Single Seater Flying Requirements 2024

 Introduction

This section sets out the arrangements for flying the single seat gliders that are owned by LGS. 

The gliders and requirements to fly

Before flying any of the club single seaters all members must ensure they satisfy the necessary criteria as detailed below.

Briefings and type conversions should be carried out by an instructor who is familiar with the type.  The CFI/DCFI will allocate an instructor to carry out the Discus type conversion and this will include the rigging and de-rigging of the glider.

All type conversions will be on aerotow.  A minimum of two aerotows are required before conversion to the winch.

A pilot flying a new type shall have their logbook signed with the appropriate type approval.  (Visiting pilots will be assessed by the CFI/DCFI on a case-by-case basis).

The 2024 Fleet

SH2 Discus

SH3 Discus

SH4 Discus

Hire price for LGS members 80p/min max charge 2.5 hours = £120.00

All the above have good trailers, two with Swan trailers and one with a Cobra trailer.  All have wing stands and tow out equipment which is kept in the front of each trailer

SH6 Grob 102

SH7 Grob 102

SH8 Grob 102

SH9 Grob 102

Hire price for LGS members 72p/min max charge 2.5 hours = £108.00

See Junior Price list for discount for U26s

Also with trailers. but kept rigged in the hangar.

All aircraft have GPS devices, 8.33 Radios and PowerFlarm

Please see below for flying qualifications required for each type.

The Surrey & Hants Single Seater Committee:

Rick Bastin - Chairman

 

 

Local Flying

Cross Country

 

Grob 102

20 solo flights

Current on ASK21

Briefing and check flight

with Assistant or Full rated Instructor

NOTE: SH6 REQUIRES BRONZE AND XC ENDORSEMENT

 5 flights on type

+ 5 hours on type

+ XC endorsement

+ CFI/DCFI authorization

+ Observed spot landing

 

Discus

CFI/DCFI Approval

Bronze ‘C’ + XC Endorsement

20 hrs solo, including 10 hours in G102/similar

Type conversion carried out by approved instructor

 5 flights on type

+ 5 hours on type

+ XC endorsement

+ Silver distance  completed

 + CFI/DCFI authorisation

+ Field landing refresher

+ Observed spot landing            

Visiting pilots flying the Discuses must have a completed Silver "C" and 75 hours P1.

Type conversion on the single seaters should be signed in the pilot's logbook and also in the Lasham training cards. 

 

Booking and hiring

Booking

The gliders can be booked in advance via the on-line booking system. A booking ensures that you have the glider for the day and covers soaring costs but not launches.  Gliders can be cancelled up to 16:30 the day before the booked day, after this time you will be charged for the booking as the glider can't be easily taken up by a club member.  There are strict limitations in place on the number of gliders that can be booked so check with the office for details.

Hiring

Gliders may be hired and taken off site if authorised by the CFI.  There are strict limits to of numbers that can be taken off site to ensure that gliders are still available at Lasham for members to fly.  Hiring incurs an upfront non-refundable hire fee to be paid to the office.

Unlimited Flying

Lasham operates an unlimited flying scheme whereby for payment of an upfront fee, members can fly the single-seaters without payment of soaring charges (launch fees must still be paid).  Unlimited members must still ballot or book a glider using the procedure described above.  An ‘H’ must be inserted in the hire column otherwise the office may not realise an unlimited member is flying and may charge a soaring fee.

Looking after the gliders

Anyone leaving a glider or its trailer in a poor state will not be allowed to fly any of these single seaters. 

You are responsible for the glider, until you formally hand it over to someone else. After you have flown the glider, you must either hand it over to someone else or you must put it away. Make sure that the launch-point controller is aware that you have handed over the glider.  It would be unfair for you to inflict your responsibilities on other, more responsible members of Lasham or its staff. At the end of the day, always wash the glider, put its batteries are on charge and put the parachute away in its bag. Take particular care to remove any traces of bugs on the leading edges of wings and tail-planes, and mud underneath the fuselage before putting it back into the hangar or in its trailer

Parachutes

The Discuses have “Softie” parachutes stored in clearly marked bags. The Grobs use standard club parachutes. Parachutes for all the single seaters are stored in their bags in racks on the right hand side of the clubhouse parachute room. They should be returned in their bags at the end of the day. Remember to check when the parachute is due for repacking. 

Batteries

These are found attached to the battery chargers in a metal cabinet in the northeast corner of the main hangar.  Any club battery can be used but do not take a battery which is marked for a particular glider.  Please make sure that batteries are returned to the cabinet at the end of the day and are put on charge.  Do not leave them in the glider or take them home in your car!

The discuses require three batteries (one under instrument panel and two behind seat) while the Grobs require a single battery (located on the parcel shelf).

Tow-out gear

Each Discus has tow-out gear comprising tail-dolly, wing-top dolly and folding tow-out bar.  Straight after towing out, please return ALL of the tow-out gear to where it belongs. This is in the front of the trailers for the Discus aircraft.  It is very frustrating to have to go on a treasure hunt before you can move your glider in the morning - especially if the tow-out gear is in the boot of someone's car!  If a rope is used for tow out, make sure that it is long enough to prevent the glider from rolling into the car.  There must be two people walking with the glider when towing out – one on the wing and one at the nose.

Maintenance

All gliders have defect reporting books.  All defects however minor, should be recorded in the book and reported to the workshop either in person or by e-mail (engineering@lasham.org.uk).  The defect reporting procedure is described in the front of the defect book.  Please note that any major defects affecting the potential airworthiness of the glider must also be immediately reported to the CFI/DCFI and recorded in the DI book.

Recording Flights

Flarm

Flarm is a collision warning device alerting the pilot to the proximity of other Flarm equipped gliders. The Flarm system can also be used to record the essential elements of your flight including heights and your track over ground.  However this system needs an SD memory card which can be purchased from the office (or a PC store).  At the start of the flight insert the SD card into the data reader slot on the instrument panel.  At the end of the flight leave the card in the reader for at least 10 minutes for all the data to be processed.  Then turn the Flarm off. Turn on the Flarm to initiate the download. The progress of the download can be followed by viewing the lights on the Flarm.  At the end of the flight ensure that an official observer is present when the card is removed from the card reader. The data on the card should then be downloaded and the necessary information printed.

ClearNav

The discuses are also equipped with ClearNav moving map systems.  These are relatively straightforward to use but require a briefing from a previous user to get the best use out of them. At the end of the flight, details are down-loaded from the ClearNav using a USB memory stick. 

The Trailers

Each of the Discuses has its own trailer and there are two trailers available for the Grobs.  These are very important to the well-being of the gliders. If you believe one of them to be unserviceable (e.g. one of the wing-holders doesn't hold the wing securely), then feel free to try and make it serviceable. If this is beyond your capabilities, then please make a note in the defects book and report to the Maintenance Workshop.  Whatever you do, don't drive with an unserviceable trailer - it can get horribly messy!

Remember that when flying cross country (especially in the Discuses) that then trailer doors must be left open so that Lasham staff can tell if the gliders have landed back on the airfield.

Ground-handling

Here is a revision of some of the basic rules in addition to the guidance in Ground handling:

 

  1. If you are unsure how to rig/derig a certain type, do not guess, find someone who knows and learn from them.
  2. Always ensure that the wing-walker and tail-dolly are seated before doing up the catches. This will avoid forcing the catches and risking breaking them, or damaging the gel or both.
  3. Take extra care when towing out with water ballast in the wings as it can slosh about and tip the wrong wing onto the ground
  4. Keep the canopy locked.
  5. Whenever you de-rig a glider and put it in its trailer make sure that the canopy is locked shut and ensure that the glider is secured correctly in the trailer. Before moving a trailer check that the glider is secured correctly.

Notes on the gliders

Discuses

SH2 is a Discus CS manufactured in 1995. SH3 and SH4 are Discus Bs purchased new in 1987 and 1989. They have both been re-gelled in recent years. All the Discuses have lifting instrument panels for ease of access.

The Discuses are really easy to fly with no vices at all. Experienced pilots find that their performance is noticeably improved with water ballast.  However their lightness without water is useful in marginal conditions.

SH3 is the easiest of the 3 to rig. SH2 can be particularly awkward. Make sure after putting the first wing (port) in that the spar has an equal gap above and below it, and everything is well aligned. It makes putting in the second wing much easier. They have automatic control connections.

As with all gliders, it is much easier to rig if the tail-fin is vertical.  Sometimes when removing the second wing, the fuselage can rotate on the belly-dolly if the wing’s weight is still on it. So it is best to take the full weight of the wing and spar as soon as possible and beware of rotating fuselages.

Each Discus has it's own tail dolly and full one-man tow-out gear comprising a wing dolly and tow-bar.

Grob 102 

The Grobs are suitable gliders for early solo pilots and will easily fly Silver Distance and further. They have very large cockpits but the panel is rather high so the view forward on aerotow can sometimes be restricted. The retractable version (SH6) needs care to ensure that the lever is fully in the down-position before landing. There have been a couple of wheels-up landings due to the lever not being locked. SH8 has its main wheel in front of the centre of gravity. SH7 & 9 have their main wheel behind the C of G and a nose-wheel, which is easier for ground-handling.

All the Grobs have new, standardised panels with Oudie or LX navigation systems.

The Grobs share a fixed wheel Cobra  trailer and an older AMF trailer.

The Grobs use a completely different system for rigging from other gliders.  It is essential to line everything up before trying to put the wings on. (It can take hours otherwise) The ailerons and air brake connections have to be connected via an inspection-panel on top of the fuselage.  The elevator connections have to be made before putting on the tail-plane.  Putting on the tail-plane is a two-man job for safety’s sake.  A very experienced pilot put himself out of a competition a few years ago by letting the tail-plane slip when the elevator was connected and bent the pushrod.

As with all gliders, it is much easier to rig if the tail-fin is vertical.  Sometimes when removing the second wing, the fuselage can rotate on the belly-dolly if the wing’s weight is still on it. So it is best to take the full weight of the wing and spar as soon as possible and beware of rotating fuselages.

Although the manual recommends a white link for winch-launches, the practice at Lasham is to use blue.

Instruments

All the Grobs have standardised instrument panels with LX Varios and Oudies.

Cross Country Flight Records and Trophies

Lasham encourages all pilots to record their cross country flights on the BGA Ladder. This is important to maintain as complete a record as possible of cross country activity from Lasham. For longstanding experienced cross-country pilots, recording flights on the BGA Ladder has become second nature. For those flying early cross countries in club aircraft this may appear an unnecessary hassle. If you need advice please do not hesitate to seek help from more experienced pilots. The BGA Ladder can be accessed at: http://www.bgaladder.co.uk/index.asp. You need to register and set up a user password before uploading flight traces for the first time.

If you complete ANY cross country in one of the club Discuses; (SH2, SH3 or SH4) or in one of the club Grobs (SH6, SH7, SH8 or SH9) please download your flight trace and put it on the BGA Ladder. There is a specific sub-category named: “S&H Gliders”, within the Lasham Club category that should be ticked when uploading your flight.  A  trophy will be awarded to the highest scoring flight each year.

You don't necessarily need your own flight recording equipment; flight logs can be downloaded from the Flarm in all club gliders and also from the ClearNav in the Discuses. Full details can be found on the Lasham Web-site in the Lasham Airfield Manual, under “Single Seaters” and “ClearNav”.

There is also a trophy;  The Surrey and Hampshire Gliding Club Commemoration Cup that is awarded annually for the highest scoring flight in a club single seater recorded on the S&H section of the BGA ladder.

Claiming a Trophy

The trophies are awarded annually for flights registered on the BGA Ladder website tagged S & H Ladder so make sure your flights are recorded on the BGA Ladder for your chance to win these prestigious awards!

Safe Flying and Happy Landings!