Para Subject
CROSS-COUNTRY FLYING
6.1 Authorization for Cross-Country Flying
6.2 Cross country non tow flying
CROSS-COUNTRY TOWING
6.3 General cross country towing procedures
6.4 Initial Cross-Country Towing Authorization
6.5 Towing non Lasham gliders away from Lasham
6.6 Cross-Country Retrieves from other Airfields
FIELD RETRIEVES
6.7 Field Retrieves
6.8 Pilot qualifications for Field Retrieves
6.9 Field Retrieves - Procedures
6.10 Field Retrieves - Oral Test
6.11 Field Retrieves - Flying Test
6.1 AUTHORIZATION FOR CROSS-COUNTRY FLYING. Before any powered aircraft taking
off from Lasham (other that FLS aviation movements) is flown away from the local
area, the pilot must fill in the Powered Aircraft Movements Book which is kept
in the tug briefing area in the canteen. Booking In and Out in the Movements
Book is both a Club and a legal requirement. The book was started after a
non-Lasham light aircraft departing from Lasham was involved in a fatal accident
and the emergency services were not alerted because there was no record of the
pilot's intentions. The book is also checked regularly by Inspectors from HM
Customs and Excise.
6.3 GENERAL CROSS-COUNTRY TOWING PROCEDURES. It has to be remembered that
glider pilots are rarely taught cross country aerotowing, some may never have
tried flying a glider level on tow and may never have been towed faster than the
normal climb speed. Some may not even be aware that careful use of the
airbrakes is needed should the tug have to descend on tow, although this is now
taught to new glider pilots as part of aerotow checks. A careful briefing of
any inexperienced glider pilot is therefore essential, particularly if from
another club.
THE SAFE CONDUCT OF THE FLIGHT IS ALWAYS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE
TUG PILOT.
6.3.2 Rope Length. A long rope is essential for cross country retrieves, it can be
the difference between success or failure. The glider pilot may become
fatigued on a long tow; he may already be fatigued after a long soaring flight.
A long rope allows the glider a greater flight envelope with respect to the tug,
before any handling difficulties arise. Therefore, tie or shackle 2 ropes
together every time for long retrieves. Tie with a reef knot, if using a
shackle make sure the pin is screwed fully in and is tight, if in doubt use a
short length of locking wire to make sure that the pin cannot rotate out in
flight.
6.3.3 Height. Height is safety for the glider (and tug) so fly as high as possible,
within reason. As only gradual descents are possible whilst towing, descending
for clouds or airways ahead has to be started several miles in advance.
6.3.4 Flying Technique. On cross country tows, smooth flying with only slow
changes of pitch attitude and power takes priority over maintaining an exact
height. The glider pilot may be fatigued after a long soaring flight and the
tug pilot should make it as easy as possible for him.
6.5 TOWING NON-LASHAM GLIDERS AWAY FROM LASHAM. Authorization is required for
the flight as in para 6.1 and cross-country towing clearance as in para 6.3.
First agree where the glider will release and work out the charge on the current
price per kilometre basis, try and collect the money before the flight. Release
will normally be at a good height within easy gliding range of the glider's
destination. If the pilot cannot pay, write his name and address clearly on the
log so the office can issue the bill correctly. Failure to do this means you
become responsible for the cost of the flight. Agree the route, R/T frequency,
towing speeds and the wave off point before take off, if the glider does not
release continue to his destination airfield. As usual, use 2 normal ropes tied
together unless the flight is short such as towing to the clubs at Odiham,
Farnborough or Parham.
6.6 CROSS COUNTRY RETRIEVES FROM OTHER AIRFIELDS. If you wish to do a cross
country retrieve involving an away landing at another airfield, including other
gliding sites, authorization is required for the flight as in para 6.1 and
cross-country towing clearance as in 6.3. If more than one pilot wishes to fly
the retrieve, priority will be given to pilots who have done their share of the
local tows on the same day.
6.7 FIELD RETRIEVES. Authorization is required for the flight as in para 6.1
and cross-country towing clearance as in 6.3 and in addition, pilots must have
clearance for field landings in Tugs signed in their logbook by the CFI or
Tugmaster.
6.7.2 Pilot Qualifications. The same incident made us question what
qualifications the tug pilot should have before being allowed to do field
retrieves, these are now listed in 6.7.
6.9 FIELD RETRIEVES - PROCEDURE.
Permission to Land. Permission to land a tug in the field must be obtained
before the tug departs. It is always best if the tug pilot speaks to the glider
pilot by telephone to confirm permission has been given.
Information on the Field. Telephone contact with the glider pilot also
gets the best possible information on the exact location, length,
orientation and surface condition of the field, also ask about the local
wind, presence of any animals, and any obstructions such as power wires,
buildings, or houses. It helps if both pilots have the relevant quarter million
map to hand to assist in locating the field. Remember that long grass or soft
ground will substantially increase drag on the wheels during takeoff. Takeoff
distances are normally only quoted for hard surfaces or short grass, and long
grass or soft ground can easily double distance to unstick and may even cause
sufficient drag to balance the power, in which case after an initial
acceleration you may then never become airborne. Question the glider pilot
carefully about the field surface; he will normally err on the over-optimistic
side because he wants to be retrieved, but it's your neck if takeoff has to be
aborted!
Telephone Number. Tug pilots should obtain a telephone number where the
glider pilot may be contacted.
Nearest Airfield. The details of the nearest usable airfield to the field should also
be looked up in case it is necessary to land to establish contact.
Finding the Glider. Finding the glider is not always easy especially if it has been
pulled near to the hedge, use a square search to systematically cover the ground.
Inspecting the Field. Having found the field, fly around it at about 500
ft, this circuit is to look for the local surface wind, to find
obstructions such as power wires, to decide the best direction to take off in
allowing for houses or animals in surrounding fields and to check there is an
escape route for the glider should the rope break. During this circuit you will
also be deciding which part to land in and having picked it, it is essential to
overfly it at a height of about 50 ft to check for ditches or other obstacles to
a safe landing.
Planning the Takeoff. On the ground, choose the take off route carefully,
give going downhill a higher priority than going into wind, unless the wind is
strong. Walk the route, pacing the takeoff run to make sure the length is
adequate and that it is clear of hidden obstructions such as potholes, and then
decide courses of action should problems arise on takeoff. The tug's engine
could falter or fail, but the more likely case in a short field is of the tug
having to release the glider if it appears that it will not clear the hedge or
other obstruction.
Obstacles after Unstick. If the field has a firm surface and the grass is
short, the critical issue is often not the distance to unstick, but the
clearance of any obstacles during the initial climb. Flight Manuals give
figures both for unstick distances and also distances to a so-called `screen
height' which used to be 50 feet but is now 15 metres (about 50 ft, anyway).
Depending on the aircraft type, distance to 50 ft / 15 m can easily be 170-180%
and more of unstick distance. When pacing the field, look closely at the upwind
boundary for tree height, wires, poles, slope of ground and so forth, and plan
your initial climb accordingly. You may have to turn as soon as you are safely
airborne, say from a height of 50 or 100 feet, in the same way as, for instance,
towing towards the hill at Dunstable; in this case you can brief the glider
pilot beforehand.
Rope Length. If the field is a good length, there are no significant
obstacles in the path of the initial climb, and the tow is not for only a short time, then
use the double rope as recommended for all but the shortest Cross Country retrieves
(see para 6.3.2). However, if there is any doubt about takeoff distance or clearance of
obstacles after unstick, use a single rope (150 -170 ft).
6.10 FIELD RETRIEVES - ORAL TEST. Following the briefing the next step before
being cleared for field retrieves is the Oral Test. The following questions form the basis
of this oral test:
6.11 FIELD RETRIEVES - FLIGHT TEST. Depending on the applicant's
experience, the Instructor may wish to set up a check flight, practising
approaches to fields or landings and takeoffs in a restricted part of the
airfield.
Last updated by John Leibacher on Friday, September 8, 1995 at 21:21
6.1.1 Lasham Tugs. In the case of Lasham tugs, authorization for the
cross-country flight should given by the CFI, DCFI, Tugmaster, or the Manager,
and should be signed as such in the Movements Book . If these staff are not
available, then authority for the flight may be given by the Senior Instructor
on the airfield who may not be a power pilot but will be in a position to advise
on whether the tug can be released from Lasham activities, and on the weather
and the time of sunset. In extremis where time is of the essence such as to get
a glider back before dark, verbal permission can also be given but make
absolutely sure what you are being permitted to do before you depart. Those
authorising a cross-country flight should expect to remain at Lasham to satisfy
themselves of the flight's safe return. Both the tug pilot and those
authorising a flight should be satisfied on the following points:-
6.2 CROSS COUNTRY NON-TOW FLYING. This enables tug pilots to stay in
cross-country practice, and is carried out at the pilot's expense.
Authorization for flight away from the local area is required, para 6.1 refers.
Consider taking a glider pilot with you in order to increase his experience of
map reading and navigation.
Cross-Country Towing
6.3.1 Radio. Radios should generally be available, and should always be used in
case a problem develops on a long tow. The use of 129.975 MHz is recommended.
6.4 INITIAL CROSS-COUNTRY TOWING AUTHORIZATION. Once you have done a
minimum of 200 tows, you can obtain an initial cross country towing
authorization from the Tugmaster or CFI. This will involve a 2 part test,
described below. Success in passing these two tests will be indicated by an
entry `Cleared for cross country towing from airfields' signed in the pilot's
Log book:
PART 1. Preparing a flight plan, using a latest edition map, for a typical
cross-country tug activity. For instance, a midweek flight towing a Discus back
to within glide range of Nympsfield, and then going on to Enstone to pick up a
Ka6 to be towed to Lasham; assume there will be a Royal Flight from Lyneham to
Northolt about an hour after your most likely departure time from Lasham, the
wind is 270/15 and sunset is at 2100.
PART 2. An oral test covering the following questions.
Which tug to take?
Can you or should you take a passenger?
How many ropes are you going to take, what rope length are you going to
use, is it legal?
What factors have to be considered before seeking authorization for the
flight? How do you book out, do you have to book in?
Which airfields are open to non radio aircraft? What is a correct non radio
Joining procedure?
Describe the R/T procedure you would use for a retrieve from, say,
Shoreham. How much fuel do tugs use on these flights?
What speeds are you going to tow at, how will you know if this is too fast
or too slow?
What briefing are you going to give the glider pilot if this is his first
ever cross country tow?
Retrieves from Fields
6.7.1 Choice of Tug Type. Whenever possible the Super Cub will be used for a
field retrieve. This follows an incident to a Rallye in 1985 after which it was
decided Rallyes would no longer be used for routine field retrieves. Chapter 4
makes it clear that the Regent will not be used for field retrieves because of
its lack of effective flaps and consequent higher threshold speed and longer
landing run. If the Super Cub is not available, consult the CFI or Tugmaster.
6.8 PILOT QUALIFICATIONS FOR FIELD RETRIEVES. Once the pilot has the Initial
Cross Country Rating and has 3 years towing experience, he may apply for
authorization to do field retrieves. Before applying, the pilot should read
some of the excellent chapters covering glider field landings in various gliding
books, and it is also expected the applicant will have had experience of field
landings in gliders. The authorization will begin with a briefing on operating
tugs in and out of fields, using the procedures outlined in para 6.8 as a
basis. Subjects to cover in the briefing are mostly those applicable to the tug
as these are less likely to be found in books on gliding. This briefing will
provide a chance to ask questions before going on to a formal oral test, and, if
necessary, a flight test. Success in passing these tests will be indicated by
an entry 'Cleared for Field Retrieves' signed in the pilots log book. Having
obtained the ratings to carry out field retrieves the requirements listed in para 6.2
apply to each individual flight.
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