Current Issue

Aviation history was made with an ASH 25 flight over K2 during Sebastian Kawa’s expedition to the world’s second-highest mountain range. Read all about it, find out how an Airprox inspired an Electronic Conspicuity project, the importance of the ‘just culture’ in accident reporting, restoring a Prefect to flying condition, and much more – all in the Dec/Jan issue of S&G.

In the last issue, Sebastian Kawa talked about the challenges of a 9,000km journey from Poland to the world’s second-highest mountain range, the Karakoram. With permits to fly finally granted, Sebastian was delighted when the triangular peak of K2 appeared above cloud cover. He was lucky, as the jetstream that had dominated the Karakoram the whole time the team had waited for the permits disappeared the day after the successful flight over K2. During subsequent flights it became apparent that the best place to fly was the southern part of the Karakoram, which was extensive, safe, and usually without overdeveloped clouds. Sebastian says the area is worth returning to, with thermals so high you can navigate a few thousand metres above the mountainous terrain. Currently though, permission to fly has been suspended, probably permanently, with no explanation why.

Experiencing an Airprox that demonstrated how difficult it is for others to spot gliders was the beginning of Rafael Schouchana’s journey to boost our visibility. After the incident he discussed his concerns with fellow club member Pete Milligan. Other conspicuity solutions were already available on the market, but they felt compelled to create one of their own – a solution designed and made in Britain to meet the specific needs of the gliding community. From concept to a commercially viable product, the development of the GlideWise canopy flasher happened in just eight months. Feedback from the gliding community has already been positive, with many pilots reporting significantly improved visibility, particularly in head-on situations.

Since the first days of powered flight, efforts have been made to learn from things going wrong. The Royal Aero Club published the UK’s first air accident investigation report in 1912, two years after issuing its first pilot’s licence; the Royal Flying Corps Accidents Investigation Branch (forerunner of today’s AAIB) formed three years later. However, the consequences of owning up to mistakes and near misses deterred and distorted many potential useful accident and incident reports. By the 1960s, systematic attempts were under way to analyse air accidents to improve safety. In 1976, the FAA introduced a confidential, non-punitive Aviation Safety Reporting System. Along similar lines, the UK CAA introduced its Mandatory Occurrence Report scheme the same year, and the BGA set up its own reporting system. The principle of the ‘just culture’ is that honest mistakes should not be punished, and that only if they reveal training or medical deficiencies should they result in licence suspension or loss. The BGA Safety Team discusses this important aspect of accident reporting and analysis.

Wondering what to do when the summer thermal soaring and autumn wave soaring seasons are over, the daylight hours diminish and the airfield becomes waterlogged? Perhaps your club runs Condor competitions to kill an hour or two, but what about something more practical and fulfilling? Last autumn, the Portmoak Heritage Collection was contacted about two gliders in search of a new home and much TLC. At the start of 2024, a Slingsby T-30b Prefect was taken to the workshop and the process of restoration started during the cold January days. The team of Pete, Dominic, Richard and Matt worked hard, typically meeting on two days a week and recording the work undertaken for supervision purposes. Research showed that, prior to being registered with the BGA, the glider had served with the Air Cadets in the 1950s and the aircraft was painted to reflect that. With the annual signed off, the Prefect was ready for its first flight in nearly 60 years. In the next issue, Matt Stickland reports on that flight.

Also in this issue: Jon Gatfield is in the spotlight for our pilot profile. Alan Langlands reviews Ian Strachan’s autobiography Flying High. Sandy Loynd reflects on the Wolds Two-Seater Competition. Andrew Jarvis reports on a vintage year. Grimshaw tackles trailer washing. Kevin Atkinson focuses on the importance of the scan pattern. There are four pages of results from BGA-rated UK competitions, plus the announcement of the BGA provisional ratings list. Mike Morgulis reports on a landout from Heaven or Hell. Sarah Platt reports how the BGA is actively promoting gliding. Robert Kronenburg reports on 90 years of gliding on the Long Mynd. Alison Randle looks at the action needed to reflect the downward trend of gliding participation. Pete Stratten highlights pilot-owner maintenance opportunities. Joey Beard looks at a gender mental health awareness gap in this issue’s Head in the Clouds article. Plus, many more of your stunning images in the Gallery pages.

Fly safely and have fun