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Letting Go of the Windsock

Dive into the world of cross-country soaring with this guide, designed to help pilots bridge the gap from local flights to expansive cross-country adventures. Discover the joy of soaring as you gain competence, confidence, and initiative in your flying endeavors. Learn essential skills and strategies to overcome fears and challenges, and get ready to explore the skies with a new level of freedom and commitment. This comprehensive training resource will motivate and inspire both instructors and pilots, paving the way for a rewarding cross-country soaring experience.

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Letting Go of the Windsock

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  1. Letting Go of the Windsock …Training for Cross-Country Soaring Curt Lewis - 95 CFIG / ASEL Feb/07

  2. The Joy of Soaring

  3. Objective Identify pilot skills and experiences necessary to build the competence and confidence required for safe and rewarding cross-country soaring flight.

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. Why We Don’t Try XC Soaring The Primary Reason We Don’t Soar Cross-Country? Fear of Death!

  7. Why We Don’t 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

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

  9. FAAFundamentals 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

  10. 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.

  11. Fledgling XC Pilots • What are they comfortable & confident with? • Home Operations • Thermalling Skills • Endurance • Navigation (?) • Radio Communications (?)

  12. 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

  13. Key Question? If it could be guaranteed that you would not “land out”, would you be more likely to soar cross-country?

  14. Fledgling XC Pilots It’s probably safe to say that the fear of “landing-out” is the greatest obstacle to overcome.

  15. 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

  16. Preparation • Physical Self • XC Logistics • Sailplane • Capabilities/Experience

  17. Preparation - Physical Self • Physical Comfort / Needs • Hydration System • Relief System (Practice!) • Clothes / Hat / UV Protection • Sunglasses • Food

  18. Preparation • Physical Self • XC Logistics • Sailplane • Capabilities/Experience

  19. Preparation – XC Logistics • Network of Help / Support • Club Member Initiative • Trailer & Tow Vehicle Prep • Cell Phone & Phone Numbers • Good Road Maps / GPS Nav System

  20. Preparation • Physical Self • XC Logistics • Sailplane • Capabilities/Experience

  21. Preparation - Sailplane • Comfortable & Quiet as Possible • Sectional Chart (Carry and Use Always) • Chart Rings

  22. Reduce LD by 10 for Margin Standard / 15M Sport XC

  23. Preparation - Sailplane • Comfortable & Quiet as Possible • Sectional Chart (Carry and Use Always) • Mounted Handheld GPS? (~$100)

  24. GPS for Distance Measuring • Set to display (9) Nearest Waypoints (Distance/Bearing) before takeoff • Should be mounted • Don’t touch it

  25. 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

  26. Preparation • Physical Self • XC Logistics • Sailplane • Capabilities/Experience

  27. 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

  28. Get more comfortable … being uncomfortable. The Joy of Soaring Cross-Country? Stop here and look around “CREEP” HOME Fly Upwind Use For Concept Only

  29. Beloit Cambridge Software Free Download Belvidere 122 Miles Sky Soaring Decalb Olson Hinckley

  30. Free Cambridge Software 4 Mile Radius

  31. Preparation - Capabilities/Experience • SSA Bronze Badge / Soaring Skills • Weather Awareness • Changing conditions • Wind shift • Over-Development (Ahead & Behind) • Storms

  32. Preparation - Capabilities/Experience • SSA Bronze Badge / Soaring Skills • Weather Awareness • Full Command of Landing Elements

  33. Landing Patterns • What is the PRIMARY Objective of Every Landing PATTERN? Pattern -“a predictable route or movement”

  34. Landing Patterns • The Landing Pattern Rectangle • A Rectangle is NOT a Requirement, it’s a “Pattern”

  35. FAAA Glider is an Aircraft … not an Airplane

  36. 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

  37. Landing Patterns Dean Carswell:

  38. Landing at Other Airports How do we improve pilot confidence?

  39. 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

  40. 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

  41. 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

  42. 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 !!!

  43. 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

  44. 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!

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

  46. Off-Field Landing #1 CCSC

  47. Off-Field Landing #1

  48. Off-Field Landing #1

  49. Off-Field Landing #2

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