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Winch Driving Notes and Updates
Maintained by the Winch Master
Launching from the east end
While the grass is growing on the seeded area gliders using both cables can be launched from the north side.
It is very important that the north cable is used first regardless of the wind direction to avoid crossing cables as this is very poor practice and can result in both cables being fouled.
When driving the tow-out vehicle please be very careful to ensure nobody is behind the truck when you reverse.
Winch update
Would all winch drivers please note that the reconditioned flywheel fitted to the winch has changed the way its drives. Please be especially careful when launching single seaters as it is a bit easier to be too fast I am sure that everyone will get a feel for it pretty quickly.
Thanks to Mike and his team for all their efforts in getting the winch back into service sorry I wasn't around to help or hinder
Cold starting
Many thanks to Lionel and Mike for organising the new socket to connect the booster batteries to the winch, much safer than jump leads.
We are however once again having problems with winch starting particularly first thing in the cold. It is possible that our operating system of switching off between launches takes more out of the batteries than the alternator can put back in. Could you all please run the winch for an extended period following a cold start, to enable the batteries to recover. I would suggest at least until after you have done the DI on the cables the winch doesnt use that much diesel when ticking over.
New Operating Procedures
As a result of the flying committee meeting on 22/07/08 there are significant changes to our operating procedures when launching in crosswinds.Please read the following from the CFI.
Winching in southerlies
There has been much discussion on when we can and can’t winch safely with southerly winds. There have been far too many incidents recently when we have landed cables and parachutes much too close to people and gliders. Despite all our attempts to teach and brief pilots to allow for cross winds correctly these incidents continue. If we don’t do something we may well have an accident. After much discussion we decided that we have to increase our safety margins and have set out the rules as follows:-
1 If there is any southerly component in the wind use the small cable shutes.
2 The maximum southerly cross wind component for winching is 5 knots when launching from the West end and 10 knots when launching from the East end. This is the wind speed measured at wind turbine height of 200 feet*.
3 This does not absolve the winch driver, duty instructor and all pilots from using their brains. Clearly we must launch such that if the cable broke at the winch at the worst moment then there must not be any significant possibility of the cable or parachute falling on anything other than the airfield grass. For example in a 14 knot SW wind don’t launch if someone is towing a glider back over the old Quarry area where the field is at its narrowest. If the winch driver is not happy to launch he must not do so and must not be coerced into doing do by overenthusiastic pilots or instructors. Although pilots should all allow for drift we have found by bitter experience that we can’t rely on them doing so correctly.
4 The winch driver must never purposely “cut” the launch because the glider is not allowing for the cross wind correctly. It is safer to continue the launch, wind the cable in normally and then seriously consider whether to do another launch that day.
5 If a winch parachute lands where it can’t be seen by the winch driver he must go and find it and move it to near the centre of the field before winding it in.
6 We must continue to teach correct “laying off” for crosswinds. Whenever possible this should be part of annual and site checks. It must always be discussed during these checks.
7 I will monitor the situation over the next few months and tighten of slacken these rules as necessary.
* We have ordered an anemometer to fit on the club house roof. We will have to find out by experimentation whether this gives more reliable data than the wind turbine in southerly winds (we all know what it will do in northerlies!).
Thank you for taking the time to read all the above some of changes are quite different to what we have done in the past please remember that these things do change and these changes are made for the safety of all involved and the good of the club. Please operate in a safe manner if in your opinion it is not safe to carry on Stop you have the backing of the CFI and the flying committee.
Steve Tromans
Weekend Rota
We are still struggling to find weekend winch drivers please let the office know which dates you could cover. The original idea was for drivers to cover one day per month, I let the office know all the weekend dates when I am not working up until oct I think I am down to cover about nine days! could some of you volunteer please.
Steve Tromans
Congratulations to the new winch drivers who have been checked out, a big thank you for putting in the time and effort to do so. We still need more people to come forward to not only learn the art of winch driving but also to join the weekend rota. At present we are woefully short of weekend winch drivers,if you can help please get in touch even if it is to cover just the odd day the office always have details of when we need help.
Updated :
15:06 on Friday 11th of June 2010
Update?
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For gliding related enquiries please
© 2007 Bristol & Gloucestershire Gliding
Club, Registered Office: NYMPSFIELD NR STONEHOUSE, GLOUCESTERSHIRE, GL10 3TX,
Registered in England No. 1302149.
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