Flight Rules

Flight Operating Rules – July 20, 2011

Contents

1. Definitions
2. General

3. Scheduling and Reservations
4. Pilot Qualifications

5. Cross Country Flight Qualifications
6. Aircraft Qualifications

7. Additional Aircraft Restrictions

8. Flight Training

1. Definitions

Member: An active member who has flight privileges as defined in the by-laws.

Instructor: Certified Flight Instructor - Glider as approved by the FAA.

Check Out: Instruction given to a Member by an Instructor for the purposes of familiarizing the Member with a particular aircraft or recurrency training.

High Performance Glider: A glider with a best glide ratio of 35:1 or better.

Cross Country Flight: Any flight which is more than safe gliding distance from the airport at which the flight originates.

2. General

A. Members are expected to be familiar with and comply with all Federal Aviation Regulations applicable to gliders and soaring flight.

B. No Association rules permit Members to operate contrary to the FARs. If an Association rule and the FARs appear to conflict, then the FARs must take precedence.

C. No Association rules permit Members to operate Association aircraft contrary to that aircraft’s flight manual. If an Association rule and the flight manual appear to conflict, then the flight manual must take precedence.

D. Haphazard or careless ground handling of Association equipment is prohibited.

E. Aerobatics in Association aircraft may be performed only in aircraft certified and equipped for such flight and when all FARs pertaining to acrobatic flight are met. Pilots performing acrobatic maneuvers shall have a minimum of three hours dual acrobatic instruction in gliders or airplanes from a certified flight instructor qualified to instruct such maneuvers. The Association may place additional restrictions on performing aerobatics on a per aircraft basis.

F. Attempting to thermal in the airport traffic pattern is prohibited.

G. Members are responsible for the safe operation of Association aircraft from the moment they remove the aircraft’s tie-downs until it is properly secured once again, or they turn over responsibility to another Member.

H. Members are responsible for learning and obeying local flight rules and customs pertaining to the airport from which they operate Association equipment.

I. Members without prior ridge flying experience must receive logged and signed instruction from a certified flight Instructor in the techniques, hazards and specific rules applying to flying ridges.

J. Members without prior mountain wave flying experience must receive logged and signed instruction from a certified flight Instructor in the techniques, hazards and specific rules applying to flying wave.

K. A Member must record their flight time in Association aircraft in the logbook stored in each aircraft for that purpose. Additionally, Members should log any observed equipment discrepancies that may require the attention of the Association Maintenance Officer.

L. In multi-place aircraft, Members aboard such aircraft will determine who is acting as pilot-in-command before flight, and a protocol for turning over command during flight.

M. The Association Board of Directors may ground aircraft or pilots, as per the Association bylaws.

3. Scheduling and Reservations

A. On weekends, a Member may reserve an aircraft for up to 2 hours before turning it over to another waiting Member. A Member may continue to use the aircraft after the 2 hour period if there are no waiting Members. The Member may verify via radio that there are no waiting Members. If the verification cannot be made by radio, then the Member must land and verify in-person that there are no waiting Members. On weekdays, a Member may reserve an aircraft for up to 4 hours, unless other arrangements have been made.

B. If a Member reserves an aircraft, then fails to take the aircraft at the reserved time, the reservation is void and another Member may take the aircraft.

C. Members are issued an ID and password for the online reservation system once they are established as a member (aircraftclubs.com). Members are expected to update the online reservation system as soon as practical if they intend to cancel or change their reservation.

4. Pilot Qualifications

A. Only Members and Instructors shall operate Association aircraft as pilot-in-command.

B. Only Instructors approved by the Board of Directors are permitted to instruct Members in Association aircraft.

C. A Member may operate Association aircraft only if they are in compliance with all relevant FARs and have received required Check Outs as outlined in these flight rules.

D. A Member who has not acted as pilot-in-command of a glider for 45 days or longer shall undertake a Check Out with an Instructor. This requirement does not apply to Instructors (though they must meet all FAA currency requirements in order to carry passengers and/or provide instruction).

5. Cross Country Flight Qualifications

A. A Member undertaking a Cross Country Flight in Association aircraft must hold a minimum of a Private Pilot-Glider certificate.

B. A Member undertaking Cross Country Flight in Association aircraft shall have logged a minimum of 10 hours glider cross country time, or have a signed off cross country Check Out with an Instructor. The Member shall pass the SSA written closed-book cross-country (bronze badge) exam as part of the Check Out.

C. No Member shall attempt Cross Country Flight in Association aircraft unless an appropriate glider trailer and tow vehicle with crew is available.

D. A Member attempting Cross Country Flight in Association aircraft is responsible for ensuring that the aircraft is returned to the airport and made ready for the next day’s operations in a timely manner, unless other arrangements have been made with the Association.

6. Aircraft Qualification

A. To operate the Association Grob G103 Twin II, a Member must meet the following qualifications:

To operate from the front seat (other than solo student operations) -

1. Must hold a minimum of a private pilot-glider certificate.

2. Must have two flights of at least 2.0 hours duration solo or as pilot-in-command in gliders.

3. Must demonstrate ability to make accuracy landings by stopping short of and within 200 feet of a designated point.

(Paragraph 6.A.4 moved to 5.E)

4. Must have 20 hours acting as pilot-in-command in gliders in order to carry passengers.

5. Must have a G103 Check Out with an Instructor.

6. A Member not meeting these criteria may fly dual with an Instructor.

To operate from the rear seat -

1. Must meet the qualifications to operate from the front seat.

2. Must have 80 hours acting as pilot-in-command in gliders, or hold a commercial pilot-glider certificate.

3. Must have G103 rear seat Check Out with an Instructor.

To operate solo as a student -

1. Must pass the FAA written test.

2. Within 24 hours prior to each solo flight, an Instructor must review and approve a flight plan, to include the proposed tow altitude, flight route, and restrictions on weather and other conditions. An Instructor must be present to evaluate flight conditions, and to observe the take-off and departure of every solo student flight.

3. Solo flight may not commence if the approved restrictions are not met, or are likely to be exceeded during the flight (e.g. changing weather conditions).

4. Each solo flight must conform to the approved flight plan. In the event conditions make this impossible or imprudent, the flight shall be discontinued as soon as is practical.

5. Solo flight must take place within gliding distance of the departure airport.

6. The first three solo flights must be supervised from preflight to landing by an Instructor at the airport.

B. (The Association does not currently operate a Schweizer 2-33. These rules are inactive, but have been kept for historical and example purposes.) To operate the Association Schweizer 2-33, a Member must meet the following qualifications:

To operate from the front seat -

1. Hold a minimum of a student pilot-glider certificate or be receiving dual instruction from an Instructor.

2. A Member with a student pilot certificate must have logged a minimum of three take-offs and landings in gliders during the past 45 days to operate the aircraft solo.

To operate from the rear seat -

1. Meet the qualifications for operating from the front seat.

2. Must have a minimum of 20 hours acting as pilot-in-command in gliders plus a Check Out from an Instructor to act as pilot-in-command from the rear seat.

C. (The Association does not currently operate a Schweizer 1-34. These rules are inactive, but have been kept for historical and example purposes.) To operate the Association Schweizer 1-34, a Member must meet the following qualifications:

1. Must hold a minimum of a Private Pilot-Glider certificate.

2. Must have logged 15 hours and 30 flights and landings as pilot-in-command in gliders.

3. Must have two flights of at least 2.0 hours duration solo or as pilot-in-command.

4. Must have dual time with Instructor in USA Grob, including landings, for preparation for transition to different handling aircraft.

5. Must demonstrate ability to make accuracy landings by stopping at Heber taxiway.

6. Must have a 1-34 Check Out from an Instructor.

7. Must pass SSA written closed-book cross-country exam (bronze badge).

7. Additional Aircraft Restrictions

A. No flights above 18,000 ft MSL.

B. No aerobatics which result in inverted flight and/or high speed, high-G recoveries.

8. Flight Training

A. Flight training shall be substantially standardized among the Club Instructors, as far as possible given differences in locations and aircraft.

B. For students without a current Glider license, The Holtz flight training material shall be used, including Glider Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, and Flight Training Manual for Gliders.

C. A standard syllabus and training record shall be used to document each student’s progress. When both the student and instructor are satisfied that an element of the syllabus has been successfully taught and learned, they shall both indicate such on the training record. Utah Soaring Association shall receive a copy of the completed training record at the time a student is approved by the Instructor for an FAA checkride. The standard syllabus/training record may be revised from time to time by a consensus of currently active Club Instructors. The training record currently resides at:

Flight Training Record

D. . Before endorsing a student for solo flight, an Instructor shall ensure that the student has flown at least once with an Instructor other than his/her primary Instructor (the Instructor that has provided the majority of the student’s training). Before endorsing a student for the FAA private pilot practical test, an Instructor shall ensure that the student has flown at least one additional time with an Instructor other than his/her primary Instructor.

E. Each student must sign a Liability Release and Assumption of Risk Agreement. The form shall be submitted to Utah Soaring Association before training begins. The current form resides here:

Instructor Liability Release