Human Factors

Experiencing an inflight emergency or a near miss while in your glider can be a harrowing ordeal, it’ll likely trigger the startle effect. The startle effect, which is also known as the startle response or the sudden onset of intense fear, can significantly impair a pilot's ability to effectively respond to the situation at hand. Understanding the startle effect and knowing how to mitigate

Gliding is a thrilling sport, we all know it, it’s a sport that allows pilots to navigate the skies using only the natural forces of Mother Nature. However, like any aviation activity, gliding comes with inherent risks. To mitigate these risks and ensure the safety of pilots, passengers & ground crew, the principles of Crew Resource Management (CRM) can be effectively applied.

As glider pilots, we navigate the boundless skies with grace and precision, but even the most experienced aviators encounter challenges. Threat and error management (TEM) is a crucial concept that empowers pilots to identify, assess, and mitigate potential risks before they escalate into hazardous situations. In this article, we delve into the realms of TEM and its application in soaring.

Understanding

Heat stroke is a severe and potentially life-threatening condition characterised by the body's inability to regulate its internal temperature. It occurs when prolonged exposure to high temperatures overwhelms the body's cooling mechanisms, leading to a dangerous rise in core temperature. Common symptoms include confusion, rapid heartbeat, nausea, and hot, dry skin. Heat stroke requires immediate

In the realm of gliding, where the sky becomes both playground and canvas, the importance of hydration for pilots cannot be overstated. As gliders gracefully ride the currents and thermals, pilots must navigate not only the atmospheric conditions but also the internal dynamics of their bodies. Hydration emerges as a silent but critical companion, ensuring that pilots stay alert, focused, and in control

Soaring such as ours, which includes hang gliding, paragliding, and aerobatics, requires not only physical skill but also a robust mental approach to extract the best performance out of the day, competition, and general day-to-day flying. Psychology within our sport, plays a crucial role in both the pilot's performance and overall safety. Understanding and harnessing the mental aspects of soaring

There are a thousand different ways to be distracted in flight, I do my very best to minimise all of them so that I can focus on my flight in its entirety. While gliding doesn’t have to be as serious as I take it, reducing in-flight distractions is a great way to improve your enjoyment, increase your feel of the glider and the sky, plus make your life just plain easier!  What are distractions?

We all have those flights that don't quite go to plan, no one is immune. Sebastian Kawa once outlanded before the start at a World Gliding Championships, does it make him a poor racing pilot? Absolutely not, he is still one of the greats of all time in our sport. It can happen to anyone, that we just have a bad day, after all, gliding is a game of skill & chance.

On the last day of the Uvalde Pre-World Gliding Championships and 18m Nationals, I was asked to give a safety talk to the competitors and organisation.  It’s something that we’ve done in Australia too in the past, but not of recent years so much unfortunately.  I think it’s a really good initiative, no matter how quick or small the topic presented by the speaker, it puts

It’s not soaring, exactly that’s the risk. It’s sunlight. But unless you assemble and stage under an awning, unless you only thermal in cloud shadow, it’s as risky as any other situation when the sun shines on your skin. Caucasians in Australia have much more sun and much more damaged skin than in northern Europe. Sun angle.

It’s