On Fri, 02 Feb 2018 11:11:24 -0800, Papa3 wrote:

So the question is - what exactly would a hard deck solve? More
importantly, what other unintended behaviors will it drive, and at what
cost in complexity of administration etc. My take is that it's a
solution looking for the wrong problem to solve.

After reading those accounts of poorly executed field landings I got
curious about what is covered in all phases of the US Bronze badge
curriculum and found that its very similar to what we're taught in the UK
apart from one group of skills which are not included in your Bronze:

- navigation using a 1:500,000 chart (that is similar to a US sectional)
- field selection
- field landing

These are all discussed and then flown with an instructor. You need them
signed off to get the Bronze XC Endorsement but they aren't pass/fail
checks: you fly them until both student and instructor are satisfied with
the student's performance in a TMG: I, like many UK XC pilots, did them
in an SF-25 Scheibe, which has reasonably good airbrakes and, with a bit
of power added, can simulate a 32:1 glider. Here's a summary of what's
involved:

http://www.motorglide.co.uk/cross-country-endorsement/

... and a video of it being done:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAOCd18Bv8Y

Would something like this be helpful and/or possible in US clubs? It
should certainly help the confidence of a new XC pilot facing his first
one or two field landings.


--
Martin | martin at
Gregorie | gregorie dot org