"Bob Whelan" <rfwhelan@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:UdmdnRy3OdTuUv7VnZ2dnUVZ_q3inZ2d@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> jb92563 wrote:
>>> As I think about it, it might be best if there was a single array of
>>> high output LEDs. <Details snipped...>
>>>
>>> Other thoughts?
>>
>> People will misunderstand lights just as easily as a rudder waggle.
>>
>> Its a training issue and they just need to know what the signal means
>> by practice.
>>
>> <Details snipped...>
>>
>> Lights fail, radios fail, tow plane electircal systems fail and a Wag
>> or a Rock will still communicate with a glider on tow.
>>
>> The signal system works just fine, its just that the receivers of the
>> signal are learning something new to them and sometimes
>> mistakes are made.
>>
>> We should start a thread on Pilot Mistakes, and you can be sure there
>> will be 1000 hr pilots making entires there as well.
>>
>> Ray
>
> Panacea fixes...what a panacea it would be if a few of them actually
> worked. (WARNING: Dry humor nearby.)
>
> Some pertinent realities...
> - Perfection is never an option.
> - Panacea fixes aren't.
> - Thought processes matter.
> - Training is good, too.
>
> Here's a thought process that has worked for me...so far. Being fairly
> simple-minded, I struggle with remembering rules for rules' sake. I
> compensate by a reasonably decent ability to remember WHY certain
> rules/guidelines/suggestions exist...and I seek to prioritize things I
DO
> remember. (I care little about remembering trivia; I care a LOT about
> remembering 'im****tant stuff.')
>
> Here's a couple of soaring examples:
> 1) Visual tow signals (work all the time, unless being towed in
[*really*]
> hard IFR) - In life and death terms, a strong argument can be made that
> only one need be remembered, the wing-rock signal. None of the others
are
> indicative of (immediately) life-threatening (to you or the tuggie)
> situations.
>
> Can't remember what a rudder waggle (or any other
> arcane/new/untrained-for/yet-to-be-devised) signal is for? No problem!
> It's NOT the dreaded wing-rock...so no precipitate action is necessary.
> Heck, you could even turn on the radio and ask, if your Embarrassment
> Quotient hasn't been exceeded on that particular tow.
>
> 2) Landing pattern mistakes - THE one boo-boo practically guaranteed to
> kill you in a landing pattern is the inadvertent stall/spin. I deal
with
> that not by trying to remember all of the books'-worth of advice out
there
> (mostly useful and sensible and germane), but by a combinatorial thought
> approach: a) Kid(s) - don't DO that (i.e. the inadvertent uncoordinated
> pattern stall)!!! b) Pay attention to Rule a).
>
> Everything else rule-based falls out in the wash...requisite pattern
> speed, requisite pattern coordination, requisite pattern pattern, etc...
>
> 3) Soaring-in-general - Soaring is real safe as long as you don't hit
> anything (hidden assumption...that you don't want to hit).
>
> For what it's worth, I can't recall learning any of the above from any
of
> my (generally excellent) instructors (and the comment is not intended to
> be in any way derogatory or condescending). Nevertheless, I'm happy
with
> the (36-year) results-to-date. I did yank off on my (sole) wing-rock
> received. I haven't inadvertently stalled in the pattern. I haven't
> inadvertently hit anything I wasn't already intentionally aiming at.
>
> Nor have I (yet) seen a rudder waggle...but if I DO see one, I'm pretty
> certain I'm not going to yank off for mis-interpretational reasons...
>
> Respectfully,
> Bob - VRAM-limited - W.As usual, Bob
As usual, Bob's views are sensible and entertaining.
As a slight fork of this thread, what happened to "guarding" the spoiler
handle? For as long as I can remember, I've positioned my left hand so it
will block spoilers opening on takeoff. (It works, I've caught a few
students attempting takeoffs with the spoilers unlocked.) That position
is
also near the release knob which can be useful in student takeoffs.
As a further fork, when I owned an IS28b2 Lark, the little blue plastic
spheres that served as spoiler knobs disintegrated. I searched the
Internet
for a replacement and found blue anodized gear****ft knobs at AutoZone -
two
to the bubble pack. (Why would anyone want two gear****ft knobs?) Anyway,
they fit perfectly and looked really cool.
Except that on a winch launch, the acceleration would cause the heavy
gear****ft knobs to unlock the spoilers - oops! The aluminum knobs got
replaced with custom made plastic ones.
Final thought, if you are going to undertake winch launch, learn to lock
the
spoilers as part of the cockpit check - there's nobody up front to offer a
helpful signal.
Bill D
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