At 03:51 PM 5/12/2016, you wrote: >A couple years ago there was a Japanese >tourist wave riding over the Sierras that got clipped by a Hawker and >only survived because he had a chute. That and all the other stories of >sailplanes colliding in thermals or suffering structural failure would >prompt me to make a chute part of my equipment list if I flew sailplanes +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I would agree with that logic. According to the FAA accident report : "The Hawker and the glider collided in flight at an altitude of about 16,000 feet above mean sea level-". The pilot was extremely lucky he wasn't killed on impact or knocked unconscious and unable to exit the glider. While the chute saved his life, some days your name just isn't on the list. Larry Flesner
