Re: was Funston, is low-level turbulence

danlj wrote:

I write this not to analyze Mr. Funston's accident, but because the
concepts of "uncommanded roll" and "new obstacle" inspire me to remind
fellow soaring pilots that windy conditions are always accompanied by
significant turbulence close to the ground, exacerbated by nearby
obstacles. This turbulence is invisible, and can indeed roll our
aircraft enough to cause a tip strike or loss of control.

While this does not invalidate what Dan says, pilots may be interested to know the "obstacle" was basically flags marking changes in the runway, and would not affect the wind on the runway. They did add some distraction for the pilot, however, as it was his first launch since the new runway was marked on a portion of the ramp. Previously, the entire width of the ramp was "available". My guess is the distraction was a much bigger factor than the wind.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
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