Chuck Griswold wrote:

...the only problem that might arise from doing a
360 on final is, if you are the first in a long string
of gliders lined up to land. You might throw a lemon
into someones plans for a normal landing.


You take the energy you have and you fit it to the space available
-- that's gliding. If we expect that the only successful flight is
one that looks just like every other flight, we've just made the
same error that Skydell has warned us so selflessly against. There
are no "normal" landings in unpowered aircraft. They are either
successful or unsuccessful, depending on our goals for that
particular phase of the flight.

We plan and execute to the best of our ability within the bounds of
normal good-neighborliness, but first fly our own aircraft safely,
whatever happens. Everyone else will do the same.

This is beginning to take on a strong relationship to the "Skydivers
v Gliders" thread. Everybody needs to be ready for anything at all
times, especially around the pattern. It's most interesting at our
field where the skydivers land immediately adjacent to the landing
strip. By "immediately" I mean the northern edge of our strip is the
southern edge of the landing zone. We are happy if they don't
actually touch down on the runway, though the only thing I haven't
seen yet is a landing on the roof of one of the buildings on the
field. Surely that cannot be far off. So far, the jumpers have
accomplished only the occasional reduction in their own number, and
with no assists, thank God.

The jumpers do often cross the runway, even the short final approach
area, under canopy, en masse or strung out over a few hundred
meters. It can get interesting with several gliders, a dozen
jumpers, transient aircraft without a clue, and a single runway.
I've always thought recreational jumpers at least a little insane,
but watching them mix so freely with both gliders and powered
aircraft using the strip, I am convinced its worse than that.


Jack