bank angle becomes excessive, it is difficult or impossible to  recover to wings-level flight using the rudder alone. If the bank  is becoming too steep, use any aileron influence available, as  well as all available rudder to bring the wings back to level. If  a parachute is available and the glider becomes uncontrollable  at low airspeed, the best chance to escape serious injury may  be to bail out of the glider from a safe altitude. Rudder failure is extremely rare because removing and  installing the vertical fin/rudder combination is not part of the  normal sequence of rigging and de-rigging the glider (as it is  for the horizontal stabilizer/elevator and for the wing/aileron  combinations). Poor directional control is so obvious to the  pilot from the very beginning of the launch that, if rudder  malfunction is suspected, the launch can be aborted early. Rudder malfunctions are most likely to occur after failure  to remove the rudder control lock prior to flight or when an  unsecured object in the cockpit interferes with the free and full  travel of the rudder pedals. Preflight preparation must include  removal of all flight control locks and safe stowage of all  items on board. The pretakeoff checklist includes checking all  primary flight controls for correct, full travel prior to launch. Although rudder failure is quite rare, the consequences are  serious. If a control lock causes the problem, it is possible to  control the glider airspeed and bank attitude, but directional  control is compromised due to limited rudder movement. In  the air, some degree of directional control can be obtained by  using the adverse yaw effect of the ailerons to yaw the glider.  During rollout from an aborted launch or during landing  rollout, directional control can sometimes be obtained by  deliberately grounding the wingtip toward the direction of  desired yaw. Putting the wingtip on the ground for a fraction  of a second causes a slight yaw in that direction; holding the  wingtip firmly on the ground usually causes a vigorous yaw  or ground loop in the direction of the grounded wingtip. Careless stowage of cockpit equipment can result in rudder  pedal interference at any time during a flight. During flight,  if an object is interfering with or jamming the rudder pedals,  attempt to remove it. If removal is not possible, attempt to  deform, crush, or dislodge the object by applying force on the  rudder pedals. It also may be possible to dislodge the object  by varying the load factor, but ensure that dislodging the  object does not result in its lodging in a worse place where  it could jam the elevator or aileron controls. If the object  cannot be retrieved and stowed, a precautionary landing  may be required. Commonly misplaced objects that can cause flight control  interference include: If asymmetrical spoiler/dive brake extension occurs and  the extended spoiler/dive brake cannot be retracted, several  choices must be made. Roll and yaw tendencies due to  Spoiler/dive brake system failures can arise from rigging  errors or omissions, environmental factors, and mechanical  failures. Interruptions or distractions during glider assembly  can result in failure to properly connect control rods to one  or both spoilers/dive brakes. Proper use of a comprehensive  checklist reduces the likelihood of assembly errors. If  neither of these spoilers/dive brakes is connected, then one  or both of the spoilers/dive brakes may deploy at any time  and retraction becomes impossible. This is a very hazardous  situation for several reasons. One reason is that the spoilers/ dive brakes are likely to deploy during the launch or the  climb, causing a launch emergency and a possible tow failure  incident. Another reason is that the spoilers/dive brakes might  deploy asymmetrically: one spoiler/dive brake retracted  and the other spoiler/dive brake extended, resulting in yaw  and roll tendencies that do not arise when the spoilers/dive  brakes deploy symmetrically. A pilot expecting a smooth  ,symmetrical deployment would be faced with a control issue  that compromises flight safety. Finally, it is not possible to  correct the situation by retracting the spoiler/dive brake(s)  because the failure to connect the controls properly usually  means that pilot control of the spoiler/dive brake has been lost. Compensating for a malfunctioning elevator trim system is  usually as simple as applying pressure on the control stick  to maintain the desired pitch attitude, then bringing the flight  to safe conclusion. Inspect and repair the trim system prior  to the next flight. Secondary flight control systems include the elevator trim  system, wing flaps, and spoilers/dive brakes. Problems with  any of these systems can be just as serious as problems with  primary controls. Control these items by proper planning and good cockpit  discipline. •  Water bottles, •  Cameras, •  Electronic computers, •  Containers of food and similar items, •  Clothing, and •  Sunglasses. Rudder Malfunctions Secondary Flight Controls Systems Elevator Trim Malfunctions Spoiler/Dive Brake Malfunctions 8-24