FAA PTS "Slips to Landing" requirement vs No-spoiler landings

The past few weekends I've been watching some our our club students
being instructed on and practicing slips to a landing (i.e."no spoiler
landings") in preparation for their Private check rides. Gliders used
were our 2-33 and Blanik. I've also seen no-spoiler landings being
demonstrated in our G-103 - some quite nicely judged, I might add!

But I've been wondering about the utility and safety of this practice,
and whether it's taught in other countries - and if so, how it's
taught.

I realize that a no-spoiler approach is always an eventuality, and our
club even had one several years ago in a G-102 that left the glider in
the cornfield off the far end of the field, but it seems to me that
the skill learned in a slipped approach in a 2-33 may not really
transfer to a Discus 2 or other slippery glass ship, and that
conversely, realistic training - slipping all the way to touchdown, no
spoilers allowed - in a glass 2-seater (unless one has the luxury of a
really big field) could be somewhat hazardous.

It kind of reminds me of the old multi-engine requirement to
demonstrate Vmc at low altitudes, which was finally changed when the
authorities realized that they were killing more pilots in training
than in actual engine failures!

On the other hand, I've tried them in glass, including my Ls6 (which
does not recommend slips to a landing), and concluded that they are a
serious emergency that needs to be carefully thought out ahead of
time, and can only be safely practiced by breaking down into two
segments: First, no spoilers, slip to aim for the middle of the
field, then recover and land normally with spoilers as required; and
second, position the glider so as to be approaching the threshold at a
safe speed and altitude, then close spoilers, establish a slip, and
continue with the no-spoiler landing.

Comments? I'm especially interested in hearing how this is handled in
other countries.

Kirk
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