Does Soaring Have To Be So Dangerous - Safety corner - July 1, 2021
 

The author of the article, "Does Soaring Have To Be So Dangerous?" read, interpreted, and analyzed about 250 glider accident reports to try to explain why soaring per activity hour is about twice as dangerous as riding a motorcycle. He tries to inform us about "How can each of us make it safer for ourselves?" The bottom line from the piece is that "Soaring does not have to be so dangerous. If you train your brain to resist the temptations; if you practice and are self-critical; and if you are diligent before and during your flights, you can dramatically improve your odds."

It's worth spending some time with the article. Yes, it's long and it rambles, but it has tons of important detail about your soaring mind set and how to practice the sport to keep you safer. The piece concludes that  "...approximately 90% of accidents are avoidable." That's good news. But, getting there is hard. Key takeaways:

• Remember that you will be tempted to do something that’s dangerous, and train your mind to keep the temptation as small as possible
• Remind yourself that certain maneuvers are always dangerous and...they do not get safer with experience
• Pre-plan the difficult decisions, such as when to stop thermalling and start landing
• Regularly practice standard situation emergencies, such as rope breaks and spin entries
• Really get to know your equipment
• Worry—at least a bit; if you’re too relaxed there’s a real risk that you become inattentive
• Stay humble, seek critique, and critique yourself, [so...] after a break from soaring, take a check ride

There are more nuggets. Mull over each as you pick your way through the wanderings of the piece. Then, they might find their way into your piloting.