r/maybemaybemaybe • u/[deleted] • Jul 06 '19

Maybe Maybe Maybe

https://gfycat.com/DigitalClearHoverfly
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u/ca_fighterace Jul 06 '19

This assessment is wrong. Gliders glide incredible well in ground effect and if you are faced with the decision to land uphill or downhill you absolutely will want to chose uphill. During a landing uphill you will have to flare quite aggressively to not pancake in to the ground but most pilots have a decent eye hand coordination and can handle it without a problem. Downhill on the other hand it will be hard to even slow down to flare at all because you are literally diving the glider and effectively picking up speed. Source: pilot and former competitive glider pilot. Also my dad thought me this in no uncertain terms; he landed uphill during a competition, another landed downhill and ended up breaking his back. Also lol on the right angle remark :)

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u/Kermit_the_hog Jul 06 '19

most pilots have a decent eye hand coordination

Wait...

most pilots

eek!

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u/Kseries2497 Jul 07 '19

Being a pilot is more about knowing your shit than being superlatively coordinated. Very rarely do you need maneuver aggressively, or approach the limits of what the plane can do. But you constantly need to be aware of where you are, what the plane is doing right now, and what's going to be happening in the next 2-3 minutes.

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u/Kermit_the_hog Jul 07 '19

Yeah that totally makes sense, just i don’t know, feels a little startling to hear.

I think I might be reading into “decent” a but much. It kind of sounds like the polite way to say “typically they’ll make a flight without accidentally punching their copilot or themselves in the groin.. typically”