wrote:
Second was the fact that on downwind, he accelerated to 80+ knots while
dropping down to just two or three hundred feet AGL tops. Whoa! Base
and turn to final that low to the ground were new to me. But it made
complete sense. In a glider with such a large wing span, this was cheap
insurance against the worst possible wind sheer. Once on final, he
slowed down to 60 or 65 knots before he was 40 or 50 feet above the
runway.

I'll prolly get hollered at if I do that on my BFR this fall but it
strikes me as good practice, especially when flying something bigger
than 18M.

-ted/2NO

I always understood that wind shear was "worse" nearer the ground. The
idea of deliberately doing turns this low with one wing very likely to
be in a different windspeed than the other, doesn't seem entirely
sensible to me. This experienced fellow may well handle the situation,
but I suggest it sets a poor example to any watching novice who may not
have the abilities to deal with whatever happens next.

Martin, UK.