Over the last couple of months we’ve had a number of gliders fail because there lines were no longer strong enough to fly safely. In each case the pilot was disappointed – that’s entirely understandable – but in a couple of cases surprised as well. So what might be [...]
So the weather’s getting better and prospects for some good flights are looking brighter. As well as feeling the excitement of spending more time in the air, some of us may be savouring thoughts of getting a new or replacement wing. If part of our thinking is that our “old” [...]
How do the different types of line material perform, both when new and over time?
I’ve focussed before on line strength and line length, both of which are critical to the safety and performance of our gliders. But what are the practical steps we should take to make sure our lines remain up to the job? It used to be assumed more widely than it [...]
Know your lines Last month we looked at how your glider’s safety and performance depend on making sure that the length of your lines remain within specification. But it’s also of vital concern that they remain strong enough to do their job. How strong do they have to be, and [...]
