Cockpit Communication in a Two-Place Sailplane
Gliding Resource Management
Used primarily for improving safety, GRM focuses on interpersonal communication, leadership, and decision making on the ground and in the air to ensure the best possible outcomes. It is a set of training procedures for use in environments where human error can have devastating effects. GRM can come into play to foster better friendships, improving the club atmosphere where everyone can feel valued, better decisions can be made in the air, increasing team efficiency & dynamics, etc.
While gliding doesn’t require a strong command hierarchy, there should be always a P1 who has the final say. The concept is intended to foster a less authoritarian cockpit & ground culture, where the P2 (or the pilot not flying at the time) are encouraged to question the P1 (or pilot flying) if they observed them making mistakes, or heading down a path that may cause an error. But how do we make these statements or questions? More below later!
People aren’t mind readers, it’s as simple as that. We have all been bought up in different households, have different training at work or school, different professions, different beliefs, different first instructors, or flight training schools. There are many different ways to skin a cat, so to speak…
Your way may not necessarily be the best or safest way, perhaps it is, but you should always treat others how you’d like to be treated. I don’t know many people on this earth that like to be treated like an idiot or a terrible pilot. Think of a situation where someone has treated you like this in the past, how did you feel? Yup, that’s how you might be making the person you’re talking to feel – pretty small. Once someone feels like this, they close up, they stop giving helpful information when it’s your turn to fly or operate something on the ground.
You’re about to be hooked on for a flight, but earlier in the day you publicly humiliated someone at a friendly briefing. Later in the day, that guy notices a small fray in the rope, but decides not to say anything because of how you made him feel earlier, thinking “He is always right, he will only make me feel bad again by speaking up. I’ll just hook him on and save the embarrassment”. The rope breaks at 200’…
COMMUNICATION
Opening or attention-getter- Address the individual, whatever name or title will get the person's attention. It might be on the ground by putting your hand up and waiting patiently to be addressed, or in the air by saying positively, “Fred”.
State your concern- Express your analysis of the situation in a direct manner while owning your emotions about it. "I'm concerned that we may not have enough height to land back at the airfield safely," or "are you aware of the new airfield ground tow out path?
State the problem as you see it- "We're showing only 100’ of margin to get home and there’s been a lot of sink today," or "we have just recently changed the airfield tow out path to the launch point”
State a solution- "What do you think about taking another thermal to make sure we get home" or "If you like, would you like me to share the new path with the group now?”
Obtain agreement- "How does that sound to you, Fred?"
Fred leaves the briefing feeling energized by the new information he’s learned & given. Later in the day, he speaks up to the pilot about the small fray he’s found in the rope. The pilot say’s, “Thank you for speaking up, I think we should suspend operations until we repair this rope or get another one”.
Banner photo taken by fotorama.co.nz
Adam Woolley soloed in a glider on his 15th birthday making him a 3rd generation Sailplane pilot. Adam completed George Lee's camp in 2004 and shortly after won JoeyGlide (ahead of Garret), the Australian Junior Nationals. Crewing for Jay Rebbeck in the 2010 WGC Adam pushed harder then ever to make his way to the top of the score sheet. Flying in 30 contests since 2004. As a First Officer for ANA Adam has been able to schedule the glider pilots dream schedule. You can follow Adam Woolley's Gliding Adventures on Facebook..
