Gary Boggs wrote:
I'm not sure about the rest of the world, but here in the USA it's pretty
wide spread to release the tension on the tow rope before pulling the
release handle by getting a little high, and then doing a shallow dive. If
I remember right, this came about because the tow hooks on the Schweizers
were swinging forward, beating themselves to pieces when pulled with a lot
of tension on the line. I think this maneuver is no longer necessary
because the tow hooks on the Schweizers were modified with a friction device
in the slot in front of the arm that cushions the arm as it swings forward,
but the practice is now standard in many places. It may be a good idea in
theory, but the reality of the situation is that this is not an easy thing
to do for a lot of pilots. There are many pilots that pull up too far, and
then actually overtake the rope before pulling the release, so that now the
end of the line is dangling somewhere along side the ship. I sounds like an
easy maneuver, but in my opinion, it's more dangerous than it's worth. I
think the practice of attempting a soft release should be eliminated. In my
opinion, pulling the release with tension on it is much safer. I think
undoing the occasional knot in the rope is far safer than the possibility of
getting tangled in the end of the rope. Is this practice used anywhere else
in the world? Please give me some feedback.

Ask a thousand people, and you'll get a thousand answers.

Here's my view. Any certificated pilots should have the skills to execute
either a normal or a soft release. If someone damages an aircraft because
of an improper soft release, they really need to spend some more time
getting instruction.

That said, I've flown with several instructors. Most claim you should
always do soft releases on Schweitzers, and do soft or normal releases on
Tost hooks. I believe Schweitzer says you should always do soft releases
on their tow hooks.

However, I have flown with one instructor who adamantly insists that
normal releases put unneccessary excessive stress on the aircraft
structure and should be avoided on all aircraft, regardless of tow hook.

I've also flown with another instructor (who is also an IA) who insists
that you should always perform normal releases on all aircraft (regardless
of tow hook). He claims that he is unconvinced that a normal release will
do damage to even a Schweitzer release, and I think he is uncomfortable
with the concept of a soft release because it lacks the positive
confirmation that release has actually occurred.

I rarely ever fly Schweitzers, and I typically will practice both release
styles. If I am flying a Schweitzer, I do soft releases. If I'm flying
with an instructor I will always ask them which they want me to perform.

dan