My condolences to the family and friends. Very sad.

I write an instructor's column for our club's newsletter, and this month's
subject is about flying in windy conditions. The wind sock in the video
appears to indicate the windspeed was in excess of 15knots (assuming a
standard windsock). Before every flight, but especially in windy
conditions, an emergency plan needs to be considered! If you have a large
crosswind, a turn in the wrong direction after a rope break may blow you
helplessly too far away from the runway. If you have a strong headwind on
takeoff, a turn back to the runway may not even be an option! The resulting
tailwind landing may cause you to completely overfly the runway, or may
cause you to lose control during the landing rollout. Every situation is
different, but you need to make this decision before you close the canopy,
not at 300 feet.

Finally, if you ever find yourself in a situation where you are
low-and-slow, "fly the glider!" An off-field landing under control is
always better than an on-field landing out of control. Aim for something
soft and cheap. Ignore your ego, kiss the glider good-bye, and save your
butt!

Chris Fleming



"Bill Daniels" wrote in message
...
Note that the departure occurred with the nose well below the horizon. It
appeared that the glider was stalled and sinking toward the ground for
most
of the turn before the departure. Perhaps the pilot ignored airspeed
pre-stall warnings because the perceived priority was to get lined up with
the runway.

Question, was this low altitude turn-back necessary because there not
enough
landable area into the wind?

One wonders if the maneuver would have been successful if the glider had
been accurately flown.

Bill Daniels