Nice tip worked - Schleicher cockpit handles

Think it can't happen to you? Early in my contest career I followed a
top pilot down on the deck for my first high-speed pass (mistake #1).
By the time we crossed the finish line half way down the long runway
at Cordele, we were down to 100 kts. at 10 feet and I wasn't sure what
the next step was (mistake #2). He hauled his Std. Cirrus up in a
steep right hand 270 followed by a left 90 to go back down the runway
with me right on his tail. I put the gear down and focused on staying
spaced back from him. Leveling out, I cracked the divebrakes.
Somewhere in the back of my mind it occurred to me that the gear
warning horn was screeching. But I'd put the gear down, so it barely
registered (mistake #3). Settling onto the asphalt runway I continued
to ignore the horn. Fortunately for me, the gear really WAS down; I
just hadn't folded the handled far enough over to open the microswitch
in the warning circuit. The landing was otherwise uneventful. Lots of
lessons, but the one I remember best is that when you're overloaded,
it's easy to ignore the obvious.

Lesson 2: Many years later finishing at New Castle after a long,
coldish ridge mission. Perfect landing in my LS-3 followed by a
somewhat bumpy feeling and quick stop on the grass. Finish gate radio:
"Need some help on the field, JB just landed gear up." I looked over
at the gear handle, embarrassed, and keyed the mike: "Guess there's a
first time for everything." A bunch of guys came running out and knelt
under the wing roots, then lifted. John Murray, directing the
recovery:"OK, put the gear down". I reached into the cockpit and moved
the lever from up to down. John:"No, put the wheel DOWN." Only then
did I realize that, as at Cordele 20 years earlier, the wheel HAD been
down when I landed. It had simply folded up in the casual way that LS
gears were wont to do in those days. But I'd looked at it after I slid
to a stop and again after I climbed out and moved the lever and never
realized it.

Yeah, "right side handles forward" might sound pretty simplistic. But
when things get busy, simple works pretty well.

PS: I haven't had a gear warning system in a glider since then (1971).
I figured if I could ignore a horn going off in my ear, it wasn't
going to do me any good anyway.

Chip Bearden
ASW 24 "JB"
USA