and safety of visitors, vehicle parking (especially if operating from the West end), and any other matters relevant to the safety of operations.
Duty Instructors' names, default circuit direction (if not obvious), and other non-safety-related information.
A. S.
The Syndicate T21 Sedbergh (BGY) was destroyed in a workshop fire when it went away for its final coat of paint after a painstaking renovation over 15 months.
It has been replaced with another, younger T21 (BJF) which will be renovated over the coming winter by the workshop owner.
A. S.
| Sweatshirt | £16.50 |
| Long Sleeve Polo Shirt | £16.50 |
| Short Sleeve Polo Shirt | £15.00 |
| One size Tee Shirt | £7.50 |
| One size Navy Tee Shirt | £7.50 |
| Cap with club logo | £8.50 |
| Beany Hat | £5.00 |
| Wooly Hat with Glider | £3.50 |
| Badge (general purpose) | £6.50 |
| Car sticker | £1.00 |
| Barograph Foils | £0.25 |
| Daily Inspection Book | £1.05 |
| Pilot's Logbook | £1.35 |
| Wing Tape | £1.85 |
| Pilot's Wings (fabric) | £1.95 |
| Glider Tie | £6.30 |
It is with much regret we announce the sudden passing of Bob at the Club on Wednesday 16th December , at the age of 66. He had flown during the morning, and was in the process of preparing himself for another flight.
Gliding was something he enjoyed so much. He had completed his Bronze badge and recently his cross country endorsement. Although he had been a member for only just over four years, Bob was a kindly man and everybody's friend. He would always ask after other members who were absent for whatever reason.
Bob was always very precise in all the jobs he undertook for the Club, and was a stickler for detail; we will remember his pre-flight checks, an example to us all.
Bob will be missed by all at the Essex and Suffolk Gliding Club, and our heartfelt sympathy goes out to Iris and his family.
P. F.
| 1000 | Arrive St. Andrews Church, Wormingford. |
| 1100 | Arrive ESGC. Introduction by Chairman. Short history of the Club, by Frank Fear. |
| 1200 | Lunch at Thatchers Arms. (pay as you go) |
| 1400 | Return to ESGC. (for mix & mingle) |
F. F.
Despite the weather last year, our total hours flown increased by 8% and our number of launches increased by 22%. We attribute this to the removal of the restrictions on our launching times.
Now that we have two winches and a new hangar, we anticipate steady growth in club membership, and we invite interested pilots and non-pilots to visit us to see our facilities. Trial lessons by appointment. Contact our Membership Secretary John Bone on 01206 710991.
Hopefully you'll never need one. However, when you do, you would like it to work properly, first time. The standard of care of the club parachutes sometimes falls below what is appropriate for a piece of life-saving equipment.
We had four parachutes written off this year due to their age, and have bought two new ones, so we now have exactly one parachute per club glider seat. Therefore, it is now appropriate to allocate each parachute to its particular glider. We have two red parachutes for DVB, two blue ones for DQA (notice the pretty colour match), a small maroon and a small brown one for the Twin Astir, the black sit-in one for the Vega, and two new Thomas parachutes, one red and one blue, for the K6s. They will be marked with each glider's identification, and that is where they should be used.
There are storage bags in the parachute room for most of these parachutes, and a new parachute rack. Please use the bags to store the parachutes in and to transport them to and from the gliders in the hangar, but leave the bags in the hangar and do not take them out to the launch point where they will get damaged. The parachutes should be taken out to the launch point inside the gliders and their presence should form part of the DI, if done near the hangar.
Parachutes should normally remain in the gliders, but if you do need to remove them, store them on the top shelf in the back of the launch control vehicle where they will not get dusty and damaged. Don't put them on the grass as they will almost instantaneously get damp, even on a sunny day, and may not deploy as they should when needed.
Each new parachute currently costs over £600, so please treat them with respect.
A. S.
Many thanks to all contributors for your articles in this and the previous issue of Winglet, and for which of course I accept no responsibility whatsoever! I only accept responsibility for the mistakes. So sue me!
Andy Sanderson (retiring Ed.)
New Editor! The next issue of Winglet will be produced by Steve Jones (thanks Steve!).