Joe Greblo and the Slow Flying Student

[Bob Kuczewski]

It was a number of years ago ...

I was hanging out in the Sylmar LZ after another great day of flying. I can't remember if I was still a fledgling under Joe Greblo's care or not.

Joe had just watched another student land and was debriefing him. It went something like this:

. . Joe: Your approach looked good, but you were flying too slow on final.
. . Student: I was flying as fast as I could.
. . Joe: It didn't look that way to me.
. . Student: What do you mean? I was pulled all the way in!

The discussion went back and forth. Neither called the other a liar, but they were both convinced that they were right and the other wasn't. I think they both resented that the other wasn't believing them.

I had known both Joe and the pilot, and I felt they were both honorable and honest men. So I wandered over to the parked glider, and guess what I found? Did you guess? Yup, the speed bar had been installed backward, so they were both right!! The student had been flying too slowly on approach, and he had been pulling in as far as he could go.

The moral of the story?

Opinions are nice.
Perspectives are nice.
But truth trumps them both.

Happy Flying!!