On Wednesday, April 16, 2014 5:21:10 AM UTC-7, Dave Nadler wrote:
On Monday, February 24, 2014 3:56:27 PM UTC-5, Key Dismukes wrote:

Dave

For those us who can't make it out there, are you planning

on making your slides or notes available?



thanks,

Key



Some bizarre ideas on RAS about motor-gliders!

I did post this, if anyone is interested in,

ya know, facts and experience, as opposed to

Random Aviation Speculation...



Sane motor-glider pilots DO NOT try an air-start

until they have a pattern planned and are in

position for landing after a worst-case failure,

which takes more altitude than landing an

un-powered glider...



Enjoy,

Best Regards, Dave





http://www.nadler.com/papers/2014_So...aker_notes.pdf



http://www.nadler.com/public/NadlerSoaringIndex.html

Interesting talk. I have two comments:

You recommend not beginning the engine start (attempt) until on downwind leg in the pattern. This adds all of the engine start workload in the middle of a pattern, a pattern that will need to be altered perhaps radically depending on the result of the start attempt. For this reason I always attempt to start the engine above a landable field and well above pattern altitude. It if fails to start, I can now set up a pattern appropriate to the configuration of the glider and concentrate on its execution. This requires the discipline to know when to quite fiddling with the engine. With the electric, it probably makes more sense because it either works or not, but with gas there are quite a lot of things to fiddle with, if it doesn't catch immediately.

Second, while you mention the addition to pilot workload while trying to start the engine, I believe there is a significant addition to pilot workload anytime you are near the glideslope to safety. Perhaps I overthink things, but when I get near the glideslope, I begin to think: Should I start the engine now? If it doesn't start will I still have options with my now 20:1 glide? Should I give up on the engine and concentrate on my straight in approach? Should I have started the engine 5 minutes ago? How cold is it from my last 3 hours at 17,000? Etc.

These things are running though my mind when I really ought to be thinking about flying the glider as a glider, and distract me well before the decision to start the motor has been made.