Once, long ago, I nearly got my hand crushed when about to attach a cable
to an ASW20 (belly-hook only). The pilot retracted the U/C when he meant
ot check the air-brakes. The Pilot concerned was a current national
champion, practicing in the glider he was about to fly in the World
Championships. He was also an experienced instructor. His day job was
Airline Captain. Schlecher's practice of putting all the levers on the
left was, in my opinion, not a good idea, it produced more problems than
does changing hands to retract the gear.

At 10:20 22 September 2015, Tango Eight wrote:
On Monday, September 21, 2015 at 3:45:09 PM UTC-4, George Haeh wrote:
The spoiler handle hangs down from a=20
horizontal rod and rotates freely. To use=20
it you normally rotate it counterclockwise=20
about 90=B0. =20
=20
The gear handle sticks straight up lower=20
down and rotates clockwise just enough=20
to get out of the stop.=20
=20
AS seems to have put effort in designing=20
decent ergonomics, but dehydration and=20
unfamiliarity with type can trump that.=20

There was an over run accident some years ago involving a CFI-G in an
ASW-2=
4. The spoilers never came out. Later, it was concluded that the pilot
wa=
s pulling on the release handle (a bit like an early 1-26!).

Schleicher cockpit ergonomics are wonderful. In the 20, the gear, flap
and=
spoiler handles are all on the left and use the same shape grip, but the
c=
ontrols feel and move in completely different ways. So when an accident
lik=
e this happens, suspicions tend toward pilot incapacitation as the root
cau=
se. The ASW-24 example shows that moving the gear handle to the right
side=
of the cockpit isn't a completely effective solution.

Back in my student days, some=20
instructors told me to look at the spoilers=20
on the downwind check. If you're moving=20
the correct handle you will see them=20
move.

We teach this. One part of the exercise is to discover what "1/2
spoilers"=
(determined by looking at the spoilers) requires in terms of control
posit=
ion and effort (varies by glider type). This thread illustrates another
re=
ason to do it.

Evan Ludeman