What sort of issues are being reported in SOAR reports across the country this soaring season?
October had a run of DG300/1000 related undercarriage collapses. This has been addressed in OAN 02/2024. If you are flying these aircraft, it is worth a read. There is also a video to watch. Check out the OAN. A fire also occurred on an airfield when the charging circuit for a tow out golf cart had a short circuit. Spot fires in the grass were stamped out and extinguishers used to put out the subsequent fire. Sometimes our trusty old tow out carts and cars need care. Fifteen incidents were reported in October.
November had 18 reports. Runway incursions and airspace violations headlined. The violations, while minor and short lived, were noticeable. ‘Keeping 2’ is a good policy – 200ft buffer vertically and 2km from boundaries. Even more than that is better. Some outlandings and harder landings were also reported. As pilots begin venturing out of the airfield area for the first time and others get back into the groove, these sorts of incidents tend to occur.
At the time of writing on 24 December 2024, 11 incidents had occurred in December. With the competition season well underway, some near misses have been reported. These have been glider to glider, glider to tug, as well as glider with GA or RAAUS. The intense concentration during competition can lead to parts of our situational awareness unbuckling. Heat stress and flying day after day in tough conditions can also take its toll.
Asking other pilots, ‘Am I okay?’ is a good approach. Notably, incorrectly rigged gliders have featured at least twice this year. Independent control checks are vital after a derig or rig.
Lastly, two pilots whose mobile phone jammed controls in the cockpit achieved a remarkable landing. The glider was able to turn via use of the rudder and elevator, but aileron control was limited. The pilots used good crew resource management and divided tasks. Upon landing, the phone was identified as the jamming device.
The SOAR reports submitted so far this year are now being investigated by our Regional managers Operations (RMO) for each state and Level 3 instructors assisting with the investigations.
PADDOCK AND BUSHFIRES STAY AWAY
A column of smoke rising above the ground may seem enticing. A glider pilot may think, “This is a great thermal source.” However, the opposite is generally true, and many hidden dangers are associated.
Paddock fires are common where we fly, especially in summer. Every gliding club will have a war story about flying near a paddock fire. In my experience the rewards don’t equal the risk.
Flying in smoke is awful and causes coughing, eye irritation and reduced visibility - not my idea of fun. What goes up must come down, sometimes fast. The sink around smoke can be very strong. The lift is not better. With less discomfort, good thermals can probably be found within a few kilometres from the fire. Lastly, if you outland near the fire, you may lose your valuable asset.
More importantly, you may not be aware of fire fighting activities that are under way for the area. If aircraft are detected within 5 nm and 3,000’ AGL of fire fighting operations, the aerial firefighting units may be forced to ground. CASA has more information available at
tinyurl.com/Bushfires-StayAway
