Being safe is all about risk management. We can manage one risk at a time, but when they combine, things get intense! Find ways to counteract these common dangers before they reach critical levels so you can maintain a good margin of safety and avoid an accident.
Crash landings
Crash landings are usually caused by poor glider control: a bad approach, landing downwind, turning low, no pitch control, flying into a hazard, landing behind an obstacle, or poor flare timing. Reduce the risk by keeping two landing options available within easy glide, and favouring long landing strips, lined up into the wind. Improve your chances by practising spot landing, swoop flare, butterfly beats, and always approaching with your legs down.
Failed launches
Launch sites can be dangerous places, with steep slopes, rocks, and tricky winds. Control errors can lead to getting overpowered, turning the wrong way, or running at a different speed to the wing causing a sudden lift-and-dump, collapse, or a turn into the slope. Sometimes pilots don’t respect the danger and play around on launch...
