Soaring — A sport for the brave?

“So you want to learn to fly? It’s terribly dangerous though, isn’t it? Are you really sure you’ve got what it takes? You know what pilots are-dashing, death defying daredevils, afraid of nothing, in- trepid, hard as nails!” The mystique of the gallant airman seems to persist to this day. Perhaps at one time such characteristics did have a part to play-even that is doubtful-and this is why many a sailplane pilot still enjoys the status of some higher being, a ‘distinction’ which is based on a deep misunderstanding. An aircraft cockpit is no place for people who wish to overcome their in- adequacies or assert themselves. Pilots, and in particular sailplane pilots, have quite different motives for pursuing their sport. First there is the joy of movement-free, un- fettered movement, similar perhaps to that ex- perienced under water by a diver, the wish to transcend our two-dimensional existence on earth or to fly like a bird. Then there is a feeling for nature, an interest in the vast reserves of energy released daily by meteorological processes. What distinguishes the soaring pilot is not hero- ism, but quite the opposite: the sensitive, creative aspect of man, the part that is ever alert, carefully observing natural processes and capable of mak- ing rationally thought-out decisions. The soaring pilot must be able to keep his moods in check so that he doesn’t react impulsively, but in a con- trolled fashion-safely and responsibly. Over- confident people, and those who think they have to prove their fearlessness by executing risky maneuvers, are a danger in the air. Such indi- viduals are either totally unsuited to recreational flying, or they must radically transform their at- titudes during flight training before the instructor can authorize them to fly solo. In soaring, it is the pilot himself who determines the risk he runs, since it is very rare for dangerous situations to be attributable to external influences. In this sense, it is quite true that soaring is a very safe sport, and that the greatest risk you take is not in flying, but in driving to the airfield.

The first flight

In order to gain an impression of what soaring is like, it is best to take a whole day off and visit a local soaring site. At the airfield, ask an instructor if you can help ground handle the sailplanes and whether there is any chance of a passenger flight. It may take several hours before you are invited to climb into the cockpit, but you are then about to experience something you will not forget for a long time. Once the winch cable has been at- tached and the wings levelled, you soon move forward, gathering speed rapidly. The mainwheel and skid rumble and scrape along for a few yards, and then you’re up and away, climbing steeply- astonishing steeply-towards the heavens with the air rushing gently past. The airfield, the people and everything that surrounded you a moment ago shrink ever smaller and you ascend into an- other world, a world of winds and clouds. Gradu- ally the climb flattens out, the pilot releases the cable and at last you can see the earth again in front of you. Surprisingly, there is no sensation of vertigo such as you might experience at the top of a high tower; the sailplane cockpit generates a feeling of security and provides a hand hold. But when the pilot rolls into the first turn, you involuntarily tense up and try to prevent the horizon from tilting. If, however, you make a determined effort to move in harmony with the sailplane by imagining that you are a part of it and lean into the turns with it as a cyclist on a bicycle, then you will experience a sensation of firm, definite movement through the air, finer and freer than anything you will ever encounter in an earth- bound vehicle. You will delight in soaring soft and silent, high above the world whose surface you have hitherto been constrained to inhabit. After a few turns and some straight flying, the pilot makes his approach to land, the aircraft touches down gently and rumbles to a halt. Not until you climb out of the aircraft do you fully realize what a different vantage point, a new horizon, has been revealed to you by your flight above the earth, which now holds you prisoner once more. The time you actually spend in the air has hardly any significance. The experience is so intense that it marks you for days, weeks, or in many cases, for a lifetime.

Deciding to Become a Soaring Pilot

Careful reflection is needed before deciding to learn to fly. Soaring is without doubt one of the most splendid of all sports-sailplane pilots would, of course, say the most splendid. Almost everyone who steps out of a sailplane after a first passenger flight expresses interest in learning to fly and asks for details. There is initial enthusiasm when people learn that soaring is cheaper than other sports such as skiing, tennis and riding, but the first doubts arise when they hear how much time has to be devoted to soaring, how much work done in the workshop and how much help given at the launch point. Soaring pilots may not need a great deal of money, but they need a lot of enthusiasm, idealism, time and goodwill. Looked at this way, soaring is indeed an elite sport, demanding large resources of character. In most soaring clubs the subscriptions and the flying fees are reasonable, but the only people allowed to fly are those who have put in 50 to 100 hours’ work on the equipment during the winter months, and who, on flying days, are there first thing in the morning to open the hangar doors and do not leave until they are closed again in the evening. At commercial soaring schools there is, of course, no need to work during the winter. Primary training at these schools is conducted in a particularly efficient and effective manner. Against this, however, must be set the higher costs. You should weigh all these factors before deciding to learn to soar. Soaring is a sport you should enter into wholeheartedly or not at all. Half-heartedness leads sooner or later to dis- satisfaction as well as to disagreements with other club members.

Basic Conditions for Soaring Training

With parental consent, flight training in sail- planes, including solo flights under the super- vision of an instructor, can commence from the age 14, provided certain documents are produced, including: Medical Certificate An authorized medical practitioner will ex- amine you thoroughly for fitness to fly and then issue this certificate. (In the United States, a glider pilot does not need a medical certificate.) If there are no other factors suggesting unsuitability for flight training. the wearing of glasses or contact lenses will not disqualify you, as long as your corrected visual acuity is satisfactory. A Form of Indemity is normally signed by you to indemnify the instructor and club from any claims in the event of an accident.

The Training Program

AIRCRAFT

Primary training nowadays takes place exclusive- ly in two-seat sailplanes with an instructor. This method is not only much safer but also far more effective than single-seat training which, in the early years, was the norm. More and more use is being made of powered sailplanes, especially in the early stages of train- ing, but also later on for cross-country familiar- ization. They allow longer flights to be carried out early in training even if there are no thermals, and give the student plenty of time to get used to handling the flying controls. Since powered sail- planes are not so weather-dependent, they have the advantage when used for cross-country fa- miliarization of making it easier for the student pilot to acquire the rudiments of navigation. Against these benefits must be set the powered sailplane’s disadvantages: these aircraft are usually heavier on the controls and their engine- off performance is markedly inferior to that of conventional sailplanes. When the weather is good with regular lift, it therefore makes more sense-as well as being cheaper- to use ordinary two-seat sailplanes.

THEORETICAL PREPARATION

Running parallel to practical instruction in the air, and matching its contents and timing, should be a program of thorough theoretical preparation and briefings. As a rule, the briefing rooms are not in the immediate vicinity of the launch-point, and briefings on the theory underlying particular exercises are made more difficult because stu- dent pilats in a group are often at different stages of training. That is why an authoritative source needs to be available which can be consulted carefully before and after each lesson. From the day you start flying, you, the pupil, should therefore own a manual which you can use to prepare the next lesson and to read up and expand the points discussed with your instructor. This book is designed with this aim in mind. In addition, you will need a logbook in which each flight is recorded, which the instructor signs and dates each time one of the prescribed exercises has been successfully mastered.

LENGTH AND STRUCTURE OF TRAINING

You can learn to glide either on weekends or at an intensive course (usually 14 days). Attending a course is naturally a more effective method. How long the training lasts depends not only on this, but also on what technical resources are available, how keen the student is, and what previous experience he has (e.g. in model aircraft construction). The soaring training program in Germany com- prises 3 phases of instruction: The First Phase is concerned with basic training up to first solo. Once the pupil has made 3 acceptable solo flights, the instructor signs his ‘A’ Certificate. The ‘A’ badge shows a white seagull on a blue background. An intensive course of 2 to 3 weeks is needed to cover the Phase I training syllabus, but flying only on weekends, the time needed increases to about 6 months. These indications of time, and those that follow are, of course, only rough averages. In particular cases there may be significant deviations from these norms. Further instruction is given partly in the form of briefings before solo flights and partly by an instructor in the two-seater. This period of com- prehensive continuation training leading ul- timately to the sailplane pilot’s license may last some time. However, since all flying in club aircraft is controlled by the duty instructor, your freedom of action in the air is not being unduly restricted. The Second Phase of instruction aims at exten- ding piloting skills. It is divided into two parts: preparation for the ‘B’ Certificate and further training for the ‘C’ Certificate. The exercises covered in preparation for the ‘B’ Certificate test (3 check flights) are steep turns, high-speed flying and special approach procedures. The ‘B’ badge shows 2 seagulls on a blue background. Experience has shown that it takes a week’s course or 2 months of weekend- flying to prepare for the Thermal soaring exercises make up the bulk of the ‘C’ test program, but it also includes flying on a compass course. In addition to a general handling test, a thermal soaring flight of at least 30 minutes must be demonstrated. The period of training required before taking the ‘C’ test is very variable in length, depending on the weather. A week’s course, or 2 months’ weekend flying are about average. If it is technically possible, a second method of launching is taught prior to the ‘C’ test (usually aerotowing, since winch-launching is normally taught first”). ‘In the U.S.A., aerotowing launching is secondary. the normal method and winch- The Third Phase of instruction is devoted to cross-country training and the objective is the Private Pilot’s License for Sailplanes. In Germany a student pilot must have 30 hours total flying time, undergo 3 check flights and provide proof of having made a 50 km cross-country flight. (See appendices on soaring in U.S.A. and U.K.) There are certain additional requirements, including a radio license (if radio is to be used) and comple- tion of an official theoretical test similar to that for a driving license. Phase 3 usually takes 4 weeks of course flying or a whole season of weekends. If all the times are added up, a total period of 2 to 3 years emerges for training a primary pilot up to PPL standards.

Commercial School or Club?

In most countries there are several commercial schools-some of them very large-besides the various clubs offering soaring instruction. For basic training (up to the ‘A’ Cert.) it is highly advisable to join an intensive, well-organized course. If not available at a club, it is as well to go to a commercial school for this phase of training. This will admittedly be more expensive, but on the other hand there will be no requirement for you to help out in the workshops, and a relatively high proportion of people taking 14 day courses go solo. Follow-up consolidation training is then given in the clubs to ensure that the rapidly acquired skills learned at the school take root. The further you progress in training (phases II and III), the easier and cheaper it is to join a club, even if there are no courses, but just instruction on weekends. Before applying for membership, it is well to inquire about the club’s cross-country training program so that you can be sure of receiv- ing sound training during the final phase of in- struction. Once in the club, you should work without stint, even if it means exceeding the required minimum number of hours.