I was standing at the launch point at Husbands Bosworth looking downwind when suddenly two orange blobs appeared in the sky. These were obviously the coloured airbrakes of an otherwise all white 'stealth' glider' whose outline I could not see. A few seconds later they disappeared when the pilot put the brakes away, but despite scrutinising the area of sky most carefully I was unable to spot the glider until the brakes came out again. I could not really see the glider until it was silhouetted below the horizon.

Why then, with so much concern about air to air collisions, do we find so many gliders without red noses? Why, on a BGA course last year, was I flying a BGA glider which did not comply with the BGAs own recommendations in this respect? The only answers I can guess at are either vanity or concern for the resale value of the machine. The owners of newer, posher, gliders seem to be the worst culprits.

My other gripe is about audio variometers. Long before flying sailplanes I learnt that my lookout is degraded if I am flying a paraglider with a visual only variometer. I have found no difference on sailplanes. Many clubs have K8's and other older gliders in which early solo pilots are flying on the most basic instruments or with audio variometers which are poor functionally. I know there is great benefit in learning the sounds a glider makes in flight, but surely this must be of secondary importance in the light of current concerns.