Thoughts on crash/article in Soaring?

I do not know Mr. Skydell nor have I seen the 2nd article (my mailman
takes his time reading my copy of Soaring), but I have had an email
conversation with him about his first article--and I think it was very
good for him to share the story and for Soaring to publish it so early
in the season!

I do, however, know several conservative pilots, and include myself in
that crowd. As a group, conservative pilots are safe. Safer than bold
pilots? That I cannot answer. but the old saw, "there are are old
pilots and bold pilots . . . " comes to mind.

That having been said, I am not certain that conservative pilots are
inherently safe just as I am not certain that bold pilots are
inherently dangerous.

Since I am of the former group, I can only address my own experiences.

I too have crashed and totaled a glider, a 1-26E on Mt San Jac, back
about 20 years ago. I did what I thought was the conservative thing,
but I was wrong and it was no body's fault but my own. I should have
taken the bold option and I would probably have only had to pay to be
retrieved.

A conservative glider pilots will always err on the side of caution,
but caution is not always the side to err on. Often what is required
is a bold move.

Back to Mr. Skydell. Someone taught him the high parasite drag landing
technique, probably with the intention that he include it in his list
of options when he lands in a small field. I remember that I was
taught to routinely make short field landings and was quite out of my
league when I went to England where they have no problem with taking
the entire field to land. The English did not like my short field
landings.

Having been taught---by someone!--the high parasite drag landing
technique, Mr. Skydell would be a fool to never practice it and where
better to practice it than at his home airport! Here he would know the
conditions and should know how to get out of trouble if his approach
did not work.

His approach did not work. He made some dunderheaded mistakes. Who
among us, even you bold pilots, do not live in glass houses? He is not
the first pilot I have heard of who raised his wheel instead of pulling
his spoilers--even high time bold pilots have done this. The result in
Skyell's case was a destroyed glider but a surviving pilot who maybe
learned something.

OK, maybe you say Mr. Skydell was a fool to practice this technique. I
do not know the technique other than from his description, so I cannot
say. Still, knowing it could possibly save both his glider and his
life some time whereas I might destroy both not knowing it. Who knows?


Somebody taught Mr. Skydell the technique, so at least this CFIG
thought it was a good one. Maybe the fault does lie with the
instructor because maybe they should not have taught him the technique.
How many CFIGs have signed off pilots of whom they had doubts, and the
student then subsequently crashed? I know of one guy who (back in
1993) was forced to take over 100 dual flights in his $30,000 2-place
glider before they would solo him and he then wrecked his glider on his
first solo (over $12,000 damage). Whose fault, the CFIG, the student,
or both?

As to practicing potentially dangerous landing techniques, I used to
fly a BG-12. It was great fun to cross the numbers, lower the terminal
flaps, point the nose at the ground--never exceeding terminal speed of
60kts--and being stopped within 100 feet of the numbers. Talk about a
high parasite drag landing! Was I unsafe? Should I have not practiced
this technique when I could have just as easily landed normally?

My problem with conservative pilots--myself included--is that they
almost never try anything new. Risks, even when justified, are often
not taken. This can blind the conservative pilot to other options
which could just possibly save their life. I used to fear spins until
I took spin training. I was scared to death but thought it was
something I should learn, just in case. When I realized that spin
recovery is only a little more than stall recovery, my fear went away.
But have I practiced spins over the years??????? Should I? Yes, I
should.

I have recently returned to solo flight after a 9 year absence (I did
frequently fly dual during those years) and I am trying to overcome my
own conservatism--which was borne of my own wreck. It is difficult to
push myself without feeling that I am pushing myself too hard or too
dangerously. The mountains still frighten me somewhat when I am low,
and I am flying at a mountain site. It is a relearning curve. I will
have to push myself but I will probably always fly conservatively, with
all of the consequences.

Is that a good thing? Who knows.

Should Mr. Skydell be criticized for practicing his high drag approach?
No, he should be criticized if he never practiced it. Did he make
some stupid mistakes? Yes, he did. Should he have spilled his guts in
Soaring magazine? Yes! As I said, I do not know him, but Mr. Skydell
should receive our pats on the back for coming forward and not
condemned for being momentarily stupid and telling the world about it.
We have all been momentarily stupid, but usually blame it on someone or
something else. At least Mr. Skydell took all of the blame on himself
and did not scapegate anyone or anything. That is commendable.