On Tuesday, 6 December 2016 14:15:05 UTC, Jock Proudfoot wrote:


Modern winches are powerful so the ground run is shorter, and it is this which allows greater height on launch (you are effectively lengthening the airfield compared to those with "anaemic winches"). The problem is the acceleration and reduction in time to sort out the problem with wing drop on the ground, and also a stall and wing drop (to inverted ) in the rotation (to climb).This can all happen too quickly for human responses. It kills "smart" people.

Please do read and digest (and disseminate) the following link from experts in the field, the BGA. This programme of "safe winching" has shown reduction (evidence based) in accidents and fatalities in this mode of launching.

https://www.bfgc.co.uk/Documents/Winching.pdf

Pete Whitehead