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red
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Joined: 13 Aug 2007
Posts: 2730
Location: Utah, USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sol III
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 Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2012 10:04 am Post subject: Good judgment, from the old school |
 #1 |
Campers,
From another thread here, I got this
| Quote: |
There's a funny thing when people get new wings or if they haven't flown for a while.
The tow pilots refuse to go to the coast to fly new gear. "I want to have a few tows before I fly this thing on the coast".
The ridge soaring pilots say "Hell no, I'm not towing this thing until I've flown it at least a few times on the coast". |
It's a long-standing tradition in HG, NEVER combine two unknowns. This means that, for example,
coastal pilots should not make first flights, towing, on a new glider, if towing is less familiar to them than coastal flying conditions.
This applies to every phase of HG, even as far as landing a new glider in a new LZ. Certainly, it can be done,
but given the choice, on a new glider, I'd want to land in a familiar LZ (in this case), until I had a good handle on the new gear.
In the instance above, the pilot would be combining three unknowns: new glider, unfamiliar towing, and an unfamiliar LZ.
It's good to hear that the pilots involved have shown the good sense to decline such a poor combination of unfamiliar factors.
Some may say that the practice of "only one unknown" is too cautious. I maintain that the sky will be there tomorrow, and
I applaud any of my HG friends who take new things, one step at a time.
If you think back a bit, you may know personally of instances where a mishap occurred because the pilot was distracted
by two unfamiliar aspects of equipment and/or location at one time. Air does not hear "wait-a-minute!"
The sky waits for nobody.
_________________
Cheers,
........Red.........................
Pssst! New pilot? Free advice, maybe worth the price,
http://www.xmission.com/~red/
H4, Moyes X2, Falcon Tandem, HES Tracer, Quantum |
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Bobfly
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Joined: 13 Nov 2009
Posts: 3698
Location: San Diego, Ca.
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| Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2012 12:31 pm Post subject: |
#2 |
Very good advice, Red. Makes alot of sense.
_________________
Freedom 170 FR |
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snowbird
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Joined: 25 Jan 2008
Posts: 351
Location: Florida/North Carolina
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| Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2012 12:45 pm Post subject: |
#3 |
Red, your advice is invaluable!!!  |
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red
3 thumbs up
Joined: 13 Aug 2007
Posts: 2730
Location: Utah, USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sol III
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| Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2012 3:00 pm Post subject: Good judgment, from the old school |
#4 |
Bobfly, Snowbird,
Thanks, but it ain't me, talkin' there.
I'm just passing along what has kept me in one piece, from wiser heads than mine. 
_________________
Cheers,
........Red.........................
Pssst! New pilot? Free advice, maybe worth the price,
http://www.xmission.com/~red/
H4, Moyes X2, Falcon Tandem, HES Tracer, Quantum |
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