Glider Landing sites pictures

[vetflyer]

A long long long time ago

There was a thread about gliders and field Landings

There was a link that had pictures of fields from 3000ft and then from ground level

Any one remember ?

If you do can you post a link please

Many thanks

[gliderkev]

I seem to remember a series of field selection pictures a while ago but dont know where they came from - try here Glider Pilot Network > uk.rec.aviation.soaring (http://uras.gliderpilot.net/) someone there will know
Kevin

[B4aeros]

field-landings.co.uk (http://www.field-landings.co.uk/) is no longer active.

[mary meagher]

Mike Cuming had an article in Sailplane and Gliding Magazine, long time ago, with good photos, title "GET OFF MY LAND!"

Not much point in studying photos of fields from up high, but observation as you drive around the countryside of the current state of crops.....now that is very useful and should be part of your preparation for your first field landing.

The good old mantra of SSSS - size, shape, slope, surface; of these 4 Size matters most, landing in the middle of the largest field available is a good rule to follow.
A long narrow field into wind is nice. A field that slopes downhill causes problems. Surface~well, you won't get hurt, but it may cause damage to the retrieve crew!......I have retrieved gliders from clay baked fields like moon craters and its not easy walking!

The killer in field landing are the wires that may be strung between a group of trees on the edge of the field. Invisible until too late. Size matters. Land in the middle of the largest field available, and choose a good field from at least 1,500 feet; then local soar that field until circuit height; normal circuit, and there you are! So easy nowadays, with cell phone and gps.

Meanwhile, have a go in a motor glider with an instructor and practice choosing fields.

[cats_five]

The good old mantra of SSSS - size, shape, slope, surface

What happened to Stock, Surroundings and some sneaky way of getting wind in there I think was included?

[gpn01]

What happened to Stock, Surroundings and some sneaky way of getting wind in there I think was included?

I used to teach the Seven S's of Field landings -

Size
Surface (i.e. check crop, whether it's ploughed, etc)
Slope
Stock (watch out for animals)
Surface Wind
Situation (not critical but useful to know where roads and farmhouses are relative to your chosen land area - can save hours of plodding around aimlessly trying to find a gate)
SHOCK! (always leave this as the final item with emphasis to watch out for cables)

[snapper1]

W.S.S.S.S.W.

Wind, Size, Slope, Surface, Stock, Wires.

[BackPacker]

landing in the middle of the largest field

I don't know if it's specific for the Netherlands, but we tend to advice not to land in the middle, but somewhat at the side of the field, reasonably close to the boundary ditch or fence. (But obviously far enough away not to hit it.)

The reason is that (at least in the Netherlands) long and narrow fields sometimes have a shallow (~50 cm) drainage ditch running down the middle. This drainage ditch normally doesn't contain any water (so you can't see it from high up - it's all grass); it's only used to drain the water away in case of heavy rain. But it's deep enough to ruin your day if you land in it.

[chrisN]

There was a series of articles in “Sailplane and Glididng” a few years ago, by a flying farmer, and for a while I think the pictures were available on the internet, but no longer. Copyright issue I suspect, but don’t know for certain.

Chris N

[astir 8]

A pity, because that was a really good website showing crops at various stages of growth both from the air and at ground level. Often the harsh reality at ground level was scary.

[chrisN]

Astir, B4, Vet, see your pms. Chris N.

Akso Short Stripper.

[shortstripper]

If I get the Falke flying in the spring (as I hope) I'll have a go at doing something similar. Plenty of variety of crops grown on the farm here and nearby so I could easily do and above and ground shot of each.

SS

[ProfChrisReed]

I remember the original article - I think the photos were shot in Warwickshire or Worcestershire. This was relevant because the timings they gave for each crop don't work across the country - certainly different in E Anglia, and fields of the same crop didn't look the same locally. Flying from gliding sites in other parts of the country always requires me to make a mental adjustment, because even, say, wheat looks different in the Cotswolds from in Cambridgeshire- field size makes a surprising difference to the overall appearance.

Pictures are a good start, but no substitute for actually inspecting crops from the air and then on the ground. The fields next to the runway will usually have different crops each year, so if you look at them before entering the circuit, and then after landing, you can build up a good mental library.

[mary meagher]

Sugar beet fields in East Anglia not bad, when young. I used to follow the rule if you can see the ground between the plants, just land along the rows....this worked for maize in the midlands, but one year some plants were taller than others, and one grabbed my wing - spectacular ground loop, but no damage.

Another time, confusing appearance of conjoining fields, picked the wrong one which was rape stubble. Ground loop again, in an astir. No harm done, but it is an interesting maneuver, the seat belts keep you safe, and you are merely there for the ride as there is not a thing you can do about it!

Lots of rain can spoil your options; getting low near Didcot, everything looked like a swamp, so went in to Chalgrove, Friday afternoon. Nobody there, all locked up, but the tug came to get me, no problem.

And that reminds me of another yarn; flying in Lasham regionals, getting late in the day, ended up Haddenham/Thame, and the farmer was locking the gate.
Jobsworth, his day was over, and if we wanted to take a trailer to the glider it would have to be the next morning! Two more gliders landed there as well, so we crept through the hedge, and phoned Lasham, who sent three tugs to come and get us.

Fourth glider then landed, while we were off site finding the phone, he had one of those fancy new gadgets, a mobile phone, so he called his crew, and they set out. When we got back after finding a phone in the village, we told him that a road retrieve would not be an option!
He tried to contact his crew - but they didn't have a mobile; he accepted gratefully an airtow back, leaving a note on the gate. History does not record whether or not they agreed to crew for him the rest of the week.

Those were the days!