Time to work on your New Year's resolutions
Excited to fly your new toy, winter will be coming soon and you are desperately trying to get some flights in before the snow shuts everything down...Snow, clearly not talking about Southern California. You have a few things you should be tinkering on, but it is another soaring day so you postpone it.
The brakes could use some adjustments. But it's going to take a while to take them apart, clean them and adjust the cable.
Not too long ago a new nameless pilot came into the pattern a little high, but not bad. Then the wind started to shift as the sheerline moved though. With a slight tailwind the pattern he was definitely high. Along that sheerline came a monster thermal that he encountered on final approach. In the end, not all of the runway was used, just 98% of it.
The new brake kit has been ordered and not on the bottom of the things-to-do list. Nothing was broken and only a soiled pair of shorts...mine...as I watched from the side of the runway. Don't put off those items that might one day save your life.
The shop was doing a yearly condition inspection on a sailplane and the owner was told to replace some mylar. He said he would get to it and was really wanting to fly later that day. The following year the same sailplane showed up again with the same mylar still not replaced. We removed it on the spot, the owner lost a flying day but it is better than his life when the elevator stops working.
There is that turnpoint file that I keep talking about modifying and having it ready by Spring. I know we have one that has a turnpoint I have been meaning to remove the landable attribute for about 5 years.
Many of these little items could be step 1 in our eventual accident. Possibly a causal factor. Having weak brakes didn't cause us to run off the end of the runway. However, we could have stopped before the end if they worked.
Have a safe and Happy New Year.
Banner Photo by Tobias Barth FCC 2015
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Garret Willat holds a flight instructor rating with over 8000 hours in sailplanes. His parents have owned Sky Sailing Inc. since 1979. He started instructing the day after his 18th birthday. Since then, Garret has represented the US Junior team in 2003 and 2005. He graduated from Embry-Riddle with a bachelor's degree in Professional Aeronautics. Garret represented the US Open Class team in 2008 and 2010 and the Club Class team in 2014. Garret has won 3 US National Championships.
