Differences in Italian vs US soaring instruction?

One should of course also roll inverted and pull through
behind the tug to fool hin into thinking that the cable
didn't release. This is guaranteed to give tuggie a
heart attack.


At 11:48 17 July 2003, Chris Reed wrote:
Flying at Ocana in Spain a couple of years ago, the
standard tug response to
releasing the cable was to roll inverted and then pull
through! I'm not sure
what the glider pilot should do in these circumstances,
other than watch in
amazement.

'Tim' wrote in message
.. .
Simon Walker s comments read:

Usually they are pretty good and turn the opposite
way it's only when they are flying on mental autopilot
that they instinctively turn right.

Fine if you can count on your tug pilots ..

with a glider in a climbing right turn and tug in
a
descending right turn there should still be no conflict.
So no nasty accidents.

Agreed so whether they are awake or not should be
immaterial - unless
you pull of as they are flying to slow for you when
you are full of
water ...
--
Tim - ASW20CL '20'

I think I know him or, one just like him! :-)


At 14:54 17 July 2003, Tim wrote:
Simon Walker s comments read:

Well, in any situation there are always going to be
'Ah but what if's'
That's why we all, hopefully, use a big dash of common
sense when flying, try and anticipate possible problems
and modify our actions to minimise the risk in any
given situation.

Absolutely - I was just thinking an ex-tuggie I knew
and feared.

Occasionally the best option was 'Winch please!'
--
Tim - ASW20CL '20'

Micael

I just happen to be an Italian pilot who now flies out of Minden. The
only substantial difference that I can think of is that in Italy we do
not have a real equivalent of a PTS, the description of the practical
exams for the licence is not so detailed. I'm not sure if this is good
or bad, on one side pilots do not end up with "if I know to do A, B
and C in this exact way I'm good enough", on the other the practical
knowledge is pretty much depending from the person of your instructor.
Maybe some other italian fellow pilot can comment on this.

That said, I've got the occasion to fly in different places in Italy
and in France before coming here. Almost all places (every different
club/operation) are actually having some kind of "special" way to do
things. Here I've flown only out of Minden and Truckee, and while I do
have seen interesting and distinctive points (that famous "waggling
the tail" to start...) they are not much more than everything a good
pilot have to check out anycase while flying on a new airport.

....I'm just wondering, how happened that guy has US power and CFI, and
then Italian gliders?...

Of course, if you have any specific question I might help you out you
can contact me directly.

Regards


(Michael) wrote in message . com...
Can anyone who is familiar with soaring instruction in the US and
Italy comment on the differences? I ask because I have started
training a 'student' - actually an Italian licensed glider pilot - who
wants to add US glider ratings to his US commercial and CFI
certificates. His flying is generally very good, but I have already
noticed that there are things he is not familiar with that any US
glider pilot with a hundred flights would certainly know.

So far, I've noticed that there are certain wing runner signals he is
not familiar with - I assume this is because Italian procedures differ
from those in the US. He also has obviously had no instruction in
formal glider XC planning (as opposed to actually flying XC - this he
has done) and has never heard of the PTS accuracy landing as we do it
in the US.

I would appreciate as much information on the differences between the
US and Italian systems of instruction as possible, mainly so that I
can identify the likely problem areas and make sure we cover them in
depth. I've tried to find the Italian equivalent of a glider PTS, and
have had no luck at all.

Michael

(miriano) wrote
...I'm just wondering, how happened that guy has US power and CFI, and
then Italian gliders?...

He is an Italian pilot who learned to fly (gliders, ultralights, and a
little bit of GA airplane) in Italy, then decided to fly for a living
and came to US to get his ratings.

I appreciate your telling me there is no Italian PTS - I will stop
looking.

Michael