Pilot Sun Protection
I’m sure America is rather similar to Australia, sun protection in our game is paramount to be able to enjoy a long and happy life of gliding. It’s a very important consideration for the pilot's wellbeing, the UV levels on average and above days can be extreme. In Australia, there has been an advertising campaign for as long as I can remember, slip, slop, slap & slide!
Slip - on sun protective clothing
Long sleeve shirts and trousers are a must, not only does it protect us from the sun, but it can also aid pilot comfort on those days when we are high altitude flying, 12,000’ or higher. Often at these altitudes we can experience temperatures that are 25 degrees cooler than what we took off with, add to that, circling under a large cumulus or hours at high altitude running cloud streets, it’s enough to make us shiver and become rather uncomfortable. You can imagine this rings true too because of how little movement we have in a gliders cockpit. When we are cold, it’s a distraction to us, poor decisions can be made which can ultimately affect the whole flight. One final addition, simple cotton gloves that cover only the tops of your hands with your fingertips exposed are a good idea, this part of your body is heavily exposed to the elements too!
Slop – on some sunscreen
Generous amounts of sunscreen should be added to your exposed skin, namely the face, back of the ears, chest. If you’re flying in shorts & a t-shirt for the day unlike the recommendation above, be sure to put some on your hands, arms, and legs. Though be careful, with the forehead &/or eyes, perspiring and having the sunscreen in your eyes is rather uncomfortable, causing irritation, which as a result can become both dangerous to you and the gliders nearby...
Slap – on a hat
Always, always, wear a broad-brimmed hat, this will give you the most amount of shade/protection to your head, giving you comfort and a quicker recovery from the lost fluids during the flight in the afternoon. Baseball caps are a bad idea, for a few reasons. With the typically long brim out front, it can restrict your head movement, ie lookout! The other reason is the stub on the top of the hat has been known to crack a lot of canopies in the past, these cost either you or clubs a lot of money!
Slide – on some sunglasses
Wearing a set of high-quality sunglasses has a few reasons behind them, not only do they protect your eyes from the elements, they help spot other gliders because of the contrast, & they can also help you see ‘haze domes’ on the blue days – in short, to see where the clouds would normally be if there was just that little more moisture in the air. Getting sunglasses with wavelengths under 500 nanometers means that you’ll be blocking out the blue, with the green, red, and yellows being attenuated, providing excellent UV protection and a sharper image – perfect for soaring & seeing other gliders! Another favourite of mine is a rose coloured lens, for me, it shows a great definition of the cloud, which in turn helps me find thermals.
Banner photo by Holger Weitzel, AUFWIND-LUFTBILDER.DE
Adam Woolley was born into the gliding world, being the 3rd generation in his family. Going solo at 15, his thirst for efficiency in soaring flight & quest for a world championship title to his name has never wavered. One big passion is sharing his experiences & joy with other glider pilots all around the world. Adam is an airline pilot in Japan on the B767 & spends his off time chasing summer around the globe. He has now won 7 national Championships & represented Australia at 5 WGC's & 1 EGC.