Chukar's own account

I guess my LS6 isn't a modern glider - it will only depart in landing
configuration, and then after less than a turn is in a spiral dive.

In Chukar's situation - IMC, no useful horizon - both theoretically and in
fact, spiral dive is the killer, alright, pretty much regardless of the glider
one flies. Only a few 'knowledgeably lucky' pilots who retain their wits (e.g.
Kempton Izuno, Bruce Carmichael) won't be needing their parachute Real Soon
Now. Under those conditions, assuming one is in a spiral dive is probably
correct, insofar as trying to initiate 'blind recovery' is concerned...I know
of few gliders that will remain in a spin stably in the absence of continuing
in-spin control (though the 2-32 comes to mind; there may be others but,
arguably, hosing up a stabilized spin recovery in IMC is less likely to
overstress the glider than delaying/hosing up a spiral dive recovery.)

Kinda-sorta related, it's been noted/argued in other threads that fatalities
ensuing from pattern-height departures from controlled flight may in fact be
due to spiral diving into the ground as distinct from spinning into the
ground. My take is - no less so than VFR into IMC - departure from controlled
flight in the landing pattern is Seriously Bad News *regardless* of how long
the initially-dropping wing is stalled. ("Lets see," thinks Joe switched-on
[well except for that inadvertent departure, I mean ] Glider Pilot, "Should
I initiate a stall recovery, or should I wait 'just long enough for this thing
to go spiral on me' and initiate a spiral dive recovery?")

Kids, be safe out there!

Bob W.