Wingtip to Runway light protector Concepts

My club recently had its first wingtip damage from a runway light. These lights stick up about a foot or so and are sometimes hard to avoid.

What solutions have other soaring clubs found to deal with them?

I was thinking that it maybe a good idea to put a deflector in front of the lights. If the wing is going to hit, it would hopefully deflect the wing up and over the light.
I was hoping the right design might not obscure the light any more than a tall weed. What are chances of getting something like this approved or accepted by either an airport authority or the FAA?

My first two concepts we
1. form a steel rod that goes over the light, and then front and back ends form spikes that could be hammered into the ground.
2. A wedge shaped cut plexiglass/acrylic sheet that the light could pass through. The bottom would have flanges heat formed to a allow it to be secured to the ground.

Please post any feedback or thoughts on if there is some solution to help protect glider wings.

I made simple sketches here, Please forgive the really crude drawings:

https://docs.google.com/presentation...it?usp=sharing

a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1DhfbsEk49m-3LS-Vzs8YO-487Gv1YDjZNICBma72tlE/edit?usp=sharing"concept drawings/a

Chris

On Monday, January 2, 2017 at 8:53:09 AM UTC-5, wrote:
My club recently had its first wingtip damage from a runway light. These lights stick up about a foot or so and are sometimes hard to avoid.

What solutions have other soaring clubs found to deal with them?

I was thinking that it maybe a good idea to put a deflector in front of the lights. If the wing is going to hit, it would hopefully deflect the wing up and over the light.
I was hoping the right design might not obscure the light any more than a tall weed. What are chances of getting something like this approved or accepted by either an airport authority or the FAA?

My first two concepts we
1. form a steel rod that goes over the light, and then front and back ends form spikes that could be hammered into the ground.
2. A wedge shaped cut plexiglass/acrylic sheet that the light could pass through. The bottom would have flanges heat formed to a allow it to be secured to the ground.

Please post any feedback or thoughts on if there is some solution to help protect glider wings.

I made simple sketches here, Please forgive the really crude drawings:

https://docs.google.com/presentation...it?usp=sharing

a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1DhfbsEk49m-3LS-Vzs8YO-487Gv1YDjZNICBma72tlE/edit?usp=sharing"concept drawings/a

Chris

Our club has removable barriers over end marking lights at one end of our field so we don't rip them out with tow ropes. Not a landing area but short of it for tugs.
We put low light plastic cones over the lights near our operating area to make them much more visible. This is effective in preventing almost all hits. They also seem to moderate damage when hit happens which is now very rare.
We put all this stuff(3 barriers and about 12 cones) up each day. Takes 5 minutes on the golf cart.
Experience shows that if lights can be seen they get avoided pretty much all the time.
We operate in grass parallel to the paved runway having lights.
UH

Which ship took the hit?

Yes........ I believe more than one over the years.

On Monday, January 2, 2017 at 5:35:03 PM UTC-5, chuck wrote:
Which ship took the hit?

K-7 this time, could be any next time.

On Monday, January 2, 2017 at 5:53:09 AM UTC-8, wrote:
My club recently had its first wingtip damage from a runway light. These lights stick up about a foot or so and are sometimes hard to avoid.

What solutions have other soaring clubs found to deal with them?

I was thinking that it maybe a good idea to put a deflector in front of the lights. If the wing is going to hit, it would hopefully deflect the wing up and over the light.
I was hoping the right design might not obscure the light any more than a tall weed. What are chances of getting something like this approved or accepted by either an airport authority or the FAA?

Did you calculate the loads on the glider-wing/deflector as the glider strikes the angle of the deflector at landing speeds and considering the roll inertia of the glider? My gut-feel tells me that the angle needs to be much shallower.

If the glider's wing contacts a runway light or deflector at "landing
speed" you should direct your budget at pilot training.

I think the concern is that last few knots with a cross wind and no more
rudder or aileron authority. But then the brake should be sufficient by
that time.

On 1/2/2017 11:53 PM, Heinz Gehlhaar wrote:
On Monday, January 2, 2017 at 5:53:09 AM UTC-8, wrote:
My club recently had its first wingtip damage from a runway light. These lights stick up about a foot or so and are sometimes hard to avoid.

What solutions have other soaring clubs found to deal with them?

I was thinking that it maybe a good idea to put a deflector in front of the lights. If the wing is going to hit, it would hopefully deflect the wing up and over the light.
I was hoping the right design might not obscure the light any more than a tall weed. What are chances of getting something like this approved or accepted by either an airport authority or the FAA?
Did you calculate the loads on the glider-wing/deflector as the glider strikes the angle of the deflector at landing speeds and considering the roll inertia of the glider? My gut-feel tells me that the angle needs to be much shallower.

--
Dan, 5J

On Tuesday, January 3, 2017 at 11:23:33 AM UTC-5, Dan Marotta wrote:
If the glider's wing contacts a runway light or deflector at "landing
speed" you should direct your budget at pilot training.

I think the concern is that last few knots with a cross wind and no more
rudder or aileron authority. But then the brake should be sufficient by
that time.

On 1/2/2017 11:53 PM, Heinz Gehlhaar wrote:
On Monday, January 2, 2017 at 5:53:09 AM UTC-8, wrote:
My club recently had its first wingtip damage from a runway light. These lights stick up about a foot or so and are sometimes hard to avoid.

What solutions have other soaring clubs found to deal with them?

I was thinking that it maybe a good idea to put a deflector in front of the lights. If the wing is going to hit, it would hopefully deflect the wing up and over the light.
I was hoping the right design might not obscure the light any more than a tall weed. What are chances of getting something like this approved or accepted by either an airport authority or the FAA?
Did you calculate the loads on the glider-wing/deflector as the glider strikes the angle of the deflector at landing speeds and considering the roll inertia of the glider? My gut-feel tells me that the angle needs to be much shallower.

--
Dan, 5J

From a guy with a self leveling glider. We teach about this issue constantly, mostly because we fly in a very space restricted facility with respect to width.
I suspect others have the same issue.
UH

Ask Bruno or Ron about marker lights. They had many examples of amputated lights at Nephi. No students involved.
Hadn't heard of Rex's mod at Montague, sensible.
Jim

My objection was with the "landing speed" case.

I've only flown a "self leveling" glider for about 9 months and,
frankly, I'm more concerned about tip strikes now with the long wings
which can rock down to runway sign height with very little wind. I was
never concerned about catching a wingtip in a single wheel glider. With
no more than a few knots IAS, it just takes paying attention to keep the
wings pretty much level. Slower than that, use the brake. If your
brake doesn't work, fix it.

There's just too much talk these days about protecting us from the
perils of the pursuits we choose to take and not enough attention to
developing the skills necessary to enjoy them safely and handle the
occasional curve ball.

On 1/3/2017 10:04 AM, wrote:
On Tuesday, January 3, 2017 at 11:23:33 AM UTC-5, Dan Marotta wrote:
If the glider's wing contacts a runway light or deflector at "landing
speed" you should direct your budget at pilot training.

I think the concern is that last few knots with a cross wind and no more
rudder or aileron authority. But then the brake should be sufficient by
that time.

On 1/2/2017 11:53 PM, Heinz Gehlhaar wrote:
On Monday, January 2, 2017 at 5:53:09 AM UTC-8, wrote:
My club recently had its first wingtip damage from a runway light. These lights stick up about a foot or so and are sometimes hard to avoid.

What solutions have other soaring clubs found to deal with them?

I was thinking that it maybe a good idea to put a deflector in front of the lights. If the wing is going to hit, it would hopefully deflect the wing up and over the light.
I was hoping the right design might not obscure the light any more than a tall weed. What are chances of getting something like this approved or accepted by either an airport authority or the FAA?
Did you calculate the loads on the glider-wing/deflector as the glider strikes the angle of the deflector at landing speeds and considering the roll inertia of the glider? My gut-feel tells me that the angle needs to be much shallower.
--
Dan, 5J
From a guy with a self leveling glider. We teach about this issue constantly, mostly because we fly in a very space restricted facility with respect to width.
I suspect others have the same issue.
UH

--
Dan, 5J