Essential Teaching Steps for Flight Maneuvers and Safety in Soaring Instruction
This comprehensive guide outlines critical teaching steps for flight maneuvers and safety in soaring instruction. It covers the foundation of flight training, including preparation, presentation, application, and evaluation. Key topics include common student errors, necessary flight maneuvers, emergency procedures, and effective pre-flight inspection techniques. The guide emphasizes the importance of practice in emergency scenarios, approach and landing strategies, and post-flight debriefing to enhance judgment and problem-solving skills. Equip your students to handle dynamic flying conditions with confidence.
Essential Teaching Steps for Flight Maneuvers and Safety in Soaring Instruction
E N D
Presentation Transcript
Teaching Flight Maneuvers Soaring Safety Foundation FIRC Rich Carlson
Basic Teaching Steps • Preparation • Presentation • Application • Review and Evaluation
Common Student Errors • Under/Over controlling • Stress overload • Fixation on a single task • Loss of situational awareness
Necessary Flight Maneuvers • Normal and Crosswind Launch • Straight and Turning flight • Ground Reference • Stalls and Spins • Slips to Landing • Normal and Crosswind Landing • Emergency procedures
Pre-flight Inspection • Before first flight or Before every flight? • Is assembly enough? • Reduce/Eliminate distractions • What should be checked? • Use POH based checklist • Positive Control Check • Reduce or Eliminate distractions
In flight maneuvers • Orientation to airport/runway (upwind) • Determining heading (using landmarks) • Picking the heading for stalls • Turning left or right • Basic glide performance • How much altitude needed to cover 1 mile?
3 X 4 Simple Math Solve for X Find X
Simple Math Solve for X = 5 Find X Here it is 3 X 4
Emergency Procedures • Discuss/demo T.O. Emergencies • PT3 at low/mid/high altitude • Distractions during T.O./Tow • Canopy opening • Bugs, Snakes, Object on runway, etc • Discuss/demo Landing Emergencies • Too low to fly normal pattern • Off-airport landings
Approach & Landing • The Glider Flight Instructor does an excellent job of teaching T.O. Emergency procedures including practicing low altitude rope breaks. • The SSF accident statistics show that this practice has paid off by a low number of PT3 accidents.
Approach & Landing • A review of glider accident statistics shows that over 70% of the accidents occur in the landing phase of flight. • The “Law of Primacy” states that the first thing learned is what is remembered during times of stress.
Approach & Landing • What we teach • Complete the landing checklist • Reach the IP at xxxx ft AGL • Enter the downwind leg and correct for x-wind • Opposite Touchdown point • Turn Base • Turn Final and aim for T.D. point • Use spoilers to control height, elevator to control speed
27 9 5 Kts IP Choose Your Approach Goal is IP?
27 9 5 Kts IP Goal is IP point
Approach & Landing • Major drawback is that primary focus is on reaching the IP. • This technique works well when students plan ahead to reach the IP at the desired altitude. • What happens when this planning breaks down and the student is 1 mile out at 1200 ft and runs into 500 fpm sink?
Approach and Landing • What we really mean • Make sure you control your speed to keep from stalling • Make sure you control your height and position so you reach the intended landing point
27 9 5 Kts IP Choose Your Approach Goal is Touchdown Point?
27 9 5 Kts IP Goal is Touchdown Point
27 9 5 Kts IP Optional Approach 2
27 9 5 Kts IP Optional Approach 3
27 9 5 Kts IP Optional Approach 4
27 9 5 Kts IP Optional Approach 5
27 9 5 Kts IP Which Approach is Best?
A Goal Orientated Approach • Focus the students’ attention on the landing area • Practice ‘standard’ and ‘non-standard’ approaches but ignore naming the legs • 1st approach ‘standard’ • 2nd approach ‘non-standard’, base/final only • 3rd approach ‘standard’ • 4th approach ‘non-standard’, right vs left pattern • 5th approach ‘standard’ • 6th approach ‘non-standard’, overhead join at mid-field • Review previous approaches and begin naming legs, while maintaining focus on primary goal “Law of Primacy view”
Emergency Procedures • Practice arrival from various directions • Practice left, right, straight-in, downwind approaches • Practice arrival from various altitudes • Demonstrate the effect of constant headwind • Demonstrate the effect of a decreasing headwind
2002 Std Class Nationals http://soaring.aerobatics.ws/LOGS/HomePage.html 12 Pilot’s Landing Traces • Tom Beltz • Walter Cannon • Bob Epp • Chip Garner • Ray Gimmey • Sam Gitner • Gary Itner • Tom Knauff • Baudouin Litt • Liz Schwendler • Ken Sorenson • Tim Wells
Post Flight De-briefing • Essential component of lesson to discuss why this approach was different and how it affected other gliders/pilots • Emphasize the skills you are trying to impart (Judgment Training and problem solving skills)
Determining When to Land • What effect does the wind have on landing?
27 9 Effect of 20 Kt wind Time on Downwind: More, Less, no Change? Altitude loss: More, Less, no Change? 20 Kts
27 9 Effect of 20 Kt wind Time on base: More, Less, no Change? Altitude loss: More, Less, no Change? 20 Kts
27 9 Effect of 20 Kt wind Time on Final: More, Less, no Change? Altitude loss: More, Less, no Change? 20 Kts
27 9 Effect of 20 Kt wind Which path is your student likely to fly? Which path do you want them to fly? 4 20 Kts 3 1 2
Final Approach(No wind) 60 kts @ 500 ft/m decent rate 12:1 glide slope 24 seconds 200 2400
Final Approach(20 Kt Head Wind) 60 kts @ 500 ft/m decent rate 8:1 glide slope 24 seconds 200 2400 1600
Final Approach(20 kt wind shear) 60 kts @ 500 ft/m decent rate Maintain constant speed during approach How much time remains? 200 20 kts 0 kts X Y 2400 1600
Decision Time • With a 20 kt shear, are you likely to • overshoot (into area Y) • undershoot (into area X) • Said another way, what actions do you need to take to reach your intended touchdown point • close the spoilers to extend (undershooting) • open the spoilers to sink faster (overshooting) • Another variation, what will the aim spot do? • move up on the canopy (undershooting) • move down on the canopy (overshooting)
Final Approach(20 Kt Wind Shear) 2 seconds for the glider to stabilize at the new sink rate AOA increases from 0.5o to 5.0o 200 20 kts 0 kts 1017 2400 1600
Final Approach(20 Kt Wind Shear) 3 seconds to accelerate back to 60 Kts Glider nose is 20o below the horizon 200 20 kts 0 kts 1300 2400 1600
Final Approach(20 Kt Wind Shear) Start recovery process after 1 second (at height of 88 ft) 200 20 kts 0 kts 2400 1600 1647
Final Approach(Likely outcome in 3 cases?) No Wind Constant headwind 20 Kt Wind Shear 200 2400 1300 1600
Shear Encounters • When can this happen? • Landing in gusty conditions • Landing area shielded by obstructions • During good thermal conditions