UPDATES TO FIRST EDITION
These have been incorporated into the current edition
Safetycom
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has announced the introduction, from 11 November 2004,
of a new radio frequency for use at aerodromes and airstrips in the UK where no specific VHF frequency is notified.
This frequency is 135.475 MHz and will be known as ‘SAFETYCOM’.
http://www.caa.co.uk/caanews/caanews.asp
Added by John McCullagh 15 October 2004
Testing of radios
I have been reminded by Dickie Feakes' web site that "a statutory requirement exists for the checking of
the frequency accuracy of all transceivers, both airborne and ground mobile, every 4 years." "The CAA can
perform random checks."
http://www.bas.uk.net/data5.html
Added by John McCullagh 19 October 2004
Aerodrome Traffic Zones
I have to point this one out before everyone else does. In my efforts to prevent people flying blithely through busy ATZs,
I said that they should be treated as controlled airspace. Many important ATZs such as Boscombe Down should be treated
this way but ATZs are not always controlled airspace. Some lesser ATZs will not have a controller who could give clearance
and are far less busy, but you should still use the frequency to report your arrival and to ask for information before you enter the ATZ.
You should also report your departure from the zone. See
Rules of the Air No 39
Added by John McCullagh 7 November 2004
Typos
Minor typo in page 60 (Forces in the turn). Remove "is moved". Meaning is still clear.
Page 3 col 1 line 31 replace "heights" by "altitudes".
Page 25 col 2 line 24 replace "make" by "making".
Page 5 col 1 line 29 replace "to get" by "needs".
There are about another five smaller ones. These typos have been corrected in the second edition
Added by John McCullagh 7 & 29 November 2004
Safety link
I had another look at the link to the
South African web site on safety. This link refers to the safety section. Within this are Parts
1-4 of "Flying Accidents & Decision Making". (Incidentally there is no connection to the Bronze
& Beyond tanning salons in Miami and Saskatchewan.)
Added by John McCullagh 17 December 2004
Sporting code
The Sporting Code changed in November 2004. It is now acceptable to use a cylinder observation zone of 0.5km radius for
all start, finish and turnpoints for badge flights. Note that you cannot mix sector and cylinder methods on the same
flight but you do not need to decide on the method before take-off. It is probable that distance badge flights will
eventually require the use of a flight recorder. It is probably unwise to buy a
camera and mechanical barograph unless they are very cheap and you intend to complete all
your badges promptly. (Barographs for height claims will continue to be accepted.)
Full details are on
Sporting code update
Added by John McCullagh 26 Jan 2005
Links to CAA web site
I noticed that some of the links to the CAA web site in the first edition no longer work.
At present the links are as follows but these might change regularly
Chart amendments http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?categoryid=64
Radio licensing http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?categoryid=8
Radio procedures http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?categoryid=33&pagetype=65&applicationid=11&mode=detail&id=247
Added by John McCullagh 9 Feb 2005
Bronze exam papers versus the book
For those of you will attempt one or more of the BGA Bronze exam papers, the current set contains
questions that are out of date, wrong or (in my opinion) irrelevant. The BGA has announced that the existing Bronze Paper
Examination will be replaced at the end of 2005 with a new examination delivered by CD-ROM.
1 The questions about temporary navigation warnings (NOTAMs) are out of date
2 The percentage of lift coming from the top and bottom surface of a wing (Answer given is 70:30) cannot be measured since you
cannot have a top half of a wing without a bottom half.
3 The height for the use of oxygen (FL100) is defined by law (see the Air Navigation Order 2000 )
The BGA only recommends use above 10,000 feet, which is sometimes lower and sometimes higher than FL100.
There are also some points not specifically covered in the first edition book. The following have been included in the second edition
4 If you plan to use water ballast, you should read the relevant section of the flight manual for the glider.
Adding water ballast to the wings will usually increase the weight ahead of the glider's centre of gravity. To avoid flying a glider that is too nose heavy, the manual should tell you how much water
to put into a tank in the fin. This will counter-balance the water in the wings and allow the glider to glide in an attitude that
is less nose-down and without excessive back trim. This reduces drag.
5 Some varios work by measuring the change in air pressure as the glider climbs or sinks by measuring the air flowing in
and out of a flask. These flasks are insulated to reduce spurious effects from sudden temperature changes. These changes
would otherwise also cause air to flow in or out of the flask.
6 The best ground features when navigating are large towns and motorways. They are distinctive and
they are usually the only one in the neighbourhood. It is therefore harder to confuse them with other smaller towns and roads.
7 The course in the exact opposite direction from your current heading is known as the reciprocal heading. To calculate,
take the current course and either add or subtract 180 degrees (whichever is easier to do in your head)
8 When a glider's flaps are moved down & up, they have the effect of moving the centre of lift forward & back. In other
words a flapped glider, when flying fast with negative flaps (ie raised flaps), will be less nose-down than the equivalent unflapped glider
at the same speed.
9 The term "chord of the wing" means a straight line from the leading edge to the trailing edge. It was deliberately not
used in the book because the angle of attack should be measured from the line of zero lift which may not be the chord.
10 On some gliders, the angle of attack at the wing-tip is reduced compared with the A of A at the root. In effect
the wing-tips are slightly twisted. The smaller angle of attack at the tip means that it is less likely to stall there rather than at
the root. A tendency to stalling at the tip makes spinning more likely. This twist is known as "wash-out".
11 The "aspect ratio" is wing-span divided by the mean width of the chord ie the average of the distance from the leading
edge to the trailing edge. Gliders have high aspect ratios ie they have long narrow wings, but you probably knew this already.
High aspect wings have less induced drag.
12 The "stagnation point" is a point at the leading edge where air molecules in the air flow briefly come to a dead halt
and so would be undecided about whether to flow above or below the wing. The position of this point on the leading edge
changes with the angle of attack.
13 The "mean camber line" is another line that runs from the leading edge to the trailing edge. As you move along this line
from the leading edge the top surface of the wing is as close as the bottom surface. If the top and bottom surfaces were
symmetrical, the mean camber line would be straight. In the diagram below, the wing cross section is unsymmetrical and so
the mean camber line is curved. The chord line is always straight.
14 Thermals will continue even under 100% strato-cumulus cloud if the air is sufficient unstable, but often when clouds completely shut off
the sun, the thermals also switch off.
Added by John McCullagh 28 Feb 2005
Updates to the second edition that have been included in the latest edition have also been archived but are still visible on
Updates to second edition
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