Preventing Launching and Landing Accidents

Takeoff and landing accidents account for more than 60% of all glider accidents. This book targets these two problems and provides simple, easy to use practices to prevent these common problems.

Takeoff and landing accidents account for more than 60% of all glider accidents. This book targets these two problems and provides simple, easy to use practices to prevent these common problems.

Thomas Knauff is more than a writer, more than a flight instructor. He is one of the world’s best soaring pilots. He is the first person in the United States to fly 750 kilometer, 1000 kilometer and 1250 kilometer triangles and the first to fly 1000 kilometers in a two-place sailplane. Tom’s list of records include a world record 1647 kilometer (1023 miles) out and return flight, the first to fly 1,000 km mulltiplace record (Grob 103) and the first person to break the 200 kilometer per hour barrier on a 300 kilometer out and return speed run at 201.3 kph. He has also flown a national speed record for the 100 km speed triangle at 186 kph. Tom has set five world soaring records and more than four dozen US national records. He has won five nationals championships including the United States unlimited soaring championship in 1989. He was the Federal Aviation Administration Eastern Region Flight Instructor of the Year in 1996, and inducted into the Soaring Society Hall of Fame in 1998. He is one of the premier flight instructors in the world. His glider flight instructor courses are recognized as the best in the country. He was the first in the USA to offer an organized off-field landing course using a motor glider. Tom has written eight books including one of the most successful text books for beginning glider pilots, Glider Basics From First Flight To Solo. Doris Grove Doris Grove is the first woman to fly 1,000 kilometers in a glider, holds three world records, and is a glider flight instructor.