At 1:00 - Towing is one of the most complicated things about flying gliders. You should NOT want to distract yourself with changing the canopy air vent or increasing the vario's audio especially at only a few hundred feet off the ground. These tasks should be accomplished on the ground before launch. Wait to make adjustments once off tow.
Too true. It's a mandatory to take control at our club if the instructor sees students doing this. As a community we have killed too many tug pilots and it has to stop.
Good point. I did those without thinking and was not exactly best practices or a good example. I normally leave the vario volume off and window closed on takeoff to avoid the vario distracting and the possibility of sucking in bugs (like bees) until I have enough height to at least do an abbreviated circuit, but I guess I've been doing that lower. I'll take care then. Thanks.
At least circuit height if you are at the circuit, or higher if close by. I mean, that makes sense. The only standard we have is that if there's a lineup of gliders wanting to launch, no higher than 2000' to give a quick turnaround. Otherwise if I've flown through at least one thermal and I'm high enough to release safely, I'll try the second thermal, but sometimes .. ha ha, it doesn't work. :-)
Any glider pilot who says he's never done that is lying. Granted, I don't think I've ever released below 2000' AGL because I hate the thought of having to waste all that time getting a re-light if it doesn't work out. Going up another 1000' is cheaper than another tow and lost time. At least you gave up before getting into trouble and that's good judgement.
There's two schools of thought on that. The other is if you only have to re-light once every 5 flights, it can still be economical. 2000' AGL though is a good height as it gives you room to look around if things are not working out for you right away. I don't think there's a big difference between both strategies, other than the next person waiting for a tow probably appreciates the quicker turnaround.
Good catch. It's a Grob 103. Not the most nimble glider, but it's roomy. I'm usually flying from the back seat as the club usually uses it for guest and introductory flights. In the UK, the Air Cadets fly pretty much the same glider, but it's called a Viking T1.
Your vario seems to mute when in sink so you are not getting useful information. "Fly away from the sink" technique could have been successful here in helping you find the core when just outside it. After max sink allow 45 degrees more of the turn then straighten up.
Yah, not my vario ... it was a club glider, and we've had times when the vario in that glider is not working the whole flight. I think in this case the lift was "burps" from a nearby swamp. My own glider does go silent except in the worse sink, but maybe I'll tune it to be more sensitive on that setting and see what happens this season and I'll try that technique. Thanks for your comment.
Straighten up when it goes into lift for a few seconds then turn. You were on the edge of the thermal.
At 1:00 - Towing is one of the most complicated things about flying gliders. You should NOT want to distract yourself with changing the canopy air vent or increasing the vario's audio especially at only a few hundred feet off the ground. These tasks should be accomplished on the ground before launch. Wait to make adjustments once off tow.
Too true. It's a mandatory to take control at our club if the instructor sees students doing this. As a community we have killed too many tug pilots and it has to stop.
Good point. I did those without thinking and was not exactly best practices or a good example. I normally leave the vario volume off and window closed on takeoff to avoid the vario distracting and the possibility of sucking in bugs (like bees) until I have enough height to at least do an abbreviated circuit, but I guess I've been doing that lower. I'll take care then. Thanks.
Thanks for posting. It's always good to learn from other's mistakes.
You always feel like a hero when you get up from a low tow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .and a shmuck when you don't . 🤥🤥
What's the standard release height? At my club it was 500m (=1600'), so releasing with full ballast at 1300-1400' was entirely common.
At least circuit height if you are at the circuit, or higher if close by. I mean, that makes sense. The only standard we have is that if there's a lineup of gliders wanting to launch, no higher than 2000' to give a quick turnaround. Otherwise if I've flown through at least one thermal and I'm high enough to release safely, I'll try the second thermal, but sometimes .. ha ha, it doesn't work. :-)
Happens or happened to all of us Dave 😇
Any glider pilot who says he's never done that is lying. Granted, I don't think I've ever released below 2000' AGL because I hate the thought of having to waste all that time getting a re-light if it doesn't work out. Going up another 1000' is cheaper than another tow and lost time. At least you gave up before getting into trouble and that's good judgement.
There's two schools of thought on that. The other is if you only have to re-light once every 5 flights, it can still be economical. 2000' AGL though is a good height as it gives you room to look around if things are not working out for you right away. I don't think there's a big difference between both strategies, other than the next person waiting for a tow probably appreciates the quicker turnaround.
My lowest release height was probably 800’ or so. Typically I release at the first thermal above 1,000’.
Glider Pilot here. Is that a grob 102?
Good catch. It's a Grob 103. Not the most nimble glider, but it's roomy. I'm usually flying from the back seat as the club usually uses it for guest and introductory flights. In the UK, the Air Cadets fly pretty much the same glider, but it's called a Viking T1.
@@davesgliding ah, it just looks so similar. 😂
What could possibly go wrong if you insist in turning the wrong way and then have no idea which the wind is blowing?
Your vario seems to mute when in sink so you are not getting useful information. "Fly away from the sink" technique could have been successful here in helping you find the core when just outside it. After max sink allow 45 degrees more of the turn then straighten up.
Yah, not my vario ... it was a club glider, and we've had times when the vario in that glider is not working the whole flight. I think in this case the lift was "burps" from a nearby swamp. My own glider does go silent except in the worse sink, but maybe I'll tune it to be more sensitive on that setting and see what happens this season and I'll try that technique. Thanks for your comment.