Andreas Maurer wrote:
I bet that this FAA examiner has never done that either in a modern
glider with an L/D over 30 - otherwise he's know that it's going to
take a runway of *at least* 6.000 ft and a sideslip to *very* low
altitude to be able to land without using the airbrakes.

Considering the L/D is increased by ground effect, even doubled
according to some, you have a point.

But even with an L/D of 1:80, if you sideslip to 1 m off the
ground you'll only float 80 m, about 260ft, from there, and
quite a bit less with a headwind.

Agreed that the precision needed to slip it down that low
is probably too much to ask of someone just about to get their
licence, but it does not sound too crazy as an exercise at
a more experienced level. In case you get it wrong you should
of course be ready to abort and pull the brakes well before
there is any danger of going off the far end.

Cheers CV