assembly interruption a dangerous thing

The Schempp-Hirth pin does not carry any load, it's just there to lock the
assembly.

Yeah, your right, I was thinking of the Nimbus pin which does carry a
load.

Dan, doesn't your proceduer of putting the pin half way, build in an
interruption? Why not get the wings together (prying with a broom
stick inserted in the hole) and then put the pin in all the way and
safety it right then? When I am interrupted, I try and leave something
there to remind me that I haven't finished the procedure, like hanging
my hat on the TE probe to remind me to go back and finish the tail
plane installation. I remember a guy that was right there, but
couldn't secure the tail plane because he had given the little red
tool to his wife so she could put water in the
wings................................he never came back to finish the
job and he is no longer with us!
Thanks for posting, we need to talk about these kind of things,
JJ

JJ Sinclair wrote:
The Schempp-Hirth pin does not carry any load, it's just there to lock the
assembly.

Yeah, your right, I was thinking of the Nimbus pin which does carry a
load.

Dan, doesn't your proceduer of putting the pin half way, build in an
interruption?

My Discus manual recommends you do it this way -- halfway in to hold the
first wing, then all the way after the second wing is mounted.

I wonder if there is a way to have a little red flag that hangs over the
ASI when the wings are off. It would have velcro on it, and you would
stick it to another piece of velcro on the wing pin when the pin is
fully installed.


Why not get the wings together (prying with a broom
stick inserted in the hole) and then put the pin in all the way and
safety it right then? When I am interrupted, I try and leave something
there to remind me that I haven't finished the procedure, like hanging
my hat on the TE probe to remind me to go back and finish the tail
plane installation. I remember a guy that was right there, but
couldn't secure the tail plane because he had given the little red
tool to his wife so she could put water in the
wings................................he never came back to finish the
job and he is no longer with us!
Thanks for posting, we need to talk about these kind of things,
JJ

JJ Sinclair wrote:

Thanks for posting, we need to talk about these kind of things....


This is an important thread. In reading through the posts, I notice many
instances of "I never...", and "I always...." Such absolutism can also
produce a dangerous mindset, one from which a mistaken self-assurance
can grow. Every time you assemble is a little different from every
other. Be alert to the moment and its unique challenges. Avoid following
the well worn path of habit.

No rush, no rash.


Jack

Jack wrote:
JJ Sinclair wrote:

Thanks for posting, we need to talk about these kind of things....


This is an important thread. In reading through the posts, I notice many
instances of "I never...", and "I always...." Such absolutism can also
produce a dangerous mindset, one from which a mistaken self-assurance
can grow. Every time you assemble is a little different from every
other. Be alert to the moment and its unique challenges. Avoid following
the well worn path of habit.

No rush, no rash.

Always remember that never before has a thread contained so much
absolutely important material.

There may be a simpler, safer ship to rig than a Zuni (1970's American
15m design), but I've not yet seen it. Except for the single main pin,
everything connects automatically, with no possibility of mis-set flaps
or ailerons or (all-flying) horizontal stabilizer. (There are no
spoilers, and, no loose safety pins.) Further, the main pin safety is
built into the ship, in easy reach and plain sight.

God, Himself, would have difficulty rigging a Zuni improperly, while
only an idiot would never rig a Zuni incompletely.

In fact, I've incompletely-rigged mine only once since 1981. I
absolutely meant to never do it. I've never done it since, and yet,
maybe 18 or so years after it happened, I still feel like an absolute
idiot. I'm darned glad I can, and still do!!!

There I was, whining to my derigging buddy about falling out on a
rotorish day a mere 2.5 hours after releasing, reached in to unsafety
the main pin only to discover God had already pre-removed it by an inch
or so...BECAUSE I'D FORGOTTEN TO ROTATE THE HANDLE INTO POSITION FOR THE
(NEARLY) AUTOMATIC SAFETY TO SPRING BACK INTO 'HANDLE-CAPTURED/SAFETIED'
POSITION.

I now have a good idea what heart stoppage feels like.

Kids, however you accomplish it, don't try this on your own!!! Not even
if you're a trained professional...

Regards,
Bob - human perfection is not an option - W.

Bob Whelan wrote:
Jack wrote:
JJ Sinclair wrote:

Thanks for posting, we need to talk about these kind of things....


This is an important thread. In reading through the posts, I notice
many instances of "I never...", and "I always...." Such absolutism can
also produce a dangerous mindset, one from which a mistaken
self-assurance can grow. Every time you assemble is a little different
from every other. Be alert to the moment and its unique challenges.
Avoid following the well worn path of habit.

No rush, no rash.

Always remember that never before has a thread contained so much
absolutely important material.



It's a sly and perceptive devil you are, Robert.

Thanks.


Jack

On May 26, 3:58*pm, Bob Whelan
wrote:
Jack wrote:
JJ Sinclair wrote:

Thanks for posting, we need to talk about these kind of things....

This is an important thread. In reading through the posts, I notice many
instances of "I never...", and "I always...." Such absolutism can also
produce a dangerous mindset, one from which a mistaken self-assurance
can grow. Every time you assemble is a little different from every
other. Be alert to the moment and its unique challenges. Avoid following
the well worn path of habit.

No rush, no rash.

Always remember that never before has a thread contained so much
absolutely important material.

There may be a simpler, safer ship to rig than a Zuni (1970's American
15m design), but I've not yet seen it. *Except for the single main pin,
everything connects automatically, with no possibility of mis-set flaps
or ailerons or (all-flying) horizontal stabilizer. *(There are no
spoilers, and, no loose safety pins.) *Further, the main pin safety is
built into the ship, in easy reach and plain sight.

God, Himself, would have difficulty rigging a Zuni improperly, while
only an idiot would never rig a Zuni incompletely.

In fact, I've incompletely-rigged mine only once since 1981. *I
absolutely meant to never do it. *I've never done it since, and yet,
maybe 18 or so years after it happened, I still feel like an absolute
idiot. *I'm darned glad I can, and still do!!!

There I was, whining to my derigging buddy about falling out on a
rotorish day a mere 2.5 hours after releasing, reached in to unsafety
the main pin only to discover God had already pre-removed it by an inch
or so...BECAUSE I'D FORGOTTEN TO ROTATE THE HANDLE INTO POSITION FOR THE
(NEARLY) AUTOMATIC SAFETY TO SPRING BACK INTO 'HANDLE-CAPTURED/SAFETIED'
POSITION.

I now have a good idea what heart stoppage feels like.

Kids, however you accomplish it, don't try this on your own!!! *Not even
if you're a trained professional...

Regards,
Bob - human perfection is not an option - W.

I did the same mistake with my new ASW 27 few month ago. Both pins
were not secured!! Luckily they did not move at all, maybe my stuffed
luggage compartment, or god, kept them in place. Talking about a heart
stoppage!
In my case it wasn't another person interupting me. It was a wind
gust. The glider was already assembled the prior day, I only needed to
install the batteries, which in the ASW 27 is difficult unless you
rotate the pins out of their safety. Once I installed the batteries a
wind gust forced me to close the canopy, and I never got back to
rotate the pins back to safety! I now install the batteries the hard
way if the glider is already assembled, without rotating the pins.
The moral is that anything can interupt your routine, not just another
person. Just make sure that your routine does not include any traps,
then check and double check the critical assemblies.

Ramy

What Bob states below definitely true. Anything that distracts you during
the assembly process is a hazard.

I recently wrote an article for Soaring about an incident that happened
during assembly at Logan, UT. If you missed it, here is a link to the
original draft copy of the article.
(http://www.soaridaho.com/Schreder/St...mbly_Check.pdf)

Wayne
HP-14 "Six Foxtrot"
http://www.soaridaho.com/Schreder

wrote in message
...
On May 26, 3:58 pm, Bob Whelan
wrote:

Snip ..

In my case it wasn't another person interupting me.

Snip...