Bill Daniels wrote:
This comment is solely about trainer L/D and not this specific trainer.

L/D IS important especially if you operate from a field where nearby
landings are hazardous. Students ( and for that matter some instructors)
aren't good at judging just how far they can glide. In this situation,
extra performance is what gets them home after a mis-judgement. L/D then
becomes a safety factor.

There's no downside to training in higher performance unless the instructor
THINKS there is. If the instructor is afraid of high performance gliders,
he will pass that fear on to his students.

Bill Daniels

wrote in message
ups.com...
for a trainer 40:1 is plenty. heck 18:1 is plenty, as proven by the
multitudes of pilots trained in 2-22 and 2-33 Schweizers over the
years. We're not talking about an open class nationals competitor
here.



I agree conditionally.

This is one area where the old crates make better trainers, as the difference in
effective glide ratio is much more affected by wind. The safe circuit differs
markedly with a 1:26 L/D and a wind component that can be a significant fraction
of stall speed. So it is easier to teach the mental calculations required, and
when to draw the line in terms of the - Is it safe to launch? decision.

A higher penetration , higher performance trainer makes the distances involved a
little bigger, so they may be harder to judge. In this instance I believe higher
performance may lower safety.

The downside of training exclusively in low performance gliders is that
transition to even a moderate performance single seater is more difficult.

Bruce