Operational Procedures
Pre-flight and launch
Standard procedures cover the pre-flight inspection, daily inspection, and the pre-launch checklist (controls, ballast, canopy, cable, release, airbrakes, trim). For aerotow, know the signals and the emergency actions: release if the tow plane is not climbing, if the rope slackens dangerously, or if the combination is out of position. For winch launch, expect a steep climb, monitor airspeed, and be ready for a cable break - push over, release, and land ahead or in a safe field.
In flight
- Lookout and radio calls at uncontrolled sites.
- Thermalling: keep a constant bank and a good lookout; expect other gliders.
- Airspace: turn away before the boundary, not at it.
- Outlanding: choose early, fly a stable approach, and inspect the field from above; land into wind, uphill if possible.
- Emergency: parachute use, canopy jettison, and forced landing.
Post-flight and reporting
Debrief, log the flight, and report defects. Know what constitutes a reportable occurrence.
Traps
Questions test whether you release or hold on during a tow emergency, or whether you turn back after a low cable break - the answer is normally do not turn back. Another trap: assuming a field is suitable because it looks flat from altitude; check slope, surface, and obstacles on a low pass.
Worked example
Winch launch, cable break at 300 ft with a headwind. Rule of thumb: below about 200–300 ft, land ahead; do not attempt a turn back. Lower the nose, release, maintain flying speed, and land in the remaining field or the undershoot.