At 12:50 30 July 2016, Tango Eight wrote:
On Saturday, July 30, 2016 at 12:51:25 AM UTC-4,
son_of_flubber wrote:
My default procedure is to set spoilers to 50% open, then
adjust pattern
shape to make my aim point.

I'd like to hear some well experienced CFIGs weigh in on that
statement.
Email fine if you don't want to feed the frenzy here.

best,
Evan Ludeman (rookie CFI)


I took my CFIG check with an FAA examiner as an 18 year old back
in 1969. On the second flight, the examiner had me cover up the
altimeter at about 1500' overhead the airport, and then told me to
do continuous circles until it was time to roll out and land. I did it,
and made my spot landing too. He told me it would be good
practice for judging an off-field landing where I didn't know the
terrain elevation.

Rectangular traffic patterns on uncontrolled civilian airports are
probably the safest (because other pilots know where to look to find
you), and give you as a pilot the chance to clear for others
blundering into your space before you make each turn. It is also
easier to teach because you can set altitudes to hit at certain check
points along the way. It makes for a cookie cutter pattern that will
keep a student safe as long as they set it up properly. The problem
with soaring is that Murphy always rears his head, and glider pilots
get presented with non cookie cutter situations to deal with. That's
where learning "judgement" comes into play. If the student winds
up caught downwind with sink, will the judgement be there to
realize they don't have the altitude to do the cookie cutter pattern
any more? I have personally witnessed 2 occasions where the
person flew the "correct" ground track, but wound up in the trees
short of the runway because they started the pattern too low.
Judgement is not an easy thing to teach, but it is vital to learn.
Pilots need to be able to recognize things and circumstances have
changed, and be able to adapt to those changes on a running basis.
If that means doing a tight 180 degree turn to intercept the desired
final glide path prior to touchdown at the desired point, the pilot
has to be able to adapt to that. If it means flying a mirror image
traffic pattern from the other side of the airport because that's all
that altitude and energy will allow any more, they have to have the
judgement to realize that's what is required to get on the ground
safely. That is the hard part to teach...... You have to be able to fly
and chew gum at the same time. Some pilots get so locked in on
one thing that they don't see the real danger coming from another
approaching issue...

Overhead 360 degree traffic patterns were lots of fun to fly in the
military, and are a great way to safely recover a bunch of aircraft in
a very short period of time. Doing the Space Shuttle like SFO
(Simulated Flame Out) approaches from 8000' overhead at 215
knots in an F-16 were a blast. All of these are generally done in a
controlled traffic environment where you (for the most part) don't
have to worry about someone blundering into your way once you
have clearance. These patterns also have their place and time.

For civilian glider operations on uncontrolled airfields, the standard
rectangular patterns that everyone expects to see (and clear for)
are the way to go, with the caveat that one has to get the glider on
the ground safely. If circumstances dictate doing something other
than the standard robotic pattern in order to get on the ground in
one piece, then judgement has to come into play, and things will
need to be modified as necessary to yield a positive final outcome.

RO