Yes - very interesting. Is there a link to the published article available?
Thanks & Regards, Nelson Handcock 0409 149919 http://www.linkedin.com/in/nelsonhandcockaustralia On Wed, Nov 13, 2013 at 6:05 AM, <[email protected] > wrote: > Send Aus-soaring mailing list submissions to > [email protected] > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > [email protected] > > You can reach the person managing the list at > [email protected] > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Aus-soaring digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: What can glider pilots teach the airline industry? > (John Parncutt) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Wed, 13 Nov 2013 07:05:32 +1100 > From: "John Parncutt" <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] What can glider pilots teach the airline > industry? > To: "'Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia.'" > <[email protected]> > Message-ID: <[email protected]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > Great article Darin, would be fantastic if this concept got some traction > within the airline industry. > > Sadly its up against the "wouldn't catch me in an aircraft without an > engine" brigade which despite showing complete lack of understanding of > flight dynamics seems to be prevalent amongst the GA community. > > > > John Parncutt > > > > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Darin > McLean > Sent: 12 November, 2013 20:50 > To: [email protected] > Subject: [Aus-soaring] What can glider pilots teach the airline industry? > > > > Im sure most of you will like this article. > > > > Darin > > Tug pilot, RAAF Richmond Gliding Club > > =========================================== > > > > What can glider pilots teach the airline industry? > > Could gliding be the low-cost training answer to keep airline pilots? > manual > flying skills fresh and sharp? TIM ROBINSON reports from the recent RAeS > International Flight Crew Training Conference, held on 25-26 September. > > < > http://media.aerosociety.com/aerospace-insight/files/2013/10/S10-glider-Ste > mme.jpg> > > Could gliders hold the key to improving airline safety? (Stemme) > > The 2013 > < > http://aerosociety.com/Events/Event-List/806/Annual-International-Flight-Cr > ew-Training-Conference-Upset-Prevention-Recognition-and-Recovery-Training> > RAeS International Flight Crew Training Conference this year was noteworthy > for a number of reasons; its highly international make-up (some 71 of 125 > delegates were from outside the UK, from 19 countries). Its focus: ?Upset > Prevention, Recognition and Recovery Training? was rated ?the best and most > productive conference held anywhere on the work to prevent aircraft loss of > control in flight?. > > A key point agreed by many (if not all) speakers and delegates at the > conference was that in the past 15 years, manual flying skills of airline > pilots has atrophied. Increased cockpit automation, rigid standard > operating > procedures, more use of flight simulators and a reduced pool of military > pilots has conspired to erode basic flying skills in a new generation of > pilots. This, as AF447 and perhaps more recent incidents, have shown, can > result in hull losses or be fatal in certain, rare circumstances. Loss of > control incidents (LOC-I) or ?non-normal? (eg high angle-of-attack or bank) > situations are > < > http://media.aerosociety.com/aerospace-insight/2011/09/28/loss-of-control-i > catee/5470/> thus a major safety issue. > > Though the conference detailed the high-level work going on by airlines, > training schools, manufacturers, regulators and stakeholders, including the > Society?s own <http://icatee.org/> International Committee for Aviation > Training in Extended Envelopes (ICATEE), an intriguing presentation from > Captain Sarah Kelman, a safety officer at <http://www.easyjet.com/en/> > easyJet, highlighted a more simple solution to manual flying skills erosion > ? gliding. > > Jet airliners and gliders > > < > http://media.aerosociety.com/aerospace-insight/files/2013/10/Capt-Sarah-Kel > man.jpg> > > Capt Sarah Kelman, easyJet (and British Gliding Association) gives her > presentation. (Lukas Willcocks) > > At first glance, there may be little in common between a glider weighing > between 500-800kg and the latest single-aisle jet airliners carrying > hundreds of passengers. One is powered, utilises complex computers, has > radar, flies higher, faster and is heavier being made out of metals (and > composites). What does a professional airline crew with the weighty > responsibility of the safety of their passengers have in common with a > two-place sport glider, flown for fun? > > However, Capt Kelman, an accomplished glider pilot herself as well as an > airline pilot, observed that there were skills that she maintained in her > glider that are directly relevant to her day job as an Airbus pilot and, > which indeed, enhance her situational awareness and ability to deal with > these non-normal, and recover quickly from, upset situations. > > She said that already many commercial airline pilots fly gliders already in > their spare time, because of the direct experience of flight and that every > flight is different and a challenge. (Indeed the most famous example is > Capt > Chesley ?Sully? Sullenberger whose gliding experience proved critical at > the > right time in the Hudson River in 2009 - saving all 155 people on board.) > > Unusual attitude is the norm > > Capt Kelman noted that gliding needs a number of skills that may have > application to the hi-tech airline cockpit ? especially when things go > wrong. > > For example, she pointed out that ?unusual attitudes?, which an airline > pilot may be fearful of getting into, are second nature for the glider > pilot. The glider pilot experiences an ?unusual attitude? from the first > launch as a 40deg winch launch (combined with a semi-reclining seat) means > the climb (at 3,000feet per minute) feels almost vertical. The pilot also > cannot see the horizon at this point. The pilot is trained to fly by visual > attitude and airspeed cues, and ignore s > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensory_illusions_in_aviation> omatogravic > illusions that can trick the senses. ?They must aviate, aviate and aviate? > she said. > > A ?high alpha? culture > > Secondly, she pointed out that glider pilots were steeped in a ?high-alpha > culture? ? where awareness of the angle-of-attack, the onset of stall and > steep bank angles were second nature. Flying regularly at the extremes of > the glider?s flight envelope also reduced the ?startle? factor ? a key > element in the onset of an abnormal situation where a pilot?s > decision-making can ?freeze up?. She noted that ?stall and spin awareness? > are paramount. Steep turns, which in airliner, would result in spilled > coffee in the cabin and possibly an interview with the airline chief pilot, > are the norm in gliding as the pilot aims to keep within thermals and > optimise lift. > > Comparable handling > > < > http://media.aerosociety.com/aerospace-insight/files/2013/10/Nimbus-4-Schem > pp-Hirth.jpg> > > Long wing spans gives gliders some similar handling qualities to airliners. > (Schempp-Hirth) > > While not powered, the modern sporting glider is a high performance vehicle > and very dynamic, said Capt Kelman. Interestingly she explained the latest > long wingspan gliders are sluggish in roll and yaw and handle very much > like > a 737 or a degraded A320. Wingspan is the key factor in scaling between the > two types of aircraft. Indeed, according to Capt Kelman, the ?surprisingly > ponderous? handling of long-wing span gliders is a better match for a > medium > airliner, than a small single-engine piston type. > > Energy management > > Glider pilots also bring energy management skills to the cockpit, said Capt > Kelman. Again at first glance, this might seem superfluous ? with engines > an > airline pilot can increase or reduce energy simply by moving the throttles. > However, Capt Kelman noted that these skills of managing energy (glider > pilots only get one chance at a landing!) can also be beneficial to airline > pilots. In particular, regional or secondary airports that low-cost > carriers > like easyJet use often have fewer navigation aids available, and may be > located in mountains or near restrictive terrain. If a pilot has honed the > art of energy management in gliders, then they can use these skills to > perform tighter, shorter approaches if permitted, saving valuable fuel and > time. The ability of an airliner pilot to manage non-precision and visual > approaches can thus be enhanced by exposure to glider energy management > skills. > > Meteorology awareness > > Finally, Capt Kelman outlined that glider pilots also develop an enhanced > weather awareness and appreciation. While airliners may boast sophisticated > weather radar, wind shear warnings, the ability to rapidly and quickly > assess weather conditions and to anticipate disturbances is a human skill > that can be honed by time piloting an aircraft that, without an engine, is > completely at the mercy of the elements. > > Summary > > < > http://media.aerosociety.com/aerospace-insight/files/2013/10/A320neo-easy.j > pg> > > Could gliding offer affordable upset recovery training to airlines? > (Airbus) > > > Capt Kelman?s presentation at this high-level flight training and safety > conference, was a valuable reminder that whatever the weight, size, cockpit > avionics or number of engines aircraft has they all obey the same laws of > aerodynamics and physics ? enabling certain skills to be valuable whatever > the type. While normal flight sees the airliner pilot rely on computers and > complex automation her talk highlighted the similarities between abnormal > airliner situations and normal glider flight. > > She also highlighted a critical point for those wondering about the expense > of extra flight training for airline pilots ? its low cost. With winch > launches costing ?10, Capt Kelman argued that gliding is a very affordable > way of maintaining hand flying skills. It was also clear that as a safety > officer for easyJet, she was passing this knowledge and experience on > within > her airline ? enhancing its overall safety. > > So in the quest for aviation safety and addressing the ?startle factor?? is > the answer to the erosion of hand flying skills to go right back to basics? > > Buy <http://aerosociety.com/News/Proceedings> Conference proceedings > here. > > In March 2014 the RAeS will hold a Conference entitled > < > http://aerosociety.com/Events/Event-List/1168/Aircraft-Commander-in-the-21s > t-Century-Decisionmaking-are-we-on-the-right-path> ?Aircraft Commander in > the 21st Century: Decision-making are we on the right path?? > > Related Items > > ? > < > http://media.aerosociety.com/aerospace-insight/2013/10/25/video-art-thompso > n-red-bull-stratos-lecture/8643/> VIDEO: Art Thompson, Technical Director > Red Bull Stratos, Lecture > > Watch the inside story of Felix Baumgartner's record-breaking space jump > from the perspective of Red > > ? > < > http://media.aerosociety.com/aerospace-insight/2013/10/04/come-fly-with-me/ > 8599/> Come fly with me ? but don?t expect to make any money > > The airline industry is now moving out of survival mode and into a new > period of growth, but, argues > > ? > < > http://media.aerosociety.com/aerospace-insight/2013/09/20/elevating-china/8 > 556/> Elevating China ? first Airbus A350 composite part from Harbin > > In September, Airbus celebrated the delivery of the first carbon composite > elevator for the A350 to > > One Response to What can glider pilots teach the airline industry? > 1. > > John Burany Says > > 22/10/2013 at 18:49 > > It has been very obvious that glider training should hav been mandatory for > all pilots, Private or commercial a specially for airline Pilots. The > liability is huge in any commercial application. > > John Burany A.M.E. > > Kind regards > > > Des Barker > Competency Area Manager > DPSS: Aeronautics Systems > Tel No. (012) 841-4229/3183 > Fax No. (012) 349-1156 > E-mail: <mailto:[email protected]> [email protected] > > > > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: < > http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/private/aus-soaring/attachments/20131113/13aa9323/attachment.html > > > -------------- next part -------------- > A non-text attachment was scrubbed... > Name: not available > Type: image/jpeg > Size: 13453 bytes > Desc: not available > URL: < > http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/private/aus-soaring/attachments/20131113/13aa9323/attachment.jpe > > > -------------- next part -------------- > A non-text attachment was scrubbed... > Name: not available > Type: image/jpeg > Size: 23232 bytes > Desc: not available > URL: < > http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/private/aus-soaring/attachments/20131113/13aa9323/attachment-0001.jpe > > > -------------- next part -------------- > A non-text attachment was scrubbed... > Name: not available > Type: image/jpeg > Size: 11670 bytes > Desc: not available > URL: < > http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/private/aus-soaring/attachments/20131113/13aa9323/attachment-0002.jpe > > > -------------- next part -------------- > A non-text attachment was scrubbed... > Name: not available > Type: image/jpeg > Size: 16045 bytes > Desc: not available > URL: < > http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/private/aus-soaring/attachments/20131113/13aa9323/attachment-0003.jpe > > > -------------- next part -------------- > A non-text attachment was scrubbed... > Name: not available > Type: image/jpeg > Size: 1258 bytes > Desc: not available > URL: < > http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/private/aus-soaring/attachments/20131113/13aa9323/attachment-0004.jpe > > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > Aus-soaring mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring > > End of Aus-soaring Digest, Vol 122, Issue 12 > ******************************************** >
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