Spinning (mis)concepts

At 18:30 04 February 2004, Adp wrote:
My theory on spinning is simple - don't get into one
and you
won't have to recover!

strangly, thats basically what ive been saying all
along, and objecting to the 'experts' who insist its
ok to turn a glider using rudder alone!

My point, to which you took exception, had to do with
the
thought that power pilots are deemed to be inferior
to ab initio
glider pilots when learning to fly gliders

didnt mention ab initio at all, neither did i say they
were inferior.

and that power training is of little use when transitioning
to
gliders.

actually i said that there was a degree of unlearning
and bad habits that typically show up, in this particularly
instance the general theme was in the misuse of the
rudder pedals and the misguided belief that because
you can do something in a powered aircraft the same
must apply to gliders.

Having run into this perception multiple times, I pointed
out
that it is nonsense.

you may well think so in your own experiences, however
it still remains true. old habits are hard to break,
especially when they become instinctive.

The few differences that define glider flying are small
when
compared to the differences between powered aircraft.

and it is those small differences which when wrongly
applied to glider flight can rapidly end life!

Aerodynamics are aerodynamics. They apply to gliders,

powered aircraft, buzz bombs and flat plates.
You just have to be aware of the differences.

no argument there.

Pete Zeugma wrote in message ...
strangly, thats basically what ive been saying all
along, and objecting to the 'experts' who insist its
ok to turn a glider using rudder alone!


Pete,

No one in this group has suggested it is "OK to turn a glider using
rudder alone." In an earlier post you stated in no uncertain terms
that turning a glider with rudder only was an aerodynamic
impossiblity. You then "proved" your point by stating that unbalanced
movement of the rudder produces a forward slip. Is it surprising that
several of the group's readers, ones who lay hands on the controls
occasionally, took exception?

Your absolutism isn't uncommon. It is a tool used by good students to
learn and apply their lessons. It is especially common in flight
training, where instuctors must daily grapple with the fact that they
are giving their students access to an environment that capitalizes on
any lack of experience and exacts a brutal cost when it finds pilots
wanting. An axiomatic approach is warranted -- a short cut, proven to
be a fair trade between rapid progress to certification and safety in
the air. A pilot can even afford to arrest his development at this
point, but if you are going to engage in discussions on the philosophy
of flight, you'll need to start looking behind the short cuts your
flight instructor proffered to keep you safe in the air.

I assume your need for a strawman is a first step in overcoming
denial. That's a good thing. Get past this.