Gliding risk....

On Monday, December 9, 2019 at 10:31:14 PM UTC-8, 2G wrote:

A thermal may not be your standard British thermal, but a confluence of several, competing mini-thermals. I have seen up to six, or more, dust devils converging to make a single thermal. However, in 40 years of flying, much in the very dynamic high western desert, I have never been upset in the manner you describe. This is not to say it can't happen, but I think the typical glider accident is much more mundane and the direct result of poor airmanship.

Tom

We'll make sure that gets printed on your tombstone. Back when I was a young pilot and working toward my multi-engine instrument I read a story in NTSD briefs or reports or one of the bi-weekly pamphlets publications I was reading about fly/IFR, regarding a 7,000 hour ATP that stalled a Beech Baron on short final. I thought how could you be so dumb. That evening I was doing a night instrument training flight in a rent-a-wreck piper Semihole. This particular evening the buzzing in the headsets had been louder than normal. This was my first night flight after the airport installed a displaced threshold. While on long final, I thought I heard tower clear an aircraft to taxi onto the active runway and hold. I was gentling pulling myself up, by the yoke, to look over the cowling. The stall horn went off and to me it was lost in the background buzzzing noise in the electrical system. The instructor put his palm on the yoke and pushed it forward enough for the horn to stop. I was still concentrated on looking over cowling pull myself up by the yoke, the horn went off for a second time and the instructor said" I got it. " It was not until then I understood what I had been doing and what I had been ignoring. I never again thought I was beyond making a mistake! I try to stay very alert, I keep learning and I keep flying. Could I make an airmanship mistake, you bet I could. Because I know I can screw up, I keep up with training, flying, Condor, reading about flying, and staying fit to fly. When The above don't come together I am fast to ground myself. I think only a foolish pilot would think they can't make a mistake.

Stay safe out there,
Jon