Mid air at Lasham today?

[Pinga]

I just heard that there had been a mid air near Lasham today. Does anyone have further info?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/dorset/3661041.stm

One dead in mid-air glider crash

A pilot has been killed after two gliders collided in mid-air above a Hampshire field.
One of the pilots, who escaped unhurt after ejecting with a parachute, came down in woodlands near Lasham airfield in Alton, off the A339.

He has been taken to Basingstoke Hospital, a spokesperson from Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service said.

Paramedics arrived at the crash scene at about 1600 BST. It is not yet known how the accident happened.

The dead pilot is a 68-year-old man from Fleet.

The crash survivor is from Ascot in Berkshire, police spokesman said.

About 20 firefighters are the scene, along with the Air Accident Investigation team and the police.

[Flap40]

More wonderful journalism! Since when have gliders had ejector seats?

Thoughts are with the family.

[Bre901]

Flap40

Dunno about the press coverage of gliding on your side of the Channel, but seen from this side, I'd say I've seen worst. The journalist probably never came close to a glider and just assumed that parachute and ejector seats come bundled.

Mid-airs are indeed one of the major risks of gliding (in flatlands). So keep all your eyes out, folks.

Condolences to family and friends.

[S-Works]

Sad, but I think inevitble when the weather is good and you see way some glider pilots fly (not insinuating about the pilots int his example, just a general reflection).

Flew back from Sandown yesterday and on the 90 minute flight north we encountered 81 gliders (yes we were keeping count) and some "interesting" shows of airmanship.

I also don't see an issue with the reporting either.

"Ejecting with a parachute" seems to describe pretty much happens when you abandon an aircraft mid air. We would have reason to criticise if they had said the pilot had used the yellow and black handles to activate the Martin-Baker rocket seat. I would certainly consider it appropriate to "eject" my self from a broken aircraft using a parachute.

[Orange Arm Waver]

I saw the pictures on the news this morning and comment was made of a pilot of a Robin who landed in an adjacent field and rushed to try and save the man who was killed. A fantastic gesture of humanity is this day and age. However why do I have a feeling that he still may get his wrists slapped by officialdom?
OAW

[A and C]

You will find that the Air Navigation Order has a get out clause that allows the commander of an aircraft to deviate from the ANO If life is in danger.

I think that landing a light aircraft in a field to aid the victim of an accident would be such a situation.

No doubt there will be some who will be critical of the pilots actions on all sorts of grounds but I can only commend his quick thinking and common sence and am sorry that despite his actions the situation did not have a more successfull outcome.

[Genghis the Engineer]

Deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the deceased pilot, and I hope that the survivor makes a speedy and full recovery.

It's a sad fact that about this time every year, the weather improves and everybody rushes out to get some time airborne (I was no different this weekend I must admit). With every recreational pilot in the country out in anything they can make fly, many of them a little rusty, unfortunately we do expect some accidents about now. Let's all however just be warned and try and make sure there aren't any more.




On a brief semantic note, I think that a lot of journalists are under the impression that the verb describing the action of leaving an aircraft in the air is "to eject", and it's ultimately a misinderstanding of terminology rather than anything else. And to be fair, if you look the word up in most "general use" dictionaries it fits - just as to eject a cassette from your stereo.

G

[VP959]

G the E wrote:

"It's a sad fact that about this time every year, the weather improves and everybody rushes out to get some time airborne (I was no different this weekend I must admit). With every recreational pilot in the country out in anything they can make fly, many of them a little rusty, unfortunately we do expect some accidents about now. Let's all however just be warned and try and make sure there aren't any more."

VP adds:

Here, here. The positive lesson for us all is to recognise that we just will not be as competent after the winter lay off. I chose to spend some time with an instructor recently, having not flown for a few months, and have to say that I am certain the expense was well justified. It certainly boosted my skills and confidence, which I suspect in itself has enhanced the time my brain can now devote to "thinking safety" when flying.

I have some sympathy for the risks glider pilots have to manage in order to remain airborne though. Some years ago, and despite my best endeavours, I virtually flew into the rear end of a buzzard when soaring. The reason? I was young, inexperienced, in a limited performance glider, concentrating on staying in a tight and exceedingly bumpy thermal and seriously worrying about the hot ship climbing up beneath me. The buzzards lookout was also poor, but was compensated for by the one attribute birds have that we can only aspire to; complete and total mastery of the air. It perhaps behoves us to remember that we are perhaps mere amateurs when it comes to aviating.

I'll add my condolences to this pilots family, but I am deeply heartened by the selfless actions of the Robin pilot in trying save a fellow pilots life.

[Bre901]

Genghis & VP959

My gliding club has made it compulsory for everyone in the club (including instructors) to take a checkride with an instructor, before flying solo at the beginning of the season. Awareness of the traffic is one of the points evaluated.

Moreover, cross-country pilots need to make three solo landings on the airfield before leaving the local area.

I heard that in some French motor clubs, the new PPL regulations about compulsory checkrides is resented by some, and I'm a bit confused.

Safety goes first. A big ego will be useless on the rim of a big hole in the ground.

[FNG]

Sorry news.

I have taken to wearing my parachute even when not aerobatting, mainly to give me something to do with my time if I survive the impact of a midair collision, as the prospect of fluttering to the ground strapped to a smashed-up aeroplane does not appeal.