Why Soaring's Safety Record Doesn't Improve

Ever ask yourself, why doesn't our safety record improve? We seem to have the
same type and about the same number of accidents every year. Lets take the
*controls not hooked up*, its about time for another one of those. Every year a
couple of guys will try to fly without hooking up a control. This type accident
is 100% preventable. Why can't we put a stop to it? The answer is simple, we
don't have the power to control it. The airlines wouldn't put up with it. The
military would have no problem in eliminating it. Clubs have the power to stop
it. How about the individual sailplane owner? We got the power to control
his/her actions? No we don't and just try and get a little muscle and listen to
the screams. I tried to get the *wing tape sign off* adopted by asking my local
FBO's to refuse to give a tow unless the tow pilot saw a wing tape sign off on
each sailplane wing. I got ZERO replies from the 5 FBO's I asked to try the
plan and several of them had experienced accidents caused by controls not
hooked up.

Our safety record will not improve because we don't have the power to enforce
rules designed to make soaring safer.
JJ Sinclair