----- Original Message ----- From: "Harry Medlicott" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: "John Ashford" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, December 07, 2004 9:46 AM Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] Accident in Barossa valley
> Hi All, > > Fairly early in my gliding career my winch launching club bought an IS 29. > > I was so concerned by what I considered its unsafe winch launching > characteristics that I bought a Pilatus B4 for the use of my son who was > very early solo. > > The IS 29 has a very narrow speed range on a winch, bites very quickly and > unexpectantly, and the flap detente on the one we flew had a nasty habit of > jumping out and going into negative. Sometime after I stopped flying it > there was an accident involving power failure or cable break with a pilot of > modest experience. > > There has been one pilot killed in Australia winch launching an IS 29 and I > understand their accident record has been high. The one good thing is that > metal gliders crumple giving a higher degree of impact absorbtion than > fibreglass which shatters. > > I am a great believer in all pilots flying safer gliders. We do not all have > the same skill levels and everyone's abilities deteriorate under stress. We > have to look after those of us at the lower level of acceptable skill > levels. Who of us can say we have never been caught out momentarily by an > unexpected situation? > > Low level stall-spin accidents and resulting fatalities have greatly reduced > in Europe over a period of years. Credit for this has been given to the much > safer characteristics of modern gliders rather than any change in pilots > skill levels. > > My personal belief is that the importation of gliders with a poor safety > record, such as the Puchaz with its history of spin related crashes should > be discouraged or banned by the GFA. Wait a minute before replying until I > don my flame resistant suit! > > Harry Medlicott > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Robert Hart" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia." > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Cc: "John Ashford" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Monday, December 06, 2004 11:49 PM > Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] Accident in Barossa valley > > > > On Mon, 2004-12-06 at 14:59, Peter Stephenson wrote: > > > I recommend never to fly an IS29 off the winch for the first time > without > > > experiencing a stall at height. > > > > Rubbish Peter, > > > > What about cable/rope breaks? These can happen at low level even on an > > aero tow and you need to be ready to recognise and recover from a stall > > or spin without having ever seen one! > > > > This is exactly why we train people to recognise and recover from stalls > > and spins with minimum altitude loss (and brief on stalling/spinning as > > part of he conversion process to a single seater). > > > > There is absolutely NO problem with flying an IS29 off the winch, even > > if you have never stalled it before. How do you think people manage at > > winch only sites (quite apart from the stall/spin risk of an aero tow > > rope break)? > > > > What is necessary is that the individual is properly trained and briefed > > on the aircraft... > > > > a) so that they should not stall/spin off the winch (but we're all > > human, so we have back ups in terms of recovery actions)... > > > > b) so that they recognise stalls and know the minimum altitude loss > > recovery action instinctively (and have demonstrated this) > > > > c) so that they recognise incipient and full spins and again know the > > minimum altidude loss recovery action (and again have demonstrated this) > > > > If, as an instructor, you are not convinced that someone has got this > > down pat, then they should not be going solo in ANYTHING, irrespective > > of the launch method. > > > > If you are going to be an instructor, please think these things through > > before you start spouting rubbish in public. It does not do you any > > credit and, worse, it WILL confuse students (and even some trained > > pilots) who think that instructors are never wrong. > > > > -- > > Robert Hart [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > +61 (0)438 385 533 > > Brisbane, Australia http://www.hart.wattle.id.au > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Aus-soaring mailing list > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To check or change subscription details, visit: > > http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring > > _______________________________________________ > Aus-soaring mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To check or change subscription details, visit: > http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring _______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] To check or change subscription details, visit: http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring
