MikeYankee wrote:
involved progressively reducing airbrakes as one approached the ground...


Sounds kinda flaky to me. I guess the key thing is what "progressively" means,
and at what point during the approach the reduction in spoilers is started.

Spoilers SHOULD be reduced in the last few seconds of the approach, as touching
down in the proper landing attitude without spoilers gives the lowest touchdown
speed -- especially important for unflapped ships and off- or rough-field
landings.

I think SHOULD is too strong a statement. Many gliders become very
sensitive to pitch control with spoilers closed, and any value from a
reduction in touchdown speed is likely to be negated by ballooning and
subsequent hard touchdown. This is especially true of all the flapped
gliders I've flown when landing with positive flap (the usual case);
it's probably easier to do on an unflapped glider. If you can do it
under the stress and uncertain conditions of field landing, I'm
impressed, because I know I'm very unlikely to do so, based on thousands
of landings on airports and dozens in fields.

Another situation where it would be a poor choice is a short field where
the need to stop as quickly as possible is important. Floating along is
not a good idea when a fence is approaching!

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Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA