I would like to gently point out that in high density altitude situations
you may need quite a bit more than 200' AGL to get back to the runway on an
aero tow departure. 200 feet AGL is not a 'magic' number that assures a
safe return to the runway.

.. Bill Daniels


Gently, why? This is exactly the point I was trying to make! I used
the example of the tow plane not climbing sufficiently for mechanical
reasons but density altitude does it just as well. I'm trying to get
people away from the thinking that once they have 200 ft they can
return to the airport. That kind of thinking drives me nuts only
slightly less then hooking up the cable without completing the
checklist. We still have people in our club operation who persist in
doing this even though they've been through safety reviews where
they've agreed it's not the best practice. Goes to show how stubborn
old habits are.