There's a big difference between a descending turn with the intention of
landing than trying to climb away from a very low altitude.Â* I'm not
being harsh, only practical.Â* Having a safe landing underneath or nearby
is good, and it's likely OK to thermal away from that low altitude, but
it only takes one mistake to have a completely different outcome.Â* I've
seen the bodies and it ain't pretty.

On 5/26/2019 8:31 PM, Tom BravoMike wrote:
On Sunday, May 26, 2019 at 7:56:56 PM UTC-5, Dan Marotta wrote:
Anyone who would watch this video and then try it for himself is simply
stupid.Â* And you can't fix stupid.Â* A Darwin award is in the making...

On 5/26/2019 2:16 PM, wrote:
I’m afraid video may be making pilots take these risks.

https://youtu.be/PlXeHeR5Ma8
--
Dan, 5J
I think it's a matter of the level of training in specific situations (number of hours flown does not say it all). You may get experienced in thermalling very low over a safe landing site. I wouldn't call it stupid without knowing specific circumstances. In the US we are taught to make a 180 degrees turn from half the alt in the video, i.e. from at least 200 feet = 60 meters (!) to land downwind after a rope break. And we don't call it stupid. We actually train for it. In some Eu countries the minimum is 100 meters = 330 ft. I once tried to save the day in a PW-5 from 100 m over a huge empty runway. Didn't succeed and landed, and it was just like turning the final from the base. Or doing the final from S-turns. Extreme caution and concentration - yes. Watch the speed and keep the string in the center. Stefan clearly informs his viewers that there's a 'landing option on the field below'. Risky? To some extent, yes. Each time we turn the final we risk, but again, that risk is reduced with training. Just MHO, intentionally opposing the harsh judgments above.

--
Dan, 5J