Don Johnstone wrote:

It is not just a malfunction even a real warning at
that height can distract enough from 'flying the aeroplane'
to turn an incident into a serious crash. I have never
heard of anyone being seriously injured or killed as
the result of a wheels up. There have been accidents
involving serious injury as the result of undercarriage
warnings.

This seems to be a UK problem, not a US problem. Have other countries
experienced the UK situation? Do other national gliding organizations
recommend against gear warning devices (the SSA in the US does not)? Are
there any US pilots that wish they had not installed a gear warning device?


Pilots that don't check their spoilers until close
to the ground: this
seems like a training issue or self-discipline issue,
either about
pre-landing checks, or very marginal returns to the
airport.


Marginal glides are very common in competitions.

The US is working on this problem, at least for the final glide. The
major concern is the marginal glide, not the possibility of an accident
caused by a gear warning device. I imagine an attempt to ban gear
warning devices from contests would be even more unpopular the new ELT
requirement!


Perhaps pilots
with gear warnings should occasionally practice this
at altitude,
opening the spoilers with the gear up, then lowering
the gear.


There is a world of difference between deliberately
leaving the gear selection to very late to achieve
the best glide and being startled by a sudden loud
noise in the cockpit. It is the unexpected and the
'instinctive' reaction that is the root of the problem.

I can't say for sure practicing would be effective, but I think it would
help. We practice for other unexpected things, like rope breaks.


--
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Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA