Soaring magazine

For the first time in 20 years, I sat down and read Soaring magazine, cover to cover. Good stuff in there, all interesting. The 2 accident write-ups were hard hitting, factual information that just might prevent a similar occurance.

George Thelen described an ASW-20 that hit the trees, I believe the tragic accident involving an LS-8 out of Truckee, last year, happened in just this way. A little too slow, a little too low, a strong tail gust and you're in the trees.

Pete williams told of the tragic results of a bright new competition pilot's attempt to learn a new launch method. The only thing I would add to this excellent write-up is this; A pilot that starts self-launching needs to add several items to his check-list that were formally on the tow pilots check-list:

1. Wind and runway slope? I have seen a self-launch into a 5 knot wind, but up hill. Pilot almost didn't make it up the hill going east out of Air Sailing.

2. Fuel, do we have enough and is the correct tank selected?

3. Density altitude, do we have enough power for this situation?

4. Engine, Is it developing full power?

5. Abort, The old 200 feet / 180 turn back won't work with a dead engine and prop drag. better circle the airport until you have 1000 feet or so.

A great big At-a-Boy to the editor and staff of Soaring magazine. JJ Sinclair

Ups, forgot some stuff>>>>>>>>>>>>.

The only thing I would add to this excellent write-up is that USAF survival training is to stay with your downed aircraft unless you have a compelling reason to leave. The aircraft is much easier to spot than a lone survivor. Splice the antenna lead, if the radio is otherwise working.

Make use of your parachute. spread it out during the day, it's a good marker signal. Wrap up in it at night. Use the riser lines as rope. splint a broken leg with chute container and shroud lines, etc., etc. One could write a book on the use of your parachute, other than for the traditional, *nylon descent*.

During daylight hours, make smoke from a small fire. During the summer, in the California woods, you are likely to have a Forest Service spotter plane on you in a heart beat. Don't start a forest fire, just a very small *smoke* producer. What most of us accomplish whenever we try to light a camp fire

From time to time, I have flown searches for the CAP in Alaska. One thing that downed pilots have to remember is that finding crashes from the air in remote areas is not as easy as it might sound. TM..BTDT.

Anything the pilot can do on the ground to attract attention significantly increases the chances that you will be found sooner.

Smoky fires are great. Something in that glider will burn with lots of smoke. Busted gear doors, whatever. Look around and see what suitable bits of fiberglass or tire are handy.

Small signal mirrors work great as well when the sun is out and can be highly directional. MG pilots may have them for checking prop retraction. Other pilots should consider carrying one. They are small and light.

Pete

OK, down and lost:

Plan A. Grab cell phone and dial crew - give coordinates from handheld GPS. Plan B. Grab cell phone and call 911 - give coordinates from handheld GPS. Plan C. Grab handheld radio and yell for help on 121.5MHz. - give coordinates from handheld GPS. Plan D If plan A, B or C doesn't work, set up camp. It's going to be a long night.

Bill Daniels

some places out west and up north, that can be a problem. 121.5 is great but perhaps a better 1st call from the handheld would be to the ATC center frequency that serves your area. (Its a good idea to write it down on the kneeboard before you launch that day.)

Even in the most remote spots of Alaska you can nearly always raise an airliner on the way to Europe from the west coast or Asia. Works in Nevada too.

However, how you get the KAL crew to understand English is beyond the scope of this discussion.

One thing you didn't mention was an emergency locator transmitter (ELT). Small low cost units are readily available. There have been crashes that the pilot survived, only to die before a search party could be organized and the pilot located.

You will need someway of starting the fire, such as matches. In a pinch you could short the battery with a small gage wire (if the wire is stranded use a single strand). A small gage wire has more resistance and will heat up more than a larger gage (which is what a fuse is).

Also, are you dressed to spend the night in the mountains? It gets cold up there.

The hunter that did this in San Diego 2 weeks ago was rescued, the 300 homes he burned could not be rescued.

Too bad those homeowners didn't follow the recommendaions that have been issued for years now, and cut back the brush and trees around their homes.

Do your best to contain your small signal fire, but don't be afraid to use one. The gunners have a saying: 'Better to be judged by twelve than carried by six.' And that applies here, too.

Hi Pete, I did that once in Nevada. Didn't know the frequency, so just switched around until I heard an airliner talking to center. When the conversation stopped, I called and said, ' American 101, this is glider JJ, do you read?' Go ahead replied American 101. Would you please switch to 123.5 and call JJ Ground? The message is; JJ has landed at South West Gas. 'You got it JJ'. After a couple of minutes, 'They got it JJ'. Thanks to all the airline *relay* pilots out there.

JJ Sinclair

KAL is Dutch and I have never met a Dutch person who does not speak prefect English. also all international crews have to speak English.

KLM is Dutch and, yes, their english is, without exception, excellent. KAL is Korean Air Lines. Their skills in the language are..... varied.