Letter to the FAA

I would think that any institution we deal with, FAA, SSA, EAA, AOPA etc,. etc. should take with highest level of seriousness any remark concerning safety made by a pilot and based on his/her life-threatening experience in flight, member or not.

Several years ago when flying their LS-4 at Soar Minden I was in a situation after landing where the wheel brake, activated by pushing both rudder pedals, seemingly didn't work on a roll-out. I was happy I didn't hit any one on the tarmac. I quickly found out that you have to push with your HEELS, and not FEET. I reported my observation to their instructor with a reference to a possible wrong translation in the glider's Flight Manual, which I had studied before the flight. Some time later checking their web site I was pleased and grateful to see they had reacted and put a proper remark in the manual. The German original reads: "wird mit den Absätzen bedient". I just found the English manual for the LS-4A on-line, and it reads correctly now: "Press rudder pedals with heels to activate wheel brake" - so it must have been amended officially.

Just an example of a proper concern instead of a denial.

Tom BravoMike

Originally Posted by Tom BravoMike

I would think that any institution we deal with, FAA, SSA, EAA, AOPA etc,. etc. should take with highest level of seriousness any remark concerning safety made by a pilot and based on his/her life-threatening experience in flight, member or not.

Several years ago when flying their LS-4 at Soar Minden I was in a situation after landing where the wheel brake, activated by pushing both rudder pedals, seemingly didn't work on a roll-out. I was happy I didn't hit any one on the tarmac. I quickly found out that you have to push with your HEELS, and not FEET. I reported my observation to their instructor with a reference to a possible wrong translation in the glider's Flight Manual, which I had studied before the flight. Some time later checking their web site I was pleased and grateful to see they had reacted and put a proper remark in the manual. The German original reads: "wird mit den Absätzen bedient". I just found the English manual for the LS-4A on-line, and it reads correctly now: "Press rudder pedals with heels to activate wheel brake" - so it must have been amended officially.

Just an example of a proper concern instead of a denial.

Tom BravoMike

I would think the same Tom but apparently the SSA is less concerned with safety and more concerned with who is and who is not a member of the club. But for that matter every club and commercial operation out there still flying with Schweizer hooks and release handles not immediately accessable by the tow pilot are not concerned with safety either.

Walt

On Saturday, June 10, 2017 at 2:43:07 PM UTC-4, Walt Connelly wrote:

I would think the same Tom but apparently the SSA is less concerned with
safety and more concerned with who is and who is not a member of the
club. But for that matter every club and commercial operation out there
still flying with Schweizer hooks and release handles not immediately
accessable by the tow pilot are not concerned with safety either.

Walt

So you weren't concerned with safety, either, until very recently?

best,
Evan Ludeman / T8

There are treatments for PTSD that don't involve the FAA.

The odds of anything rational and positive coming from involving .GOV is really poor.

At 04:21 11 June 2017, wrote:
There are treatments for PTSD that don't involve the FAA.

The odds of anything rational and positive coming from involving
GOV is
really poor.

So put your own house in order and it will be unecessary

Originally Posted by [_1_]

There are treatments for PTSD that don't involve the FAA.

The odds of anything rational and positive coming from involving .GOV is really poor.

Please tell me what treatment is available to a dead tow pilot who tried to release a glider with a Schweizer hook and died as a result of a well documented flaw of that release?

Walt

Originally Posted by Tango Eight

On Saturday, June 10, 2017 at 2:43:07 PM UTC-4, Walt Connelly wrote:

I would think the same Tom but apparently the SSA is less concerned with
safety and more concerned with who is and who is not a member of the
club. But for that matter every club and commercial operation out there
still flying with Schweizer hooks and release handles not immediately
accessable by the tow pilot are not concerned with safety either.

Walt

So you weren't concerned with safety, either, until very recently?

best,
Evan Ludeman / T8

Evan, I would say that your thought process needs some work.

Walt