Of course you all know what's going to happen this year! There has been such a long lay off for most pilots when the weather does break we are going to be straight into the spring thermal conditions. Big ups and big downs, big lapse rates and turbulence.....Ohh I can't wait
What's happened to all the winter easterlies and loads of coastal flying to keep us current? There's been nowt! I personally haven't flown since November 30 min's at Tailbridge most of the weekends since then have been crap or at least the ones I could get out on.
I think we are all going to have to be very very careful when we do get out flying as there will be some seriously rusty pilots out there me being one of them.
Remember spring is fantastic just be bloody careful no matter how experienced you are.
it funny as i thought the flying this year had been crap yet when i went back over my flying logs it is not so different from the last 4 exept 2007. as this was epic 44 hours by mid april so i think though it seems bad long as you put in the milage ou can still get in the hours.
i must say the last few years spring has started early, and when spring is supposed to be hear it does not come then we get a bout of low low pressures in the summer that turn out to be more terifying than any spring weather i have had. saying that april is my hospital month so not the best time though it normaly has been timed with crap weather.
patience and foreign holidays is the way to go or just take up knitting.
still in five years and 2 extended layoff i have still managed to average over 90 hours per year so you can fly but you need to be 100% comitted to staying current as to not is always going to be more dangerous
I cant make it to the meeting on thursday but from the point of safety I would just like to echo what John has said at the top of the thread where are the march easterlies that we usually get, but more importantly watch out for spring it can bite!.
Also on the subject of safety I would like to discuss some of the points made in the recently released accident report of the accident at the bcc last summer. I have just read it briefly but I think we could all learn something from it
I saw it out in Alicante on the Spanish version of dragons den.
3 axis movement of 'canopy', treadmill for launch/ landing and the arm picks up you shakes you around and dumps you just like a nasty spring thermal. It can be programmed/ operated to simulate inflight emergencies and the operatorcan check you are making the right desicions / inputs to recover successfully. It even has a funny hang glider version which I thought from the tv show was really impressive. The pilot ran along launched got lifted 4m upwards did some manouvres and then landed and had to run off the speed on the treadmill landing zone. Ace!
Could be the answer to a shitty long winter and no easterlies.
