Appendix A Soaring Safety Foundation (SSF): Safety Advisory 00-1, Glider Critical Assembly  Procedures  Introduction The Soaring Society of America (SSA) and the Soaring Safety Foundation (SSF) issued Safety Advisory 00-1 concerning  glider assembly procedures to aid the pilot by providing some critical information to consider when assembling a glider.  Due to a number of recent accidents involving improper assembly of the glider as a causal factor, the SSF is issuing this  Safety Advisory to address the critical components of glider assembly. Improper glider assembly has been identified as  having caused injuries to pilots and destruction of aircraft. This safety advisory presents suggested procedures for ensuring proper assembly without specific detail that is available in  Pilot Operating Handbooks (POHs) and other checklists developed by the manufacturer. Other knowledgeable individuals  have also presented methods to confirm proper assembly, as well as emergency procedures for flying the aircraft should  any control function improperly due to improper assembly. The latter may or may not be approved by the manufacturer of  the glider or sailplane, and will not be discussed herein.  Prior to 1960, most gliders required significant effort to assemble. Many had containers of bicycle chains, bolts, nuts, washers,  retaining pins, and other pieces that had to be assembled in sequence. An imporoperly assembled glider would not pass a  simple control check. For example, the horizontal tail assembly (including elevator) may not have been detached during  disassembly; the control cables for the rudder and elevator were never disconnected nor did they require assembly later. Later, manufacturers developed quicker and easier methods for assembling gliders and sailplanes. This made it possible to  install both wings by simply inserting the wing root into the fuselage and using a pin to secure the attachment. Horizontal  stabilizers and elevators were removed during disassembly and reassembled with as little as one simple attach bolt or pin.  The SSA and the SSF encouraged all manufacturers to go to the next level and provide “automatic hook-ups” for ailerons,  flaps, glidepath control devices, and elevators, anticipating a reduction in the potential to attempt flight without the controls  properly attached. Many of the gliders and sailplanes today have these automatic attachments.  Although the annual numbers of reported incidents and accidents resulting from failure to attach controls have decreased,  disturbing numbers of recent incidents and accidents indicate a need for further investigation of the causes. Subsequent  structural improvements and/or revisions of assembly and/or disassembly procedures could help prevent many future  incidents and accidents. A-1 History 