Some notes from the CGC Bronze course

This page started with the notes User:TW466 took at the 2019 CGC Bronze Theory course. They are not the syllabus or a textbook; if you want to take the exam, read Bronze and Beyond or attend the course.

Feel free to edit this page with any improvements or additions.

Introduction

Requirements

• > 50 solos or 20 solos + 10h including solo flying
• flying test + oral test
• written exam
• tests within 24 months

Written exam

• 10 sections
• 12 questions each
• pass mark 75% / section

X/C endorsement

Requirements

soaring flights of 1h and 2h (one each), supervised

See also

• BGA "Laws and Rules"
• CAA "Skyway Code"

Communications

See also

"Bronze Confuser" on CGC website – not necessarily correct!

Radio licence

1. physical radio licensed by OfCom (previously CAA)
   • also covers handheld backup used in cockpit
   • different licence for ground stations
2. FRTOL (Flight RadioTelephony Operator's Licence)

   required to communicate with

   ATC, FIS, A/G

   not required to communicate with

   • other aircraft
   • gliding-specific channels
   • emergency channel
   • operating ground stations (except ATC, A/G)

Range

• signal ≈ line-of-sight

Height	Range
1000 ft	33 nm
2000 ft	75 nm

Generally, \[ \frac{\text{horizon distance}}{\text{nm}} \approx \sqrt{\frac{\text{altitude}}{\text{ft}}} \]

Phraseology

• standard: CAP413 Radiotelephony Manual

• at gliding sites, make traffic calls, e.g.

  GRL Traffic
  Glider ___
  Downwind R/H
  Rwy 04
  GRL
  Gear Fixed  (ref:gearfixed)
  

  The "Gear Fixed" call is GRL-specific.

• use "hundred" and "thousand" for altitudes only (except QNH 1000!)

Call signs

gliders

prefix "Glider"

gliding airfields

suffix "Base"

• e.g. "Gransden Lodge Base" – not "Radio"

vehicles

suffix "Mobile"

• e.g. car towing glider DM is "DM Mobile"

Gliding channels

• 8.33 kHz channels are not frequencies
  • documents saying e.g. "129.9 MHz" are frequencies, not channels
• gliding-specific channels do not require a FRTOL (table 1)

Channel	Use
129.905	ground retrieval, shared with other air sports
129.980	situational awareness; (Common Glider Field Frequency)
130.105	situational awareness; competition start/finish
130.130	cross-country training; competition start/finish
130.405	cloud flying; other situational awareness
131.280	CGC own frequency (not on map, but is on frequency reference card)
135.480	2.8 (not gliding-specific)

130.405 (cloud flying) annoucements

on entering cloud

call sign, altitude (QNH), position

inside cloud

altitude at 500 ft intervals

on leaving cloud

clear of cloud

Mayday

Re-tune to 121.5 if time (London Centre / Distress and Diversion, telephone: 01489 612691).

Mayday relay

• note all Mayday details when heard
• retransmit on 121.5
• maintain radio silence

ATSUs

ATZ transit

"request zone transit"

landing

"request join"

Cambridge Letter of Agreement

• within 4–5 nm + extra sectors
• position reports required

SafetyCom (135.480)

• within 10 nm and 2000 ft of "unattended" airfields
• callsign e.g. "Borton Traffic"

Signal square and light signals

• see Skyway Code
• light signals in slides
• international standard (Chicago Convention)

Human Factors and Performance

IMSAFE checklist

I	Illness
M	Medication (e.g. antihistamines sedate!)
S	Stress
A	Alcohol / drugs
F	Fatigue, flying currency
E	Eating (target: 50g/h carbs)

Physiology

• effective scanning: organised, short, regular spacing
• by default: eyes focus at 1–2m
• no flying with a cold – damage to eardrums/sinuses
• cloud flying: trust instruments over senses/body signals
  • in a turn, inner-ear semicircular canals "reset", it seems straight and level after a while even though it isn't
• motion sickness: mismatch between visual signals and signals from semicircular canals
• [math]\approx \frac{1}{200}[/math] people overly sensitive to negative G (babies especially)
  • babies learn eventually and get used to it, but very sensitive early on
  • people go head back, stick forward to back and lock up – dangerous!

Respiration, oxygen and altitude

• hyperventilation: too little CO₂!
  • light-headed, reduced consciousness
  • confused with hypoxia – similar symptoms
  • technically, excess oxygen
• oxygen makes "dismantling" glucose for energy efficient
  • aerobic respiration – oxygen as final e^– acceptor
• blood oxygen: ≥ 90% of haemoglobin with oxygen is healthy
  • at 8000m: expect ≈ 60%
• oxygen OK until ≈ 10000 ft, hypoxia above
  • hard to recognise – look at pressure gauge etc
  • pulse oximeter?
• BGA mountain guide: use O₂ by 3800m / 12000 ft
  • generally: set D5 (5000 ft floor)
  • exam: above 10000 ft, use oxygen
• CO₂: occupies haemoglobin, 5× more likely than oxygen
  • undetectable except with specific detector
• nitrogen insoluble in blood, only soluble by overpressure
  • get "the bends" from rapid decompression, e.g. in wave flying
  • rare, but happens

Alcohol

• metabolise 1 unit/h
• small amount: wait 8h before flying

Dehydration

• insidious, also on cool days
• on cold days, blood goes into central core of body, making it seem like there's too much fluid ⇒ drink more than seemingly needed!

Air Law

• UK law ≈ EU law ≈ ICAO framework
• EASA regulation through manufacturers for G-reg aircraft
  • exceptions: old BGA system ("Annex II / Annex I aircraft")
• SERA: Standard European Rules of the Air
  • variations in the UK, e.g. class D airspace VMC minima
• need and EASA licence and medical for G-registered aircraft after 2020-04-08
• "PART-gliding" → "Sailplane Rule Book" – unfinished EASA regs
• on the exam, assume:
  • gliders are EASA/G-registered
  • pilots are flying on BGA Bronze / XC endorsement
  • SERA + UK amendments + BGA Laws & Rules apply
• CAP393: ANO & RotA for non-EASA powered aircraft

Regulations

• "SERA, ANO and RotA – Consolidation"
• Skyway Code (mainly power)
• Bronze and Beyond, edition ≥ 20
• BGA Laws & Rules
  • "operating regulations"
  • "managing flying risk"

NOTAMs

AIPs

authoritative data on danger areas, wave windows, etc. (sometimes useful)

AICs

flight safety, technology, legislation, etc.

Before every flight, must check (EASA & Bronze rules):

• weather
• NOTAMs
• aircraft airworthiness
• documents including ARC

Right of way

• approaching head-on: both turn right
• overtake on the right, except gliders may overtake each other on either side
• ridge soaring rules: see below
• "on the right, in the right", but:
  • hierarchy: balloons > gliders > airships > aerotow combinations > powered aircraft
  • "impaired maneuverability" has right of way (e.g. emergency)
  • always pass behind, not over/under/in front
• no formation flying except by prior agreement

Ridges

• glider with ridge on the right has the right of way and doesn't alter course
• if you have the ridge on your left, fly further out
• usually turn away from ridge, overtake very carefully