The sad truth about gliding and soaring

Gliding is a dangerous sport, but how dangerous? Is it worth the risks?
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00:00 Lost friends
01:36 NZs fatal accidents
02:50 Gliding compared to other sports
04:07 Why do we do it?!

[@chipgarner8555]

5 Times US champion here. A friend pointed out to me that soaring is one of a very few activities in which we have tremendous control over the risk. Motorcyclists are often killed by en error made by another motorist. Glider pilots nearly always are fully to blame in their own deaths. This may be one reason it is so attractive.

[@LilleyAdam]

Most motorcyclists die in single vehicle accidents.

[@bigredracingdog466]

I think the greatest cause of motorcycle accidents is testosterone.

[@ericoschmitt]

True. Also seems that most deaths include one of the following: very inexperienced pilots; aerobatics, competition (landing out, low thermals). Age also counts. I'm a hang glider pilot so I can say about how it goes in HG and paragliding. Competition increases the risk enormously. Thermal gaggles and out landings. Recently two PG collided above launch at my club's festival/comp, while they were tumbling down and opening reserves, a third pilot froze and flew straight below them. This third guy was very experienced, and died, was too low for a reserve chute. In free flight, a glider too hot for skill level (or age) also counts. And in january a local HG pilot crashed into trees on final approach. He is past 70 and was flying a competition glider that is much less forgiving and is harder to handle (we shift weight for roll input). He spent over 2 months in ICU and is now on wheel chair. Were he flying a low intermediate, he wouldn't have crashed, I'm sure.

[@jj4791]

There are other reasons for decline of soaring. First of all, a good used motorcycle is $4,000 and a glider is $400,000. You are hard pressed to find a really used one under $40,000. And its not uncommon to need $20,000 in repairs. Second is requirements. It requires skill that takes practice that takes money and time. Just meeting the FAA requirements and maintaining adequate knowledge pertaining to legal stuff is a burden in itself. A motorcycle endorsement is $50 and an afternoon of your time, and good for life. Then there is liability. The club local to me has several members fighting six figure lawsuits from disgruntled landowners. The club itself is constantly under legal action both civil courts and constantly dealing with the FAA for tow plane noise and what have you. The FAA doesn't recognize Gliders out landings as valid actions. They will violate the pilot of multiple counts as if it was voluntary and intentional. Private property rights are an absolute in America and very strict in states such as Wyoming. If you end up shot, nobody goes to jail. If you live. They can have your house.

[@mumblecake251]

@@ericoschmitt While I was subscribed to the Sailplane and Gliding magazine, which is the official magazine of the British Gliding Association I generally looked through the published list of accidents which include everything from near misses, loss of aircraft but pilots managed to bail out to fatal accidents. It contains everything which has to be reported in line with the guidelines of the BGA/CAA. While inexperienced pilots certainly make more mistakes I have observed a very broad mix of experience levels of pilots which are involved in serious incidents. While inexperience carries a lot of risk it appears that complacency of an experienced pilot is even more dangerous.

[@EdMcF1]

At a country fair about a decade ago in England, I spoke to a microlight pilot and mentioned that a friend had lost a friend in a crash. His reply: 'We only lost five last year.'.

[@marlonscloud]

Things have changed a lot since then. I fly microlights, they are very safe these days typically

[@bigglesace1626]

As a former microlight instructor I can confirm that currently microlights have a safety record as good as, or better than, GA generally. Sadly there are sometimes fatal accidents but they are getting rarer with better, more reliable machines and effective pilot training.

[@darko714]

Microlights safer than GA? Per mile? No way. Per flight? Accidents per participant? I can't believe it. I'd say they're safer than wingsuits, though. @@bigglesace1626

[@jamesgorman5241]

Wasn't there a issue with the launch at Sutton bank that caused casualties?

[@RC-74]

In 1966 my father lost his life. He had taken a winch tow and at the point of release one of the wings snapped. Several others had ridden the same sailplane that day. My father loved the sport and was the president of the local club. He died doing something he truly loved. "C" badge, silver "C", gold "C", and one diamond from the SSA.

[@gliderfan6196]

Love the last part of your video. At my field there is an instructor, he flies gliders for 60 years or so. Last year he was coming home from 500 km triangle and outlanded about 400m straight line from runway threshold. He was not pushing it over the highway, he was not looking for a thermal. He landed in the field so close to home. And today he still flies. Good decicions make old pilots. I only wish we all come to good decisions at all times when flying.

[@wilkoone9155]

"There are old pilots & bold pilots, but there are no old bold pilots!" Ancient Chinese proverb.

[@SeattlePioneer]

Too much jargon to understand the story.

[@ArneChristianRosenfeldt]

@@SeattlePioneerapparently their airport lies next to a street. Or the field damages the wings? All the crop.

[@gliderfan6196]

@@ArneChristianRosenfeldt indeed, you cross autostradale (highway) on approach to 08

[@spencertegtmeyer6525]

This guy must be good, he flies gliders for 60 years

[@trzesnk]

As few my friends and many pilots i knew died in gliding accidents during competitions, I decided not to participate in competitions. I can recognize change in my behavior when I am in competitive environment, and recognize the same in other pilots. I was experienced pilot with golden badge with three diamonds, flying in Himalayas with Sebastian Kawa, flying in Alps and Polish mountains and flats. Few years ago I have made a recall of my near accident situations and decided that I had a privilege to experience one of the greatest activities that exists, I saw so many great views, and that it is enough. The rest would be challenging the fate. I have stopped to fly and I am grateful what I have experienced. And I cry remembering my pilot friends who died as aviators.

[@MrSunrise-]

Good for you.

[@mikeonb4c]

A great post. I flew 7 days as p2 in the UK 2 seater nationals, with two different pilots. Both were great pilots and didnt get sucked into dangerous flying, but I witnessed the occasions when over aggressive under skilled pilots joined a crowded thermal and put others at risk. Fly your own flight, within your own abilities, is my creed 👍 For everything else there's Condor VR gliding simulator 🤪 kzbin.info/www/bejne/qnWaialsfq6cfbM

[@Svensk7119]

I am unsure of what you are saying, sir. English appears to be your second tongue, which is a perfectly fine thing. My secondary tongue is not so advanced. But did you say that you had stopped gliding?

[@trzesnk]

@@Svensk7119 Yes, I am not gliding anymore. As I wrote (in my pigeon English 🤣) I have reviewed all my near-accident situations critically and decided to call myself an exceptionally lucky person. Every one of these situations could have ended differently. They were all "it was close" situations. These were situations that we all narrate to our pilot friends in the evenings. We all have those situations in our memories - lucky safe. I just realized that I am tempting fate. There was another factor that played together in that decision. I have stopped to be part of the corporate world and my life started to be much less stressed than before. I do not need to burn emotions through gliding anymore. As a consequence, the risk level acceptance diminished. So again, I do not fly gliders. No regrets. One day everybody will stop flying, but it is not my medical tests, It is not fate, it is my conscious decision. Sorry for my English. It is difficult to describe quite a complex thought process mixed with emotions.

[@berndkorthaus5082]

I could understand to stop gliding in competitions, because that is really more dangerous than usual soaring. But the "normal" relaxed gliding, maybe even not in the mountains, can be excercised as safe as a bicycle ride, in my opinion.

[@Chris.Davies]

RIP Bill Walker from Queenstown. I think he had the world out-and-return distance record at one stage. And I nearly died crashing my paraglider in 1994. As an instructor I always tried to reinforce in people the idea that the decision to take off or not is the critical one, because it is infinitely better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air, than to be in the air and wishing you were on the ground.

[@squaks07]

Sobering Tim. My hangar spot became available due to one of the accidents you mentioned and I was involved in the retrieve of the Ash after that accident, which shook me up as he was a friend from the club with similar hours. 320 comments shows how important this video is for everyone who loves this sport, thanks

[@PureGlide]

Thanks Neil, yes the feedback has been overwhelming! So many comments and stories from people.

[@robinhilliard]

I'm a GA pilot - had an engine failure in 2010 just south of Sydney. One of the mental tricks that saved me and my passengers that day "when you can't work out what's going wrong with the flight, ask yourself what's going _right_ with the flight" (Jim Davis, frequent contributor to Australian Flying magazine). If the answer is "not enough" your focus quickly shifts to how to end the flight as quickly and safely as possible, rather than just floating along seeing how things go. The thing about flying risk is that it's very much on you as you say. In a car you might be the most careful driver on the planet and some doofus could come around a corner and wipe you out. In the air 99% of the time the doofus is a collection of past yous and their decisions that got you in a pickle.

[@Timbo777LR]

Always remember, Airspeed is life! Altitude is Life Insurance!

[@embededfabrication4482]

That's why you only fly from landing site to landing site in a single engine plane.

[@Robertaqqq]

From some one who stalled a paraglider at about 12m and then hit the deck and got carted off on a spine board this is a calm and reflective analysis - thank you.

[@PureGlide]

Sorry to hear that, hope you're OK now

[@darko714]

Ouch! 12m is a VERY nasty fall.

[@brezhou29]

@@PureGlide In my paragliding community, I often hear the same saying, that driving to the site is more dangerous than actually flying... And if we PG pilots are slightly more exposed to lethal accidents than glider pilots, we are way, way more exposed to non-lethal but serious accidents.

[@nadiaroler6314]

The CEO of DG, a german glider manufacturer, came to the same conclusion about 20? years ago. He tried to combat the risks with improved safety features in their gliders, like stall warning, extra reinforced cockpits, and other stuff. However he later said that safety in gliders simply does not sell, the community simply does not want those features.

[@samar949]

hi i am a novice . could you elaborate on why would this be the case or even provide some website or link for me to look it up?

[@PRH123]

​@@samar949additional cost, additional weight (which reduces performance), etc....

[@nadiaroler6314]

3rd try to post the link to DG's archive.

[@petrokemikal]

Is like buying a new table saw and removing the blade guard because it gets in the way of your viewing of the blade and cut.. People hate safety features if they compromise on the performance of the instrument.. Gliding is the same.. Parachutes are too heavy.. Collision avoidance systems are expensive, stall warnings are annoying... Each pilot who chooses not to have these features is doing so because he thinks I dont need any of that, I know what im doing, thats only for amateurs..@@samar949

[@Kenionatus]

​@@nadiaroler6314KZbin really doesn't like comments that contain links.

[@WConn100]

Generally when a glider pilot dies it is because the glider pilot errored. When a tow pilot dies it. is usually because a glider pilot errored.

[@InducedBank]

Nice honest assessment. I fly a flexwing microlight, as well as ride motorbikes. Truth is it's not so much the activity is dangerous, it's more the mindset of the individuals - many pilots, and most motorcyclists believe training is finished the moment they get their licence, and they stop learning, start developing bad habits, normalising risk, and making excuses, blaming others for near misses, and on it goes. The truth is that training, thorough training, and refresher training WORKS - that's precisely why commercial flying is so safe - constant training!!

[@johnmartlew]

So very true. Athletes never stop trading. Musicians never stop practicing…….lots of other examples……

[@Chris-kv4vl]

I'm no expert by any stretch and came across this by curiosity, but all commercial flying has an electronics suite for safety doesn't it? And all these dead glider pilots or the majority were irresponsible then? Or perhaps, more likely, the truth is these were just regular people just like you who rolled a dice and got unlucky? People often do something day in day out like driving but will eventually make a mistake. We are all human. It just seems to me a mistake here is just far more costly.

[@entelin]

There are many reasons why people get killed in aviation, there's some crossover, but also some significant differences in what tends to kill pilots between powered flight and soaring. Powered GA pilots tend to get killed by knowledge, inexperience, currency issues. Unintentional flight into IMC conditions, loss of control due to high altitude environments / terrain, etc. It's not uncommon that many GA pilots intentionally avoid active air conditions, they have that option. However many pilots who die soaring are exceptionally knowledgeable and experienced. Soaring however always takes place in an inherently (comparatively speaking) risky environment. The air is active, and it's being done in aircraft that are often lighter than GA aircraft, sometimes much lighter. In competitions you'll be flying in close proximity to other pilots. There's the competitive element itself that rewards pilots for pushing it. Then there are the outlandings, you simulate that in GA training, but many soaring pilots actually do it regularly. A large minority of my landings hanggliding have been into un-scouted fields in fact, that's just part of the reality of cross country flying. There aren't many soaring pilots that intentionally fly in an overly dangerous way, everyone has a sense of how much risk they are willing to accept, but it's very rarely no risk, sometimes you lose that bet and walk away unharmed, sometimes it kills you. I lost a friend this past year. Among the best hangglider pilots in the world, he had been flying for around 40 years. Even after so long he was an absolute monster of a pilot, infinitely passionate about cross country flying, at the end of the soaring day he would always be smiling and sharing beers. I remember at the end of one day, the rest of us had all been on the ground for an hour or two, no clouds left in the sky, the sun starting to get low, sitting in the hanger chatting we heard the tell tale whistle of the wing of a hangglider swooping in overhead and he lands after an enormous fai triangle. I had come down earlier because my hands were frozen despite wearing gloves and so I was curious to see what kind of gloves he had. He wiped some blood off his lip, turbulence smashed his face into the control bar hard enough that he said he had been worried about passing out. Turns out he didn't have gloves with him! Flying through snow, freezing temperatures, and turbulence for over 9 hours to complete his triangle. Despite all that, he was smiling and as passionate as ever, I can only envy such drive, he was an inspiration. Anyone would change the flight that injures or kills them. However fewer pilots are honestly willing to make intentional changes to their risk profile. I'm not going to judge a skilled pilot who has chosen a riskier profile than mine. I know if I was able to ask my friend if he would have changed how he flew over his life knowing how it would end.... I doubt it, he lived for this. Another friend of mine had a hard landing and took a moderate brain injury. He was an instructor and gave safety lectures and landing improvement courses. I don't think there was anything particularly noteworthy about the flight that injured him. I don't think he made any overly dangerous decisions. The reality is that we are leaves on the wind, it's dangerous, even when you are trying to be reasonable with your safety margin. The truth is there's not one top glider pilot that hasn't pushed the envelope further than others were willing to. In Sebastian Kawa's book "Sky full of heat" he recounts some stories of learning to thermal in clouds, and stories of competitions that preceded him when cloud flying was not penalized by competition rules. Pilots would thermal up thunderstorms using the presence of hail as an indicator of where the core was. Keep in mind this was done with just a turn indicator and airspeed, no artificial horizon. Needless to say, gliders were being ripped apart, severe icing, midair collisions, pilots who bailed out could be deposited 30k+ ft frozen and suffocated. After reading some of those stories, most everything else sounds tame by comparison, and it demonstrates that at least in competition, it's important to set rules that create reasonable boundaries on what people are allowed to do. Unfortunately I have more stories of friends as well as my own failures. The moral though is sometimes people knowingly choose a more risky flight envelope, and while it's important to step in when you think people are really crossing a line or doing so unaware, sometimes it's their decision, and I just can't judge them for that. Secondly I would say, do what you can do to stay safe, but never think it can't happen to you, because it can. Commercial aviation is safe because of the combined effort of an entire industry, pilots, engineers, regulations, ground crew, automated systems.... one guy can never equal that.

[@Real_Steve_Sharpe]

@@Chris-kv4vl Not entirely sure what you're on about there, but the overall impression I'm picking up on is that getting knocked about would do you the world of good.

[@Real28]

​@@Chris-kv4vl you have way oversimplified and overgeneralized the whole thing. Pilots of commercial aircraft can still crash, they can still make mistakes. The avionics doesn't prevent crashes wholesale. A lot of these crashes he describes are ones related to competitions, which means they're pushing themselves and the aircraft to their limits. That's a danger in any sport that involves any kind of vehicle. The others, I can't speak for at all but it sounds like in gliding, it's very easy to become complacent and becoming complacent in a glider can lead to death very quickly. But the same can happen in a commercial airliner. Ever seen some really sketchy landings in crosswinds? The avionics can't save bad inputs. It'll alert you, but it's too late if you rock the plane 20deg in a 50mph crosswinds 40ft off the deck. That's gonna be a big, firey oopsie. And sometimes pilots get close and if you watch a video of a pilot breaking it down, it's always due to a bad input.

[@BrilliantDesignOnline]

Even with a lot of respect, things still happen. Messages like this video help you keep perspective and keep safety in the forefront of your mind. I am VERY thankful for all the incidents I have survived. Fly safe, my friends.

[@cabanford]

Same feelings here as a professional paragliding pilot in the Alps. Know and accept the risks and never lose your respect. ❤

[@PureGlide]

Couldn't agree more, thanks for commenting

[@flightmonkeyuk6944]

Seconded!

[@christophergaus3996]

Key danger word there - Alps 😊 Fly safe all!!

[@DrAElemayo]

@@christophergaus3996 Why would it be more dangerous in the Alps? I would've assumed that this is the safest place to do it

[@chrishamilton4999]

Very greatly appreciated. I always enjoy your videos. I am a 73yo Australian, coming back to gliding after a few years break. This motivates me to redouble my efforts to absorb whatever my instructors are telling me, and to never make excuses or talk back. Listen. Listen. Listen. What gliding instructors do for no financial reward is absolutely legendary, and is underappreciated. I have been a GA pilot, and the standard of gliding instruction is every bit as good as GA. They want you to live for your benefit and your family's. It is a huge responsibility they take on.

[@brendangilmore4297]

Well said :)

[@aikidoshi007]

Happy story; way back in 1974 I was invited along with 2 friends to go gliding in Whyalla, S. Aust. My friends had their go and barely made a full loop, but whn my go cam we went straight up to 10,000 ft and it was glorious. The air was so hot the pilot had to work hard to bring us down, we could have stayed up all afternoon. Forever grateful to that pilot.

[@PureGlide]

That does sound like a good day!

[@jamesconger8509]

Well done. I lost four friends during my years of gliding in California and know of several other fatalities. It is the experienced pilots who die. I'm too old to fly now, but despite the risks, I miss it.

[@PureGlide]

Sorry to hear that

[@MalachiWhite-tw7hl]

Thanks to this man for honestly explaining the risks rather than trying to convince and persuade one way or another.

[@maca5645]

Risk is the reason i stopped HangGliding and ParaGliding. I am an airline pilot by profession so i had very solid procedures, i did not compete, took no chances... but there is a huge random factor. I enjoyed it for 5 years and as people i knew started dying or getting seriously hurt i had to stop, i could not justify it anymore. Gliders are safer, but not as safe as many people think.

[@illla]

Paragliders are safer than gliders or hang gliders

[@StudentGoose]

Thanks Tim for this video, it actually brought a tear to my eye, reminding me of a fatal accident in our club a few years ago with a young pilot, aspiring to be a champion one day 😢 This video is a great reminder, and I fully agree, I willingly take the risk because it is such a beautiful sport and I just love it😃 But I also make checklists, read accident reports and tell myself "today is not the day I die" when I go flying. And I instruct and teach newcomers about the risks and mitigation 🤓 Keep up the great work with the channel, and stay safe!👍

[@coreyfleig2139]

This is a great discussion. Ive studied GA accidents for years now, and noticed the obvious: we are capable of both heroic decisions and bad ones. But the bad ones are almost always based on pride.

[@woofna1948]

I don't fly, but I have a dear friend, my former sea kayak partner, who is a glider pilot. I live in the United States, where I run the National Center for Cold Water Safety. What I'm keenly aware of are the many common subjective elements involved in close calls and fatalities in different adventure sports. I also have a deep appreciation and respect for people like you who preach safety and spend countless hours trying to educate people about it. This was an excellent video throughout. Five stars, well-earned. Moulton Avery, Founder and Director, National Center for Cold Water Safety.

[@boltforward3611]

On my second lesson in soaring, my instructor went at-length to point out where the local accidents had occurred, how they happened, and whether or not the pilot survived/injured/got out scott free. It was a bit scary but he really wanted to drive home the point: as safe and as stable as a glider is --> accidents can AND do happen, and that paying attention to the safety briefings/meetings and taking all the safety meetings to heart will keep me out of trees and off the memorial list.

[@skydive1424]

Good post and very true! As a ex glider pilot and skydiver, one knows that you can make any activity as dangerous or as safe as you want. From my personal observations, distraction and complacency are the biggest killers.

[@chrisheggie952]

As a fully committed motorcyclist of forty five years I know how dangerous it is but I mitigate the risk by taking responsibility for my piece of the road and how others relate to it! One of the best days of my life was when a patient took me soaring over Eglinton, Central West NSW on one of those days when we could have stayed up forever. Spectacular! You just can't justify your sport or past time to someone who doesn't understand the feeling. P.S. glad we didn't stay up any longer than we did, my bladder was killing me...

[@PureGlide]

Well said! Also check out the video on how to pee in a glider haha 😂

[@IgorVolkov]

My friend Sergei died on a mini Lak 17b - a mistake by a novice pilot - a corkscrew at low altitude. And another friend Vasily with an 8 year old son died on Janus CM. It looks like the belt on the Rotax 535 C engine broke. The second case is a problem of bureaucracy, we dreamed of changing the engine to a more modern and reliable one (it has already failed 4 times!!!!), but the bureaucracy of the EASA world does not allow this to be done easily. A month ago, the same engine on the DG 500 M failed me on takeoff. I made it through experience and training to fly close to the ground. But, I repeat, simplifying the procedures for replacing old engines and installing a FES system on a club-class glider would make our world safer. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fWKqoIODn6yGiMU

[@electricaviationchannelvid7863]

I thought it should be as easy to modify things on a motor-glider than on a experimental class...

[@DouglasJMark]

Thanks for your heartfelt and somber message Tim. I've only flown RC gliders. But, I hope one day to be a passenger in a real one. In the mean time, your videos are as close as it gets to reality. Lotsa love to all from Toronto ♥♥♥

[@DmacDomage]

I'm not a glider, but I am a motorcyclist. I lost my mother as well as a few club friends to motorcycle accidents. I still ride to this day. I believe that it's better to live life to its fullest and die doing what you love rather than sit in an armchair and regret not following your dreams. You have to be a bit fatalistic. Gliding looks like a wonderful sport. May you be lifted on a warm breeze. 🤙

[@martins767]

Dear, this was a very mature and careful reflection. Very franck, very thouthful. I think you are going to avoid many losses for many people just making them reflecting like you've done here. God job! Amazing job! Keep on it. And please, keep on flying and sharing your experiences, that is inspiring. If there was a minimun chance for me to glide here in my country I'd seriously consider becoming a glider pilot. Unfortunately, I'm far away of any of this. But I'll keep enjoying others passion for it, anyway. God bless you!

[@lordpencil8109]

My grandad died in a glider accident (mid air collision) in 2005 in Benella, Australia. But I am intending in the very near future to have a go at the sport that he loved. I remember going up with him a few times back here in NZ and it was epic, and as a sailor and avgeek it seems like a perfect combination

[@winstonchurchill3597]

Excellent video - thanks for taking the time to create it.

[@zzupa9366]

This is very appreciated. I'm about to start my first gliding course here down south of the americas, and it's nice to see the risks the sport comes with. Thank you for sharing your knowledge 💟

[@PureGlide]

Best of luck with your training!

[@ashalya2923]

Thank you for the video. It makes me very sad that you have lost so many friends in this extraordinary sport that we love. When we're up in the air with the glider, these thoughts are not really present - and they shouldn't always be. But it is important to keep them in mind.

[@JimboBurgess]

Thank you for sharing such an honest truth about flying. It undoubtedly carries risks, and discussing the harsh realities that can occur is both shocking and necessary. We must acknowledge these risks in order to effectively navigate and mitigate the challenges they present. Cheers

[@PureGlide]

Thanks Jimbo, must be a whole other thing dealing with top dressing risks as well as doing it full time!

[@trickert3129]

I appreciate this video and your perspective on the risks involved in a sport that you love. I'm an avid down hill skier and have known a few people who have perished on the mountain, including a good friends. Always respect the mountains and be aware of the risks.

[@PureGlide]

Sorry to hear that, there’s a lot of parallels really, both sports need tremendous respect!

[@Sara_PY]

Tim, this was timely. I just finished the Thermal Camp at Air Sailing here in the US. I’m a new glider pilot, and the value of that week long training exercise cannot be overstated. Your video dovetailed perfectly with that. Stark reminders are healthy. Thank you.

[@chrisdrake7849]

NV 23 hi from Raven!

[@scyz2807]

As a hang glider pilot I have known a few guys who also flew sail planes. What I like about hang gliders is that we can go up in some pretty small thermals and can also land in some pretty small fields. Oddly enough, before a sprained ankle was completely healed, I once landed in some 30 foot saplings near the edge of a field - that was full of over grown bushes. Had I gone for a landing in the field I may have clipped a bush with one wing and landed hard re-injuring my ankle. As it was my "tree" landing was totally controlled and once settled in the small trees I was able to reach the ground quite easily. No additional injury to my ankle either. It seems to me that sail planes don't really offer these kind of options. Since you also mention them, it's also VERY hard to spin a hang glider. So, from my semi ignorance (as far as sail plane flying goes) I feel that hang gliding is safer. However, hang gliders, being very lite aircraft, can be over powered by strong/dynamic winds - especially near the ground. I once had a pretty bad landing when I was hit by a STRONG thermal ripping off the ground when I was at only about 200 feet AGL. The thermal hit only one wing and sent me side slipping toward the ground. I was able to 98% recover. If I had only 90% recovered I might not be here to write this. What I just described was my worst accident ever. In 2025 I will have been flying for 50 years. Hopefully I won't have a fatal accident between now and then. Hopefully I won't have any accidents which would be the more typical couple years of flying. : - )

[@TheAirplaneDriver]

Hi. Very sorry to hear about your friends that lost their lives soaring. I have been flying for 30 years and over that time lost six friends of mine to flying accidents in airplanes. I feel your pain.... I got my private glider rating first and then transitioned to airplanes early on and have been actively flying since though I haven't been soaring with any regularity for about 27 years. I am a 20+ year CFIA. Your video really got my attention. Principally because the fatal accident rates you presented seemed much higher than I would have expected. So, I did some checking to satisfy my own curiosity and thought I would share my very cursory "findings" with you. Meaningful statistics are hard to come by but in essence, in the US, we seem to average about 9 soaring fatalities per year with about 15,000 active glider pilots. The info you presented for NZ indicates there are about 0.8 soaring fatalities per year against a pilot population of 700 pilots. Hours flown per year is always hard to come by so I gauged the data we know against an assumption that most glider pilots probably fly about 25 hours per year. It is the rate we are looking for in any case, and the discrete values can be adjusted accordingly. Anyway, based on that, the NZ fatal accident rate looks to be 4.5 per 100,000 hours versus 2.4 per 100,000 in the US. By comparison, the total GA accident rate in the US is 1.7 fatalities per 100,000 flying hours (based on NTSB data). The obvious issue with soaring is that so much time is spent either in the takeoff/landing phases or while maneuvering close to the ground (ridge soaring) or at steep banks and slow speeds while thermaling. By comparison, the GA population does not have to deal with the high risks associated with soaring though they have their other issues such as IMC flight conditions. Bottom line I suppose is that both the US and NZ soaring communities need to step up their stall/spin training...perhaps NZ a bit more? Not sure what the answer is but it sure would be nice to reduce the accident rate where we can however we can. Anyway, just thought I'd share this info with you. All the best.

[@jj4791]

Great comment. As a PPL/SEL TW pilot, with just a little glider training. I can confirm that stall/spin training is egregiously lacking in the US. The best training I have is 4hrs in a Pitts with the best Pitts instructor in the world. And the most valuable experience I have is Stalls and Spinning Pitts S2A, Citabria, Decathlon, and Cessna 172. I'm sure Sailplanes are trickier. Due to the difference in tip airspeeds, long span, low Reynolds numbers due to narrow chord and low speed, wing torsion and flexibility, overall poor stability and control characteristics such as massive adverse yaw at high lift coefficients. Owing to the fact they are highly compromised aircraft dedicated to one objective.

[@johngriffiths118]

Interesting points . I would argue that 25 hrs a year is no where enough experience to maintain current skill levels let alone develop new ones . Genuinely surprised how few hours could be flown during any sport which have serious consequences to error . Surprise accident rates aren’t higher . Great vid

[@whirltech8031]

My uncle is a CFI-G. About 10 years ago now, he was flying in a competition and involved in a mid-air while thermalling. His aircraft's control surfaces were damaged and it became inverted. Fortunately, he was able to bail out, though not without breaking his collar bone. The other pilot was able to land safely. This was quite the wakeup call for him. While he still flies competitions, he's much more laid back. He views competitions mainly as a way to stay involved with a community of people beyond his local club.

[@rhensontollhouse]

Think it probable that competition is motive for eroding the margin of safety? Thus the high accident rate?

[@The_Modeling_Underdog]

Nice, insightful video. Well done, Tim. I remember perusing through the gliding community pages on Facebook last year. It was a heavy one. Anyway. Sobering thoughts, mate. Cheers.

[@eveningecho5334]

Nice one mate. I love watching your vids, you always have a calm no nonsense analysis that had me feeling gliding was safer than ga, but todays no nonsense shows it can have the same pitfalls, its all down to the pilot. Keep the blue side up mate, safe flying

[@PavesGarage]

About 15 years ago, on the day of my third glider lesson, a young pilot on their first cross country flight crashed during an outlanding. The glider was written off, but thankfully there were no injuries. That was a sobering enough experience for a young teenaged me to understand it was a dangerous sport. In the years since, I've personally known two pilots killed and another seriously injured. All very experienced and professional pilots who you'd never think it would happen to. Three out of four of these crashes occured during landing and I've come close to becoming another at least once very early in my solo flying career during a botched landing. I haven't flown for many years, but when I was, every time I landed the thought of these friends and mentors we lost crept into my mind, which is why I always committed to an outlanding at 1000ft AGL, even if I thought I could save it and always flew very conservative circuits at home plate. These are easy rules to follow and are almost always completely within your control. Gliding is the most incredible sport which makes taking these risks worth it, so long as you take all reasonable measures to reduce the risk.

[@PureGlide]

Well said :) sorry to hear about your lost friends

[@TheOtherGuybo]

Excellent. Data I had no idea of. Great reminder to hone skills, pay attention, use checklists, etc. Complacency kills. Love your channel.

[@donotwantahandle1111]

I had one accident and one near miss handgliding during my learning phase. It taught me allot about how not to get into bad situations such as running out of height or crashing into the hill you just took off from!

[@hedonzx822]

As an Instructor I practice a lot of out of the Box exercises like; let them close their eyes and put them in awkward unusual attitudes before they open their eyes again and monitor their startle and surprise behavior. I work a lot on their mental strength so when the unexpected happens they can act in a expected pattern of actions to protect themselves from harm. Do not only fly but also manage the flight. Yesterday a very good soaring day but I cut the task of 526 km after only 80 km short because I did not feel ok due some worries at home. I learned already long time ago that Ego is not your Amigo 😇 Good presentation Tim

[@leifvejby8023]

Sounds like a staggering accident rate! Where I live we have a bit over 2000 flying gliders, an on average less than one fatality a year. The local gliding club, with a bit over 150 members, have had only one fatal accident since I joined in 1975, and that wasn't while gliding but by spinning in an ultra light.

[@brendangilmore4297]

Robert Kiyosaki tells the story of how one of his flight instructors threw their jet fighter into a flat spin then folded his arms and sat looking out of the window, giving control over to him. He says it's one of the best lessons he's ever had :)

[@SteamerEdge]

Excellent video, yes, there were a few unfortunate fatal accidents at the Gliding clubs I belonged to over the years. As you say, and I agree, the rewards far outweigh the risks. Risk can be be minimized by staying current and flying safely. Thanks cheers Paul

[@Offiziellermax]

Lovely video, Tim. Thanks for sharing!

[@PureGlide]

Thank you for watching

[@cbuchner1]

A lot of the risk seems to be clustered in the competitive side of the sport. The first two cases you cite could have been cases of „get-there-itis“.

[@Johan-ex5yj]

That’s a very thoughtful (respectful) handling of a tricky subject, Tim. 👍 I have read Clemens (Chess in the air) article called ; “Does Soaring Have To Be So Dangerous?”, some time ago. It is excellent! Bottom line is: Everything worth doing has some risk involved. It’s up to you to manage the risk as well as you can.

[@PureGlide]

Thanks Johan :)

[@donjohnson8649]

@@PureGlide Well said. Doesn't matter what you do in life as long as you recognize and MANAGE the risks....after all there is risk in EVERYTHING we do from walking down stairs, to crossing the street, to riding in the car with mama, among a whole world of other risks. I had two careers in aviation...first one 20+years) as a military pilot primarily in helicopters, but there were a couple of thousand hours of fixed wing in there (and plenty of opportunities to hurt or kill yourself), too...that was followed by a second career flying corporate jets all over several continents. Along the way of those two careers I added a glider commercial and a glider instructor to several other ratings with that glider stuff begun in a German glider club in Mainbullau, Germany off of a winch. Wound up my career with north of 13,000 hours in multiple categories of flying contraptions....and an FIA diamond badge in gliders. Soo...I'd say that good old common sense, a bit of luck at the right moment(s) and paying attention to the rules (both physical AND regulatory) of the way the world works should keep one alive. Tim is right about MANAGING risk, but FIRST you have to recognize it...and whether you think about it or not, that is true of pretty much every sort of activity a human might participate in.

[@deborahcurtis1385]

@@donjohnson8649 Very true! I've been shaken up by near misses driving a car, most recently a motorcyclist was overtaking on the wrong side of the road stationary trucks and cars at traffic lights, and he just couldn't wait. I was about to turn right to go around them and didn't see the motorcyclist but instinct made me hesitate and not pull out to turn right (from a street on a 90 degree angle to the road). He wasn't supposed to be there he wasn't meant to cross into the oncoming past stationary cars and trucks or cross over a white line but the road was free of cars on that oncoming side and he thought Why not? He didn't know I was there about to turn right. He has no idea that he was saved, and possibly me also, from. him hitting my driver side, simply by an instinct. I didn't have clear vision of the right side of the road and something made me think...no. Even though he shouldn't have been there. He imagines he made a great decision. No. I did. But he will continue to dice with death and that's what shook me up more, as I watched him speed triumphantly ahead...towards the next intersection. The way I grew up understanding cars and risk, you take your life into your hands each time you get behind a wheel. Cars are a lot safer these days but we still have people with permanent life-altering injuries, and deaths. Caution and well timed decisions are what keeps us safe. But at the end of the day someone wth a sudden rush of blood to the head, can change everything.

[@BillPalmer]

Very timely. ChessintheAir’s posts on the subject are quite comprehensive and not only detail the risks, but also provides the mitigations for them. Worth a good review for all pilots Thanks Tim.

[@PureGlide]

Thanks Bill, yes well worth reading them

[@jbodenr7836]

Thank you for this what I think is a well balanced evaluation of risk and benefit of one of the greatest activities of mankind. I agree to every single line, and every time I open the hangar door, pull out the plane and prepare for the flight I remind myself to act professionally, and not to be complacent at any time. We all make mistakes, but even then I hope I will keep cool and do the right things to correct them, for me and my family. Greetings from a PPL and microlight pilot in South Germany!

[@colinjacobs176]

A great video. We all need to be reminded of this periodically. I'm the parent of a small child, I tell myself I'll be the safest glider pilot I can be. There are always times when we shouldn't fly but are tempted, and this sort of wake up call helps to resist that temptation.

[@PureGlide]

Sounds like a good sensible attitude :)

[@flyingpuck15]

I’ve been Hang Gliding for 16 years and I have lost 5 friends. I’m right there with you. Don’t give up on living life, the friends you have lost wouldn’t want you to. Fly Safe!

[@nawack1]

Thank you for that one ! I will surely join this community. see you soon in the air Fly safe !

[@mellbenham6809]

I have been up for a flight in a glider as I did consider going over to full size but I eventually decided to stick with radio controlled gliders as I'm sure I'd end up being a statistic however I love watching the Pure Glide tutorials as it's important to show mistakes and accidents so others can learn from them.

[@adrianflower3230]

A really useful and honest summary of the risks, how we can all make the sport safer, and enjoy the enormous privilege of flying like a bird :😍

[@PureGlide]

Thank you, it really is a privilege

[@BruceDuncan]

Brian Spreckley gives a talk at the start of some competitions where he mentions some of the friends he lost over the years. I can't find the video now but he says that many of them were excellent pilots and suggests that they were pushing it harder than they would have rationally wanted to. His suggestion is that each day we take ourselves to one side and remind ourselves that "today is not the day" that we will push it harder than our personal minimums. E.g. cross that ridge lower than we know is safe, take that last thermal on the way home, push on without a suitable field. Just remind yourself each day that the most important thing is to get home safe.

[@grinner2916]

A very honest and thoughtful video, Tim. I agree with your sentiments wholeheartedly. As a professional pilot (21 years military and 19 years commercial) and a long-time glider pilot, competitor, instructor and examiner, I cringe when I hear comments like “But we just do this for fun!” It doesn’t matter who you are and what your experience is, the sky like the sea, can be unsympathetic to those who take liberties with it.

[@bobshapka2902]

Thanks for doing this; safety must always be top of mind. Happy (and safe) soaring to all.

[@fredg9417]

This why I decide to stop this beautiful sport after 38 years of practice. Lost 5 friends last five years 😢

[@PureGlide]

Sorry to hear that :(

[@SailingYachtSaltyLass]

I was a glider pilot for about 13 years and I was lucky enough never to lose a friend in a fatal accident although two of my friends did have bad accidents but both fully recovered. In 2010 I suffered mental health issues and voluntarily grounded myself. I have never flown since, not even on a commercial flight. Instead I took up sailing which has its own dangers but has the advantage that you can heave-to and put the kettle on if you want a break 😄 I still miss flying and I probably always will miss doing it, but as an alternative to gliding, sailing offers a lot and a modern yacht feels like a K-21 and its response to control inputs feels much the same. It was an easy transition for me to make. Perhaps an alternative if anyone is looking for a change.

[@TheWealthOfNationz]

Sailing is a wonderful sport. May you have fair winds and following seas!

[@SailingYachtSaltyLass]

@@TheWealthOfNationz - thanks

[@GuentherBN]

Great video talking about the risk! I can't agree more about using checklists. Being in this sport since 1976 and want to keep it save.

[@snekmeseht]

Thanks for the thought provoking video. The comment on motorcycling triggered a memory for me. I grew up in California and spent tens of years motorcycling. One of the major insurance companies at the time did a study on motorcycle fatalities. They found that the vast majority (greater than 90%) involved a novice rider with less than a year's experience. They also found that once you get past that dangerous time, motorcycling was quite safe. This was attributed to riders having excellent visibility and the bike being quite agile. Believe it or not, at the time, helmets were not mandated, so many riders did not use them.

[@TheSoaringChannel]

Bravo Tim. I have a very hollow place in my heart from the friends I've lost over the years. Every one of them in a GA accident. So far - not one in a glider, and I intend to help keep it that way. Thank you for the sobering video Tim.

[@PureGlide]

Thanks! hope it stays that way too.

[@TheSoaringChannel]

@@PureGlide to be honest: I held back getting back into GA because of it. But at some point I decided that happiness must override the fear. It's a risk. I will do everything in my power to reduce and manage risk - but I have to fly. Soaring is my avenue for now. I'd like to get a tail dragger but those aren't very safe, either. An engine failure or flight control problem is just as bad for your health.

[@robertbeger4275]

Another great video Tim and excellent material to consider. Brand new (72 yr old) pilot here and it has become very apparent how potentially dangerous soaring is, even at my level, or maybe especially at my level. I was a professional mountaineer for some decades in an earlier life and working with Search and Rescue, one could see how things went wrong. Mostly it was the result of cascading bad decisions and attempting things beyond their level of training. But as you have shown it can happen to very experienced pilots. One of my instructors with a career in commercial aviation and 40+ years in soaring recently had a terrible crash for doing something that has been repeatedly told to me not to do (turning into the slope ridge soaring). Seems to me it's training training training and then sticking to what you have been trained to do and not to do.

[@patrickmulder2450]

Started gliding when I was 15? I was pretty young, I wanted to join the air force and they payed me a few years of glider education until I was old enough to actually join. It was only my second flight season when one of my fellow students and his instructor got heavily wounded after they didn't execute the proper procedures after a failed winch start. I've kept flying for several years after until life took me away from the sport. I've seen and heard of several crashes in that time... Seeing that first crash hasn't left me in 25 years though and I doubt it ever will. You folks stay safe out there!

[@amcconnell6730]

I'm a 20,000 hour airine pilot now, but came up through GA in Australia. I've had 5 friends die in GA accidents, and two others in Air Force accidents.

[@OnerousEthic]

Ahhhhh thank you voice of reason! Fair and balanced! I am mindful that we take our lives in our hands every time, and we have only one chance to land. It is a privilege to play, and I am grateful and respectful.

[@tjalkuip]

Thank you. Not keen to leave messages here, but thank you for sharing this as it touches some considerations I have been making last few months. After quiting paragliding after getting licensed 15 yrs ago, 100 hrs experience B2/L2 levels, practicing for a few years with some close encounters, I started flying gliders in '21, which felt like an improvement from the cowboy scene, became solo, got 150 flights but never got comfortable with again the more subtle new frontier mentality in our club. My 8yo certainly liked the weeks with our club in France, the free life, assisting with ground movement with gulf carts, but he never wanted to board a glider for a flight with a licensed pilot.. I kind of started to understand him after gliders were ground handled into caravans, and the way the turnover rate of new members really was detriment to the safety levels; i thought that was important information not to convince him otherwise. Last 12 months I got sadly impressed by 2 deaths from persons close to me within or near club, both experienced board members and GPL holders. Your pictures in a way could have been them as a person.. So with a 8 yo and newborn 4 mo recently decided to wage my stats a bit later in life. I love the birdseye view, but birds get eaten too.. Still learning from your vids, thanks for posting these human factor educational insights that most of us could learn from if we want. Will be back for sure, but risk awareness also includes fit-to-fly due to family life, and for sure the considerations and preparations for your family if things go South... Please keep up your work, thanks.

[@PureGlide]

Thanks for sharing, sorry to hear about the people you lost. Yes with young children I completely understand a decision to give it a rest!

[@et1965]

I lost a friend to Gliding here in Australia. John Canard. He was test flying a new glider that suffered a mechanical failure. This was back in the early 80's.

[@6yjjk]

Haven't gone gliding in years but love watching it on KZbin. I miss Balleka and his giggles of sheer delight.

[@Trevor_Austin]

I personally know seven people who have had to bail out (I’m one), two tug pilot deaths, two life changing events following glider crashes and one lovely girl who died. I also know of several other deaths but do not know the pilots involved. I no longer glide only because I am unable to participate at the level I desire and would resume immediately if I could. There were some commonalities in the incidents I have described. Mine was a technical and administrative failure, three were down to training, four were competition pilots (pushing too hard?), one was a lightning strike and two were stupidity, one criminal (in my opinion). What was really heartbreaking is that everyone launched with the expectation of enjoying themselves. Unfortunately, today the gliding accident rate remains virtually unchanged. Countless changes have been made since I stopped. The biggest being the numpties at the CAA getting involved, obviously for “safety”. So loads more uselss rules and regulation, loads more gadgets, loads more gassing on the radio, loads more procedures and checks and yet NOTHING has changed. Why? As well as line flying I used to be an accident investigator for an airline. We looked at all prangs and tried to look at things from the viewpoint at the person at the sharp end. They did not go to work to cause an accident, so what happened? Why did they end up having a bad day? What should they have seen? What caused them to be in the wrong place? Why did they make a poor decision. And so on. This approach helped. We also looked at the “boring” people. The “grey” pilots who nobody knows. These are the ones to learn from. How do they manage to be so boring? What are they doing right? How do they do what they do? The secret is not finding out what people are doing wrong but finding out what others are doing right. When things go wrong, DO NOT expand the rule and regulation book. DO NOT add yet more pointless guff on a checklist. This is the chicken’s way out. It also has no measurable effect. Listen, learn , look, train most of all, think your way ahead. It doesn’t have to be with an instructor, you can do a lot by yourself. Some of this will be at the bar, some on the field, some during lessons and very importantly at the daily briefings at competitions. Whatever you do though, remember that people go gliding for the enjoyment of it.

[@PureGlide]

Well said and very interesting. Thanks for sharing

[@gurgleblaster2282]

I think this is well said and largely I agree. However some new rules are not inherently bad. As we grow and learn we expand our knowledge. It would be negligent not to update rules and regulations based on best practices. I can think of numerous accidents not inherent to gliding but in general where regulations were pulled back and accidents happened as a result. Or situations where there is no regulations, looking at ocean gate.

[@SteveWrightNZ]

I've done two SIV paragliding courses, both of them left me feeling uneasy for some months. It's critically important that people realise how quickly they are going to lock up in a serious emergency, and also how to recognise the feeling that you shouldn't be somewhere and then CHOOSE to DO something about it, and then ACT on that decision.

[@Philscbx]

There's That Key Word Lockup- I didn't expect it, but it happened when training too long and now tired from Hang Gliding all day. Then insisted to be pushed faster, I narrowly escaped by doing exactly the wrong stunt on purpose just told to me by instructor that killed his brother, being I knew now I had only inches to spare to pull out of this deadly dive, because of locking up, causing a complete dead stall of zero speed. I flared out at the last second of dive with knuckles digging in the grass,, and instantly on my feet. Ok, we're done for today... But I always wanted to be in a glider, and visiting Germany, I made sure I brought back 2.5 meter electric folding prop glider. It's amazingly quite powerful. Cheers

[@markmonson573]

With 40+ years of motorcycling behind me, I can fully appreciate your thoughts about how we approach risk, danger. We have just finished watching a bunch of very keen guys race round the Isle of Man where the risk is extreme, but not one of them would have missed it for anything. It seems to me that we all feel just that more alive, out there on the edge.

[@bungee7503]

Nice work, Tim. The OSTIV Training and Safety Panel is doing some work on this. There are challenges with getting reliable data; the European community and US communities have their specific challenges. Also, competition seems more likely to produce accidents.

[@randominternet5586]

I was in another profession - licensed, the full nine yards. A lot of truth to this. MANY problems in my world could have been avoided by just taking time at the start of a trip to run through things, familiarize and check stuff (prevention / checklists). Commercially, the pressure was always huge to just grab and go. The other issue is exactly as you describe, pushing the limits. In my old field it was things like night operations, operations in bad weather, and get there itis (big time on this last one for commercial reasons). I was the type A player in my group - company grumbled at me from time to time - but I didn't have issues. It paid off for me in the end. When things went wrong I'd be the one to get a call for the recovery. We'll pay you $X, fly you to Y. I learned plenty of hard lessons making mistakes, but I always tried to make those mistakes on my own time or with other paid stuff - NEVER with PAX. Watching these videos those bother me the most, gliders with PAX pushing limits near clouds, near ground etc. I played NO games with PAX - period. No showing off. No hot dogging. To get PAX to come out again, they first of all need to feel SAFE.

[@mikeonb4c]

Great video 👍 . Years ago, before youtube in-cockpit videos etc, I asked two cross country pilots how I should approach my ambition to fly cross country, I got two answers that I remember to this day (in fact they prompted me to write an article in S&G at the time). Both pilots were instructors. One pilot advised that 'If I wasn't landing out on 50% of my cross countries, I wasn't setting myself challenging enough tasks'. Another pilot, a legend in the club and an experienced and fearless pilot who had flown competitions in early glassfibre hot ships with very poor airbrakes said (of non competition cross countries, but...) "I look at the sky ahead and I make a judgement on the soaring prospect on track. If I conclude it looks insufficiently promising, I either go elsewhere that looks more promising or, more likely, divert to the nearest landing strip from where I might get an aerotow retrieve'. I asked that pilot also what advice he would give to any pilot just starting out on their flying career. His reply was 'Never erode your margins.' I reflected on these various bits of advice and made my own decision.

[@folkenvanvanel6611]

"Never erode your margins." This is really the key.

[@RulgertGhostalker]

the thing that got me was the comparatively lower cost, instant start/stop, and extreme reliability of a small fixed mount H2O2 rocket. ( Blip-able 2 to 3 meter per second climb ) the fuel and catalyst cost a lot more, but that will keep people from using it frivolously, so keeping it in line as a safety feature. so i wrote apollojetpack and explained about the need for a Single H2O2 Tank / Momentary full on-off soliniod / Single Thruster - Glider Safety Thruster System.

[@Nyllsor]

Intresting topic, well made vid! :)

[@PureGlide]

Thank you!

[@steveasher9239]

Yep. Great memories punctuated by an occasional, well, tragedy. Fortunately for me I've always come down on the line of conservatism (flying gliders). I'm old and was trained in GA by a combo of crazy people and great instructors. So the first chance I got after being licensed I took an aerobatic course with one of the most famous old aerobatic pilots. And when I took an experienced glider pilot up for a treat in a glider unfamiliar to her, she put us in an involuntary full spin; but because of the training in GA aerobatics it didn't even faze me and I took over and recovered. She, on the other hand, said LAND NOW. So good training and common sense go a long way to living to fly another day. But admittedly I've been guilty of being "stupid" but to date have both gotten away with and in the process become more conservative about "pushing it." It still just gave me a chill thinking about some of the things I got away with and afterwards said "never again" and meant it.

[@Pablo-kq6fx]

Thanks for the video. I once had the opportunity to talk to Bo Bobko, a three times Space Shuttle pilot/commander. I told him about my gliding experience and he said: "gliding? That's dangerous!" 😄 During my 18+ years of gliding, flying in several Italian championships and one polish standard class nationals, 6 fellow pilots who I knew, some of them good friends, lost their lives in gliding, and not only in competitions. Not to mention the many more who I had not met personally but whom I had knowledge of. These statistics made me aware of the level of danger of this sport, but as you say the experience was well worth it and will remain as one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I gave up 25 years ago not because of the danger, which can be managed, but because continuing to glide meant taking time and resources away from my growing family.

[@gwingatetx]

Neil Armstrong was a glider pilot, and instructor as I recall.

[@StrikeWyvern]

As he said, this is a thing even in GA flying even across the world too. My flight team lost 2 members and another family's got two sons who aren't coming home again since it was a midair... But I wouldn't stop flying despite the loss. It isn't what another pilot would want, for someone to give up a wonderful hobby that could end up blossoming into a life-defining career just because theirs was cut short. At least that's what I'd want if I were to crash. Just remember to fly safe and not to take any of your fellow aviators for granted. You might not see them again and you never know when it could be.

[@pilotpetesnz]

As a QGP / C cat going back to the sport of gliding after a 20 year absence, I am most grateful for your video. My risk assessment process has changed so much in 20 years. I recently asked my instructor to do some spin recovery exercises and he advised me that only incipient spins are now included and recommended in the training syllabus here in NZ. Is this correct? 20 years ago we did full spin and recovery as a mandatory exercise and as you well point out, circling just above stall speed is part of our skill set required and spin recovery and being comfortable with it are crucial tools for survival in my mind.

[@flyswryan]

Aviation in itself is not inherently dangerous, but to an even greater degree than the sea, it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity, or neglect.

[@sebvds8366]

Sadly lost a friend at my home airfield a few months ago:( about a year ago i had an incident on the side of a hill, which i luckily walked away from. further proves your point Tim. i appreciate your videos.

[@PureGlide]

Very sorry to hear that :( But glad you walked away from your incident.

[@TheGodParticle]

Sorry bro at the loss of your friend's and all those who have doing what they loved. I had no idea at the numbers.. please guys, take good care. From England.

[@gingef5197]

A good one Tim.. I started gliding in 1964 in the early day wood and fabric spin machines. I was a dedicated (or heavily addicted) pilot and full cat. I would constantly emphasize to all students and early solo pilots the importance of knowing their recovery action at a 300FT cable break - before they took off; and also quick spin recovery. I was nick named - 'full opposite rudder'.

[@SimonAmazingClarke]

Excellent video. While Gliding has more risk than some other things, it is important to put everything into perspective. I know of people who have dropped dead playing football, going on a night out, slipping in snow and slipping while crossing a stream. There is risk everywhere but flying a glider above a ridge is awesome. Playing in thermals is out of this world.

[@the_orbital]

I actually glided today again, I do it every weekend! Sadly at 30th of May, a crash happened in front of me, I had my parachute on, and I saw a glider crashing during the landing upside down into some trees, this were the last moments for this person. I don't know her, but it made a big inpact on me, especially for beginner like me. After the accident I have been flying again quite a lot, this was the best solution for me. Thanks for sharing this.

[@PureGlide]

Sorry to hear about that :(

[@thijsboss1246]

wasn't a good month then because i witnessed a crash early may this year... i hope you are okay, it can take a toll on you to see something like that happen. stay safe!

[@the_orbital]

@@thijsboss1246 Sorry to hear that from your side, hope you're okay to! I'm doing great right now, sometimes I get flashbacks to the crash, but in general just doing great and enjoying the flights :). For us, and our country in general, it was a real bad start of the season, lot's of incidents happened...

[@MozTS]

“Her”

[@drmichaelshea]

I never found any sport that I found more thrilling and satisfying than soaring. I learned at the Calistoga glider port in California before the ground was purchased by someone who didn’t like airplanes. Medical problems and impracticalities have kept me away from the sport for many years, now, but I’ll never forget my instructor, Eddie Skuzinsky, and some of the experiences I had there in Calistoga. I’m thankful for having had the opportunity.

[@rudijano1466]

Thank you so much! Great content.

[@PureGlide]

You're very welcome!

[@widgewunner]

Great video. I've lost 8 hang gliding comrades to flying accidents since I started in back 1981. The cause of every one of these can be ultimately traced to pilot error, (even the ones due to mechanical failure). Checking your equipment is paramount as is knowing the weather and your own limitations. Wish I could afford to fly sailplanes!

[@TrevorDodd-ev1sx]

My son started gliding at the age of 13 and is now 22 yrs of age. He has had a few scary moments, but he is careful and thankfully risk adverse. The benefits of gliding is that he has been able to get a very good job as a signalman on the UK Railways which is a very safety critical role. I would encourage gliding to any parents and the time he spent in his teenage years was hanging around and helping at the local airport rather than night clubs.

[@brianavery259]

Interesting to see someone discussing the statistics regarding the dangers of aviation / extreme sports. My own experience as a skydiver / BASE jumper over 30 years definitely has indicated that these activities, while incredibly inspiring and life changing, have enormous costs. Physical injuries and death are openly witnessed, however, there are also the latent psychological issues to some of the survivors in the form of PTSD. Internet discussion forums have too many people providing negative comments regarding specific accidents and fatalities, where the commenters through their negativity are really just telling themselves "I would never do that," by criticizing the injured or dead. Best to confront and contemplate the risks of these activities, which are incredibly rewarding but potentially so costly, without deluding oneself that it could never happen to me. It could happen to any of us.

[@michaelhoffmann2891]

The old gliding club my dad used to tow for in Germany had a horrifying record. They single-handedly beat the record you mentioned for all of NZ. I was too young to know whether there were investigations as to their procedures - this was the 70s and the attitude may have just been "risk worth taking". They had a "in memoriam" shrine in the clubhouse that started in a corner and the last time I was visiting some time in the early 90s snaked around the ceiling. 😱As for the risk diagram: I do feel like the GA field is arguably one of the widest, especially when compared to other fields in that poster. From home-builts all the way to a Citation X: it's still GA (provided the last one isn't flown commercially). From 60 years old aircraft held together by willpower to a modern Diamond DA62. which is currently the safest light twin on the planet and matches commercial aviation's record by hours. But of course, the vast, *vast* majority of accidents is by pilot error. The human factor is the main "problem".

[@NeilWhelchel]

My personal view on the matter is that gliding is safe enough for my comfort level, but it is extremely unforgiving of sloppiness or carelessness. I consider every flight as a lesson that I can learn something from, and I watch videos like this one as often as I can to understand the risks and maybe learn how to avoid traps that others have fallen into. At just over 12,000 hours of flying time, I do not expect to get killed in a plane, but I know it might happen. My only hope is that if it does happen, it is not because I was doing something stupid, but that is likely to be the ultimate cause. The only thing that can reduce the chances of doing something stupid is education, so never stop learning!

[@PureGlide]

Well said!

[@raptordad6653]

I've been flying since the age of 13 and I fly powered (multi-engine rating), gliders and hang gliders. I've been flying for over thirty years and most of my recreational flying has been done in hang gliders and gliders. I've lost quite a few friends through hang gliding accidents but only two to gliding. It always hits hard because these are people who are unlike most non flyers. They embody the spirit of adventure and they always seemed - to me at least - to be more alive than most other people I've known. I have never taken part in competitions because I personally feel that the only competition pilots need is their own drive for self improvement; I completely understand others need and desire to compete however, it's just my personal perspective. I'm deeply sorry for the loss of your friends and I know it's probably of little comfort, but at least they died doing something they loved. All the best.

[@ZKNML]

Thanks mate, that brought back memories, Trevor was a great guy, unfortunately I new him only via work, wasn’t yet flying then, certainly missed.

[@sstidman]

You mentioned that several of your friends who passed away were involved in competitions at the time of their deaths. I think it might be more insightful to separate such accidents from accidents which occur during regular flights. It seems clear that the competitions are pretty dangerous and are skewing the overall death rate making the gliding seem more dangerous than it actually is.

[@gustavskavacs9991]

ill be honest. Ive been riding bikes as my main way of transport since 14. Im 20 now, and been dreaming of gliders too. I just wanted to say, thank you for this video, because the risks we way out every day needs to be rechecked every now and then, and this video did that for me. Thank you!

[@PureGlide]

Great that's exactly the point of the video: just to remind us to be careful doing the things we love

[@tokairic3925]

So have you decided to go gliding or not? I rode bikes from age 19 to around 45, had few accidents, no major injuries and enjoyed 99% of it. Even racing bikes for 10 seasons, with only a broken wrist and a few bruises in total injuries. Plenty of 'near misses' on the road, yes - others to blame. I also had a go at gliding - never got to solo standard but did towline and aero tow gliding under instruction and almost went for my licence but gliding is a bit expensive and it would have meant giving up on racing so I gave the licence a miss. Sometimes wish I had carried on with it. In my twenties I also had a go at free fall parachuting, got as far as 10 second delay jumps, and almost continued with that but as with the gliding cost and convenience came into it. All these activities attract people with a certain adventurous character, however some will recognise the dangers and do their best to minimise them and some, unfortunately will ignore the dangers and push the boundaries for whatever reasons. I should also maybe mention the mountaineering too - the alps and the Matterhorn were involved - again in my twenties, its a good age to be.