Original of the text in French here.
Usually, season kicks up gradually with test flight to renew your Licence, test flights after annual maintenance, and varios are weak enough to make you “not that hungry”. This year will be different : at least 7 weeks now you watch cumulus in the sky, birds having fun… This plus maintenance, paperwork and no training will make this “back to business” not that easy. We took time to think about and write some ideas but also just rmind you about the basics. Perhaps worth the few minutes to read this post…
You can download Claire's funny lxnav french checklist here and if you need support about “how to make my own check-list” feel free to contact us.
DAY - X
We are all under lockdown state more or less, so you must still have a bit of time to read (in fact read again), open maps, switch on your beloved PDA, prepare a list of what to bring and not forget… plus the few additional equipment due to the Covid crisis…
In France we have what we call the “Bouquin bleu” - the Blue Book - which is the reference book to become glider pilot: best is to focus on few chapters
How to prepare the glider (“walk around”), cockpit preparation, check list before take-off, and the “human factor” in risk management
Take off, management with cross wind and anticipation in case of engine failure (for whatever mean of take off)
Design and adaptation of the design of landing pattern, check-list before landing
Final leg, optimum angle, management of the airbrakes, optimum landing speed
Landing goal, management for reducing speed, rolling and stop
Cross country basics, altitude layers and adaptation of McCready, check list before outlanding for landing field choice and management
Day -X, time to read again, open maps, switch on navigation system, prepare a list...
Human factors and accidentology:
Nobody likes to talk about accidents. But it is probably worth the 1 or 2 hours to check any list of recurring incidents and accidents among our sport… This could help you to avoid to make again what people made again and again before you… A lot to learn just by reading. In France we have this list where people apply under voluntary basis to describe what happened with contextual informations and also what they learned from that experience. You must probably have this kind of database in your country too. We have made a personal list at the end of this post.
Airspace Check again your local knowledge for the upcoming flights
First, use your air map, read it and ask yourself the practical question useful in flight
Use SeeYou and explore the map
Perhaps it is time to make a list of the useful radio frequencies of all airfields around your and some ATC
Do you really know your glider ? back to the flight manuals of your favourite gliders
How to rig it ? What to check after rigging?
Usual speeds and limitations
Limitations of Center of Gravity position and management
Behaviour with winch take off
Behaviour with spin and specificities
Jettison
Time to turn on your navigation system
You have a Kobo, an Oudie, a Nano3 or 4, a lxnav computer, it is time to train on them. This will ensure you don’t lose time in the cockpit for all the basics. Even if you will not attempt a 300k on first flight (hu?) it is time to be again the boss of your navigation computer.
Before driving to the club, what to not forget?
The classics
Pilot hat, sunglasses, suncream
Pilot’s papers and a pen
Flight and ground clothing (sun bites so even if it is still cold…) and May-June can still be cold and windy… An apron is also a good idea to avoid the greasy-glider-rigging-style…
Snacks for in flight and water in bottles (big ones for on ground and small ones for in flight)
Pee kit…
Tape rolls and scissors. No tape thinner than 19mm, it is shit…
a green cardboard or sheet of paper
Memory micro-SD card (2Go maximum) with SD adapter with :
Last valid version for Flarm software :
For all Swiss Flarms
For all Swiss PowerFlarm Core and PowerFlarm Portable
For all PowerFlarm LXNAV (like PowerMouse)
For all other devices, please contact manufacturers
Last updated file for airspaces : you will find database their ici in OpenAir and Cub (LXNAV, SeeYou and Oudie)
Updated waypoints files, perhaps your club has an official database, or you can visit this website: http://soaringweb.org/TP/EU.html
Your Navigation portable devices are :
Fully charged
With updated airspace file
With a fully charged external battery and the proper cable to connect it
With a nice and sturdy suction cup mount holder (we know it is bad to use that but we all do it) 😉
The Covid top-up…
Masks, even self-made
Gloves, ideally vynil disposable
Plastic alimentary film (to protect microphone) and tape
Hand sanitiser Gel
Sanitiser wipes
Paper roll + spray “cocktail” made of 1 spoon of shampoo for 1 litre of water, best is to use neutral pH shampoo (will be used in the cockpit mainly)
Plastic bin bag (big ones)
Basic toolbox (screwdrivers, plyers, etc…)
And your own foody stuff
Ready ? If you are lucky enough to be allowed to visit the club before D-Day or, in any case, before first take off:
Is the glider airworthy ? This must be normally a club’s board management but bare in mind:
Parachutes validity?
ARC valid?
Technical state of the glider
Handles and knobs?
Canopy cleaned? (check also if some rail windows screws want to enjoy a Great Escape…)
Main gear tyre: state and pressure
Main gear bake
Tail wheel tyre: state and pressure
Tail dolly tyre
Trailer tyres, oh and does the light really work this time? 😉
Club’s car: petrol and battery
Trim weights: personally, I am fed up looking for them so please store them in the club’s car or whatever is parked at the starter
Towing car’s rope to put glider on the track: are they ok?
Tug plane’s ropes…
Petrol for tug planes and winch
Glider batteries: charged and will not die on first radio emission? Perhaps ask pilots (a lot of them have their personal batteries…) to bring them!
A last check on the tapes and sealings on the gliders, who ever flew with a flappy tape on one flap or aileron or whatever stabilizer know it is not funny at all… My 2 grains of salt if you need to remove old tapes :
Take your time: the faster you remove them me more old many-years-under-UV-vitrified-glue will stay on the glider and this is crazy to remove
Heating up a bit the tape can help
Using Benzin-F type or 100LL is best to remove glue on our gliders, never use Aceton (ho dear…) and White Spirit is just “ho great now you just spread the problem but did not fix it”…
Electronics inside the gliders :
Update of
Flarm Software
Airspace database
Have you think about the way to perform kinda briefing? Perhaps rules will not permit to use briefing room so be creative!
Use an online system?
Use the hangar? But still you need to use a beamer or something?
Use good old whiteboard or crayboard 😊
Mainy clubs use now a self-briefing online! Some French examples Issoudun, Orléans, St-Auban, Alpes du Sud, Fayence, …
Oh yes it is D-Day… Let’s wash that thing first !
Disclaimer: washing will bever be perfect and we don’t know all about this f***ing virus… But keep in mind that the virus’ transmission seems:
Best if you stay long time in close enough contact with COvid positive persons (throught eyes, nose, mouth)
Best if you stay in environment with potential heavy loaded Covid particles
Best if you touch your face with your hand
THAT’S WHY YOU NEED TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND THE OTHERS WITH GLOVES, SOCIAL DISTANCIATION AND AVOID TOUCHING YOUR FACE.
A SHOWER AND CHANGE OF CLOTHES AS SOON AS HOME IS ALSO HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
So let’s do it !
You are the happy owner of your glider? Lucky you, the few advices below are worth the time reading but yes you will be less picky not sharing a cockpit… But still, please take care of all the helpers who will make you in the air.
For all the happy club members, it will be way better to not share the cockpit preparation (we mean disinfection and walk around) so the pilot of the glider will be also Mrs or Mr Perfect cleaner.
Few advices and ideas to clean your glider: even if some official ones are provided by your national association.
Wear Mask plus Gloves
Clean outside (or in hangar with doors open)
Do not use Vacuum or Air pressure
Plexi does not like alcohol! Use your cocktail with shampoo
Leather and fake leather do not like alcohol too! As the soft buttons of your beloved gliding computer…
Even your old school instruments and modern one use plexiglass a lot so avoid use alcoholic products to clean them, but as moisture is not a good idea use your cocktail on a clothe to wash them and use a dry clothe to dry them ASAP
Some studies tell the Covid is not very happy under high temperature so using the well know super baked cockpit by removing the canopy cover is not that bad, but still under monitoring…
put a grean cardboard inside the cockpit when cleaning is finished, this confirms to everybody around that cleaning is done and nobody except the pilot can go inside the cockpit.
STAY STRONG ! Your glider will never be again that clean ! 😉
Walk around
Please make a real walkaround… We know that you do that well normally but please do it even better, close to hangar, no rush, and the gliders were off for a long time, as the pilots.
Controls rigging is a must have double check, with experienced-on-the-type masked people
Even with the so called “automatic rigging controls gliders” a good check is a must
Please notify your main mechanic if there is any play you feel is too much somewhere
It is time to check also again controls sealings and seal the fuselage to wing junctions, we recommend to use wide tape and let it retract after you stretch the roll before taping. Any tape applied stretched will retract in the air and makes your glider a buzzzzy one…
Check that hooks and release handles are in good shape and ready
Time also to ask somebody to blow gently in front of the TE Antenna and the Pitot to check if good old needles are alive, please never blow direct inside the probes, then needles will die…
Plug batteries and test them! If you hit below 12V when emitting with the radio, battery will not last in flight
Switch on Flarm and check if you are live on Spot the Glider
Check main gear tyre
Check tail wheel
Check minimum cockpit load and adapt with trim weight (check if tail has a tail battery or any tail tank…)
Put all useful stuff you will need in the air now in the cockpit, protect the hose of your waterbag, best is to use some tape to secure it to the boom microphone with the plastic piece you installes to protect the microphone. In a double seater it will be difficult to eat or drink so be aware.
Time to close the cockpit! Yes yes yes 😊
Have fun ! But don’t forget to be gentle for a start…
Seat in the cockpit way before take off, take your time for a good seatback setting, check that nothing will pop up at first bump in the air
Make a good pre-check before take off, speaking is not enough, do act, and do all check which can be done way before the rope is there to pull you in the air, and last few seconds before take off are best to just have a plan is something go wrong
Ready? You know where the yellow handle is, hand ready? Everything will go fast now so BE READY to pilot and not do “something else”
Ok in the air? Nice weather? Don’t push too much, there will be man other days 😊
Time to land? Design your own landing pattern, don’t play the easy game to do “as everyday”, manage wind, chose turns areas, use accurate landing speed, don’t forget the gear… use simple check-lists
Just landed but still rolling? Story is not finished, level the wings the best you can, don’t break too hard and to close to others on the ground, don’t be the one who finishes “a bit too close today”
And… as cleaning a cockpit is a mess, arrange 2 nice buddies to get you back on the grid for another start or 2 before you let the others have fun. It will be much more efficient for everybody and a well optimised training for you.
Not easy? But hey, smile ! You are back to business! 😊
Our best of of what to not do:
Physio : Sunstroke, dehydration, hypothermia, hypoglycemia in flight or on the ground
Material, rigging : – Controls not secured – Any pin not in place (typical on DG and Ask with trailing edge pins) – Tools forgot under the seatpans
Material – pre-check before take off : – Alien parts in stick or in central mixer of controls – Canopy not locked – Airbrakes not locked – Canopy foggy
Management and poor focus : – Back to airfield very low (performance management / poor turn back decision) – Airbrakes out with no detection (airbrakes not secured or pilot grabbing the blue handle by stress and not checking wings if performance is lower than expected) – Groundloop during landing (bad management of crosswind, bad management of controls) – High position behind tug plane – Bad management of terrain during pattern with lee effect – General over estimation, unable to withdraw a decision – Outanding too long landing: pattern not adapted (too high too close of the field a lot of time) – Gear up landing – Engine failure related to fuel tank selection, fuel vents blocked, low training and bad knowledge of procedures on the aircraft type
Confusions: – Confusion of controls (airbrakes, gear, flaps). – Tug planes go down but you are still hooked – Radio messages not clear.
Material – walkaround : – Tail dolly, Spline not removed. – C of G not adapted. – Instruments not working – Batteries not secured – Pedals/seatback not good setting, not secured – Canopy dirty
Take off: – Unexpected release (hand grabbed release handle) – Pilot’s seat belts not tightened, parachute not tightened – Engine problem during take off – Ground loop (not ready to release, poor management of sidewind, poor management of dihedral, poor experience of wingrunner, …) – Wrong fuse for winching, wrong cable
On the ground: – Tail dolly not removed, glider turning with wind of thermal and destroying everything around – Gliders parked too close to each others and wings flapping to each others – Canopy not closed and locked when nobody around to save it – Canopy not protected from sun, best to start a fire on some angles – Release using the canopy window to grab the release handle, canopy destroyed – Putting in and out the gliders of the hangar using the typical “poc” noise of wings touching something else… – Poor management on the grid to save 20 seconds – Nobody on the radio on the ground with enough experience to save the unexpected and debrief pilots – Gliders crashing each others during gridding (cables too short, terrain downhill, driving too fast, poor experience of wingrunners, driver poorly focussed, not enough people to help, …) – …
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