On Sun, 21 Aug 2011 12:49:36 -0700, Cookie wrote:

The lesson is simple.......Learn from the mistakes of others...you can
greatly increase your odds of not killing yourself if you don't do any
of the above!!

Agreed.

A pull-up from 50ft is no problem *if*:
- you have at least 125 kts on the clock as you cross the line
- know you can comfortably get back to 500 ft afterwards
- because you've have practiced the pull-up at a safe altitude
*in the same glider*.

If any of these three preconditions is missing, don't even think about
trying it.

What you're flying is also important: I'd do a competition finish in a
Pegase, Discus or ASW-20: I've flown all three and done such a finish
for real in a Pegase 90. But I'd only tackle it if the circuit was clear
and I was starting high enough to cross the line at Vne. However, there's
no way I'd try it in my Std Libelle because the combination of a lowish
Vne (118 kts), light weight and draggy polar at those speeds casts a lot
of doubt on its ability to zoom climb 400+ ft without dropping below the
50 kts which is needed to safely fly a normal circuit.


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |