From Solo to Silver - Making the Flight Count

Silver Height

You're now solo, and the next step is to build up some experience before getting your cross-country endorsement, and onward to Silver C distance. However, given the right day, you could be getting your Silver Height in advance of that cross-country endorsement. How to achieve it is a matter for you and your instructors; the purpose of this article is to advise how to make sure, using club equipment, that it counts if you DO achieve it (and I speak from experience, having made the height three times without an acceptable record). There's a fair amount to do both pre- and post-flight; don't wait until the right day - everyone else will be rushing around to take advantage of it - but practice using the equipment now. Put your equipment pack together (more later), have the satisfaction of getting a barograph record of your 7-minute circuit, or use a logger and make sure you can download the flight, and come the Silver Height day you'll be ready for it.

First the requirement. It's simply expressed in BGA Laws & Rules (surely you have a copy?): a height gain of at least 1000 metres (3281 feet). However there's a bit more to it than that. The Claim Form (available at www.gliding.co.uk/bgainfo/onlineforms.htm) is the next thing to look at. Section 5 notes that for height gains of less than 3600ft it is necessary to include the calibration chart for the recording device, so try to gain at least 3600ft to simplify matters. If you don't, never mind, you'll just have to include the calibration, but be warned that IGC rules say that height gain should be rounded down to the nearest 10 metres, so don't cut it too fine!.

Next, you need to have a record of the flight. That means either smoking an old-fashioned (but effective) barograph or using a data logger. This is what you need to practice in advance; the Appendices give more details of what to do. At the moment the Club has the use of four serviceable loggers. A logger is simpler to use than a barograph, but on a good day if demand for loggers is high it could be worth knowing how to use a barograph.

Thirdly, look at the various sections of the Claim Form. The initial section is self-evident. Section 1, the declaration, is not required for height flights, nor are Sections 6, 7, 8 or 10. Section 2 simply records the identity of the recording device used.

Section 3 requires a declaration by the tug pilot (for aerotow) or an Official Observer (OO), (for winch launch) in respect of your launch. This is the first of several sections where an OO signature may be required - it doesn't have to be the same OO for each section. There are quite a few OOs in the club (eg CFI, Don, Gavin, Geralyn, Tony Harris); get to identify a few before you need them. Remember that the objective is for OOs to be able to declare that the recording submitted to the BGA does relate to your flight and that there has been no opportunity for substitution or falsification; make everything as easy as possible for them. If you're really keen, read the 58 pages of the OO and Pilot Guide at www.fai.org/sporting_code/sc03c; however I have tried to put down all that matters for Silver Height here.

Note that is the gain of height that matters, so it is important that the trace shows a clear low point that is not part of the launch process, from which the subsequent gain of height can be measured. As long as you don’t go straight into a 10 knot thermal from the top of a winch launch there will not be a problem as the difference between the 20 knot climb on the launch and a thermal climb will be obvious.  On release from an aerotow, where you will have been climbing at about 4 knots, you need to descend, stay level or climb very slowly for about a minute to make it obvious that the launch has ended. If you release in a strong thermal, open your airbrakes while circling, for a minute (three turns) before starting your climb. Of course if, during the flight, you lose height to below your established low point, this can provide a new and more favourable low point against which a later high point can be measured.

Section 4 is the evidence of landing - one OO or two other witnesses are required; make yourself (and the time) known to him/them as soon as you land so that you can collect their signatures later.

Section 5 is the evidence of gain of height from the recording device - see the Appendices - noting in particular that yet again an OO is needed; when a data logger is the source of the evidence, Section 9 also applies.

Sections 11 and 12 put the final touches to the overall claim. Note the list of items required to accompany the claim form; in particular check from the BGA website that you are using the current issue of the claim form, with the correct fee.

That's it - good luck! The following sections will address Silver Duration and Distance flights.

Silver Duration

This again doesn't need a cross-country endorsement, though 5 hours sitting on the ridge or local soaring will get very wearing; you are strongly recommended to wait until you can combine it with a cross-country flight.

If however you are sufficiently masochistic, the requirement is for a flight of at least 5 hours from release (not from take-off) to landing. If you're taking an aerotow, ask the tug pilot to make particular note of the release time.

Take a look at the Claim Form. Sections 2, 3, 4, 11 and 12 are required as before, plus Section 9 if you are using a logger as duration evidence. The new item is Section 10; note that the acceptable methods of determining duration are:
a) continuous observation (if you can find a very patient OO!);
b) witnessed take-off and landing times, with a barograph record to verify that you were airborne the whole time;
c) barograph or logger record, including a timebase.
If you are using a barograph (see Appendix 1), it will need to be on the 10 hour setting, so the timebase will be coarse, which may be a problem if you only marginally achieve the 5 hours. Accurate witness times are less risky; find 2 landing witnesses (or one OO) as soon as you land. If reliance on the barograph timebase is needed, the OO will rerun the barograph in real time from your release point to landing in order to calibrate it.

Silver Distance

For this you do need your cross-country endorsement, but for completeness and so you can think in advance about what's involved, I'll cover the procedure and equipment details.

The requirement is for "a flight of not less than 50km made as either:
a) an undeclared flight in a straight line
b) a pre-declared flight where one leg is 50km or more.
In either case, the loss of height between the start point (release point or logged point in the start zone) and finish point (landing point or logged point in the finish zone) must not exceed 1% of the total distance flown."

Your options for recording the flight are: barograph/logger; barograph/logger + camera; logger + GPS. If the flight is undeclared (ie there is no pre-declared start point or finish point), achievement will be assessed simply on the release and landing point; intermediate positions are of no relevance and the record is used only to verify release height, landing height and continuity of flight. A baro or logger on its own is therefore fully acceptable. Remember that Nympsfield is high and that your landing place may well be lower; the 1% rule might make release height critical. Consider a few target destinations and calculate for each what the maximum acceptable release height is. On the day, if taking an aerotow, ask the tug pilot to make particular note of release time, height and position. Don't forget to put a release "notch" on your trace immediately after release; a subsequent lower "low point" is of no relevance - it's the release height that counts.

For a pre-declared flight, you need a record of having achieved the logged points in start and finish zones, so you will need a camera, or a logger linked to GPS. I will not cover use of a camera here; the obstacles to getting an acceptable record are too many. However the masochist who did his Silver Duration on the ridge and wants to try it can get all the details by reading the OO and Pilot Guide very carefully. The procedure for using a GPS with a logger is covered at Appendix 3. If you are using a start zone or finish zone rather than release and landing points, look at the definitions of these zones in the OO & Pilot Guide, but don't try to be too clever on this first cross-country; make sure you are well within the start zone and go round the finish point with a km or so margin. Note that any height you have at the finish point helps in meeting the 1% requirement.

Warning: even with a GPS and logger, if your flight is not pre-declared you are working to requirement a) and it's only release point and landing point that count. Even if you can prove that during the flight you were more than 50km from Nympsfield, if your landing point does not meet the 50km/1% requirement, the flight will not count.  

The declaration form is at www.gliding.co.uk/bgainfo/onlineforms.htm, and its completion is largely self-evident. The BGA have an extensive list of accepted turning points and airfields for which three-letter codes (trigraphs) have been allocated. www.spsys.demon.co.uk/turningpoints.htm gives a full explanation - fuller than you need at this stage; just concentrate on your likely targets for Silver Distance. The list can be downloaded in Excel format at www.spsys.demon.co.uk/waypoints/2008.xls; the table of waypoints provides links to maps and photos of most locations. It is also possible to look at the trigraph database on the program “SeeYou” on the computer in the briefing room so that you can see where the points lie geographically. If you are planning to fly to a point which meets the 50km/1% requirement and then return home, remember to fill in that point as the declared finish point, not Nympsfield; the Silver Distance will be achieved when you reach that finish point - the return leg is irrelevant and does not form part of your declaration, and your claim would not be invalidated by a land-out on the way back. Find an OO to sign your declaration.

Don't forget to take your claim form with you on the flight so that you can collect the signatures of witnesses (or an OO).  Sections 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 11 and 12 will eventually require completion, along with Sections 1 (unless this is an undeclared flight), 8 (masochists only) and 9 (unless you are using just a barograph). 

Silver Distances from Nympsfield are normally done to Edgehill, The Park or Lasham (Enstone is no longer a gliding site so Edgehill is better).  Coventry International has been used but is not recommended due to the paperwork and bollockings generated. Aerotow retrieves are very tiring so are not now permitted from Silver Distances but you can always get an experienced pilot to come in the Scout to fly your glider home while you ride back in the tug.

Appendix 1 - The Barograph

There are rumours that this traditional method of recording height will be phased out in the future, so check the current status from the BGA website or talk to an OO. For the moment, here's what to do.

First choose your barograph. There are several marked "Club" in the attic room beyond the parachutes. They are of various duration - captions are in German, but look at "Std" on the end of the unit. A 2-hour barograph is to be avoided - a delay in launching, a relight and the barograph might have gone through more than a full revolution. It might still be readable and acceptable, but there is the risk of confusion between the overlapping traces. A 4-hour setting is best for a Height attempt; a 10-hour setting may cramp the trace such that the low point "notch" might not be distinct. However for a Duration attempt the 10-hour setting will be needed. The barographs are also of various height capability - check that the scaling is suitable for your flight. The unit needs to have a calibration in accordance with Section 5 of the claim form (within 12 months before or 1 month after the flight), but don't worry about this now; if your flight is successful and a calibration curve is not available, the CFI can generate one for you.

To smoke the unit, make sure the barograph is switched off (AUS), press the trigger on the bottom of the end face, and slide the unit out of the case, being sure not to knock the recording arm. Some barographs use an ink pen and a paper drum, but as you can't be sure that the ink is going to last the duration of the flight a smoked drum seems safer. Undo the knurled knob on top of the drum and lift off (again look out for the recording arm). The drum should have a foil clipped to it; if not, get one from the office. Wrap round the drum and secure with the clip. For perfection, run the foil over the clip (going from left to right with the knurled knob on top) and  tuck the end back under the clip - a bit fiddly, but it avoids the pen snagging on the clip if you do go beyond a full rotation. Next generate some smoke; there is an oil lamp in the workshop, but I have found burning masking tape to be effective (Memo: start off your Silver equipment pack with a reel of masking tape and a box of matches). Try to get an even and light sooty covering over the whole of the foil (H&S warning - the drum will get hot!). When you have done this, remount the drum on the barograph, noting that there are two asymmetric pins which engage in the top of the drum. Foolproof - but this fool managed to mount the drum incorrectly on two occasions, with the resulting baro trace only showing the descent from Silver Height! Next wind up the clockwork mechanism (key on the bottom of the unit) and if it has a choice of run times select the appropriate one (lever next to the winder).

The next step is to find an OO. Prepare the barograph by drawing a baseline - turn the unit on and rotate the drum a full 360 degrees. Turn off and position the drum so that the pen is just beyond the clip (to the right of it with the knurled knob upwards). Get your OO to add his signature, official number and date to the drum, then replace the outer case. Thread a piece of gummed paper tape round the unit, passing through the handle, seal and get the OO to sign across the join of the gummed tape (Memo: add biro and gummed paper tape to your pack). The barograph is now ready to use and needs to be installed in the glider such that it cannot be reached in flight (most club gliders have a suitably placed barograph mount).  Either put it on the seat switched off or in position switched on.  Never put it in position switched off, you will fly with it switched off and it won’t work!  Ideally it should be mounted with the recording arm uppermost, but the mount may require the unit to be installed upright. DO NOT mount it with the recording arm underneath - that will only lead to disappointment.

After the flight, find an OO, get him to observe the barograph's removal from the glider. He will then break the gummed tape and open the barograph and (with the foil still on the drum) record the following on the foil: name of pilot; badge leg being claimed; barograph type, serial number and altitude range; type and registration of glider; pressure at ground level (QFE); altitude of release; date of flight; statement that "sealed barograph was opened by me", with OO name (printed), number and signature. 

Now the nail-biting bit: it is necessary to fix the trace on the foil with hair lacquer (which can be found in the attic with the baros). However excessive lacquer will cause the soot to run off the foil. This is worth practicing in advance before it really matters! Also practice on part of the foil with no trace on it, not the high point of the diamond height. Remove the drum, with the foil still attached, and spray from 30cm, initially for no longer than 1 second, rotating the drum the whole time, and pausing between sprays for 15 secs. As the lacquer layer builds up it will be possible to spray for longer. Continue until there is an even covering of lacquer over the whole foil, and it resists smudging with a finger. The foil can now be removed from the drum.

It's now time to collect signatures on the claim form, as described in my main text. The calibration curve for the barograph, if it exists, is in a file in the office. If a valid calibration curve (ie less than 1 year old) cannot be found, ask the CFI to re calibrate the unit. You will need this re calibration before sections 5, 11 and 12 can be completed. If your gain of height is less than 3600ft you will need to include the calibration curve (an original, not a copy) with the claim.

It is permissible (but complicated) for more than one claim flight (with more than one pilot) to be recorded on the same baro foil, but make sure that OOs are fully aware of what is happening and are able to mark the respective sections of the trace appropriately and sign all the respective declarations for each flight.

Appendix 2 - The Data Logger

A data logger is less fiddly than a barograph, though until you download the record to a computer you don't know that it is valid; with a barograph you can see immediately whether  you have a good record and can fly again if not.

The club has two types of data loggers, the EW B ( a bit larger than a pack of cards) and the  EW D (long and thin, with no visible readout). Both consist of an built-in barograph and a solid-state data store that can record the barograph output together with a data stream of position provided from a GPS. Appendix 3 will deal with the use of GPS with a data logger. Note that the EW B fills up its memory and then stops recording – it is important to check before starting that enough memory is available for the flight. The EW D continues to record once the memory is full by overwriting the earliest record, so that the latest is retained. After the flight the record is downloaded to a PC and then to a CD to be sent with your claim form.  (Memo: add a fresh PP9 battery to your pack - you don't want to be caught out by a depleted battery).

EW B. Operation of the EW B is described by Steve Watson in Don’s pages at www.timothyallen.co.uk/Solo2Silver/Solo2Silver/Assets/Docs/Use%20of%20EW_B.pdf

EW D This is simpler to use - just switch on and secure in the glider. If you have any doubts over the battery, remove the two small rubber caps at one end of the recorder, unscrew the end cover and replace the battery. ON NO ACCOUNT ATTEMPT TO REMOVE THE COVER AT THE OTHER END OF THE UNIT OR DAMAGE THE SILVER SECURITY FOIL; THIS WOULD RENDER THE UNIT INVALID FOR CLAIMS UNTIL RE-CERTIFIED BY THE SUPPLIER. Note that removing the battery deletes the record, so don't remove it after your flight until the record has been successfully downloaded. If the battery voltage gets too low in use the unit will switch itself off while there is still sufficient power for download. The unit generates a date/time code as part of the record and it is possible (or even likely) that the date and time have not been correctly set. However this is not important; the OO who supervises the removal from the aircraft and the download of the record will still be able to certify that the record relates to the flight in question. A full handbook is available for download at www.ewuk.co.uk/, but again I have tried to cover here all you need to know for Silver Height.

So, to use, switch on the unit in Recording Mode by pressing and holding the button on the end. The Power LED will light, followed after one second by the flashing Status LED. Release the button immediately and the Status LEDwill flash rapidly for five seconds, followed by a regular flash, once per second; it is now recording. It will perform a battery check, and switch itself off if battery power is inadequate.

EW B and EW D. The OO must be able to certify that this logger was carried on your flight. This can be achieved by:
a) the OO observing the logger working in the glider immediately before launch and recording the serial number, or
b) the OO observing the logger working in the glider immediately after landing and taking control of it (difficult - can't ensure an OO is available), or
c) the OO securing the logger to the glider structure with a loop of gummed tape and signing the seal.

After the flight leave the unit in the glider, switched on and find an OO to take responsibility for it and for the download. If you land out with no OO available, you may need to switch it off to save battery life, but you must leave it sealed to the glider until an OO can take control.

Hopefully the OO will know how to download the record, but if you want to practice (or should you find an OO who is not familiar with the download procedure) the process is described in the final paragraph of Appendix 3.  Note that for a claim to be valid this process must be totally under the control of the OO, even if you are actually pressing the computer keys.

Appendix 3  - Logger + GPS

The GPS is used to provide the logger with a data stream of position, for correlation with the logger's internally generated height record. www.fai.org/gliding/system/files/ew.pdf gives the IGC approval for  EW loggers; note in particular that the firmware standard of the EW determines which EW-GPS combinations are acceptable. Our two EW Ds have firmware later than 98XX and therefore have the widest set of acceptable GPS units. The EW Bs Serials B1499 and B1525 have firmware 9716 and therefore a more limited set of acceptable GPSs applies. The conditions of approval contained in the above file also give the full procedures to be followed by the pilot and the OO.

The club does not have a GPS for general use, only those fitted to the top-end gliders, though Don is looking into getting more. For the moment you will therefore have to beg, borrow or buy a GPS - and it makes sense to get one on the IGC list. I use the simplest available - a Garmin eTrex, intended for walkers and not much use for aerial navigation, but perfectly suitable for providing the required data stream. I'll cover how I use it; clearly there may be differences for more sophisticated GPSs. A data cable is needed for connecting to the EW. Unfortunately the eTrex uses a proprietary connector, so you need to get a proprietary cable (unless you want to try a DIY solution - put "Garmin eTrex connector" into Google and you will see a range of possibilities).  Garmin can supply a cable with free wires at the non-GPS end, which can then be connected to a 9-pin male D connector; connections are: data out (of GPS) - pin 2, data in - pin 3, ground - pin 5. As mentioned earlier, the EW D manual is on line, should you require fuller connection details for other GPSs.        

The GPS needs to be set up to give NMEA output - see your GPS manual.

The OO must again be able to certify that the logger/GPS combination was used on your flight; this is best achieved by the OO securing the logger and GPS to the structure - for example by passing the cable through a fixed part of the structure and observing that it is switched on, or by sealing to the structure with signed, gummed paper tape. Ensure that the GPS receiver is mounted where it gets a clear look at the sky. Switch on logger and GPS and wait for the GPS to acquire its position. Then for the EW B, select ENT, 4 TIME; the display will initially show “gp:cn”, then will change to “GP:X” where X is the number of seconds since the last GPS fix. If it displays “gp:dn” it is not receiving a valid GPS signal. On the EW D, the status light gives a double flash once per second when a valid GPS signal is received. After flight, do not switch off or break the seal to the glider, but pass control to the OO.

Use the computer in the briefing room . Switch off the EW (EW B: press ON followed by OFF followed by OFF, EW D: press button twice) and connect to the RED serial download cable. Open programme EW Windows Uploader from the Desktop. Switch the EW on again in download mode (EW B: press ON followed by PRT – the logger displays “Prnt”; EW D: press the button for more than 5 seconds). A list of recorded flights will appear. On the EW D, yours will be the one with the most recent date/time (even if the stored time is not correct). Make a note of the filename for your flight. Select the flight, select "Upload Trace" and save to the Desktop. Next open program TaskNav 2007, select “GPS flights and Barograms” and search for your flight on the Desktop. You can then display the height trace by selecting the “Display the Barogram” button and the ground trace by selecting “Display GPS Map and Track” Note that if the logger is being used without a GPS, various warnings about missing data may appear – ignore. When the OO is satisfied that the Silver C requirement has been achieved, click on your trace file on the Desktop and save to a clean CD-R. Ensure that the CD-R is then closed (ie no more data can be added) before ejecting. The OO needs to add a label to the CD with the filename and his signature and OO number (Memo - add a couple of blank, formatted CD-Rs and sticky labels to your pack). Delete the file from the Desktop.

By Trevor Wilcock 2008