Launch Order

On Mon, 30 May 2011 23:29:07 +0000, Nigel Pocock wrote:

aviationbanter.com wrote:
Just curious as to how it's done elsewhere. =

At our club in the Uk it is first come first served for both aerotow and
winch.

Where I fly, also UK, at busy times we run two winch queues: one for
training and trial flights in two seaters and the other for single seaters
and private two-place gliders. Both queues operate on a first-come, first
served basis. We tried using two winches but found little benefit from
that as in practice the main delay is from ab initio and trial flight
briefings: if both queues contain gliders and an instructor is busy
briefing, the single seat line gets launched until he's ready.

We have a separate first-come, first served aero-tow line, which is
usually served by one tug unless the queue is unusually long, when the
other tug also gets pulled out until the queue is cleared.


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |

At 16:18 31 May 2011, Martin Gregorie wrote:

Where I fly, also UK, at busy times we run two winch queues: one for
training and trial flights in two seaters and the other for single
seaters

and private two-place gliders. Both queues operate on a first-come, first

served basis. We tried using two winches but found little benefit from
that as in practice the main delay is from ab initio and trial flight
briefings: if both queues contain gliders and an instructor is busy
briefing, the single seat line gets launched until he's ready.

Why would a glider that is not ready to launch be in
the launch queue? Seems odd to me, but hey, I'm from
the Colonies, so I think simple thoughts.

Jim Beckman

On Wed, 01 Jun 2011 18:27:22 +0000, Jim Beckman wrote:

Why would a glider that is not ready to launch be in the launch queue?

Some instructors seem to like briefing in the launch queue no matter what
the CFI says about the practise, though launch line delays are a more
common problem with trial flights: some pax just take a lot of time to
get into the glider, get strapped in and be ready to go, particularly if
you need ballast weights and/or need to put cushions or the ASK21
adjustable backrest into the glider.

The above palaver tends to happen near the front of the queue because we
tend not to put bodies into aircraft until they're number 2 or 3 in the
winch queue. Unlike an aero tow queue, its more important to keep moving
gliders forward as those in front of them launch. Our closest winch queue
is no more that 20-30m out from the launch point bus and we won't launch
a glider that isn't level with the front of the bus. This prevents a wing-
drop and the resultant swing and release from sling-shotting the glider
into the bus or any people standing by it.


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |