The rudder waggle signal does not work

Hi,

Let me just just add couple of thoughts regarding radio usage
and experiences with it in different part of the world.

I live and fly in Poland where radio is installed in most probably
every single glider and towplane. That's not a strict law requirement,
you can fly in class G airspace without one but every flight club
I know or heard of requires it with a strict "no radio - no fly"
policy.

Batteries "management" (for club gliders):
- charged overnight, every pilot has to connect the one he
used to the charger at the end of a day,
- in the morning, you take a battery and check its voltage (under
resistance),
- mandatory radio check during pre-flight inspection.

There is no standard phraseology only common practices:
- towplanes use shortened call signs, one-two letters at most,
e.g. "sierra faster!" (glider to towplane),
- gliders use their competition numbers as call signs,
- only student pilots wait for wing-rock signal to release,
- pilots release when they feel it's apriopriate and signal via radio
e.g. "papa november released",
- usually it's stated what's the minimum release height.

On a good day in my club there are usually 2 towplanes and
2 winches in use
During a competition there can be 8 towplanes in use and
radio communication is reduced to emergency+start signals only.

Regarding open spoilers, there's always a person on the ground
coordinating tows, landings, etc. and every start is observed
so he can signal glider to close spoilers via radio.
Of course if spoilers open later it's up to a towplane to signal it.
Also more performant gliders with water balast keep spoilers open a
little
for first several seconds to stabilize wings and reduce risk of a wing
drop.
So it's guaranteded a pilot has his hand on a spoiler handle in this
case.

Just to summarize, in my opinio radios increase safety a lot.
But of course they're not a remedy to safety problems.

Regards,
Wiktor


On 25 Lip, 13:58, "
wrote:
[..]
Now tell me how you're gonna standardize radio? * Who's going to
inspect each installation and how often? *Who's going to insure fully
charged batteries? *Who is going to insure proper volume setting, and
squelch setting? *(in both aircraft?)

*Tell me exactly what would be the "standard" phraseology for each
possible emergency scenario?

Tell me exaclty, How do I know which tow plane pilot is talking to
which glider pilot ? *(many operations have several tow going on at
the same time....

I can imagine hearing over the radio....."release, release, release!"
and having 4 glider release at the same time and all try to land back
at the field!

Or maybe this scenario....

Glider, ASW 20, (I think) *N 234 BC) or is it 345?......anyway....the
glider being towed by the red pawnee....you know N
789F......Yeah...you......anyway....I do have an important safety
message for you....

OK this is glider BC.....Towplane go ahead....

Roger this is towplane....You are about to die! * Over....

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