COVID-19 Operational Considerations

Hey all, I'm going to start to try to consolidate the "how" of gliding operations to help inform us all of what might become a "best practice" for operations.

Please review what I've collected to date and follow up here, or directly with additional operational considerations.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...it?usp=sharing

I suggest that you add four columns to your spreadsheet:

Total glider launches

Total COVID-19 infections attributed to ongoing glider operations (including collateral cases that are traceable to people infected at glider operations)

Total COVID-19 deaths and serious debilitation attributed to ongoing glider operations and persons infected due to ongoing glider operations

To put things in perspective, track the non-COVID-19 related fatalities and debilitations that are attributable to ongoing glider operations. We already accept those costs.

Regardless of what you believe as to the hazards of wuhan flu there is no way to protect yourself while flying gliders in a club. All the improper and incorrectly used PPE doesn't provide protection and is a distraction that will eventually kill somebody.
I'm not saying don't fly, I'm saying you have to choose. If you are a believer stay home, if not go fly as normal human beings.
How do you sanitize the end of the rope? Wingtips? Is the first guy that touches the golf cart the golf cart bitch for the whole day?
Be funny seeing a bunch of pilots refusing to touch stuff but expecting other people to help touch their stuff. Oh wait that is what normally happens.. At least they have an excuse now.

Please review what I've collected to date and follow up here, or directly with additional operational considerations.



A plan for landout seems missing?

The half-life of Covid19 in sunlight is 2 minutes or less according to an NBACC White House presentation:

https://3n30av2dln0g4fmlc03hpv0p-wpe...us-testing.png

Then there's the fact that outdoors, aerosols are instantly dispersed by the lightest breeze.

So outdoors at glider fields is pretty safe right now without PPE.

That doesn't make me comfortable sharing a 2-seater with another person without PPE, but good masks and isopropyl alcohol wipe down of contact surfaces along with disposable gloves could change my mind. The current problem is the scarcity of good masks, especially when health care workers don't have enough.

Until appropriate masks are available to the general public, rigging and derigging that require people in close proximity (most 2-seaters) will have to wait. Most single seaters offer 7m separation.

Prevalence of infection in the club catchment area is another consideration.. The likelihood of contacting an asymptomatic carrier increases in high density metropolitan areas with infections.

On Sunday, April 26, 2020 at 6:00:40 PM UTC-4, wrote:
Please review what I've collected to date and follow up here, or directly with additional operational considerations.



A plan for landout seems missing?

Best suggestion so far: Crew tows pilot's trailer with crew's car. Pilot rides back in glider, in trailer :-).

Seriously... a mask, gloves, wipes would do it for me (as in: I would drive your car).

We're not flying because of this https://www.healthvermont.gov/sites/...ily-Update.pdf

The cumulative total is -6- Covid-19 cases in the county our airport is located in (20.7 per 100K population). And similar low numbers in surrounding counties. Some of our membership lives in areas with higher numbers. In my community (~5000), there has been one married couple tested positive (travel related), that's it.

VT Governor's house arrest order aside, the chief risk identified by our board was "looking like jerks" by recreating "during the emergency".

T8

On Sunday, April 26, 2020 at 8:26:45 PM UTC-4, Tango Eight wrote:
On Sunday, April 26, 2020 at 6:00:40 PM UTC-4, wrote:
Please review what I've collected to date and follow up here, or directly with additional operational considerations.



A plan for landout seems missing?

Best suggestion so far: Crew tows pilot's trailer with crew's car. Pilot rides back in glider, in trailer :-).

Seriously... a mask, gloves, wipes would do it for me (as in: I would drive your car).

We're not flying because of this https://www.healthvermont.gov/sites/...ily-Update.pdf

The cumulative total is -6- Covid-19 cases in the county our airport is located in (20.7 per 100K population). And similar low numbers in surrounding counties. Some of our membership lives in areas with higher numbers. In my community (~5000), there has been one married couple tested positive (travel related), that's it.

VT Governor's house arrest order aside, the chief risk identified by our board was "looking like jerks" by recreating "during the emergency".

T8

The Green Mountain Boys looked like jerks to a whole bunch of people, now they are heroes.

On Sunday, April 26, 2020 at 6:26:45 PM UTC-6, Tango Eight wrote:
On Sunday, April 26, 2020 at 6:00:40 PM UTC-4, wrote:
Please review what I've collected to date and follow up here, or directly with additional operational considerations.



A plan for landout seems missing?

Best suggestion so far: Crew tows pilot's trailer with crew's car. Pilot rides back in glider, in trailer :-).

Seriously... a mask, gloves, wipes would do it for me (as in: I would drive your car).

We're not flying because of this https://www.healthvermont.gov/sites/...ily-Update.pdf

The cumulative total is -6- Covid-19 cases in the county our airport is located in (20.7 per 100K population). And similar low numbers in surrounding counties. Some of our membership lives in areas with higher numbers. In my community (~5000), there has been one married couple tested positive (travel related), that's it.

VT Governor's house arrest order aside, the chief risk identified by our board was "looking like jerks" by recreating "during the emergency".

T8

You can really tell the difference in attitude between the Big City folks and the Country Bumpkins. There definitely are benefits to country living. As far as I know, we haven't had a positive case in over 3 wks, and all 6 cases attributed to our county have recovered. Not all parts of the country are the same though.

On Sunday, April 26, 2020 at 3:23:52 PM UTC-6, son_of_flubber wrote:
I suggest that you add four columns to your spreadsheet:

Total glider launches

Total COVID-19 infections attributed to ongoing glider operations (including collateral cases that are traceable to people infected at glider operations)

Total COVID-19 deaths and serious debilitation attributed to ongoing glider operations and persons infected due to ongoing glider operations

To put things in perspective, track the non-COVID-19 related fatalities and debilitations that are attributable to ongoing glider operations. We already accept those costs.

I don't think that's really constructive to the exercise of trying to synthesize operational considerations from organizations around the world in an effort to support others who may be trying to evaluate a path to prudent operations.

Best suggestion so far: Crew tows pilot's trailer with crew's car. Pilot rides back in glider, in trailer :-).

Seriously... a mask, gloves, wipes would do it for me (as in: I would drive your car).


Well, the pilot was planning to ride back to the airport in the glider anyway...

Or maybe a plan with a tow plane or pickup truck.
Land at an airport, get an aerotow.
Land in a field, ride back in the back of a pickup.

It seems increasingly apparent that science plays less and less of this.
It is about optics and that includes having a responsible looking plan.
My point was that the 'responsible' plan for opening should cover landouts somehow.