Preparing for emergencies and abnormal operations is an important part of gliding safety.
Participants discussed the need for pilots to stay proficient in:
- out-landing (an unscheduled landing by a glider in a field or area other than an established airport)
- recovery from unexpected aircraft attitudes
- managing high-energy situations.
Out-landings are a normal part of gliding, but they can involve higher risk due to unfamiliar terrain, obstacles, changing weather, and limited options once committed.
Emergency responses can also vary between locations. In some cases, emergency services or aerodrome staff may not be familiar with how to manage a glider landing away from an airfield.
We also discussed the use of ballistic recovery systems. Pilots and maintenance personnel need to understand:
- how these systems work
- when they can use them
- the risks after deployment.
What you can do
You can be more prepared for emergencies and abnormal operations through regular training, practice, and review of procedures.
You should:
- maintain pilot skills in out-landing planning, site selection, and recovery procedures
- ensure staff write down, practise, and understand emergency response plans
- include recovery from unexpected aircraft attitudes and energy management in training and refresher activities
- make sure pilots and maintenance staff understand how ballistic recovery systems work, their limits, and the risks after use (where fitted)
- include emergency and unexpected situation scenarios in training and safety review activities.
What we have done
We continue to promote awareness of human performance and good decision-making through:
- education
- safety campaigns
- engagement with industry.
These activities help improve understanding of factors such as:
- awareness of surroundings
- workload, fatigue
- managing risks
- making decisions in changing operational conditions.
We also support industry-led safety activities focused on:
- emergency planning
- preparing for abnormal operations
- improving response capability when something goes wrong.
We use occurrence reports, identified hazards and emerging trends to monitor safety risks and help identify areas that may need further attention or action.