Wintertime off field landing

Ridge and wave flying pilots. Did you have any experience with out landings in snow covered fields ? How do you land in such conditions, what is to look for. Glider configuration? Are there any special consideration, dangers, etc. Please advise. Thanx.

On Sunday, January 14, 2018 at 11:46:24 AM UTC-5, FZ wrote:
Ridge and wave flying pilots. Did you have any experience with out landings in snow covered fields ? How do you land in such conditions, what is to look for. Glider configuration? Are there any special consideration, dangers, etc. Please advise. Thanx.

1) Ground roll is unpredictable. Sometimes it is like ice and you roll along the top and your ground roll is relatively long. If it is soft and poofy, then it can stop you pretty quick.

2) In a field, snow can mask obstacles. A field that looks okay may otherwise be full of rocks or nasty stuff. It's good to previously know if the field you're landing in is a cultivated field or not.

That said, if the snow is quite heavy, it may actually blanket over obstacles that may otherwise damage a glider. But I wouldn't count on it.

3) Ground handling can be a problem. If the snow is deep, you could get your vehicle stuck in the field.

4) The biggest danger is the cold. If you crash or land in a remote area, especially on a cold/windy day, survival is a major concern. Be sure to have SPOT and survival gear. Have heavy duty boots that will keep your feet dry if you need to hike out a distance to get to the farmhouse.

I'm sure others will think of a couple more.

All the best,
Daniel

On Sunday, January 14, 2018 at 11:46:24 AM UTC-5, FZ wrote:
Ridge and wave flying pilots. Did you have any experience with out landings in snow covered fields ? How do you land in such conditions, what is to look for. Glider configuration? Are there any special consideration, dangers, etc. Please advise. Thanx.

It's absolutely a big risk and one that keeps me from pushing my luck during winter flights. A light dusting is usually not a problem, as you can still see any features like furrows, corn stubble or other crop, etc. But once there's anything more than about 5-6 inches, all bets are off. The obvious issues:

- With enough snow, you can't tell what's in the field. Is it a cultivated field? A pasture? A boulder-strewn cleared area?
- Snow takes away a lot of the visual clues about slope, any drainage ditches, etc.
- It's sometime hard to see boundaries between adjoining fields. Even if there aren't fences, are there ditches or low walls between them.

FWIW, another obvious issue with a lot of the smaller public use airports in ridge country is that the runways are not overly wide. Several are either 70, 60, or 50 feet wide. So, when they are plowed, the snowbanks are right up against the edge of the runway. Putting a 15M glider into a 55 foot wide space with any sort of crosswind is asking for trouble.

I landed my first glass ship (Astir CS) at the base of Blue Mountain in snow once in the early 1990s and got away with it. But the whole experience of carrying the glider out in pieces and getting the retrieve vehicle stuck made it seem less attractive than sitting in the shop with a hot wood stove burning.

P3