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Soaring is a unique and wonderful sport that is only accessible through carefully orchestrated team work, of which field management is a very important aspect .
The spirit of soaring
If you are new to this sport, you may be wondering how could a human being have any hope of escaping the constraints of his or her earthbound existence in a vessel as severely handicapped as a sailplane: often standing on a single wheel, with two fixed wings, one of them nailed firmly to the ground by the force of gravity, and with no means of locomotion!
In order to take off and experience the rush of swooping and turning in the skies with their feathered friends, glider pilots rely exclusively on the generosity of other members, such as the wing runner and the tow pilot. This allows the glider pilot to start from a “level playing field” where the sailplane converts the natural force of gravity into a force moving it through the air, making an engine superfluous.
What is magical about this sport is not only how graciously the glider can fly after its release but also how human beings working together can so easily transform a handicap into an asset. The purpose of this blog is to assist you in making this transformation as safely and as efficiently as possible.
Teamwork
The operation of the Gatineau Gliding Club (GGC) and the services provided to its members depend almost entirely upon volunteer efforts. Field management activities are no exception and are best conducted when:
- you feel you belong to the place,
- you are with people you like,
- you are doing the right work for the Club, and
- you are doing it on purpose, which is sharing the joy of soaring.
Field management certainly leaves little room for improvisation. It is a little bit like being on stage; you miss a line in your script and all kinds of unforeseen scenarios suddenly emerge.
On the airfield, it is “all hands on deck” as you never know what may happen on the active runway or elsewhere for that matter. The launching and landing processes of a glider are amongst the most safety-critical aspects of the entire flight.
When everything runs smoothly on the flight line, the operation is reminiscent of the intricate choreography of aircraft carrier workers on a deck. This happens when everybody is in the right place at the right time and knows exactly what to do and how.
The Field Operations Manual and Field Operations Training Guide will give you the full details of specific tasks at the micro level; they are a must read. However, it is difficult to explain how to make the whole system operate smoothly for it is in the real-world environment that the experience needed for safe and efficient operation is developed, transmitted, and maintained. Without sufficient operational time on the flight line, both the effectiveness and safety of your field operations will suffer. So, it pays to be on deck as often as you can!
The right stuff
To perform field management work, you need to be physically fit, able to think on your feet and apply your technical knowledge before operational problems occur. You need to be self-disciplined and decisive because lives may be at stake. You will also spend a good deal of time outside, so you need to be able to work hard in often difficult and sometimes dangerous conditions. You must have commitment, enthusiasm and common sense.
This is how the Royal Navy describes the role of aircraft handlers.
"Nostris In Manibus Tuti" is their motto. It means "Safe in these hands" and aptly describes one of our main objectives when we perform field management work.
At GGC, our party line is: Safety and efficiency, in that order!
This blog will focus on the integration of all this knowledge and abilities into the whole job of field management in order to make it not only safe and efficient, but also fun for you. So, do not hesitate to share your experience or observations with the Chief Field Manager and visit the GGC Field Management Blog regularly!
