HGFA Skysailor Magazine

SKY SAILOR 33 January | February 2019 I recently met a pilot who was preparing himself for cross-country flights. He’d run into conditions commonly described as ‘Light and Scaryable’. On the windy West Coast this is uncommon. He was sadly forced to conclude that his landing technique was ‘all wrong’, so he went online to search for advice. He found plenty, but it was confusing… I’m a believer in ‘named sources’. The best advice is almost always found from people you know and trust. On this pilot’s, and SkySailor’s behalf, I approached Rohan Holtkamp from Dynamic Flight. Rohan set out a series of questions to be worked through and analysed:  Is the pilot rated for an intermediate wing?  Is the pilot’s weight within the placarded limits for the aircraft?  Is the wing airworthy?  Who did the airworthy check?  Who has completed maintenance on the wing?  Is it trimmed correctly? (Trim air speed is rated as 15 to 20% greater than stall)  Is the wing trimmed straight?  If the pilot is unsure of his landings, protective equipment should be worn, eg: wheels, jeans, knee pads/skids/inserts, etc.  How current is the pilot?  What wind indicators does the pilot use?  What harness does the pilot use?  Is the pilot able to get upright in the harness for landing?  Is the harness in good order?  Is the harness of the correct size?  Is the harness correctly installed? (hang height)  Are the legs in the leg loops during flight?  Are the leg loops correctly adjusted? (Not hanging low in landing attitude)  Does the pilot require vision corrective glasses and are they fitted in flights? I forwarded this list to five experienced pilots* and asked for their 10 best in-flight landing tips. 1. Know your Glider 1: At height, establish your preferred approach speed, in and out of harness. Use your face as an ASI. 2. Know your Glider 2: At height, get used to your glider’s (out of harness) no-grip-trim. Use your face as an ASI. 3. Know your Glider 3: At height, get used to out- of-harness roll control. Keep centre of mass central with minimal leg swing. 4. Before committing to your intended landing site, check wind direction and probable strength. 5. If wind seems light, be ready for a BIG flare. 6. Flare control is related to length of pilot’s body. Leg straps too long = reduced effective arm- input at flare. 7. Before turning downwind, check legs can exit harness and VG is released. 8. On final, position your feet ready to run, if required. 9. Mark the spot on the A-frame where your hands were after each successfully flared landing (still air and breezy). 10. Never trade safety for convenience. These guys are good fliers, but I ran their theories past Rohan (just in case). Rohan in reply:  When out of the harness, the pilot’s feet must always be together, this is most easily secured with crossed ankles.  Locked ankles stabilise the ‘pendulum’ length, at the feet. This affords the most effective roll control and adds roll stability. If the feet are apart, the effective pendulum length is at the hips, this affords less roll control and the aircraft is less roll stable. That is to say, it gets kicked off-line and is more easily pitched up by turbulence. So there you have it, but I can’t resist a quote from Rohan’s trustworthy website [www.dynamicflight. com]: “After every landing always give a friendly wave to the crowd!” It’s a point well worth remembering and acting on. Happier Landings to all! *The Five Wise Men from the West were: Todd M., Simon S., Peter R., John M. and Tony S. Getting your hangie landings just right, each time. by Birdman Pete You Chose to Fly… Now, you’ve Got to Land it!