We talk about how fatigue and dehydration can lead to a reduction in the pilots ability to think and fly the glider....I can assure you that chasing rope and hooking up gliders in the hot sun all day long without proper attention to hydration can have the same effect. This tragedy was the last flight of the day and I can well imagine that everyone was tired and not at their best. Not making an excuse here, just suggesting that we all pay attention to this debilitating situation.

While it is always the responsibility of the PIC to insure that his glider is airworthy, the ground crew is the last line of insurance against such mistakes. On many occasions I have spent a few hours launching gliders in the hot Florida sun and then flew myself. I found myself sucking most of the water from my Camelbak before I took off and was amazed at how thirsty I had become. When you feel thirsty, your level of dehydration is already excessive potentially reducing your attention to critical details. Clubs and commercial operations need to pay attention to such potentialities and take actions to insure that no one pushes things too far.

I had the opportunity to learn first hand how lack of nutrition and hydration can affect ones performance under controlled situations in Air Force Combat Crew Survival Schools. We can go a long time without food but H20 is critical.

Condolences to the family.

Walt