English: This is the cockpit of a DG-101G ELAN sailplane. In the immediate foreground is the (black) control column which is used to bank the glider and change its pitch. The white button on the top of the control column operates the radio microphone. Mounted on the front of the control column is a green lever to change the trim of the glider lever (to ease pitch control).

The yellow knob in front of the control column is to release the tow rope. Also just in front of the control column is a black knob with the white dot which is used to adjust the rudder pedals backwards and forwards depending on the height of the pilot. The right rudder pedal (horizontal black bar) can be seen at the front of the glider. The rudder yaws the glider.

The blue handle operates the air brakes to control the rate of descent during the landing phase (in powered aircraft the rate of descent is controlled primarily by the engine).

A red yaw string that can be seen on the outside of the canopy which assists the pilot in flying at maximum efficiency. The yaw string is typically a piece of simple yarn taped to the canopy. It will point directly rearward during correctly coordinated (most efficient) turns. Any left/right deviation of the yaw string indicates a loss of glider performance and is typically corrected by moving the rudder.

The lever that is used to raise and lower the undercarriage is not visible in this picture but is directly below the blue air brake handle on the left side of the cockpit.

Instrument Panel

• Top Row - (from left to right): altimeter, airspeed indicator and a mechanical variometer which shows the rate of ascent or descent.
• Middle Row - PDA, compass, Cambridge 302 Flight Computer - a combination GPS receiver, IGC approved flight recorder, electric+audio variometer and other soaring functions. (The PDA is used as a GPS moving map display with airport and turnpoint information.)
• Bottom Row - next to the black knob with the white dot is the aviation radio (transceiver).