Introduction to Glider Flying > Introduction to Glider Flying > The Decision-Making Process > Implementing the Decision and Evaluating the Outcome

Although a decision may be reached and a course of action implemented, the decision-mak-ing process is not complete. It is important to think ahead and determine how the decision could affect other phases of the flight. As the flight pro-gresses, you must continue to evaluate the out-come of the decision to ensure that it is producing the desired result.

As you make your turn to downwind, you realize a tractor mowing the field is in the middle of the grass runway. At this point you make the decision to land on the paved runway with as smooth a touchdown as possible. You make a normal pattern and approach to landing and perform a minimum energy touchdown, at which point the glider’s belly contacts the pavement and grinds to a stop wings level, causing only minor damage to the glider’s underside.

The decision making process normally consists o f several steps before you choose a course of action. To help you remember the elements of the decision-making process, a six-step model has been developed using the acronym “DECIDE.” [Figure 1-3]