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Safety Information

PASCO Flight Safety

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Transponders - RENO - Communication

IMPORTANT: Reno & White Mtn Flights!

Soaring Colleagues - SQUAWK CODE 0440

We have learned that 0440 is in the block of squawk codes assigned to Joshua Center and they are having problems with gliders from Minden, Tuckee and Air Sailing flying south and arriving in "their" airspace using a squawk code they have already assigned. They are asking us to tell glider pilots squawking 0440 to change to VFR squawk code (1200) when they become visible to Joshua radar.

PASCO is recommending that you to change from 0440 to 1200 over Mono Lake as you are headed south, and back to 0440 using the same landmark as you fly north. Please mark your sectionals to show that you should change squawk codes over Mono Lake. This will all be overcome by events when a national transponder squawk code is published sometime next spring, but in the meantime we need to avoid using 0440 in the airspace covered by Joshua Approach.

Sincerely, Your PASCO Team

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Mode C Transponders - Reno-Tahoe Airport Area

The Potential conflict between gliders and commercial air traffic near Reno has increased with the growth of commercial jet traffic into Reno-Tahoe Airport (RNO) . PASCO emphasizes that glider pilots operating in the Reno area must be alert for all air traffic arriving and departing RNO.

Transponder signals are received by Traffic Collision Avoidance Systems (TCAS) on board commercial aircraft as well as by Air Traffic Control (ATC) Radar. By Air Traffic Control (ATC) Letter of Agreement (LOA) ..." gliders in the Reno area can transmit the 0440 transponder code in the blind, without establishing radio contact with Reno Approach Control."

PASCO recommends that gliders operating cross country, within 50 NM of Reno-Tahoe Airport, install and use a Mode C altitude encoding transponder.

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Reno ATC - Communication Procedures for Glider Pilots- Revised May 2009
- (PDF 251KB) REVISED

By PASCO. RECOMMENDED Communications Procedures for Glider Pilots Flying Gliders in the vicinty of Reno, NV. Revised MAY 2009.
This is a "MUST READ" for your safety.

Reno ATC - Glider Pilot Detailed Cockpit Card - (PDF 195KB)

By PASCO. Cockpit Reminder for Gliders Flying in Airspace Around Reno, NV. Action list with examples: i.e.," Monitor and contact Reno Approach ...."

Reno ATC - Traffic Procedures "Talking to ATC" (PDF 15KB)

By Mike Schneider. A great 3 page "Cheat Sheet" list of radio communication lingo to use when talking to ATC, includes common phrases and expected responses. Print this out and take it with you to study. Practice with a friend.

Reno ATC - Reno Air Traffic Control (PDF 2.9MB)

By Don Brooks PASCO 2006 - So you think you are alone in the big friendly skies? - Don's presentation will open your eyes.

Reno ATC - Talking To Reno Approach - Audio ( MP3 27MB - 38 Minutes)

Thanks to Soar Truckee's initiative, Mark Beadle, representing Reno TRACON briefed us about "Talking to Reno Approach." It is well worth listening too. Downloading only takes only 2 minutes over cable or DSL. If we want to fly and play in this airspace, this is a must listen. A very lively discussion and great questions and answers. Thank you, Mark. Well done. Thanks to Francois Brahic for the recording. (Note: the first part has a lot of background noise, but it gets easier to hear later in the recording).
OR Windows Media File (WMA 18MB)

Transponders in Sailplanes (Link to Soaring Safety Foundation Site - PDF 1MB)

By Eric Greenwell - Updated in 2008. Eric provides a lot of important and useful Information on Selecting, Installing, and Using a transponder.

Minden - Flying Out of Minden

Pilots soaring out of Truckee, Air Sailing, or Minden should study the material posted on the Minden Soaring Club web site. You will find information on Hypoxia, Oxygen, How to Set up you Sectional, and other important information about flying out of the Minden area.

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Wave Windows - FAA & Soaring Agreements

Minden and Pyramid Lake Wave Procedures - There were IMPORTANT CHANGES in 2008 !

If you fly wave in Nevada YOU MUST READ Fred LaSor's presentation!

Wave Window Update - Fred LaSore - PASCO 2008 (496 KB pdf)

The Minden and Pyramid Lake area Wave Windows were re-negotiated and combined into a single agreement. The FAA document contains maps and coordinates of the wave window areas.

FAA Minden and Pyramid Lake Area Wave Agreement (PDF 993 KB)

Transponders are REQUIRED, plus many other changes.

Review Minden/Pyramid wave documents and get a briefing from your local club or glider operation before you attempt a wave flight. They probably will not open the wave window for you if you have not been briefed.

Williams Soaring Center - Williams, CA Wave Procedures

Williams Soaring Center Wave Window - Visit the Williams web site to view the Wave Window information that was prepared by Peter Kelly and Darryl Ramm. Be sure to ask the WSC staff to review the requirements and be sure download the SUA file for your PDA prior to any wave flight attempt to make sure you stay in the window boundaries..

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Safety Articles & Documents

Staying Safe In Wave (html)

by Fred LaSor - PASCO Safety Officer -- Wave season is upon us in PASCO-land, and it's time to review some considerations of flying at high altitudes for extended periods of time. More ...

Complacency: What Me Worry? (html)

By Martin Hellman - Presented at the PASCO 2007 Soaring Seminar. None of us think of ourselves as resembling Alfred E. Newman, the "What me worry?" Mad Magazine character – until after an accident, when we rigorously review what we could have done differently More .....

Safety Comes First (PDF 64KB)

By Bruno Gantenbrink - A candid commentary on soaring safety. 'That sentence, "The most dangerous part of gliding is the trip to the glider field" is the dumbest, most ignorant saying that has found a home in our sport.' More...

Mountain Flying Safety (PDF 114KB)

By Richard Pearl - 2006 - Do you know the affect of high altitude on your glider? What speed should you fly? Take off? Landing? ... More...

Generic Safety - What Causes Accidents (PDF 271KB)

By Bill Reuland - 2006 What Cause High Percentage of Accidents? Fatigue.. lack of practice.. Failure to maintain situational awareness... More...

FAA Physiological Training Course Brochure (PDF 182KB)

High Altitude Chamber Ride and the FAA Basic Survival Course information. What it is, and where to schedule it. You must have a FAA Class 3 medical to go into the High Altitude Chamber, but not for the classes.

Physiological Hazards of Soaring Flights ( PDF 1.3MB)

By Dr. Walter B. Cannon MD 2003 - Medical conditions which could create dangerous situations in flight... Hypoxia, Skin Cancers from Chronic Sun Exposure... more...

White Mountain Safety - Procedure Alpha Map & Info card- (PDF 51KB)

You should print and memorize this information (two pages) and have them in your cockpit when flying the Whites.

• Set Altimeter to Bishop ASOS Pressure Alt (freq. 119.025)
• Report Position on 123.5 per the position map.
• Maintain 1,000 ft vertical separation.
• Open and PRINT the Procedure Alpha Document.
• See the entire Power Point Presentation "Nose To Nose in the Whites"
  http://www.soaringsafety.org/presentation/safety.html

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AOPA, and SSA Safety Links

AOPA SAFETYCAST Seminars -
http://www.aopa.org/asf/seminars/safetycasts/

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF NEW ON-LINE SEMINARS -
http://www.aopa.org/asf/seminars/safetycasts/ -- 21 (and growing) on-line aviation safety courses available free. Thanks to a grant from United Technologies Company. The preliminary numbers are in, and the AOPA Air Safety Foundation's new online SafetyCast series is a blocKBuster hit with pilots across the country.

Which SafetyCasts are most popular? Not surprisingly, safety expert and aviation funnyman Rod Machado leads the pack with his "Aviation Humor" and "Yoke and Pedal" seminars. "Say it Right: Radio Communication in Today's Airspace," "Top 5 Mistakes Pilots Make," and "Single-Pilot IFR" round out the top five. Not yet qualified for the new WINGS program (AOPA is working on it) and not all are glider only oriented, but many are pertinent!

AOPA Air Safety Foundation

Ranges from publications to online courses.

Soaring Safety Foundation http://www.soaringsafety.org/ - Major Goals:

Reduce accident rate in soaring

Increase pilot awareness of safety

Disseminate Training Information and material

FAA & NTSB Safety Links

FAA Physiological Training Course Brochure (PDF182KB)

High Altitude Chamber Ride and the FAA Basic Survival Course information. What it is, and where to schedule it. You must have a FAA Class 3 medical to go into the High Altitude Chamber, but not for the classes.

• FAA - FAAsafety.gov - Safer Skies through Education - Aviation Learning.
  
  
• NTSB- National Transportation and Safety Board - Aviation Division - Accident Database & Synopses, Accident Statistics.

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