At 23:30 16 November 2005, Mike The Strike wrote:
While the BGA rule might make some sense landing on
a grass runway (or
mud, as it is in Britain), I wouldn't like to see anyone
land a nice
glass ship on our Arizona rock and gravel runways.

I am also not sure I would agree with their rationale.
In my opinion,
it would be a particularly inept pilot who could not
lower his/her gear
at all but the final stages of a landing approach and
who might be
startled by a radio call so badly they lost control.
The BGA procedure
also now leaves an immobile glider sitting in the middle
of the runway
- another hazard!

Perhaps some BGA members could illuminate us on why
their ruling body
considers them incapable of taking corrective action
when landing?

Mike


I thought someone had explained. Not doing your pre-landing
checks and landing with the wheel up is inexcusable
and embarrassing, but not a big deal damagewise. At
most a bit of gel repair needed. Getting distracted
on approach, changing hands on stick, letting go of
airbrake lever, rushing to lower gear and not monitoring
the approach could, and obviously has, proved disastrous.
The inept pilot is the one who does not follow basic
airmanship routines such as checks.