Landing with reduced airbrake

On Friday, May 18, 2018 at 12:25:02 AM UTC-7, Richard McLean wrote:

You have a couple options to 'soften' the touch/sink rate, but you know those....

1) add a couple knots of approach speed and buy time to feel for(get closer to) ground.
2) lessen spoilers near the ground to lengthen the flaring and 'feel for ground time'.

Neither of those teaches what you really seek, which is -- Identification of the chosen attitude.

One technique I find helpful for students to reinforce or identify ANY desired touching attitude is to seat the student with closed canopy on the runway threshold (or adjacent). Have a helper level the tip, and you walk to the empennage. Using a hand on the empennage centerline, you can rocking chair the glider to show nose-low attitude (forward 2-point), nose-level attitude for liftoff and your described almost-preferred touchdown attitude, and the nose-high tail-low 2-point attitude.

This rocking chair exercise can be repeated prior to any flight by using your launch helpers. It helps the student define the look -- comparing the panel top or side rails of cockpit to comparative external visual keys.

It doesn't matter what glider is used. The new-pilot trainee needs to 'see' the chosen attitude several times - and contrast it to the 'wrong' attitudes. This is a Cheap and Effective tool to assist a student who might be struggling with the rapidly changing and Brief moments of touchdown finesse..

Good luck to you and the students, with wishes for smooth touches.

Cindy B
Mojave, CA