LANDING INTO A STRONG HEADWIND

Sailplanes are generally safer than their powered counterparts, but one area where this is not necessarily true is final approach into a strong headwind.   The problem is  wind gradient, which every aviator should understand – but too few do.   As you descend from stronger wind aloft on final approach, your airspeed will decrease.   That means less aerodynamic lift and an increase in sink rate.  (Control effectiveness also suffers!)   The severity of wind gradient and the height at which it occurs cannot be precisely anticipated, and may change from one moment to the next.   It might also lie at more than one level – and that aspect, too, can change quickly and often.The defense against this degraded performance is more speed, or more height to trade for speed.   A compromise, using a little extra speed and a little extra altitude, will keep whole process closer to normal and limit the disadvantages of each.