Some proposals were finally agreed upon (much to the relief of the barmaid!). These were presented at the last committee meeting and it was decided to implement the following scheme:
Members qualified to fly the Cirrus can elect to pay an annual fee, up front, and will then be able to fly the Cirrus for free. The tow will still have to be paid for. The annual charge has been set, initially, at R500, but may be changed if the cost of insurance changes.
The scheme will run from 1/3/96 to 28/2/97.
Members qualified to fly the Cirrus who do not elect to join the scheme can continue to make use of the aircraft and will be charged per minute used as at present.
Use of the glider will be on a "first come, first served" basis, the same as at present. However, the 2-hour limit for flights will no longer apply to the Cirrus. That means that if you are flying the Cirrus and decide that you can reach PE, go for it. Just make sure that you have a retrieve crew organised!
The scheme will not apply when the Cirrus is being used for a camp not organised by the Cape Gliding Club, eg JK Dorp. It will apply if the glider is flown at a Club camp, eg Ceres or Beaufort West.
The adoption of the scheme is subject to a minimum of 10 members committing to it. Please contact Graham Anderson by 21st February, 1996 to put your name down for the scheme.
Flying Week at Worcester - 16/3/96 to
24/3/96
Normal flying will take place for the full period and a
small Ab Initio course will be run from Monday to Friday.
Easter Weekend - 5/4/96 to 8/4/96
This year we will go away for Easter. The venue is a new
one - Beaufort West. See Barry Gazzard's detailed
report.
Youth Day long weekend - 15/6/96 to
17/6/96
Flying at Worcester including a mini course and a social
event.
National Women's Day long weekend - 9/8/96 to 11/8/96 -
Camp at Ceres.
September school holidays - Full scale Ab Initio
course.
Year-end Camp
We plan to attend the SSSA camp as in previous years.
Mini weekend courses will be scheduled every 6 to 8 weeks.
Congratulations to Graham for winning the 15m Class at the SA Nationals..Congratulations also to Chris Way for coming 4th in the same class (at his first attempt).
In order to finalise accommodation therefore, all members who would like to participate in this Camp are asked to please complete the coupon below and mail it to me ASAP and I'll come back to you with final details.
The Enterprise contest was won by John Ellis (an honorary member), 2nd was Mike Pascoe, and 3rd Nicky Oberhofer.
Some of the other activities that entertained the pilots included regular games and a pool contest at the local pub. One of our younger pilots was reportedly smitten by a young bar tender (female). Some friends, apparently in keen competition for the lady's favours, spiked our hero's beer with Tequila, and several beers later he was observed to be staggering about and holding onto the walls in a valiant attempt to prevent them from falling over. Fortunately the weather the next day was such that no heroic flights were possible. In any case, it was not his turn to fly.
Another pair of well-known pilots set off for Taung casino with roseate dreams of the wonderful new gliders that they would purchase out of their winnings on the tables - Plans included a new LS6, or even a Ventus 2M or two, all this for the price of an aerotow! Unfortunately the tables were more in tune with the strange weather than the pilots' aspirations. Their money did last longer than the average aerotow, however.
The "koshuis crowd" and the hotel did their best and provided some excellent meals - the Wednesday braai at the Hotel was splendid. A great pleasure too, to have someone else to braai the steaks.
Overall a most enjoyable few days away from it all - some real soaring weather would have really been the cherry on the top. The "stay at home crowd" should start thinking about December 96 for a visit to the North. Get in early or the regulars will beat you to it.
See you there, Mike.
PAX flights are charged differently to members' flights in that the PAX is charged a flat rate for the flight and he/she pays up front. Members' flights, on the other hand, are charged by the minute and the charges get added to the member's account.
What is a PAX? This is anyone who has come to the airfield for an introductory flight. It is also a friend or a relation of a member who is not PAX-rated, who cannot take them up himself and asks a PAX-rated pilot to do so. The only time that a passenger is not regarded as a PAX is when you, as a PAX-rated pilot, take a friend or relation for a flight when your turn in the flying list come up.
Remember that PAXes are charged R120 for a flight of up to 30 minutes. If the flight is longer than 30 minutes, the excess is charged at R1.50 per minute. (Please get your PAX's agreement to the extra charge before extending the flight beyond 30 minutes.)
In order to accommodate this; between 12h00 and 14h00 two- seaters should wait and give priority to single-seater launches. If the launching of the single-seaters is well managed, they should all be launched very quickly. The key word is management; but let us not forget cooperation. Single-seaters will be launched in the order their names are on the Flying List providing that they are strapped in and ready to go when the tug arrives.
The Duty Pilot is expected to manage the process and inform pilots when their turn to launch will be coming up and to make sure that they are ready and that their gliders have been pushed to a suitable position so that they can be pushed on to the runway as quickly as possible. Please remember, this scheme is not a licence for a single-seater pilot to pitch up at the launch point, barge his way in and expect to be launched immediately.
Let us try and maintain a club culture of culture and treat each other with civility and politeness. Sure, there will be times when members disagree and have strong feelings about things; but I reckon that we are above making spectacles of ourselves in public.
Annual Checks are carried out by any instructor who will complete a rating form which he should then forward to me (or place in the CFI's box) so that our records can be updated. The updated list is faxed to the clubhouse every Friday afternoon. So it is always up-to-date at the weekend. Duty Pilots should refer to this before drawing up the flying list for the day. (To assist me it would be appreciated if the instructor who carried out the Annual Check phones me on the Monday prior to him posting the forms - I can then update immediately). The instructor should sign off the member's logbook accordingly - so don't forget to have your logbook with you. (It is mandatory that all pilots maintain a logbook).
See the Noticeboard in the clubhouse for the complete updated list. In future reminders will not be sent individually to members - instead a bi-annual list will be published in the K/Koerant.
The reason for the Annual Check is to ensure that all members fly to consistent standards and that no bad habits have crept in since the last check. It is also the basis for the GPL renewal.
A new rating form has been designed and will be implemented in due course. The idea behind the re-design is to simplify the ratings. It will also include a new feature, an oral test.
A Currency Check is also carried out by an instructor; but it is not rated. It is only necessary when someone has not flown for two months or more (or less if the member feels more comfortable with a lesser period) but is still within the 12 month annual check period. This also requires a logbook endorsement. Please ensure that there is no misunderstanding between you and your instructor as to what check-out you require. It has happened recently that members have had Currency Checks long after their Annual Checks were due and were of the opinion that this sufficed as an Annual Check!
Everyone requires the mandatory Annual Check regardless of when or where they last flew.
Particularly when flying cross country, do not become so engrossed in map-reading or navigating with a GPS that you skimp on the "look-out aspect" of flying. There have been two mid-airs in this country recently. That is two too many.
a) It is unnecessary to do positive control checks. F
b) You always check the wing and tail attachments. T
c) Since the glider flew recently and has not been derigged it is unnecessary to check the main pins on the wings. F
d) You check all the surfaces for cracks and signs of damage. T
e) You find signs of damage that may make the glider dangerous to fly, you go home at once, as you will not be able to fly. F You should report the damage and remain at the field to assist with any action that is necessary to restore the glider to airworthy status.
2) You are delegated to tow a club glider to the active runway (15 at Worcester).
a) You ensure that the car driver keeps the car windows shut to avoid distractions. F
b) The rope must not be longer than 5 metres. F The rope must be at least a + span long so that the glider can turn through 180_ without risk of the wing hitting the car.
c) You insist that the driver stop and check for air traffic at the intersection of the cross runway and the taxiway. T
d) In a strong wind you need the usual wingman as well as an extra person at the tail and possibly a second wingman. T
e) In a strong wind you must ensure that the control surfaces are not restrained against movement as the restraint may cause damage. F
3) As the repeat signaller in front of the tug you should stand not more than 10 metres from the edge of the runway so that the tug pilot can see you clearly. F Stand well back from the edge of the runway; and once the glider is rolling, move away from the runway; but keep observing the glider until it has gone past you.
4) You see visitors standing on the edge of the runway watching the glider land. You ignore them as they are none of your business. F See comment above. The visitors should be kept safely away from the glider landing area, as well as the tug. NB. Do this politely and explain what is happening so that you do not upset the visitors with a show of aggression or outrage!
5) You hook the rope to the glider on the belly hook (e.g. Cirrus) for a launch, the tug jerks the rope and the glider over-runs the rope, you stop the launch. T The rope could be picked up by the wheel and wrap around the wheel giving rise to a dangerous situation. Stop the launch and correct the problem.
6) You are the wing runner and you see an experienced pilot starting the take-off roll with brakes open. You ignore this situation as he is the pilot in command. F In some circumstances and for some gliders, mostly unflapped ships, this procedure may be appropriate. However you should halt the launch until you have confirmed with the pilot that the airbrakes are intentionally open.
7) You are asked to show a new member how to run the wing. You notice that she wears several rings. You advise her to remove these before running the wing. T There have been a number of reports of rings being snagged on wing tip skids or wheels which may result in the loss of a finger or a crash or both.
8) You are getting a club glider out of the hangar before the days flying: It is essential that 1 person be in charge of the operation. T
9) You are helping to launch the gliders. You are running the wing and before giving the "All Out" signal you notice that the tail dolly is still attached: You immediately stop the launch. T
10) The glider you are about to fly has had a DI and has already flown on that day. A "walk around inspection" before you strap in and take off is good practice and should always be done. T
11) After a club glider has been rigged after an outlanding you always ask an independent person (Not involved in the rigging) to do the DI. T This is a club requirement and good practice. Generally privately owned gliders are not subject to this procedure. Hopefully the owner is sufficiently concerned about his own neck to do an extra careful DI.
12) A positive control check (that is control movement against resistance) is only necessary at the first DI after the glider has been rigged. F A number of disconnect accidents and incidents have occurred to gliders that have been hangared or tied down overnight after flying the previous day. The fact that the glider flew yesterday is no guarantee that it does not require a full DI today. Always do a positive control check at every DI.
13) As the wingman you are responsible only for signalling to the repeat signaller in front of the tug for the launch to proceed. (i.e. take up slack & all out). F Check that it is clear to proceed with the launch. Check that there is no circuit traffic that may conflict with the launch.
14) The glider is best moved on the ground by pulling forward on the wing tips. This makes it easy to steer and a person on each wingtip ensures that the wingtips are kept clear of obstacles. F This procedure imposes stresses on the wing fittings that they are not designed to tolerate and can thus easily damage these fittings.
15) It is good practice to ensure that the canopy is clean before flying. T
2) On take off you should carefully monitor the ASI and lift the glider off the ground when the speed reaches 1.25 times stalling speed. F
3) You are flying on the aerotow and the tug wags its rudder from side to side. The correct action is to check that your airbrakes are closed. F The Tug - glider signals are not standard internationally. This is the signal for an immediate release. Since these signals are non standard, get briefed if you fly somewhere different so that you know what to expect.
4) You find that you are unable to release from aerotow - Your first option is to call the tug on radio and ask to be released over the airfield by the tug. T
5) You are flying on the aerotow and the tug rocks its wings (Alternating aileron movements) The correct action is to release at once. F This is the signal to check that brakes are closed. Remember that this may be the beginning of a problem and may be followed by a wave off.
6) The runway in use at Worcester is 33. You should always plan to start your downwind leg over the reservoir at 1600'. F The entry to the circuit is NOT based on a particular position or height but on the distance/height relationship to the runway (or field) which should be judged and not flown using landmarks nor instruments.
7) In the circuit you should always monitor the altimeter carefully to ensure that you are at the correct height. F See 6 above.
8) Once committed to land you should ignore the altimeter and judge height and distance in the circuit. T. See 6 above.
9) The correct speed for the final approach may be selected and flown from no later than the start of the base leg of the circuit. T If this selection is left too late, the glider may be too low to have height to allow it to accelerate to the appropriate speed for the final approach.
10) In turbulent, windy conditions the approach should be flown at a lower speed than in calm conditions to reduce the risk of structural damage. F Increased approach speed is needed in these conditions. A useful rule of thumb is 1.5 times stall speed + half the wind speed.
11) You encounter heavy sink on the downwind leg of the circuit, such that you estimate that you are at a height of 400' AGL about half way down the runway. You must continue a standard circuit to avoid disruption of other traffic. F Make an early turn on to base and final and land in the second half of the runway rather than carrying on and making a dangerously low final turn.
12) You find yourself joining the circuit with another glider. As the pilot of the higher glider you allow the lower glider the right of way to land first. T
13) As you turn onto your final approach at about 400' AGL a power aircraft pulls onto the runway in front of you. You carry out a 360_ turn to allow him time to take off. F Your options are limited here, landing overhead is a bad choice since he may start his take-off roll; try side of runway or cross runway.
14) You are flying the final approach in a crosswind from the left. You anticipate that during the ground run the glider will weathercock to the right. F
15) You are the lower of 2 gliders on final approach - you should land short and stop as rapidly as possible using the wheel brake to allow the other glider to land overhead. T
16) The turns performed in the circuit should be well banked (approx 300) positive turns. These turns have a much lower risk than shallow turns of an inadvertent spin. T
17) When flying the circuit you should always have landmarks (trees, roads, fences) picked out to mark the points at which you will commence the circuit, and carry out turns to base and final approach. F Judge height and position in the circuit and do NOT rely on secondary references - these can change and will be absent when you land elsewhere.
18) You have become airborne on aerotow & at about 50 - 100' + way down the runway the tug "Waves you off". You land ahead and steer right to give the tug room to land and steer left. T
19) As you round out (flare) at the correct height you balloon slightly. The correct action is to move the stick firmly forwards. F Continue to "hold off" and land normally - this suggestion will get you a big bounce.
20) Because of a low release you find yourself running towards a fence and, even with fully applied wheel brake, you see that a collision with the fence is imminent. Your best option is to initiate a ground loop. F A better option with a retractable U/C is to retract, as you are likely to do less damage than a ground loop may do. With fixed gear you will have to ground loop, and if the surface is wet grass, the glider will keep on sliding on its belly, again forcing a ground loop.
21) BONUS QUESTION. On the take off roll before leaving the ground the compensated vario shows a climb. T The "Total energy" is increasing hence the "up" indication.
2) The highest glider in the thermal sets the direction of turn. F This position may change at times causing confusion. The rule is - first into the thermal sets direction of turn. In some situations a set direction of turn is prescribed. eg. At Jan Kempdorp the rule is left turns within 10 Kms of the field.
3) When leaving a thermal you fly across the centre of the thermal as it is now the responsibility of those continuing to thermal to clear your path. F See comments under 1 above.
4) You should try to position yourself directly underneath the fastest climbing glider so that you may use it as a vario while maintaining a good look out. F You certainly use the other gliders as varios in a thermal, to keep flying with your attention on the traffic and NOT on your vario, but directly below is a very bad place to be if the other pilot inadvertently stalls or spins, also you are invisible to him there and hence in danger.
5) When soaring the ridge you always turn away from the ridge. T
6) When overtaking another glider on the ridge you overtake between the ridge and the other glider. T The overtaken glider will turn away from the ridge.
7) When two gliders approach one another head-on on the ridge, the glider with the ridge to the left has the right of way. F The standard rule is for both aircraft to turn to the right in a head on approach situation. Clearly the glider with the ridge to his right cannot turn right (would collide with the ridge or go downwind), so the glider with the ridge to his right has the right of way.
8) Flying the ridge the best lift is often found downwind of the crest of the ridge. F When talking of ridge lift the downwind area of a ridge is in the down. Thermals off the ridge may continue downwind of the ridge with good lift. Staying away from the downwind side of a ridge is generally wise.
9) Orographic cloud may form below the glider flying on a ridge, this is not cause to leave the ridge. F When orographic clouds start forming on the ridge it implies an increase in the moisture content of the air, more cloud may well form and you might find yourself in cloud close to the ridge. Leave as soon as the clouds begin to form.
10) Soaring the wave you have climbed until you are soaring the leading edge of the lenticular cloud, you suddenly are engulfed in cloud. You deploy full airbrakes, lower landing gear and take hands and feet off controls until clear of cloud. (So called "benign spiral mode"). T Try this sometime in clear air and see how the glider you fly behaves in these circumstances. A spin to get clear is sometimes recommended. Many modern gliders will spin for 1 or 2 turns only then enter a spiral dive. Stay clear of cloud and don't get caught by closing wave gaps.
11) You have climbed above the cloud tops in wave. The wave-gap is stable and will not ever close below you. F The wave gap can and does close up.
12) The ambient temperature while wave flying may be so low as to impair your ability to control the glider. T
13) Oxygen supplementation is only necessary above 15000`. F Oxygen must be used from 12000'.
14) When flying in wave you should consider the possibility of control icing interfering with the controllability of the glider. T
15) The recovery from a fully developed spin is as follows: Full opposite rudder, pause, move the stick forward until the spin stops then centralise controls and recover from the dive. T
16) You are thermalling and, while maintaining a coordinated turn, you progressively slow the glider until it stalls. This will usually result in a spin. F The glider will usually stall without spinning, if the stall is in coordinated flight.
17) You are flying cross country. You are in such a position that there are no immediately available suitable fields for an outlanding. You should search into wind, since the lower ground speed gives better search opportunities. F Search downwind as you will have increased range and hence more chance of finding a suitable field.
18) You are on a cross-country and are faced with an outlanding. Road access to the chosen field is your first priority in field selection. F This is your least important priority, other considerations of suitability for a safe landing are of far greater importance.
19) Faced with a sloping field for an outlanding the best choice is to land uphill even if this is downwind. T
20) You are getting low and the outlanding is now inevitable. You should plan a circuit into your chosen field being at about 500 - 600 ft AGL opposite the threshold. T
21) BONUS QUESTION. The World Gain of Height record of 12894 m was established in February 1961 and has remained unbroken since. T
Everybody loves quotes. Everybody loves flying. Here is the best of both worlds, a mixture of quotes, humorous sayings etc which I once again found on one of the club Web sites. Enjoy it!!!
"Combat flying is long hours of total boredom interrupted by seconds of sheer terror." - Unknown
"I've had a ball." - Chuck Yeager, describing his Air Force career which spanned over 30 years.
If God meant man to fly, He'd have given him more money.
The three things that never did anybody any good: the altitude that's above you, the runway that's behind you, and the gas that's still in the truck.
The purpose of a propeller is to keep the pilot cool. If you don't believe it, turn it off and watch him sweat.
On a large jet following a maintenance test flight, the pilot-in-command wrote in the aircraft log, "Aircraft satisfactory, except autoland very rough." The mechanic's sign-off was, "Autoland not installed on this aircraft."
A Mexican newspaper reports that bored Royal Air Force pilots stationed on the Falkland Islands have devised what they consider a marvellous new game. Noting that the local penguins are fascinated by aeroplanes, the pilots search out a beach where the birds are gathered and fly slowly along it at the water's edge. Perhaps ten thousand penguins turn their heads in unison watching the planes go by and, when the pilots turn around and fly back, the birds turn their heads in the opposite direction, like spectators at a slow-motion tennis match. Then, the paper reports, the pilots fly out to sea and directly to the penguin colony and overfly it. Heads go up, up, up, and ten thousand penguins fall over gently onto their backs. - Audobon Society Magazine
We had a great Christmas time with the whole family. I was very happy to see my sister and brother again who both came from Germany and South Africa respectively. A very good friend also came from Cape Town and the grandparents from Argentina. Wow, what an international family!! you must think. Things sometimes happen. We travelled around the south-western part of Mexico, visiting all the different ruins of the Mayan people, some constructed in the 3rd century. It was impressive to see how advanced some of these people were and the strange thing is that nobody knows really what happened thereafter. They no longer exist. Seems like a big disease killed them all!! The last three days of the journey we spent in Cancun at the beach. The Caribbean water is great, the sea animals wonderful and the climate 30 degrees Celsius during winter. Crazy!!
I started university last week and have quite a lot of work. It was great to see some of my new friends again, but the best was that I did not feel all alone. I was greeting people, talking, asking about their holidays etc. I feel that I have integrated myself reasonably well.
Cheers from faraway Mexico from Martin Korte