2020 Accidents & Insurance, usa

On Thursday, May 21, 2020 at 5:41:34 AM UTC-7, Tom wrote:
It’s not that we are pointing out lack of checklist discipline “ sanctimoniously�, it’s because when do a flight review or or other instruction with someone who has flown a single place ship for years I often see non-compliance, odd made up procedures or a complete breakdown of procedures. Pilots can and do get away with this, until they don’t.

Checklists are not the only problem or answer but certainly if one treats it like a profession that lives are at risk around and no matter if they are paid or not act professionally the chances of a problem are less.

If one isn’t interested in improving, learning or hearing then there’s not a lot we can do other than try to manage that on a operational level.

Regards, Tom

Humans make mistakes, its normal and natural. Two pilots help a lot, on the principle that they both won't make the same mistake at the same time. A pilot who makes a mistake is not suddenly 'a bad pilot'.

Absolutely true. We all make mistakes. The question is what then? Does one continue to make mistakes or does one analyze, learn and grow from the mistake? I’ve seen both. Fundamentally the human factor is the most uncontrollable element for aviation or any high reliability occupation/endeavor.

A valuable part of training is for a pilot to be able to understand their tendencies, weaknesses, strengths and to be able to be as objective as possible about what they need to work on. It’s not just a checklist or skill issue obviously. Skill, knowledge and judgement with judgement being the foundation.

In a past job as an aviation accident investigator I saw a number pilots who were in complete ignorance or denial of their responsibility to know themselves and their limits.

Regards, Tom

Do you train to avoid making mistakes or do you train as if you will make mistakes?

Who’s has the ultimate authority over glider operations in the US? The FAA, the pilot in command, the contest director, the SSA, SSF, club chief instructor, DPEs...?

Stuff to think about

At 02:56 22 May 2020, wrote:
Do you train to avoid making mistakes or do you train as if
you will make
m=
istakes?

Who=E2=80=99s has the ultimate authority over glider
operations in the US?
=
The FAA, the pilot in command, the contest director, the SSA,
SSF, club
chi=
ef instructor, DPEs...?

Stuff to think about

Late to this thread but years ago a discussion as to what to
hold with your left hand got many replies that it was
potentially dangerous to hold the release knob! (Sounds
rubbish to me). The thinking was that the pilot might
accidentally release the low. In the UK I was taught (many
many decades ago) to hold the release. A surprising number
of people said this was wrong?
A quick trawl of YouTube videos shows most pilots not holding
the release during the launch!
I've never heard of or seen an accidental release; doubtless
they happen but the results are not, I assume, fatal for the
poor tug pilot.

A glider pilot having a hand loosely on the release is good practice. A glider has options with an inadvertent release, while us tow pilots have very few with a low level kiting incident.

I can tell you I follow this practice when flying my glider. Also, when I am towing, once the throttle is wide open, my hand is loosely on the towplane release until I have a bunch of altitude beneath me!

Absolutely nothing wrong with this procedure, in fact, highly recommended.

On Friday, May 22, 2020 at 5:45:04 AM UTC-5, Dave Walsh wrote:
At 02:56 22 May 2020, wrote:
Do you train to avoid making mistakes or do you train as if
you will make
m=
istakes?

Who=E2=80=99s has the ultimate authority over glider
operations in the US?
=
The FAA, the pilot in command, the contest director, the SSA,
SSF, club
chi=
ef instructor, DPEs...?

Stuff to think about

Late to this thread but years ago a discussion as to what to
hold with your left hand got many replies that it was
potentially dangerous to hold the release knob! (Sounds
rubbish to me). The thinking was that the pilot might
accidentally release the low. In the UK I was taught (many
many decades ago) to hold the release. A surprising number
of people said this was wrong?
A quick trawl of YouTube videos shows most pilots not holding
the release during the launch!
I've never heard of or seen an accidental release; doubtless
they happen but the results are not, I assume, fatal for the
poor tug pilot.

Just once I tried resting my hand on the release during an aerotow. My thinking was that if the glider started to ground loop I would want to release ASAP. During that launch the glider hit a bump in the grass field, my hand involuntarily bumped the knob and released just as the glider got airborn.. I was surprised at how little pressure on the knob was required to release. I was able to land straight ahead, so no big problem. Now I just glance at the release knob so I have it in my mind where to go if I need to release quickly. Once airborn, I can't think of any reason to release quickly unless the tow plane signals. A winch launch might be different.

Rich L.

Rich, in my glider, i rest my fingers on the panel just above the release. That way it is readily available while there is zero chance of an inadvertent actuation. In the tow plane I do the same thing, with my hand resting against the side wall directly adjacent to the release. A little thought process applied to a guys particular release-set up will give him a solution to doing this practice safely.
Dan

Is there more info on the other accidents that happened this year even though the season barely started in most of the country?

Ramy

Russia stall/spin fatal on approach in Virginia (?)

Std Cirrus stall/spin fatal at Seminole Lake after premature release on tow.

On Friday, May 22, 2020 at 6:45:04 AM UTC-4, Dave Walsh wrote:
I've never heard of or seen an accidental release; doubtless
they happen but the results are not, I assume, fatal for the
poor tug pilot.

A guy I knew accidentally released on tow and went into trees.
I don't keep hand on release, but I do practice grabbing it
to make sure I can do it quickly...