PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Your first "I learned something from that" story?
Old 24th Jan 2019, 17:04
  #8 (permalink)  
MCR01
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: SW France
Posts: 40
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Jolly stories; this one is a little more grim. Having gone solo in gliders at Dunstable, many years ago, a friend and I decided to check out the then new motor glider school at Enstone, run by Gordon Camp . Their approach was certainly different, after a couple of circuits we were immediately sent solo in their Tandem Falke. It was an eye opener: arrive at the airfield and actually go flying! At 'proper' gliding clubs, in those days, it was more like work all day out on the field and hope to get 3 short winch launches - if you were lucky! Nine minutes in the log book for a whole day off work.
So we naturally spent more time at Enstone till one early morning we sat quietly in the cafe listening to the duty instructor explain than when looped the Tandem Falke would often exceed Vne but that this was "alright". We sat there quietly, hardly believing what we were being told but too inexperienced to argue with an instructor. I mean instructors were nearly like Gods...
Later that afternoon the wings came off the Falke at the bottom of a low level loop; both occupants were killed.
Since then I am more cautious of believing anyone, instructors included.
MCR01 is offline