I notice some pilots use "landout" to mean "landing somewhere besides my
home airfield", even if they land at a large, paved, airport. I call
that "landing away" when I land on an airport/airstrip; a "landout" is
landing something else, like a farmer's field or a road.

Eric, I consider it a landout anytime someone don't land at their
intended destination "because the wind quit". My feeling is that with
the performance (and cost) of today's gliders, a true landout "au
vaches" is rapidly becoming unacceptably risky in many ships. And
mostly unnecessary.

The key is where you intend to land; I may change my goal inflight, so
the resulting landing away from the home field wouldn't be a landout
anymore. I once changed my destination from Turf, Az - my takeoff
point - to Parowan, Ut., while over the Grand Canyon - that flight was
definitely not a landout!

You set a task and try hard to complete it. If you are unable to,
then you are forced to landout - and if you are unable to keep a
suitable landing field in range, then perhaps you'll landout off-
field.

Semantics...It's all great, whatever you call it!

Kirk
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