I didn't fly, but many did on the NW face of Mam in scratchy, up and down type conditions.
I heard there was a mid-air. 😮 with at least one of the two gliders involved taking a collapse. But very luckily, the pilots separated and both landed OK. Not a good start to 2016 for the club though, and any incident such as this on such a public site must be considered as serious. Let's not forget that there was a double fatality after a mid-air on the Mynd a few years ago.
If I could find the old DSC website I would post a link to the in-depth safety discussions that took place after the mid-air on Mam NW a couple of years ago.
But I can't find the old website .... can anyone find it and post a link?
Andy
Is this the thread you mean, Andy? http://derbyshiresoaringclub.org.uk/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?18623
The old forum home page is here: http://derbyshiresoaringclub.org.uk/e107_plugins/forum/forum.php
David
Thanks David. That's not the thread I was referring to. The thread is titled 'Potentially Fatal Incidents on DSC sites', relating to mid-airs and other incidents on Mam Tor NW face on Saturday 2nd March 2013. That thread is so full of vitally important safety information, as well as advice as to how to safely fly small, crowded sites like Mam NW, that it would be unforgivable if we lost it (and I am sure those who put lots of time and effort into writing their posts wouldn't want to have to repeat them all!) So if there is a way of somehow moving that thread onto this forum that would be brilliant. Or maybe the contents should be copied onto Nigel's '50k or Bust' site or somewhere like that?
Anyway, I highly recommend that all pilots spend the time to read that key safety thread and observe all the advice in it - here it is:
http://derbyshiresoaringclub.org.uk/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?17002
Andy
I flew later in the day and for most of the time there was one other pilot in the air, he definitely thought that the only bit of the ridge that worked was the "landslip" in the corner and did everything he could to occupy it including cutting across in front of me when I had the ridge on my right. I t was a good job there were only two of us in the air.
That's a good example of what makes the NW face of Mam so dodgy and not a place for the inexperienced to learn how to fly in company. It's small, has an unusual topography, doesn't really work that well in light winds and it's difficult to apply ridge rules. So much so, that people in the other thread I posted a link to actually suggested that the club have an agreed soaring pattern to be followed there.
It feels kind of inevitable that there will be other serious incidents on Mam NW face if pilots don't treat the place with the huge respect it deserves.
Personally, I try to avoid it. Bradwell usually works in a NW too. Pendle Hill (Pennine Club site) is the best place for a NW though. It's huge and friendly and well worth the drive.
Andy
It was always going to be chaos, when the lift cycle ended i chose to head for the landing field arriving rather ungracefully at that, the subsequent melee was entirely predictable. With a poor winter with not much flying and a tricky site like Mam its our clubs favourite mid air site this was the third in as many years. Mam is a very public place every day of the year there will be someone there, which makes it especially sensitive, its owner the National Trust controls about two thirds of our sites, so any problems are magnified across the entire clubs sites, any incident involving a member of the public would generate ripples of conflict across the club, without the Trust we wouldnt have much left, years of work could be undone very easily.
There were a number of noteworthy points apart from the mid-air, inexperienced pilots setting up in front of the trig point, if you get a dragging you will probably take someone with you, lines cut like knives its why we wear gloves, members of the public may become entangled or grab the lines, we know to grab the canopy when we are not wearing gloves not the lines they dont.
Acro on a busy day, if you are doing wing-overs no one can approach that area, as a committee we dont care if you are supremely confident in your abilites, it shuts down one area of a small and technical ridge forcing everyone else into the cramped bits that are left, its gready and makes it dangerous for the rest of us particularly low airtimers.
Ridge rules are difficult to apply on Mam because of its shape and size, even if you have the ridge on your right it is your duty to avoid an incident, you can discuss ridge ettiquite later over a pint or a brawl, but only if you survive.
Sorry about this for the low airtimers or even the rest of us, but even if you have driven hours to get there it may not be good for you conditions may be too strong/weak/crowded no one has the right to put others safety in jeopardy because they had to paint the spare bedroom or whatever, to get a passout for the day, there will be other days, a good pilot is one who knows the game and accepts the limitations placed on our sport, its not cowardice its brains and experience, its the thinking pilots that walk away, better to walk away dissapointed than spend the rest of it in a wheelchair or worse.
Three close calls on Mam mean we have been lucky, dont let yourself be the one to change this run of luck.
Phil Safety Officer
Personally, I try to avoid it. Bradwell usually works in a NW too. Pendle Hill (Pennine Club site) is the best place for a NW though. It's huge and friendly and well worth the drive.
I've never flown Pendle hill, it sounds nice, I often find Bradwell can get too crowded as well!