Dartmoor Glider accident
Robin, perhaps but.....
Referring to the previous launch, this is what the AAIB report said.
''....the Discus exceeded the maximum launch speed for his aircraft and so released the winch cable, reaching a peak airspeed of approximately 100 kt and a height of 420 ft. At this point he felt he had plenty of energy in the glider to complete a circuit and so immediately turned left to head downwind''.
Referring to the previous launch, this is what the AAIB report said.
''....the Discus exceeded the maximum launch speed for his aircraft and so released the winch cable, reaching a peak airspeed of approximately 100 kt and a height of 420 ft. At this point he felt he had plenty of energy in the glider to complete a circuit and so immediately turned left to head downwind''.
Last edited by snapper1; 22nd Feb 2018 at 18:12. Reason: Added content.
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just a few comments:
This was not the pilots home club so I suspect anyone less well known and experienced than him would have been refused a launch. Indeed the criterion in less than favourable weather for launching visiting pilots using their own aircraft might need to be formalised.
In my own past club with an active runway on the right when strong winds were blowing there was only one option if you needed to turn and that was left - you always turned left under all circumstances unless you landed ahead.
As it was the strongest winds were usually from the left-ahead quadrant so you were always turning into wind if you turned.
There is always some unspoken pressure at some clubs not to land ahead if you can turn due to the disruption this causes to the launches which then have to be held up while the glider is towed all the way back to the launch point.
I've certainly done a land ahead and stopped next to the winch - for which I was moaned at.
I'd agree with @Thud105 though that the very low break in high wind conditions land ahead seems the only option that would have made any sense.
The pilots log book was kept electronically and was unavailable: so says the report. That means it was password protected and the AAIB/relatives etc were unable to break into it. So this means we need "backdoors" written into such programs to let the AAIB/CAA etc obtain the flying record data.
This was not the pilots home club so I suspect anyone less well known and experienced than him would have been refused a launch. Indeed the criterion in less than favourable weather for launching visiting pilots using their own aircraft might need to be formalised.
In my own past club with an active runway on the right when strong winds were blowing there was only one option if you needed to turn and that was left - you always turned left under all circumstances unless you landed ahead.
As it was the strongest winds were usually from the left-ahead quadrant so you were always turning into wind if you turned.
There is always some unspoken pressure at some clubs not to land ahead if you can turn due to the disruption this causes to the launches which then have to be held up while the glider is towed all the way back to the launch point.
I've certainly done a land ahead and stopped next to the winch - for which I was moaned at.
I'd agree with @Thud105 though that the very low break in high wind conditions land ahead seems the only option that would have made any sense.
The pilots log book was kept electronically and was unavailable: so says the report. That means it was password protected and the AAIB/relatives etc were unable to break into it. So this means we need "backdoors" written into such programs to let the AAIB/CAA etc obtain the flying record data.
