On Friday, August 7, 2020 at 10:21:18 PM UTC-6, wrote:
You are spot on that this is very important and your apprehension is not only founded, but could save your life. Although I have retired from instructing in gliders years ago, I always instructed my students the importance of a thorough preflight as if the glider/club ship landed out the day before and was reassembled after getting back to home field. Mistakes happen, controls improperly connected, safely pins missing.
Gliders are designed to come apart and then reassembled. Club ships, trainers ... doesn’t happen often. People get rusty on taking things apart , putting them back together. Parts get misplaced, lost, damage. This is why the FAA includes this training on the advice of the SSA forefathers, leaders, instructors. And well founded.
So, what do you do? Ask your instructor to explain the assembly and disassembly procedures of the ships you fly. Or request to see the ops manual, maintenance manual. Once you know what to look for, it only adds a minute or two to the preflight.
It has been over thirty years, but I do remember walking my students thru the process and what to check for. On everything I checked them out in.
Trust but verify.
Get it done, be safe.
R

Serious question: how many people have had training on how to take apart or put together a 2-33? In most cases, once it is assembled, it stays assembled for YEARS, either tied out in the off season or stored in a hanger--assembled in both cases. Many glider clubs, especially those struggling with finances, don't have fancy glass training ships, but get by with the venerable work-horse--the 2-33.

Now that doesn't excuse not being educated on how a sailplane is put together, but it does make it a lot harder when there is no real-world experience that students can participate in. Fortunately, in my training, I was able to assist another club member in the assembly of his private glider.