Safety Corner 5 aug 2021<br>
<br>
There are a few informational items that instructors often ask students at the 
beginning of a lesson. Top of the list are weather and aircraft performance; 
what are the:forecast winds aloft and surface winds?
performance numbers—e.g., best L/D—for the ship you're going to fly?<br>
<br>
Too often, the answer is &quot;I dunno.&quot; If it's a dual lesson, the instructor is 
there to fill in the blanks when it's needed. If the student is flying solo, for 
the sake of safety, s/he has to know the answers, just as a certificated pilot 
would.<br>
<br>
Every pilot, student or otherwise, should have an FAA-approved weather account; 
1800wxbrief is just one. Log-on before you come to the field and print out or 
commit to memory that day's weather. <br>
<br>
If you know you're going to fly the Puchacz, for example, you should have read 
the SZD-50 manual, its GBSC flight characteristics page on the Ops website, and 
any other information that's available. Know the numbers and/or make a cheat 
sheet or card you can refer to.<br>
<br>
There is no excuse not to be prepared with all the information you need to keep 
you—and your instructor—safe.<p><a href="../Weather.htm">Here's some more information</a></p>