>> On Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:34:44 -0700, Cats wrote:-
>> > We have a DG505 we use for spinning rather than an SZD Puchacz, and
we are allowed to go solo in the K21 without any spin training, but not in
the SZD Juniors which are the same builder as the Puchacz and apparently
spin like a top - not that I've ever done that in them. . . . .
Hi Cats,
It appears that you probably have read my salutary tale in thread post No.
28 regarding my one and only unintentional spin while soaring (but once is
enough to bring home the point in a dramatic way!).
> > > Now let me explain what happened about four years ago when I was
flying a glass single-seater at 3,500'. The thermal was unusually strong
and rough for the UK (10 kts). I was flying at the min sink speed, which
is of course is only a few knots above the stall speed and must have gone
through an extra rough patch, or a shear plane, as suddenly, within two
seconds, I was looking down at the ground and the fields were spinning
around. Hey! I thought, "I do believe that I am in an unsolicited spin".
Because of my glider spin training I recovered almost automatically,
centred on thethermal core again, and carried on climbing.
This is why glider pilots do so many stalls, incipient spins, and full
spins in training - and again during all annual checks!
> > > Tony
Yes Cats! The glider in this tale was indeed an SZD 'Junior'! However, I
would not put it in the same bracket as the SZD Puchacz and my club allow
solo pilots of relatively very limited experience to fly them. The cause
of the unintentional full spin that I related above was not because the
characteristics of the 'Junior' are unsafe, but because I was flying too
slow for the rough conditions and had not added a few knots for safety!
An indication of how we view the difference between the characteristics of
the SZD 'Junior' and the SZD 'Puchacz' can be realised when I say the
the club does not allow 'any' pilot without an instructor rating to wire
launch the Puchacz - and when I asked for clearance to a*****ow it solo (I
do not have an instructor rating) it was made very clear that the club
thought that there was no need for a non-instructor to want clearance to
fly the Puchacz solo and would prefer that I did not persue this request!
I am not necessairily saying that the following view is correct, but am
just making a statement here :- That my club (or any other UK club that I
know of) would never dream of sending a pilot solo 'in anything' without
him first having been "signed off" for the complete range of spin
training and excercises!
We have recently purchased a new K21 complete with the tail weights
'spinning kit' but I have not experienced it in this configuration and
cannot personally comment - although an instructor did mention that the
actual spin recovery was rather delayed and was not almost immediate like
the Puchacz!
However, it did seem rather a performance to me when I witnessed the
selecting and fitting the tail weights! Firstly each pilot was accuratly
weighed, then a chart was consulted and the the correct number of lead
weights calculated, then there was a hunt for where the weights were
stored, and finally they were installed at the tail. By then the Puchacz
could have launched to 3,000', completed it's spinning exercises and
landed!
Regards
Tony (SZD Junior pilot extraordinaire)
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