Checklists
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November 17, 2022
As we all very well know, as with anything in life, prior preparation prevents poor performance, knowing your preflight and landing checks goes into this category. Having a thorough knowledge of your country's checks is essential to a successful flight. If you’re just learning to fly, then some study and visualisation are required, not only will it save you time and money, it’ll
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December 31, 2020
You wouldn't believe it, but they can happen to you too! Occasionally I find myself too relaxed during my pre-takeoff checks, often because I have hundreds of hours under my belt in any given 12 month period, other times too because people are talking to me right up to hooking on the rope - this is not the time to be complacent! One needs to be positive & focused, if people are talking nearby you,
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April 09, 2020
Honest question: raise your hand if you’ve ever given the rudder wag for a takeoff then thought to yourself “did I put the spar pin in?”
Now, the harder question: when that happened, did you release or continue the takeoff and hope for the best?An Uncomfortable Truth
An old fighter pilot saying goes “It is better to die than to look bad, but it is possible to do both.”
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July 18, 2019
Everyone has seen a picture or video online of a beached whale. It is resting there in a very unnatural state. You have people standing around nearby in dismay; others are looking from a distance. But no matter who you are, your heart sinks for the animal. You may even cry a little inside.
Now you can imagine the scene as I drove the golf cart around the edge of the hanger to see a Cobra trailer
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June 27, 2019
The prelanding checklist GFWATTS continued from last week finishes with TTS.
To clarify last week.
When I was referring to a crosswind, I was referring to the crosswind direction on final. So a left crosswind on final while making a left pattern, the airmass will drift you towards the runway when on downwind. Even
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June 20, 2019
To continue with our landing checklist GFWATTS and how we should not give it lip service.
Wind
Since we are looking at the wind before we enter the pattern, we should be able to set-up for the correct runway. Most of the time, we are not getting a wind check from the tower on short final, so instead, we want to get an approximate direction and gusting strength. Surface wind indicators
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June 06, 2019
At Sky Sailing, we use the landing checklist GFWATTS, and we have been teaching it for a very long time. There are many out there, and I am sure there are plenty of threads on Rec.Aviation.Soaring (for those of you not aware of this newsgroup, searching this will be like opening Pandora’s box. If you have managed this long without it, I would recommend not starting now.).
Whichever checklist
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September 27, 2018
How do you prepare for a takeoff? Just wiggle the rudder and as the wing starts to roll, fix it with the aileron, when the spoilers open, close them.
Make sure you are doing the checklist in its entirety. As my Mom likes to say "giving lip service to your checklist." As she enjoys pointing out, especially on the occasional gear-up landing.
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August 17, 2017
Too many times we get a glider for an annual and the logbook does not show up. This makes it very difficult to complete the paperwork. Many repair stations will not start the maintenance until the logbook is there and is up-to-date.
If the sailplane has a standard airworthiness certificate then you need an IA to do the annual inspection. If it has an experimental certificate then you need and -
June 29, 2017
'A smart man learns from his mistakes a wise man learns from the mistakes of others.'
Many of us have made mistakes that cost us a podium finish. Everyone has done something that cost us points, the question is at what stage of your racing career do you learn?
A few days ago an anonymous pilot failed to use a checklist. Turned a 72 mph flight (a would-be winning speed for the day) to