On Tuesday, May 5, 2020 at 3:35:44 PM UTC-5, Charlie M. (UH & 002 owner/pilot) wrote:
LOL.....I won't name site...but decades ago I was at a club site (I was a member of) and wanted to take my son on a flight in club -21....
I was informed I needed a quorum of onsite staff and then a check ride (since I hadn't done prior written approval...fine...).
I received the quorum, then set up the check ride.
I reviewed the ship papers as well as operating manual....strapped in....maybe 300' AGL.....bang...."rope break".....turn and land....comment from back was...."don't bang the front wheel, it splits the fuselage seam...".
I was signed off (to the eyeball rolling of my check pilot) to use the club 2 seater. Yes, my son and I had a fun local XC flight...
:-)
Sometimes, "when in Rome...."....

Back in 1982, I took the checkride for my glider ticket at an East coast soaring site, now moved to a different location and run by different folks. Was told to pre-flight the 2-33. Found that one of the elevator hinge pins was a rusty nail. Didn't think too much of (or about) that. The examiner finally showed up (names withheld out of respect for the dead) and off we went.. I flew the tow, no problem there. Upon release, the examiner said "I got it" and proceeded to take over and give me a very nice lesson in thermalling. After 15 minutes or so, tells me to get back on the controls and close my eyes. He said he would put the ship in an attitude and when he said to open my eyes, I was to recover to straight and level. I felt the nose come up and what I thought was a bank to the left. Of course, it was a spin entry. Just as the glider started shaking in a stall and he put in full left rudder, the instrument panel (held on by one dzus fastener and the scat tube) fell off in my lap. Now I'm holding the panel up with my left hand and he's telling me to open my eyes and recover the aircraft. It worked out OK since a 2-33 will recover from a spin pretty much on it's own anyway. The examiner took over again and flew for another 30 minutes before having me land and stop right by his car. I passed.

A few months later I stopped by the same soaring site on a Sunday afternoon.. There is that same 2-33, on a normal looking downwind for landing, then the glider drops into a steep dive and then pulls up into two consecutive loops. Coming out of the second loop it goes straight into a short final approach and lands. Things were different then...