![]() 08/01/2014 at 12:28 • Filed to: planelopnik, tips | ![]() | ![]() |
Two sail planes collided at 4,500 feet during a glider competition in Cambridgeshire, U.K. 70 year-old pilot Andy Preston was flipped upside down and had the quick wits about him to open his canopy, release his seatbelt and make a safe decent under his lifesaving parachute.
To add insult to injury, Preston was nearly baled up after he landed in the path of on oncoming wheat harvester. He managed to avoid the farm equipment even with a cut leg and fractured vertebra he had suffered from the accident. No report on the condition of the other aircraft involved in the collision.
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![]() 08/01/2014 at 12:44 |
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As a glider pilot myself for quite a few years (haven't flown in something like 9 years), this is the one thing that worried me most during my first flights... I was flying in the french Alps doing "hill flying" (don't know the english term), at Challes-les-Eaux. You fly very low and close to the hills to climb up and thinking about hitting one of the other 30 planes in the air on the same mountain at the same time was rather overwhelming at first. Glad he could jump.
![]() 08/01/2014 at 13:32 |
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It's surprising how often this happens! The below event was the source of much discussion when I worked at Hawker-Beechcraft. Surprisingly, the trashed glider was purchased by a glider club in Hollister, California and returned to flight!
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/…
![]() 08/01/2014 at 13:33 |
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Did you use a transponder when you flew gliders?
![]() 08/01/2014 at 13:50 |
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I believe we call it ridge soaring. The lift from hills/mountains is called ridge lift
![]() 08/01/2014 at 13:52 |
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I took an EMED/Lightning strike course at Cessna and heard a story of a glider that got struck by lightning and basically exploded away from the pilot. Pilot was 'ejected', deployed his chute and landed safely
![]() 08/01/2014 at 13:56 |
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No, I was flying on ASK-13 and ASK-18 (mistyped wrote 15 first) which do not have transponders.
![]() 08/01/2014 at 13:57 |
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That would certainly get your attention!
![]() 08/01/2014 at 14:11 |
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Ahhh