First reserve toss of 2013
from eye witness:
On Sunday, Jan. 13, a local pilot experienced some unusual air on the Northside, and reported that he felt his wing sinking rapidly, and behaving in an unusual manner. He threw his reserve and landed in snow, on the steep hillside above the northside behind some houses. He thought he probably would have had enough time to get the wing flying properly, but given the situation, felt it was better to go down on reserve. No injuries.
comment from safety blogger: some older gliders flew pretty well when wet or when frozen - the more current the technology, the worse they tend to fly in rain or snow etc. If you get caught in rain or snow, avoid big brake inputs, keep a foot on the speed bar and/ or ride a tiny bit of speed to avoid deep stall events. Do some internet research to find out if your particular glider behaves poorly in moist conditions. Great job by this pilot getting the reserve out.
