BGA Safety Articles

A consolidated list of all past BGA Safety Articles, as featured in S&G, is now available on that website.

See link —- >> https://www.sailplaneandgliding.co.uk/safety-articles

Please take a moment to ready any of interest.

regards

Neil

Risk Assessment & Mitigation

After a long review, and complete rework, we now have a new Risk Assessment document agreed by the Committee.

This covers all key Safety Risks, and Hazards faced by the Club in our operation, and describes the procedures, processes, actions ane expectations that exist to mitigate them to an acceptable level.

The document can be viewed on this website, under ‘Documents”, ‘Document Library’, then Click ‘Safety Information’, or here….. https://beacon.by/pngc/pngc-risk-assessment-final-18nov24pdf

Please do take a minute to peruse. In the near future a hardcopy will be kept both in the Log Cabin, and the Clubhouse.

If you have any comments, questions, ideas or concerns about anything included, please contact me directly.

Thanks

Neil Shaw

Club Safety Officer & DCFI.

MC Minutes for November are now live in the documents db.

Reporting Safety Incidents or Concerns

Just a reminder of the ability for any Member to raise a PNGC Incident Report for any safety-related issue you see, or perceive. This can be anonymous if preferred, although that reduces the ability to discuss further one-to-one.

You may do so at https://pngc.co.uk/incident-reporting/ which sends your report immediately to the CFI, Chairman and Club Safety Officer for review and any action. See also QR code below.

Alternatively, consider whether it’s more appropriate initially to speak first to myself, any Instructor or Committee Member.

Neil S.

Misting Canopies, Low Cloud and Low Sun

The below from the BGA recently. These conditions can be frequent at this time of year. I’ve twice also experienced a phenomenon where a canopy – clear on the ground – unexpectedly misted quickly in the ascent due to a temperature gradient (as opposed to ‘breathe-mist’ clearing with an increased airflow). Know what you’d need to do if so… chat to an Instructor first…

Neil S.

“There can be some great flying days in the late autumn and throughout the winter. As ever, there are seasonal challenges and classically in the autumn and winter they include misting canopies, low cloud, and the low afternoon sun.

This is what one club publishes in it’s briefing notes regarding misting canopies: Ensure your canopy is clean and clear before taking off. A misted canopy may not clear quickly, especially on aerotow. If the canopy is misted, do not launch, open the canopy, and wait until the misting has cleared.

Approaching cloud during a winch launch can be particularly hazardous if the pilot takes the incorrect action. The BGA instructor manual notes: Avoid launching into cloud and release in good time. If you do enter cloud during the launch (by mischance or misjudgment), release under tension to avoid colliding with the flying drogue chute; do not lower the nose before release. After release, lower the nose to regain approach speed. Do not turn until you are clear of cloud and your speed is adequate. If the speed increases excessively, open the airbrakes.