On Mon, 22 Aug 2005 15:02:37 +0100, Chris Reed wrote:

I really wouldn't worry about the ASI. I fly my Open Cirrus (in the UK)
on metric instruments. Its stall speed is lower than most glass gliders
at (book figure) 63 kph. If I try to fly the approach at 50 kph,
mistaking this for kt, I will realise my mistake in plenty of time to
correct the stall. I must say that because the difference is nearly 100%
between kt and kph I've never had a moment's confusion. I can't imagine
anyone having this problem on the launch either, as the aircraft won't
be flying at the 55 kph mark.

Agreed. I've done virtually all my gliding in the UK using kts/ft
instruments. However, in 2003 I visited the Wasserkruppe and flew there
with no problems. Check ride was in an ASK-21. The ASI was the same model
with the same coloured snake but a different numeric scale. My club has a
couple of ASK-21s which I fly fairly regularly, so I know the sounds and
where the needle should point so I had no problems. They then gave me a
flight in an ASK-23, which I'd not flown before, but this time I was
briefed with the right speeds, so again no problem.

I was more bothered flying a kts/ft ASK-21 in America than I was flying
the German metric one because for some reason known only to history and
the FAA, American ASIs are upside down: at cruising speed the needle is
straight down, not upright as it should be.

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martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
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