By: Tom Johnson - 09/15/09
This is a pretty amazing video. Lucky for us, the pilot realized the spoilers were deployed and closed them to avert an accident.This is the second time in a month one of our more experienced pilots has taken off with the spoilers open. I know, because one of them was me. I let myself get distracted during the take-off checklist, and instead of starting over (like we do on the 757 I fly), I tried to pick up the checklist from where I thought I had left off. Fortunately for me, I recognized my mistake just prior to the tow plane lifting off. The only thing damaged was my ego.
I do not know the particulars of the video incident, but I do know our system broke down on my take-off.
Primarily and with full responsibility, I failed to properly complete the take-off checklist. But the tow pilot, the Ground Safety Officer, and the wing runner failed to notice the gliders improper configuration. I am not and will not place blame for my incident on anyone but me, but I challenge each of you to take your duties at the field personally. Make it a point of pride to never have an incident happen on your watch if you can at all help it.
Tow pilots, check the configuration of the glider before adding power. If the take-off seems sluggish, check for the spoilers being open. (By the way, what would you do as the glider pilot if the tow plane started fishtailing)
Ground Safety Officer, check the proper configuration of the aircraft. Do not give the take-off signal unless you are satisfied the glider is ready to go. Use the radio if you can to abort the take-off or alert the pilots if something is wrong.
Wing Runner, check the configuration of the glider. It doesn’t matter if you are the most inexperienced pilot on the field and the glider pilot is the most experienced. If the situation doesn’t look right, stop the operation and get confirmation that things are the way they need to be.
The Ground Safety Officer has the authority and responsibility to stop the operation at any time deemed necessary. But any one of us can, and should, loudly make our voice heard if we believe that something is wrong. It never hurts to slow down and redo a checklist or recheck your configuration.
Fly safe, do your checklists, and watch each other like our lives depend on it… They do.
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» Notes from the Club President - March 2010
» Notes from the Club President - February 2010
Weather Check:
Pensacola NAS (13 miles SSE)• Conditions: clear
• Temperature: 61°F
• Barometer: 30.11 in.
• Winds: N / 5 mph
• Visibility: 10 mi
(Last Update: 02/06/2012 2:56 pm)
Club Officers:
• President: Tom JohnsonEmail: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
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• Vice President: Art DeTonnancourt
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• Secretary: Emmett Moran
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• Treasurer: Rus Howard
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Club Instructors:
Certified Flight Instructors - Glider (CFIG)• Dave Galloway
• Roger Hinote
• Tom Johnson
• Joe Kuehmeier
• Emmett Moran
Certified Flight Instructor (CFI)
• Dave Galloway