"Wrong handle" accidents

Don Johnstone wrote:

Having the u/c lever on the left has it's advantages
but like all aspects of flying you need to adopt and
stick to the correct procedure. Even though I am very
familuar with my own glider I still LOOK even though
I know that the u/c lever will require effort to pull
while the brakes most definitely do not. I might fly
a glider where that is not the case.

I couldn't agree more.

I've flown an number of hours in both Pegase and ASW-20. I've grabbed
the wrong lever only once in these gliders, but looked because it didn't
feel right before I completed moving it. I've found that the "gear up"
position in these gliders carries its own confirmation because I rest my
wrist on the lever when re-trimming if the wheel is up.

OTOH my first (and I hope, only) gear up landing was in a Discus with
brake and gear levers on opposite sides of the cockpit....



--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |