On 5/25/2012 5:58 PM, Martin Gregorie wrote:
On Fri, 25 May 2012 00:16:12 -0600, Bob Whelan wrote:

I opted-for/got-away-with tightening the turn. Once definitely clear, I
promptly slunk off toward the home field (hoping to not die of
embarrassment),
settled myself down as best I could, then landed...so thoroughly ashamed
of and embarrassed/angry at my complacent stupidity that I've never told
anyone about the incident. Until now. It remains one of those life
situations that gives me the shakes each time I relive it.

Kids, never forget the "luxury of stacking" *may* not be an option!!!

Knowledge beforehand in conjunction with pre-answering the question,
"What's my 'out' if this doesn't go as planned?" is Joe Pilot's life
insurance policy against "non-stackers." Some of those 0'beer-thirty
stories contain "insurance lessons" worth identifying/heeding...even if
told only for laughs.

Thanks for sharing that one.

I'm (hopefully) innoculated against that one, thanks to my only flight
from Omarama. I'd told my instructor that "I'm so ignorant of mountain
flying that I don't know what I don't know: I'd like an introduction."
and that was a good move: I learnt heaps during the next three hours as a
direct result. My innoculation was being taught "never turn toward the
hill unless the vario says 'up' continuously in the outermost part of the
turn".

Makes a lot of sense when you think about it.



Indeed it does.

As to the "light of idiocy" your "inoculatory nostrum" shines on my
coulda-easily-been-fatal move, obviously I'd not looked at my (excellent/netto
TE display) for a single moment after crossing the ridge line. (What an idiot!
What WAS he THINKing?!?) Nor was it the first time I'd attempted the maneuver.
(Can't use inexperience as an excuse.)

I also neglected to mention this particular bout of idiocy almost certainly
occurred sometime between '85 and '95 (when I'd ~1,000 glider hours, roughly
60% of which originated from the field to which I slunk). Point being that
I've had a *long* time to bury the memories. Not that I ever tried to, and not
that I recall ever obsessing over it beyond ensuring I extracted some useful
lessons about it, but very little dimming of the sheer terror and vast
stupidity demonstrated has occurred.

Bob W.