SCOPE: All Instructors ISSUE 2: 10/03/08	BMGC INSTRUCTOR NOTES	INDEX
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Page 1

• Index

Page 2

• K21 guidance

Page 3

• K21 guidance

Page 4

• K13 Spinning
• Aerotow exercises

Page 5

• Instructor flying
• Training costs

Page 6

• Basic instructor/Trial Lesson guidance
• Trial Lesson weather minima
• Mid week flying guidance

Page 7

• NOTAM checking
• General items
• Running Mini Courses

Page 8

• Glider taxiing guidance
• Launch clear zones
• Bronze C confuser

Page 9

• Instructor and pilot currency

Page 10 – 12

• Looking after visitors
• Checking and supervision guidance

Page 14 – 16

• Stalling and Spin training

SCOPE: All Instructors ISSUE 1: 13/09/07	BMGC INSTRUCTOR NOTES	K21
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K21

Basic Instructors

If you have not flown a K21 before or similar:

As P2

• 1 x soaring flight from the back seat
• 1 x training circuit from the back seat
• 1 x solo soaring flight

If you then feel comfortable with the glider you can start to do air experience from then on, but use your common sense especially if the conditions are challenging

Ass Cats/Full Cats

If you have not flown a K21 before or similar

• 1 x check flight from the back seat before flying as P1.

I would encourage all instructors to fly at least once from back seat before instructing even if you have flown a K21 (or similar) before, just so that you can do a Talgarth ‘calibration’ (performance and view at Tal). 

As always use your common sense (i.e. do not start to teach abinitio/early solo pilots landing on your first flight as P1!)

There is no soaring charge for any of the above as this is instructor consolidation.

Remaining membership

• Check flight for conversion as normal.  Use your common sense as always.

K21 flight manual

A copy of the manual is now in the Aircraft Information folder – under K21

The return of the K21

The K21 is now back looking very smart.  The radio will be fitted very shortly as will the GPS’s

Just a reminder of key operating issues with K21

Rear Canopy

If this is not locked properly it will come open in flight.  Not only does then become a very good airbrake for a short period of time, but it will also cost at least £1500 to replace!  Please ensure the canopy is locked properly before launch.  The canopy locks have now been changed so that they swing out into the cockpit when unlocked making them much easier to spot.

Watch any overrun on up slack

There is a risk that the rope can get wound round the nose wheel if the up slack is a bit quick and the ground is hard (fat chance!) as the glider will readily roll forward.  As me and Clarkie discovered subsequent release can be troublesome…….

SCOPE: All Instructors ISSUE 1: 13/09/07	BMGC INSTRUCTOR NOTES	K21
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Nose wheel

The nose wheel is the K21’s Achilles’ heel.  If there is a hard landing on the main and nose wheel there is a high chance damage will be inflicted.  Therefore on take off ensure the stick

is well back (as per a K13) and ensure landings are fully held off with the stick progressively coming back to take keep the weight off the nose for as long as possible.  Avoid ‘steering’ on the ground roll unless absolutely necessary.

Keep the area around the nose wheel clean for easy inspection for any possible damage.

Use the K21 for all visitor check flights who then intend to fly their glass glider

• I would like wherever possible for all check flights for pilots who intend to then fly glass to be done in the K21
• If the glider is of an earlier generation and /or has poorer brakes (Libelle, Mistral, Cirrus etc) then limit the airbrake available for approach to half. This will make bloggs fly and see an approach similar to the one he will have to fly in his own glider
• The notes to visitors have changed so that they indicate that visitors must have, wherever possible, a check flight in the K21 if they are to fly a glass glider

‘K21 will not spin’

• You hear this quite a lot.  However despite being a benign aircraft she will still descend towards the down going wing when provoked at the stall. 
• With light weights in the front she may even start to auto rotate?
• I have had a go twice now with me in the front and either Gerry or Mark F in the back.  In both cases (to the right) the stick was coming back/to the left and yet the nose was dropping we were rolling to the right. 
• This didn’t last very long, but then it doesn’t need to if you are close the ground or mountain……
• Try it – in both cases we did this off a standard “shallow banked, over ruddered ‘final’ turn with the speed being bled off as bloggs was not paying attention”.

Brakes closed and locked?

• We have had a recent incident where a very experienced instructor in the K21 inadvertently launched with brakes unlocked. 
• They only sucked open about 2” and therefore were not visible from the tug.
• What ensued was quite alarming as it had a huge difference to the rate of climb. 
• Be careful!

The Spin Kit has arrived

• The spin mod is now ready for use.  Please do not use it until you hear from me.
• More details to follow when I get them
• The mod consists of lead weights bolts externally to the base of the fin just in front of the rudder.  They are very obvious.

Tyres on wingtips

• There is no need to put tyres on the wing tip on any glass glider
• Park glider sideways with the into wind wing up.
• If this is not good enough then perhaps it’s too windy, so put them – spread the word

Opening the Canopies

• I have witnessed several members and instructor opening the canopies using the DV panel.
• Use the locking handle 
• I have also seen saw several folk reaching thro the front DV to release tow rope as well, on one occasion whilst the glider was still on the move
• Needless to say I reminded them all that this was not good practice – please quash this before we get an expensive bill.

SCOPE: All Instructors ISSUE 2: 01/10/07	BMGC INSTRUCTOR NOTES	K13 AND AEROTOW
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K21 continued

K21 tail wheel

Tony Crowden discovered the following recently:

When we got the K21 out of the hangar we found the tail wheel tyre had been ripped off it's rim.  We took the wheel off the glider, put the tyre back on the rim and re-inflated it with no problem.  But, to damage the tyre like that the tail must have been forcibly dragged sideways across the concrete apron by pulling on the wing tip, I assume to line the glider up to get it in the hangar.  This is a very bad practice as this kind of miss-handling can easily also damage the wing root of the glider. 

I completely agree with Tony’s feedback.

• Please stamp on this practice.
• It is very easy to raise the tail by gently pushing down on the nose

K13 spinning

‘K13’ will come out of the workshop with a new electronic accelerometer and placard stating that intentional spinning for training purposes only is allowed in the upper weight limit. For clarification; (from Jim Hammerton, BGA Chief Technical Officer).

• Placard Vne and Va are not affected
• Max ‘G’ limit is +3.5
• Aerobatics in the upper weight limit are still prohibited

Kilo 13 canopy

This is now back from repair. 

Unfortunately there is some distortion especially for us in the back.

It is serviceable but not ideal

Keep this mind especially when close the ground, mountain, into low sun etc

Kilo13’ ballast weights

Thanks to Clarkie we now have new bolt on weights for the lighter pilots flying ‘Kilo13’.  They each weigh 13Ibs and bolt to the floor.  I have marked then both as ‘K13’.  Now that these are available please do not use sit on ballast unless absolutely necessary

New electronic Accelerometer in K13

A copy of the user notes are now in the Aircraft Information folder – under K13

Aerotow exercises

• Tug Pilots. We have been doing a number of ‘wave off’ exercises recently.  These are proving to be very useful.  I have had feedback that these have been a bit variable and have sometimes not been a real  positive signal which could be confused for turbulence.  Please make the ‘wag’ as positive as you can.

• All. I have done a couple of really good descending tow exercise recently.  Especially a ‘you have your airbrakes open - rudder wag’ which was pre-briefed with Brocky.  This resulted in a steep descending tow which forced P2 to have a lot of brake out.  The signal was then made, the brakes shut and the climb commenced.  From an instructor/student perspective a very good exercise and I would encourage you all to get your students to have a go at this.

SCOPE: All Instructors ISSUE 1: 13/09/07	BMGC INSTRUCTOR NOTES	INSTRUCTOR FLYING
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