Basic Training Gliders

"Derek Copeland" wrote in
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At 22:42 04 December 2005, Don Johnstone wrote:
The answer to the whiplash question is very simple
and whiplash describes the action which causes the
injury. When a car, or glider decelerates very rapidly,
the head, which is unrestrained and has a fairly high
mass continues to move forward until it is stopped
at full body extension. It then whips back and if there
is nothing to stop it extends backwards, that is what
causes the injury. It is correct that a headrest prevents
injury in a rear shunt but that is not the primary
cause of 'whiplash' injuries. It is the whipping action
following a sudden deceleration.
I suppose if an impact in a glider is severe enough
to cause the whiplash then that injury may be the least
of your problems as you are much closer to the crash
in a glider than you are in a car.
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I actually did an instructional flight in the back
seat of a DG1000 today, and was reminded how poor the
forward visibility from the rear cockpit is. You have
to peer though a small semi-circular gap between the
canopy hoop, the front headrest and the student's head.
The forward view is far worse than in a K13 with its
one piece canopy, and not helped by the fact that you
sit fairly low down in the cockpit. I think that I
will make a point of only flying this type with well
switched on students who keep a good look out!

I suppose that it's a case of what is the greater risk.
Whiplash in the event of a crash or heavy landing,
or a head on mid-air collision with another aircraft
because you can't see ahead?

BTW I don't dislike the DG1000. It handles and performs
beautifully, it has good airbrakes (unlike the Duo
Discus), it is fully aerobatic in 18 metre mode (unlike
the Duo) and you can operate the undercarriage from
both cockpits (unlike the Duo).

BUT, I don't like the restricted view from the rear
cockpit, the difficult and heavy ground handling, getting
in and out of the thing, and the trigger type trimmer
mounted on the stick that doesn't seem to work. You
end up trimming with the trimmer tell-tale knob on
the side of the cockpit wall, so why bother with the
trigger in the first place?

Good try for the ideal trainer DG, but no cigar yet!


Derek Copeland

P.S. The r.a.s. black hole seems to re-appeared. this
is my third attempt at posting this!


It does seem like the cockpits just keep getting worse. Maybe someone
should just try to improve the old Grob 103. Putting everything else aside,
the cockpit was nice.

Maybe the perfect trainer will be the Stemme S2 - if they ever build it.

Bill Daniels