[JoeF]

Validate one's "Clear" sounding.
This topic thread invites what should be behind one's sounding "Clear!" at launch time. We are not to sound "Clear" meaninglessly or prematurely; the sounding should mean that things are safely clear for entering the launch phase of a hang gliding flight. What things? Discuss the things and how to identify what is involved with clearing the matters.
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Start tease:
Validating the right to sound "Clear"?
Clear is to signify
1. That other humans are to be out of the way of the launch operation anticipated. The pilot is responsible for launching only after other humans and animals are out of the way.

2. That the pilot has made it clear that the environment, the wing, his or her gear, the wind, the launch, the weather, the airspace traffic, skills, fitness are all right now clear of impediments to the flight that is about to be launched. What else? Is it clear that the pilot did a hang check and a final hook-in check? Is the sky clear relative to clouds, fog, insects, birds, aircraft, kites, balloons, ... ?

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How many times have pilots sounded "Clear" when the fact was that things were not clear? How many pilots are shorting the clearing list? Was something neglected in the clearing review? Complacency about clearing matters can bite badly. Am I getting too familiar with "Clear!" ... and forgetting what the sounding should really mean?

[Bob Kuczewski]

Validate one's "Clear" sounding.
...
Am I getting too familiar with "Clear!" ... and forgetting what the sounding should really mean?

From my airplane flying, it was customary to open the cockpit window and yell "Clear Prop!!!" before starting the ignition. That was a warning that if you were near the prop ... get out of there now!!

To be honest, it's never been "clear" to me what the word "clear" means in launching a hang glider. I generally try to launch with no one touching the wires at the moment that I commit. I figure if I can't hold it without wire help for a second or so, then I'm really gambling. So when I use the word "clear" I'm usually saying it with everyone already "clear". But I don't know if that's a common usage or not.

This is a good topic of discussion. Since words are meant to communicate something ... it's good to be sure that "something" is the same for everyone who participates in that communication!!  

[Bill Cummings]

Good topic Joe,
In preparation for platform launching (PL) primarily for landing practice (without the winch/reel or any towline.) Robin and I have been outside the city on a lonely road (poor thing) going through our PL procedure.

About five different days so far we have run through the PL procedure and record ourselves for mechinical errors or deviations from the checklist.

We average nine to ten complete simulated launching cycles so I would estimate that to date Robin and I have been through the moving simulation just under fifty times, with no actual hang gliding launches.

Today was our first practice day without one single mechanical error. Once I did lose my place on the check list.
Had I not found my place Robin would not have moved the vehicle.

First this, ---- When cliff launching with a nose wire and side wire crew (three person wire crew) I have all three holding wires to walk me over to the ramp after a hang check.

It has already been discussed that after I do my, "hook in check," when I pick up my glider from the ramp, the side wire people are not to touch the side wires unless I yell, "Grab it."
They are to be at the ready to grab.
As the nose wire person slowly yields pitch control to me and once I have the glider totally, I yell, "CLEAR!" The person at the nose position dives out of the way. I immediately launch.

Back to PL again:
For our last three practice days with PL simulation we made a change to the check list to not say, "clear," except for releasing the nose of the glider.

We no longer say, "All ground and air traffic is clear." while running down the written check list.
We now say, "All ground and air traffic, - check!"
We changed other phrases in the check list. One was from, "The VG line is clear." -to- "VG line - check!"
We also no longer say, "Bar safeties are out, go to launch airspeed and maintain. 35."
We now say, "Bar safeties are out, accelerate to launch airspeed and maintain. 35."
The word "Go!" sounds too much like the more important word, "No!"
In England instead of saying, "Clear," they say, "All Out!" The term, "All Out," means much less to me.
(IE. Car hood - car bonnet. Car trunk - car boot) I just prefer to move toward what is CLEAR to me.

[Rick Masters]

"Clear" is a command used by the pilot at the moment of take off.
It is a demand that assistants get out of the way and allow the glider to move forward under the sole control of the pilot.

[JoeF]

Non-assistants have proven to be obstructive; they might not know anything about "Clear!"
PIC, be aware of stray people, stray dogs, stray ________. The strays are probably not listening to your command.

Assistants might appear to be an attraction for the straying people or animals or children.
A stray may appear seemingly out of nowhere at the last moments ...

Is there an assistant watching out for strays?
Is a significant buffer zone clear of all people and animals, except skilled assistants?
Keeping things CLEAR from start to finish of the launch operation--not just the start---may prove crucial to safety.

A command does not make things so. Those obedient to the command ... and skilled at such obedience ... remain a blessing. Poor skills at assisting and those not relating to commands may be hazardous to a launch.

"Oh no, that guy is going to fall off the mountain; I better step in and save him!"

The PIC is to be 100% committed to the launch once undertaken.
Is everyone else similarly committed to let such launch occur?

Exceptions?
Someone notices the PIC is not hooked in. The notice occurs after the PIC has started his or her forward motion toward the edge. ??
Someone notices the PIC is in total spasm. ??

The very movements of a launch sequence may trigger an unexpected involvement of a dog and perhaps a dog's owner chasing the dog, etc.

stray
strā
verb
verb: stray; 3rd person present: strays; past tense: strayed; past participle: strayed; gerund or present participle: straying
1.
move away aimlessly from a group or from the right course or place.
"I strayed a few blocks in the wrong direction"
synonyms: wander off, go astray, get separated, get lost More
(of the eyes or a hand) move idly or casually in a specified direction.
"her eyes strayed to the telephone"
(of a person who is married or in a long-term relationship) be unfaithful.
"men who stray are seen as more exciting and desirable"
synonyms: be unfaithful, have affairs, cheat, philander; More
literary
wander or roam in a specified direction.
"over these mounds the Kurdish shepherd strays"
adjective
adjective: stray
1.
not in the right place; separated from the group or target.
"he pushed a few stray hairs from her face"
synonyms: random, chance, freak, unexpected, isolated, lone, single
"a stray bullet"
(of a domestic animal) having no home or having wandered away from home.
"stray dogs"
synonyms: homeless, lost, strayed, gone astray, abandoned
"a stray dog"
2.
PHYSICS
(of a physical quantity) arising as a consequence of the laws of physics, not by deliberate design, and usually having a detrimental effect on the operation or efficiency of equipment.
"stray capacitance"
noun
noun: stray; plural noun: strays
1.
a stray person or thing, especially a domestic animal.
synonyms: homeless animal, stray dog/cat, waif
"she adopted three strays"
2.
electrical phenomena interfering with radio reception.
Origin

Middle English: shortening of Anglo-Norman French and Old French estrayer (verb), Anglo-Norman French strey (noun), partly from astray.

[ARP]

In the UK where assistants are used I think the word "release" is used. For powered aircraft "clear prop" is shouted as you take a last look around before starting the engine.

[Rick Masters]

The very movements of a launch sequence may trigger an unexpected involvement of a dog and perhaps a dog's owner chasing the dog, etc.

Each pilot should know these commands as well:
Sit!
Down!
Stay!
Rollover!

This should be included in the pilot training manual:
https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/help-advic ... tnov13.pdf

[Craig Muhonen]

Tailfeather.png (809.39 KiB) Viewed 2294 times

David Cronk is testing his glider design, training his mind, and pretending to be a "tailfeather". HA

"Clear" is a command used by the pilot at the moment of take off.
It is a demand that assistants get out of the way and allow the glider to move forward under the sole control of the pilot.

The very movements of a launch sequence may trigger an unexpected involvement of a dog and perhaps a dog's owner chasing the dog, etc.

Each pilot should know these commands as well:
Sit!
Down!
Stay!
Rollover!

This should be included in the pilot training manual:
https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/help-advic ... tnov13.pdf

Rick's posts on the topic of "TRAINING" is spot on, but the industry of flight training has been soo "Cash Cowed", that A LOT IS MISSED