Gear Warning

At 21:36 20 November 2005, Eric Greenwell wrote:

To ensure they do operate (freezing shut is not the
only way for them to
fail) and to activate the gear warning device.

The radio check may be valid in the States but isn't
necessary in the UK.

Is that because the field frequency is the same as
the one you use
during the flight, or because the glider fields you
use don't use a
radio in the pattern? I'm assuming you'd use the radio
at a regular
airport with mixed traffic.


--
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Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

If you checked your airbrakes at the DI and prior to
take-off, and you have not been flying in icing conditions,
they will open when you want them to. I've never heard
of airbrakes failing in flight and if they did so what?
You'll find out when you unlock them on base leg.
As for opening them to activate the gear warner, well
that sounds a bit Irish to me. How about carrying
out the gear part of the checks? The radio is not
a necessary part of pre-landing checks, I and any other
glider pilot in the UK would be very unpopular if they
landed at an airport; and if you were tempted to, the
radio call should be made well before the point at
which the pre-landing checks are carried out. (Most
glider pilots in the UK do not have RT licences and
so couldn't legally make the calls anyway).
The point I'm trying to make Eric is that for checks
to be effective and not missed, they should only include
those things that are really necessary to check. The
pre-landing checks I, and a lot of clubs use, are WULF:
waterballast, U/C, loose articles(including straps)
and flaps. In my opinion that is all you need to methodically
check to make a safe approach and landing, anything
else (apart maybe for radio in the States, as you obviously
do land at airports) is superfluous.
I also think these checks should be done prior to joining
the circuit, so that there are no distractions from
carrying them out and so that full concentration can
be given to flying the glider around the pattern and
looking out for other a/c on the ground and in the
air.

Mark