On 24 Jun 2004 13:14:39 -0700, (Brian Case) wrote:

....snippage...

With Dive Brakes it is questionable if this technique is any better
than just speeding up and using the additional drag caused by the
excess speed on the dive brakes. Remember Drag goes exponentially with
speed.

My guess is that stuffing the nose down while holding full airbrake
only works well with a really draggy glider. It works a treat in an
ASW-20, which doesn't slip well in landing flap, but OTOH full brakes
and a decent slip while maintaining normal approach airspeed works
well in a Discus, Pegase or DG-300.

IMO: Most Stall Spin Accidents are caused more by the Illusion of
speed and/or a nose low attitude. These can be caused by flying
downwind, close to the ground and unfamiliar or obscured horizons. In
these situations the pilot is not thinking a stall is even a
possibility.

Get into the habit of monitoring your ASI and ignoring the apparent
speed of the scenery on finals.

I'm also tempted to say that if the ASI isn't near the centre of the
top row in the panel (and top centre in an ASW-19 or 20) then its time
to redesign and rebuild the panel.


--
martin@ : Martin Gregorie
gregorie : Harlow, UK
demon :
co : Zappa fan & glider pilot
uk :