Letting Go of the Windsock

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Letting Go of the Windsock
Training for Cross-Country Soaring
Curt Lewis - 95 CFIG / ASEL Feb/07
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The Joy of Soaring
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Objective
Identify pilot skills and experiences necessary
to build the competence and confidence required
for safe and rewarding cross-country soaring
flight.
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Goals

• Bridge the Comfort Gap (Local -to- XC Soaring)
• Assist Instructors
• Assist Clubs FBOs
• Motivate
• Build Confidence
• Increase Initiative
• Grow Sport Cross-Country (XC) Soaring
• Get Pilots Addicted

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Why Should We Soar XC?

• Survey Says You Already Want To
• A Rare Kind of Freedom
• A Rare Kind of Commitment
• A Rare Kind of Reward

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Why We Dont Try XC Soaring

• The Primary Reason We Dont Soar Cross-Country?
• Fear of Death!

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Why We Dont Try XC Soaring

• Fear of Club! (Not Risk Free)
• PERSONAL GLIDER IS HUGE BENEFIT
• Landing Out (Off-Field or Airport)
• Getting Lost
• Retrieve Preparations Cost
• Taking the First Step

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FAAFundamentals of Instruction
Probably the greatest single barrier to
effective communication in the teaching process
is a lack of common (recent) experience.
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FAA Fundamentals of Instruction

• T-Ball
• - Throw, Catch, Hit, Run
• First Applied to a Game
• Nobody is keeping score
• Throw/Catch (Easy) Game (Difficult)
• Goal 1 - Bridge the Gap

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FAAFundamentals of Instruction
Is our lack of recent experience learning XC
a barrier to us teaching XC?
I believe this to be a significant factor
influencing the success of sport XC training.
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Fledgling XC Pilots

• What are they comfortable confident with?
• Home Operations
• Thermalling Skills
• Endurance
• Navigation (?)
• Radio Communications (?)

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Fledgling XC Pilots

• What might they NOT be comfortable confident
  with why?
• Off-Field Landings?
• Little or no experience
• Unfamiliar Airports Operations?
• Little or no experience

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Key Question?
If it could be guaranteed that you would not
land out, would you be more likely to soar
cross-country?
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Fledgling XC Pilots
Its probably safe to say that the fear of
landing-out is the greatest obstacle to
overcome.
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Fledgling XC Pilots

• What NOT comfortable with why (cont.)
• Off-Field Landings?
• Little or no experience
• Unfamiliar Airports Operations?
• Little or no experience
• Navigation?
• Little or no experience
• Radio Communications?
• Little or no experience

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Preparation

• Physical Self
• XC Logistics
• Sailplane
• Capabilities/Experience

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Preparation - Physical Self

• Physical Comfort / Needs
• Hydration System
• Relief System (Practice!)
• Clothes / Hat / UV Protection
• Sunglasses
• Food

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Preparation

• Physical Self
• XC Logistics
• Sailplane
• Capabilities/Experience

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Preparation XC Logistics

• Network of Help / Support
• Club Member Initiative
• Trailer Tow Vehicle Prep
• Cell Phone Phone Numbers
• Good Road Maps / GPS Nav System

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Preparation

• Physical Self
• XC Logistics
• Sailplane
• Capabilities/Experience

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Preparation - Sailplane

• Comfortable Quiet as Possible
• Sectional Chart (Carry and Use Always)
• Chart Rings

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Standard / 15M
Reduce LD by 10 for Margin
Sport XC
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(No Transcript)
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Preparation - Sailplane

• Comfortable Quiet as Possible
• Sectional Chart (Carry and Use Always)
• Mounted Handheld GPS? (100)

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GPS for Distance Measuring

• Set to display (9) Nearest Waypoints
  (Distance/Bearing) before takeoff
• Should be mounted
• Dont touch it

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Preparation - Sailplane

• Comfortable Quiet as Possible
• Cell Phone / Phone Numbers
• Sectional Chart (Carry and Use Always)
• Mounted Handheld GPS (100)
• Weak-Link
• 100- 200 Poly Rope (Gnd Tow or Tie Down)
• First Aid Kit

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Preparation

• Physical Self
• XC Logistics
• Sailplane
• Capabilities/Experience

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Preparation - Capabilities/Experience

• SSA Bronze Badge / Soaring Skills
• 2 Hour Duration, Accuracy Lndgs, XC Test
• MANY Non-XC Pilots are capable of this
• Do Your Homework!
• SSA XC Handbook for Students
• Dean Carswell

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The Joy of Soaring
Get more comfortable being uncomfortable.
Cross-Country?
Stop here and look around
CREEP
HOME
Fly Upwind
Use For Concept Only
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Beloit
Cambridge Software Free Download
Belvidere
122 Miles
Sky Soaring
Decalb
Olson
Hinckley
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Free Cambridge Software
4 Mile Radius
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Preparation - Capabilities/Experience

• SSA Bronze Badge / Soaring Skills
• Weather Awareness
• Changing conditions
• Wind shift
• Over-Development (Ahead Behind)
• Storms

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Preparation - Capabilities/Experience

• SSA Bronze Badge / Soaring Skills
• Weather Awareness
• Full Command of Landing Elements

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Landing Patterns

• What is the PRIMARY Objective of Every Landing
  PATTERN?

Pattern -a predictable route or movement
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Landing Patterns

• The Landing Pattern Rectangle
• A Rectangle is NOT a Requirement, its a Pattern

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FAAA Glider is an Aircraft not an Airplane
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Landing Patterns

• The Landing Pattern Rectangle
• Fly by Angles (the Cone)
• Ignore the Altimeter (Stop turning base at 600)
• Stop turning base at the farmhouse
• Left - Right - Abbreviated Patterns
• Fly The Plane Then the Pattern

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Landing Patterns
Dean Carswell
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Landing at Other Airports
How do we improve pilot confidence?
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FAAFundamentals of Instruction
1st Lesson Should be a Pleasurable Experience A
flight to a nearby airport is a good, positive
approach for a first flight lesson.
XC Soaring Law of Primacy
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Landing at Other Airports

• Elements of Landing at Other Airports
• Spotting from the Air

• Always fly with a chart and PRACTICE
• Triangulate to estimate locations of distant
  airports

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Landing at Other Airports

• Elements of Landing at Other Airports
• Spotting from the Air
• Runway Types
• Practice Angles other than N/S or E/W
• Hard Surface (Noises), Narrower

• Use the Hard Surface Runway! (Not the ditch
  beside it)
• Stop on center-line pull glider off (beware
  lights!)
• Use chalk center-line on grass for practice

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Landing at Other Airports

• Elements of Landing at Other Airports
• Spotting from the Air
• Runway Types
• Communications
• Get comfortable with the radio
• Who Where What
• Say GLIDER!
• !!! Aviate - Navigate - Communicate !!!

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Landing at Other Airports

• Elements of Landing at Other Airports
• Spotting from the Air
• Runway Types
• Communications
• The Retrieve
• Unassisted Takeoff
• Good for tow pilots also
• Simple but Important Experience

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Landing at Other Airports
This experience, and the confidence it
brings, may be the single most important factor
in allowing a pilot to successfully develop
cross-country soaring skills.
If you have experience PLEASE TALK ABOUT IT!
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Preparation - Capabilities/Experience

• SSA Bronze Badge / Soaring Skills
• Weather Awareness
• Landing at Other Airports
• Off-Field Landings
• Read
• Talk to those with Experience!

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Off-Field Landing 1
CCSC
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Off-Field Landing 1
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Off-Field Landing 1
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Off-Field Landing 2
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Off-Field Landing 2
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Off-Field Landing 2
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Off-Field Landing 3
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Off-Field Landing 3
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Off-Field Landing 3
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Off-Field Landing 3
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Off-Field Landing 3
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Off-Field Landing 4
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Off-Field Landing 4
Comfort Curve
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Preparation - Capabilities/Experience

• Off-Field Landings

and Airport Landouts!
If you have experience PLEASE TALK ABOUT IT!
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Preparation

• Physical Self
• XC Logistics
• Sailplane
• Capabilities/Experience
• CONFIDENCE

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Conclusion

• Where do we go
• from here?

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Conclusion

• 4. Instructors Bridge the Gap
• What are we forgetting due to lack of recent
  common experience?

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Conclusion

• 3. Club FBO General Support
• Commitment to XC Soaring / Training
• Support Recognition for Individual Efforts
• Active Members / Customers
• 4. Instructors Bridge the Gap

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Conclusion

• 2. Club FBO Financial Support
• No Fines for Landing Out
• Normal Tow Charge for Short Aero-Retrieves?
• Return on Investment
• 3. Club FBO General Support
• 4. Instructors Bridge the Gap

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Conclusion

• 1. Experience Multiple Airports / Retrieves
• AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE !!!
• 2. Club FBO Financial Support
• 3. Club FBO General Support
• 4. Instructors Bridge the Gap

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FAAFundamentals of Instruction
1st Lesson Should be a Pleasurable Experience A
flight to a nearby airport is a good, positive
approach for a first flight lesson.
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Review Goals

• Bridge the Gap
• Easy-to-Difficult
• Motivate
• Build Confidence
• Growth of XC Soaring
• Get Pilots Addicted

The Joy of Soaring
Identify pilot skills and experiences necessary
to build the competence and confidence required
for safe and rewarding cross-country soaring
flight.
69
Letting Go of the Windsock

• a rare kind of freedom
• a rare kind of commitment
• a rare kind of reward

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Letting Go of the Windsock
Training for Cross-Country Soaring
THANK YOU!
Questions? CurtL33_at_aol.com
Curt Lewis - 95 CFIG / ASEL