Sky Sailing or Cross Country Soaring

1. Sky Sailing or Cross Country Soaring

2. A Recipe for Cross Country Adventure • 1 promising looking soaring day • All prep & planning done in advance • 1 pilot • 1 air worthy glider • 1 sense of adventure • Yield: a minimum 2 – 3 hours of Tales over Ale's at the end of the day. (Although if an early land out is part of the adventure, the rule that the telling of the tale must not exceed the duration of the flight still applies.)

3. The Gliding Cross Country WorldClass 1: Introduction and Off-Field Landings Developed from other XC pilot articles Added to by Stephen Michalik SSA#416800

4. Qualifications and Limitations • Please be advised that I (S. Michalik) do not hold a certificated Glider Instructor Rating. Therefore you will receive no training or endorsements from this sessions. • You should read and understand FAR Part 61.93 before attempting cross country flying as a Student Pilot.

5. SSA Badges Earn the following badges • A – Solo skills • B - Soaring • C – Cross Country Knowledge • Bronze – Off Field landing skills Then: Silver READ THE REQUIREMENTS

6. The environment consists of: Weather, FAR’s, Gliders, Other pilots, Towing, Terrain, Birds, Insects, People The aircraft consists of its: Construction; performance; Comfort; visibility; trailer; Setup The Pilot consists of: KNOWLEDGE and ATTITUDE E A P The XC world

7. What do you want to learn? What goals do you have?

8. FEAR False Evidence Appearing Real

9. A year in the life of an XC Pilot • < Dec 21 • Assess last year • Begin physical preparation • Maintain currency in knowledge, glider, weather and club (EAP)

10. A year in the life of an XC Pilot • Dec 21 through March • Start physical program • Continue currency program (FAR’s, review basic knowledge, etc) • Annual glider • Review/revise checklists • Set goals for the year • Review/create routes

11. A year in the life of an XC Pilot • April • Watch weather intently • Review chart and routes • Start getting routine down • Spot landing contest • Fly glider for season assessment and to fine tune

12. A year in the life of an XC Pilot • May • First opportunity for XC flight – 3-4 days • Repack chute • Track global and local weather

13. A year in the life of an XC Pilot June – Sept • GO XC

14. The Learning Pyramid Judgment Skills Experience Knowledge • Tom Knauff

15. XC KnowledgeAircraft Pilot Environment • Crewing • Official Observers • Retrieving • Checklists • FAI Rules • Goals for this season • Tasks • ABC/Bronze Badges • GPS / Cameras • Accident Prevention • Airport procedures • Physical condition • Off Field Landings • Farmer Relations • Assembly/Disassembly • Instrumentation • Speed To Fly • Thermalling Techniques • Navigation • Chart Reading • Weather • Final Glide Calculations • In Flight decisions • Tom Knauff

16. Trust the day Land on Dirt you won’t get hurt Good Launch, Good Landing (before each launch) When you’re high, Fly the Sky. When you’re low, Fly the ground Be there Be ready Try Be safe Trust XC one Liners The primary goal of your 1st XC flight is not whether you complete the distance, BUT whether you have done it SAFELY or not.

17. Most critical part of XC flying Off – Field Landings

18. TEST - HOW TO RECOGNIZE A STALL 6 What are the signs of a stall? 1. Excessive Back Stick Pressure. 2. Nose High Attitude. 3. Low Airspeed. 4. Quiet 5. Ineffective Controls. 6. Shudder or Buffet. 6 • Tom Knauff

19. THE PILOT How a pilot senses a stall: • 1. Excessive Back Stick Pressure. Feel • 2. Nose High Attitude. Sight • 3. Low Airspeed. Sight • 4. Quiet Hear • 5. Ineffective Controls. Feel • 6. Shudder or Buffet. Feel • Tom Knauff

20. KNOWLEDGE IS THE KEY! If you don’t have it here: You can’t have it here. • Tom Knauff

22. What About OFF_ FIELD LANDINGS? It matters little to anybody else if you fly cross country or earn any badges….. If you go cross country, and have an accident because of your lack of skill, preparation, or maturity, it will reflect on you for the rest of your flying career. • Tom Knauff

28. Field Selection Size • Which course direction? • Compare to your home field (Hinton) • Farmer’s fields are typically large enough • Ask local pilots • Normal glider roll averages 500 feet – most fields larger • Tom Knauff

30. Field Selection Color • Dirt – commonly Brown • Watch out for recently harvested crops • Light Green – Either short crop or early growth crop (like wheat) • Yellow – Green – Also recently harvested crops • AVOID EMERALD GREEN - Crops • What if the field is light and dark brown? • Tom Knauff

31. Field Selection • Structure • Farm Equipment • Livestock • WIRES Obstructions - #1 consideration • What can you think of? • WIRES • Fence • Tree • Pond • Tom Knauff

33. Field Selection Slope • You must land uphill • Regardless of Wind • Slopes are worse than they appear • Use extra speed • Pick a spot well into the field • Airspeed will decrease much quicker after touchdown • Tom Knauff

35. Field Selection Which field? • Dirt – commonly best choice BUT As the Great Knight says in Legend: “ Choose Wisely ” Always look very closely for WIRES • Tom Knauff

36. Field Selection Where not to Land : • School yards • Golf course – The one just SW of Hinton • Crops • Check with the local club for particulars • Tom Knauff

37. Other Off-Field Landing Topics • Decision Heights • The Landing Pattern • Alternate Fields • Pattern Speed • The Downwind Leg • The Turn Onto Base Leg - TLAR • Tom Knauff

39. Pattern and Approach • Avoid approaches over tall obstructions • If wind > 15kts, uphill landings are turbulent • If approaching a hill from the down-wind side, strong sink on the brow so keep base leg close and final short • ALWAYS use a standard pattern

40. Other Off-Field Landing Topics • Turns – Yaw string straight! • Where to Land – Middle of field • Touchdown – Low energy • Livestock – Avoid • SSLOW - @CAS • Find the landowner and notify them immediately Buy, Read and Carry with you: “Off Field Landings” by Tom Knauff • Tom Knauff

43. I have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened. Mark Twain ANY QUESTIONS?

44. TEST • During each phase of the actual out landing, what information are we looking for? • Hint: S C O W L SCOWL SCOWL scowl scowl …………

45. TEST ANSWERS • S Slope: Furrows follow the slope line. Fields slope toward streams. • C Condition: Brown (earth color), greenish brown, green, straw yellow. • O Obstacles: Approach path clear? Look for wires between poles, fences, etc. Shadow can help. Avoid the edges of fields. • W Wind: speed, direction, variability. Look at the glider sideslip angle, cloud shadows, smoke, etc. • L Length: As long as possible and into the wind.

46. Books to Read On Landings • Stick and Rudder – Wolfgang Langewiesche pgs 261 - 321 • Soaring Cross Country – Byars & Holbrook pgs 81 - 94 • Off Field Landings – Knauff • Introduction to Cross Country Soaring – Part I of II – Kai Gertsen • Streckensegulflug - Helmut Reichmann pgs 49 – 53 • SSA Cross-Country Handbook for Students – Section 2 • American Soaring Handbook – Book 6 Chpt 5 • Glider Flying Handbook – pgs 8-7 to 8-10 • Ecole De Vol sur la Campagne (French Training Manual) pgs 5 - 22

47. Next Classes • Thermals and Thermal Techniques • Glider performance and Calculations • Navigation and Airmanship • Flight preparation & Weather • Skill Development Accomplished to date Class 1 – Intro and Off-Field Landings