Safety Programs: The Good, The Bad & The Indifferent

I am studying the methods that gliding clubs and organizations employ
to enhance safety in their operations. I plan to make a short
presentation on this topic at the Soaring Safety Foundation-hosted
safety meeting in Reno, Nevada, on Wednesday February 1 2012. Does
your soaring organization have regular (monthly, semi-annual, annual)
safety meetings/programs? If so, what occurs in those meetings? Are
the meetings/programs effective in achieving a safer environment for
your organization? Is there any follow-up after the meetings/programs
to measure their effectiveness? Do you feel that you benefit from any
of the programs? Do you have suggestions to make safety meetings and
programs more effective?

Please post responses to this topic here on r.a.s. and let us all know
what you think. Pilots from all countries are welcome to contibute.
Thanks!/Danke!/Merci!
Posted by Bob Wander (USA)
-End

On Jan 12, 9:02*am, soarbooks wrote:
I am studying the methods that gliding clubs and organizations employ
to enhance safety in their operations. I plan to make a short
presentation on this topic at the Soaring Safety Foundation-hosted
safety meeting in Reno, Nevada, on Wednesday February 1 2012. *Does
your soaring organization have regular (monthly, semi-annual, annual)
safety meetings/programs? *If so, what occurs in those meetings? Are
the meetings/programs effective in achieving a safer environment for
your organization? Is there any follow-up after the meetings/programs
to measure their effectiveness? Do you feel that you benefit from any
of the programs? Do you have suggestions to make safety meetings and
programs more effective?

Please post responses to this topic here on r.a.s. and let us all know
what you think. Pilots from all countries are welcome to contibute.
Thanks!/Danke!/Merci!
Posted by Bob Wander (USA)
-End

Our club has an annual "Spring Refresher Clinic". It is sponsored by
us and the FAASTeam for Wings credit. Three modules centered around
fresh and relevant safety topics. This year a U2 pilot is speaking on
aeromedical factors of endurance and altitude flight. An aviation
lawyer is speaking on "failure to follow procedures". and I am giving
a thirty minute module on "speeds to fly". Power pilots are invited
and usually come out in force. This year it is February 21st from 6-8
pm at the public airport in Bainbridge , GA. Everyone is invited.

Other than the seminar, the safety patrol falls on the shoulders of
the instructors.

Lane
XF

On Jan 12, 9:02*am, soarbooks wrote:
Do you have suggestions to make safety meetings and
programs more effective?

Yeah -- give the briefings to better pilots.

More seriously -- I think it would help to set some very specific
objectives for these sorts of meetings (the meetings of this type I
have been to have been rather too general and frankly pretty useless)
and I do have one particularly urgent suggestion:

What I'd like to see in the soaring community as a whole is better pre-
takeoff checklist discipline. There's no more efficient use of effort
in the pursuit of better safety to be had (I am mindful of several
sailplane and one tow plane fatality last year alone where checklist
failure was clearly a root cause). One could lay the groundwork for
this in a club briefing, but it will require follow up on the part of
instructors & chief tow pilots.

-Evan Ludeman / T8

I think it might be argued the main reason checklists aren't used is
they can't be found when you need them. This is particularly true in
aircraft with restricted space in the cockpit.

To this end, there is a solution which has worked well for me. The
checklist is neatly inkjet printed on both sides of a card, then
laminated in plastic. This produces a stiff, plastic card which is
extremely rugged. The card is dangled from the right side of the
instrument panel on a short length of parachute cord so it falls
between the pilots right leg and the cockpit wall. When you don't
need it, it's completely out of the way - when you want it, just grab
the cord and pull up the checklist. These cards have survived years
in training gliders.

Space restrictions on the card force short, concise checklists
covering essential safety items. (i.e. lock spoilers, latch canopy
etc...) IMHO long lists are less likely to be used.

On Jan 12, 9:29*am, T8 wrote:

What I'd like to see in the soaring community as a whole is better pre-
takeoff checklist discipline. *There's no more efficient use of effort
in the pursuit of better safety to be had (I am mindful of several
sailplane and one tow plane fatality last year alone where checklist
failure was clearly a root cause). *One could lay the groundwork for
this in a club briefing, but it will require follow up on the part of
instructors & chief tow pilots.

-Evan Ludeman / T8

On Jan 13, 10:23*am, Bill D wrote:
I think it might be argued the main reason checklists aren't used is
they can't be found when you need them. *This is particularly true in
aircraft with restricted space in the cockpit.

To this end, there is a solution which has worked well for me. *The
checklist is neatly inkjet printed on both sides of a card, then
laminated in plastic. *This produces a stiff, plastic card which is
extremely rugged. *The card is dangled from the right side of the
instrument panel on a short length of parachute cord so it falls
between the pilots right leg and the cockpit wall. *When you don't
need it, it's completely out of the way - when you want it, just grab
the cord and pull up the checklist. *These cards have survived years
in training gliders.

Space restrictions on the card force short, concise checklists
covering essential safety items. (i.e. lock spoilers, latch canopy
etc...) *IMHO long lists are less likely to be used.

On Jan 12, 9:29*am, T8 wrote:







What I'd like to see in the soaring community as a whole is better pre-
takeoff checklist discipline. *There's no more efficient use of effort
in the pursuit of better safety to be had (I am mindful of several
sailplane and one tow plane fatality last year alone where checklist
failure was clearly a root cause). *One could lay the groundwork for
this in a club briefing, but it will require follow up on the part of
instructors & chief tow pilots.

-Evan Ludeman / T8

I have my checklists laminated and cut to a small size with a piece of
velcro stuck to the back. The loop velcro piece is then attached to
the side of the cockpit where I can easily reach for the checklist.
No strings attached...

There are many aspects to this but I do have a suggestion for a partial solution.

The Soaring Safety Foundation (Or national equivalent) should prepare an on-line safety course and test similar to the "Wing Runner Course". This course and test should be refreshed each year. An individual's score on this test could be checked by club instructors before an annual check-ride to determine subjects for emphasis.

On Jan 12, 12:22*pm, Bill D wrote:
There are many aspects to this but I do have a suggestion for a partial solution.

The Soaring Safety Foundation (Or national equivalent) should prepare an on-line safety course and test similar to the "Wing Runner Course". *This course and test should be refreshed each year. *An individual's score on this test could be checked by club instructors before an annual check-ride to determine subjects for emphasis.

Amen Bill! I like that suggestion. A complaint of mine has been the
lack of attention to the SSF website. Recently it was updated but in
general it is a great idea that seems not to have anyone pushing it.
Take a look at AOPA's online courses to see some great material in
action. Some of those courses even give you Wings credit (FAA Safety
Program).

Lane
XF

Great idea.

Bob,

Here in Indiana our club the Central Indiana Soaring Society does use
a planned approach to promoting Safety. I believe you are probably
aware of the basics of the plan having attended as a guest presenter
on " Safety " to our members. To reiterate we continue to use the
approach of holding one formal safety meeting each year at the start
of the new soaring season. We have over the years invited different
presenters and have used the Soaring Safety Foundation to find or
provide a speaker for us with good success . A key presenter also at
the Spring meeting is the Chief Operations Officer of the club who
outlines any new procedures for the new season.
All club members are required to attend this early Spring meeting and
those that can't attend have to read and sign the club book of
procedures for field and flying operations for the new year before
taking a tow off the field in the new season.

The Crew Chiefs of our eight weekend crews, the Tow Pilots and the
Club Instructors also meet seperately after this meeting to discuss
and agree on safety related issues and procedures that they are most
involved with .

Inevitably some safety related issues arise during the season and the
basic responsibilty for addressing these issues on any flying day are
in the hands of a " Trio " - The duty Crew Chief , The duty Tow
Pilot , The duty Instructor " .

A couple of years back the club did request an "audit" of safety
procedures at the club . This was arranged through the Soaring Safety
Foundation if I recall correctly and it revealed some good issues to
be worked on .

That's a simplified outline of the system we've used in recent years.

Ron.

The Central California Soaring Club does a couple of things.

Last year we did a beginning of the season safety briefing from our
resident FAA Safety manager. We followed that safety meeting with a
program we called "Three for Free" which was 3 free tows to get
"current." Our instructors donated their services and everyone was
encouraged to take those flights. It was a great use of club
resources to get people back in the air after winter. We ran this
program for the full month of March and had pretty good participation,
most importantly from the pilots that weren't getting out and flying
regularly during the off season.

This year I think we'll do several shorter and more pointed safety
talks. Looking at some of the accidents from the last year and making
sure to incorporate those into the program. Tow Plane signals as an
example.

It's my intent to continue with the Three for Free program to
encourage people to start off the new season with a refresher. Not
only was it good for safety, it kickstarted a few members to get back
in the airplane that hadn't been flying at all in the last few years.

Morgan Hall
President
Central California Soaring Club

On Jan 12, 6:02*am, soarbooks wrote:
I am studying the methods that gliding clubs and organizations employ
to enhance safety in their operations. I plan to make a short
presentation on this topic at the Soaring Safety Foundation-hosted
safety meeting in Reno, Nevada, on Wednesday February 1 2012. *Does
your soaring organization have regular (monthly, semi-annual, annual)
safety meetings/programs? *If so, what occurs in those meetings? Are
the meetings/programs effective in achieving a safer environment for
your organization? Is there any follow-up after the meetings/programs
to measure their effectiveness? Do you feel that you benefit from any
of the programs? Do you have suggestions to make safety meetings and
programs more effective?

Please post responses to this topic here on r.a.s. and let us all know
what you think. Pilots from all countries are welcome to contibute.
Thanks!/Danke!/Merci!
Posted by Bob Wander (USA)
-End