Line Crew lessons learned

Most glider ports have a standardized procedure for 'the one right way' for line crew to operate in normal and abnormal launch situations.

It would be useful to catalog the minor and major mistakes that people make in glider ground operations, the incorrect deviations from the standardized procedure that people make. Many of these mistakes are easily avoidable (and the potential accidents preventable).

Here's an example to get the ball rolling:

The wing runner provides a supplementary scan for traffic in the pattern prior to lifting the wing tip. Sometimes a wing runner will only look where the traffic is 'supposed to be'. They look at normal pattern height and they do not look below normal pattern altitude. They do not look for a glider that is low and flying the 'wrong way' on the upwind leg of the normal pattern. None of these pattern aberrations should happen, but they do and it is easy for a wing runner to make a 360 degree scan for traffic.

If anyone cares to comment on or link to their 'one right way' of launching and ground handling gliders, that would be welcome, but I'm mostly interested in the hearing about the mistakes that people slip into making.

Excellent thread to start.

My major problem has been with wing running in contests. Perpetually crewless, I am at the mercy of helpful volunteers. While good hearted, they often have 2-33 technique.

1. Water tanks are typically not full up due to weight limits. So one wing is often heavy. Wing runners need to understand the mechanism here, and hold one wing high or low while water glugs thorugh the baffles. The wing must be balanced -- no heavy weight one way or another. Slosh the water if not.

2. The wing runner must hold the wing level! Often especially with winglets it's not clear where level is.

3. Except in a significant crosswind, where the upwind wing must be slightly low. This conflicts with number one. Hence, slosh the wings to balanced, then lower the upwind wing by a foot or so just as the run starts. Do NOT hold the upwind wing high! (Especially at mifflin, 20 mph cross, runway lights... That scrape was no fun at all)

4. Run. RUN, do you hear me? We run contests in hot, humid weather, and often with cross-downwind conditions and at significant altitude. Two steps and let it fly works for the 2-33 at home, but not here.

5. Don't pull or push. Holding gently at the back of the winglet works well..

It's a small thing, and I hate to complain to volunteers, whose efforts I really do appreciate. But somehow this briefing seems to get left out at more contests than not, with resulting dropped wing after dropped wing and the occasional groundloop.

John Cochrane BB

We require all new members to take the SSF Wing Runners Course. And follow it up with training on the flight line.

Wing Runners that do not check that the Schweizer hook is fully engaged.

Wing runners (and others) that stay in the launch area and not walk away from the runway. They turn and watch the takeoff and climbout instead of clearing the now landing area.

In the non-contest environment, should we take up slack with the wings level, or with one wing on the ground?

On Saturday, May 16, 2015 at 7:54:18 AM UTC-4, PM wrote:
In the non-contest environment, should we take up slack with the wings level, or with one wing on the ground?

Rainy day trouble maker :-).

T8

On Saturday, May 16, 2015 at 7:54:18 AM UTC-4, PM wrote:
In the non-contest environment, should we take up slack with the wings level, or with one wing on the ground?

Generally, "wing up" means everything is ready (pattern, glider, glider pilot).
Wing down is "WAIT"!

So, take up slack with wings level (or in our case, we rock the wings to take up slack, thus they're off the ground).

On Friday, May 15, 2015 at 9:14:42 PM UTC-6, John Cochrane wrote:
Excellent thread to start.

My major problem has been with wing running in contests. Perpetually crewless, I am at the mercy of helpful volunteers. While good hearted, they often have 2-33 technique.

1. Water tanks are typically not full up due to weight limits. So one wing is often heavy. Wing runners need to understand the mechanism here, and hold one wing high or low while water glugs thorugh the baffles. The wing must be balanced -- no heavy weight one way or another. Slosh the water if not.

2. The wing runner must hold the wing level! Often especially with winglets it's not clear where level is.

3. Except in a significant crosswind, where the upwind wing must be slightly low. This conflicts with number one. Hence, slosh the wings to balanced, then lower the upwind wing by a foot or so just as the run starts. Do NOT hold the upwind wing high! (Especially at mifflin, 20 mph cross, runway lights... That scrape was no fun at all)

4. Run. RUN, do you hear me? We run contests in hot, humid weather, and often with cross-downwind conditions and at significant altitude. Two steps and let it fly works for the 2-33 at home, but not here.

5. Don't pull or push. Holding gently at the back of the winglet works well.

It's a small thing, and I hate to complain to volunteers, whose efforts I really do appreciate. But somehow this briefing seems to get left out at more contests than not, with resulting dropped wing after dropped wing and the occasional groundloop.

John Cochrane BB

The problem here is with the concept of "level". Throw that one out the window - the wings need to be ballanced in all conditions, even crosswinds. Don't say, "level the wings" again - say, "balance the wings".

With sloshing water ballast, say, "equalize the water tanks then balance".

A pro-forma lowering of the upwind wing just sets up control problems after the wing runner drops away. Just balance the thing! Ballanced is exactly the right tilt into the wind.

To make this work, the pilot must hold neutral ailerons no matter what the FAA's Glider Flying Handbook says as long as the wing runner's hand is on the wing tip - don't fight the wing runner. When the runner drops away, the wing will remain very close to balanced until aileron control is attained.

It's snowing at my house 20 miles west of Moriarty...

As a tuggie, I like to take out slack quickly. I won't go until I see
the rudder wag or the wing runner's signal, or get a "Go" command from
the glider's radio. As a glider pilot, I feel the same way. It's a
pain to sit while the tug moves forward at 2 fps taking up 150' of
slack. Let's get some efficiency going.

On the other hand, it would not be pretty for the tug to takeoff before
the glider's ready! There must be some liveable middle ground, but I
don't know what it would be.

On 5/16/2015 6:22 AM, Tango Eight wrote:
On Saturday, May 16, 2015 at 7:54:18 AM UTC-4, PM wrote:
In the non-contest environment, should we take up slack with the wings level, or with one wing on the ground?
Rainy day trouble maker :-).

T8

--
Dan Marotta

On Saturday, May 16, 2015 at 10:31:13 AM UTC-4, Bill D wrote:
On Friday, May 15, 2015 at 9:14:42 PM UTC-6, John Cochrane wrote:
Excellent thread to start.

My major problem has been with wing running in contests. Perpetually crewless, I am at the mercy of helpful volunteers. While good hearted, they often have 2-33 technique.

1. Water tanks are typically not full up due to weight limits. So one wing is often heavy. Wing runners need to understand the mechanism here, and hold one wing high or low while water glugs thorugh the baffles. The wing must be balanced -- no heavy weight one way or another. Slosh the water if not.

2. The wing runner must hold the wing level! Often especially with winglets it's not clear where level is.

3. Except in a significant crosswind, where the upwind wing must be slightly low. This conflicts with number one. Hence, slosh the wings to balanced, then lower the upwind wing by a foot or so just as the run starts. Do NOT hold the upwind wing high! (Especially at mifflin, 20 mph cross, runway lights... That scrape was no fun at all)

4. Run. RUN, do you hear me? We run contests in hot, humid weather, and often with cross-downwind conditions and at significant altitude. Two steps and let it fly works for the 2-33 at home, but not here.

5. Don't pull or push. Holding gently at the back of the winglet works well.

It's a small thing, and I hate to complain to volunteers, whose efforts I really do appreciate. But somehow this briefing seems to get left out at more contests than not, with resulting dropped wing after dropped wing and the occasional groundloop.

John Cochrane BB

The problem here is with the concept of "level". Throw that one out the window - the wings need to be ballanced in all conditions, even crosswinds. Don't say, "level the wings" again - say, "balance the wings".

With sloshing water ballast, say, "equalize the water tanks then balance"..

A pro-forma lowering of the upwind wing just sets up control problems after the wing runner drops away. Just balance the thing! Ballanced is exactly the right tilt into the wind.

To make this work, the pilot must hold neutral ailerons no matter what the FAA's Glider Flying Handbook says as long as the wing runner's hand is on the wing tip - don't fight the wing runner. When the runner drops away, the wing will remain very close to balanced until aileron control is attained.

Both the pilot and the wing runner have parts in a good launch. As someone who started running wings at 8 and am now into my 4th decade of soaring, I agree with Bill regarding the concept of balancing the wing. The runner needs to use a fairly light touch and feel what is happening with the glider.. Paying attention to feedback from the glider (something pushing the wingtip up or down) will usually guide the runner to make appropriate adjustments.

The pilot can help by starting with the ailerons in a neutral position. The runner and the pilot will be fighting each other if the pilot fails to hold neutral aileron and the runner attempts to keep the wing level. As airspeed increases the pilot's roll input tries to take the wing away from the runner & an untrained runner usually tries to resist the wing movement. When released, the wing jumps away and one tip goes to the ground. An attentive runner can counter this by briefly letting the glider roll in the direction of control input. The pilot will usually react by countering with opposite aileron and quickly gain the "feel" of the glider. In essence the runner is letting the pilot gain roll control as soon as it's aerodynamically available.

It's a finesse game, not strength.

Cheers,
Craig