On Thursday, July 2, 2015 at 9:29:26 AM UTC-4, wrote:
"soft release" is a poor practice and not needed. It makes the release of the rope less positive, makes it much harder for the tug pilot to know the glider is off, and in extreme cases can leave enough slack to be a hazard..
Releasing from normal position, without excess tension beyond stable tow, does no harm to properly maintained Schweizer hooks.
Good example of RAS being a prime source for bad practices and misinformation.
UH

Ditto that. I had some guy show up at Blairstown one time for a field check.. At the assigned altitude, I suddenly find us diving at the towplane. I think I only got to "What the f..." before he released, at which point the rope passed within a couple of inches of my eyes in the back seat before pulling away. Seriously? It's a dangerous solution to a non-problem.

P3