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RIP Matt Wright (Balleka on YouTube)



 
 
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  #41  
Old February 10th 18, 01:36 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Dave Walsh
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 83
Default RIP Matt Wright (Balleka on YouTube)

You'd have to live in a very flat area to consider Enstone a
"hill top site": it's enormous and flat.

At 06:17 10 February 2018, wrote:
On Saturday, February 10, 2018 at 5:49:33 AM UTC, Mike

the Strike wrote:
On Friday, February 9, 2018 at 12:41:53 PM UTC-7,

Frank Whiteley wrote:
Hill top sites are not uncommon in the UK. Winds can

create what I
cal=
l 'curl' over such sites. My first glider was lost when a

partner got
caug=
ht in the downside of such curl on his downwind and

despite abbreviating
th=
e circuit failed to make the airfield and crashed in the

valley. This was
=
in East Anglia. I once took a winch launch and upon

turning final chased
t=
he ASI to the ground and a very abrupt stop 50 yards short

of the runway
in=
standing barley. This was at Enstone, another hill top site.

There is
ne=
arly a 400ft difference in elevation between the river

bottom west of
Exete=
r and the Dartmoor site, which would result in pretty

squirrelly
conditions=
.. Having learned soaring in the UK, I'm a bit surprised

about some
aspects=
of the event.
=20
Matt's videos are wonderful and I'd just watched

Chasing Diamonds a
few=
days prior to hearing of his accident. As I'd flown from

Lleweni Parc a
f=
ew times, including out over the Irish Sea, I really enjoyed

this video.
=20
Frank Whiteley

=20
"The Clutching Hand"!
=20
Mike



Read the account closely regarding airspeeds, attitudes and

known control
i=
nputs in the seconds after the cable break. I am surprised

about what is
no=
t included in this report.


  #42  
Old February 10th 18, 01:46 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Bruce Hoult
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 961
Default RIP Matt Wright (Balleka on YouTube)

On Saturday, February 10, 2018 at 9:17:17 AM UTC+3, wrote:
On Saturday, February 10, 2018 at 5:49:33 AM UTC, Mike the Strike wrote:
On Friday, February 9, 2018 at 12:41:53 PM UTC-7, Frank Whiteley wrote:
Hill top sites are not uncommon in the UK. Winds can create what I call 'curl' over such sites. My first glider was lost when a partner got caught in the downside of such curl on his downwind and despite abbreviating the circuit failed to make the airfield and crashed in the valley. This was in East Anglia. I once took a winch launch and upon turning final chased the ASI to the ground and a very abrupt stop 50 yards short of the runway in standing barley. This was at Enstone, another hill top site. There is nearly a 400ft difference in elevation between the river bottom west of Exeter and the Dartmoor site, which would result in pretty squirrelly conditions. Having learned soaring in the UK, I'm a bit surprised about some aspects of the event.

Matt's videos are wonderful and I'd just watched Chasing Diamonds a few days prior to hearing of his accident. As I'd flown from Lleweni Parc a few times, including out over the Irish Sea, I really enjoyed this video.

Frank Whiteley


"The Clutching Hand"!

Mike



Read the account closely regarding airspeeds, attitudes and known control inputs in the seconds after the cable break. I am surprised about what is not included in this report.


Yes. That's an extremely low airspeed to commence a turn in such known boisterous conditions. I'd probably be wanting to fly finals at 65-70, and the same in the circuit. With that kind of headwind, your ground speed (into wind) is the same or lower than on a calm day and much steeper descent angles are available due to more effective airbrakes at speed, so there's no good reason *not* to.

It's very puzzling that such an experienced pilot would do that.
  #43  
Old February 10th 18, 04:09 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Frank Whiteley
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,099
Default RIP Matt Wright (Balleka on YouTube)

On Saturday, February 10, 2018 at 5:45:06 AM UTC-7, Dave Walsh wrote:
You'd have to live in a very flat area to consider Enstone a
"hill top site": it's enormous and flat.

At 06:17 10 February 2018, wrote:
On Saturday, February 10, 2018 at 5:49:33 AM UTC, Mike

the Strike wrote:
On Friday, February 9, 2018 at 12:41:53 PM UTC-7,

Frank Whiteley wrote:
Hill top sites are not uncommon in the UK. Winds can

create what I
cal=
l 'curl' over such sites. My first glider was lost when a

partner got
caug=
ht in the downside of such curl on his downwind and

despite abbreviating
th=
e circuit failed to make the airfield and crashed in the

valley. This was
=
in East Anglia. I once took a winch launch and upon

turning final chased
t=
he ASI to the ground and a very abrupt stop 50 yards short

of the runway
in=
standing barley. This was at Enstone, another hill top site.

There is
ne=
arly a 400ft difference in elevation between the river

bottom west of
Exete=
r and the Dartmoor site, which would result in pretty

squirrelly
conditions=
.. Having learned soaring in the UK, I'm a bit surprised

about some
aspects=
of the event.
=20
Matt's videos are wonderful and I'd just watched

Chasing Diamonds a
few=
days prior to hearing of his accident. As I'd flown from

Lleweni Parc a
f=
ew times, including out over the Irish Sea, I really enjoyed

this video.
=20
Frank Whiteley
=20
"The Clutching Hand"!
=20
Mike



Read the account closely regarding airspeeds, attitudes and

known control
i=
nputs in the seconds after the cable break. I am surprised

about what is
no=
t included in this report.


I'll give you that, but there are 200+/- foot rolling variations in the area which may result in turbulent air when it's windy. It's been many years, but I've flown some of the ridge at Challock and it's generally around 300ft, less in spots, as I recall. Near the ground doesn't take much. Looked pretty flat also.

Frank Whiteley
  #44  
Old February 10th 18, 04:13 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Dan Marotta
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,601
Default RIP Matt Wright (Balleka on YouTube)



On 2/9/2018 12:41 PM, Frank Whiteley wrote:

snip
I once took a winch launch and upon turning final chased the ASI to the ground and a very abrupt stop 50 yards short of the runway in standing barley.

/snip

I'd say you did that absolutely correctly.Â* Trying to make the field
might well have killed you.Â* Well done!

--
Dan, 5J
  #45  
Old February 10th 18, 04:14 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Waveguru
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 178
Default RIP Matt Wright (Balleka on YouTube)

I know of a winch site that sighs off pilots for solo without doing a single rope break practice, and only a hand full of dual tows. I wonder how Matt was trained?

Boggs
  #46  
Old February 10th 18, 04:29 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Frank Whiteley
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,099
Default RIP Matt Wright (Balleka on YouTube)

On Saturday, February 10, 2018 at 5:46:59 AM UTC-7, Bruce Hoult wrote:
On Saturday, February 10, 2018 at 9:17:17 AM UTC+3, wrote:
On Saturday, February 10, 2018 at 5:49:33 AM UTC, Mike the Strike wrote:
On Friday, February 9, 2018 at 12:41:53 PM UTC-7, Frank Whiteley wrote:
Hill top sites are not uncommon in the UK. Winds can create what I call 'curl' over such sites. My first glider was lost when a partner got caught in the downside of such curl on his downwind and despite abbreviating the circuit failed to make the airfield and crashed in the valley. This was in East Anglia. I once took a winch launch and upon turning final chased the ASI to the ground and a very abrupt stop 50 yards short of the runway in standing barley. This was at Enstone, another hill top site. There is nearly a 400ft difference in elevation between the river bottom west of Exeter and the Dartmoor site, which would result in pretty squirrelly conditions. Having learned soaring in the UK, I'm a bit surprised about some aspects of the event.

Matt's videos are wonderful and I'd just watched Chasing Diamonds a few days prior to hearing of his accident. As I'd flown from Lleweni Parc a few times, including out over the Irish Sea, I really enjoyed this video..

Frank Whiteley

"The Clutching Hand"!

Mike



Read the account closely regarding airspeeds, attitudes and known control inputs in the seconds after the cable break. I am surprised about what is not included in this report.


Yes. That's an extremely low airspeed to commence a turn in such known boisterous conditions. I'd probably be wanting to fly finals at 65-70, and the same in the circuit. With that kind of headwind, your ground speed (into wind) is the same or lower than on a calm day and much steeper descent angles are available due to more effective airbrakes at speed, so there's no good reason *not* to.

It's very puzzling that such an experienced pilot would do that.


In turbulent air near the ground, I think it's quite possible he was descending into a curl, vortex, or rolling air that momentarily could have been a gradient with a tail wind component, thus no gain in airspeed despite the nose down attitude.

As I described in my Enstone experience, I kept pushing the stick forward, chasing the ASI until all I could do was round out. The ASI never got above 50kts despite the steep nose down attitude and the sensation was like falling out of the sky. The pilot behind me, Libelle 201B, said he was pegged at -10kts. Thus I was 150 yards short of the intended touch down point.

Frank Whiteley

  #47  
Old February 10th 18, 04:42 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Bruce Hoult
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 961
Default RIP Matt Wright (Balleka on YouTube)

On Saturday, February 10, 2018 at 6:13:24 PM UTC+3, Dan Marotta wrote:
On 2/9/2018 12:41 PM, Frank Whiteley wrote:

snip
I once took a winch launch and upon turning final chased the ASI to the ground and a very abrupt stop 50 yards short of the runway in standing barley.

/snip

I'd say you did that absolutely correctly.Â* Trying to make the field
might well have killed you.Â* Well done!


In strong westerly wave/ridge conditions in New Zealand we often fly the base leg inside the (landable) airfield boundary, even in high performance gliders, planning to land well inside the airfield. Getting down and stopped in the available space is *not* a problem, even if it's only 500 meters total available.
  #48  
Old February 10th 18, 06:16 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Jonathan St. Cloud
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,463
Default RIP Matt Wright (Balleka on YouTube)

Several weeks ago I was downwind of a mountain range in strong wind when I encountered rotor at 1400 ft AGL. Since I was flying a ride, thought I would get out of rotor, and immediately turned downwind. I lost 400 ft in a 180 degree turn. Speed dropped, much more than expected and I found myself pushing and pushing on the stick to keep flying. I thought the report said Matt was flying at about 70 kts when he hit. I wonder if the downdraft was so strong he felt as if in a stall but he was actually flying?

Matt's mishap was a terrible tragedy, and Matt added so much to the sport. He is missed and I never even met him.
  #49  
Old February 10th 18, 07:08 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Paul Rice
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3
Default RIP Matt Wright (Balleka on YouTube)

Frank,
I'm curious, was the E Anglian incident @ Whatfield & what/who was
glider/pilot. ?



At 19:41 09 February 2018, Frank Whiteley wrote:
Hill top sites are not uncommon in the UK. Winds can create what I call
'c=
url' over such sites. My first glider was lost when a partner got caught
i=
n the downside of such curl on his downwind and despite abbreviating the
ci=
rcuit failed to make the airfield and crashed in the valley. This was in
E=
ast Anglia. I once took a winch launch and upon turning final chased the
A=
SI to the ground and a very abrupt stop 50 yards short of the runway in
sta=
nding barley. This was at Enstone, another hill top site. There is
nearly=
a 400ft difference in elevation between the river bottom west of Exeter
an=
d the Dartmoor site, which would result in pretty squirrelly conditions.
H=
aving learned soaring in the UK, I'm a bit surprised about some aspects

of
=
the event.

Matt's videos are wonderful and I'd just watched Chasing Diamonds a few
day=
s prior to hearing of his accident. As I'd flown from Lleweni Parc a few
t=
imes, including out over the Irish Sea, I really enjoyed this video.

Frank Whiteley



  #50  
Old February 10th 18, 08:37 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Kiwi User
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 64
Default RIP Matt Wright (Balleka on YouTube)

On Sat, 10 Feb 2018 07:42:27 -0800, Bruce Hoult wrote:

On Saturday, February 10, 2018 at 6:13:24 PM UTC+3, Dan Marotta wrote:
On 2/9/2018 12:41 PM, Frank Whiteley wrote:

snip
I once took a winch launch and upon turning final chased the ASI to
the ground and a very abrupt stop 50 yards short of the runway in
standing barley.

/snip

I'd say you did that absolutely correctly.Â* Trying to make the field
might well have killed you.Â* Well done!


In strong westerly wave/ridge conditions in New Zealand we often fly the
base leg inside the (landable) airfield boundary, even in high
performance gliders, planning to land well inside the airfield. Getting
down and stopped in the available space is *not* a problem, even if it's
only 500 meters total available.


Yep. Done that in Cambridgeshire too in an SZD Junior on a rather windy
day - 70kts on base along the downwind edge of the field and speed
retained on finals plus a fair amount of brake had me down and stopped
100m past the threshold. Juniors turn into bricks at that speed with
brakes open.


--
 




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