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Old March 1st 21, 11:39 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Herbert kilian
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Posts: 48
Default The Yellow Triangle

On Monday, March 1, 2021 at 10:04:02 AM UTC-6, wrote:
In my 1989 edition of "The Joy Of Soaring"
Its got alot of wonderful illustrations.
On page 125 It graphically shows the effect of wind gradient during the turn from base to final, where so many accidents occur.
The cause of these accidents? Airspeed to low.
On page 126 it shows the effects, on a gliders glide path and airspeed, of a thermal breaking off the airport and drifting with the wind in to the final approach leg.
Cause of these accidents from glider landing short, too low airspeed.
I Don't have much experience flying east of the Mississippi, some but not much.
All I know is in the West, landing anytime after noon, IMHO, This Yellow Triangle speed is a proven recipe for disaster. It's been proven many many, many times to be be WAY to low.
Ok If you HAVE TO land in a 600' long field so be it.
But 99.8% of the time I'm landing on 5-7000'+ of asphalt.
Have a look at the guy being lowered out of his ASK 21 in Germany, In a new thread.
I bet he could have used more airspeed.
I'm not trying to cause any trouble, just address a long term problem that we have had since day 1.
And don't get high on the tug either.
Fly safe in 2021
Nick
T

Nick, it works both ways. On our about 1,800' long grass runway with a dropoff on one side and a busy road on the other, I never see landings that come short, never. However, many gliders touch down about half way down the field and stop not far from the busy road, obviously poor final speed control in that it's too high. The yellow triangle is a great min speed suggestion for short final. Maybe only Germans can appreciate it?
Herb