On Jul 11, 10:45*am, John Cochrane
wrote:
Method 3. Pick up the wing and slosh the water through the baffles
until there is NO weight.

I agree there should be no weight. If the wing runner is fighting
against either an upwards or downwards force then when they eventually
let go the wing is going to slam up or down with little time for the
pilot to react.


The pilot should centralize the controls so
not as to fight the wingrunner by the way.

I disagree. Depending on conditions, the pilot might need a
substantial amount of aileron in one direction of the other to keep
the forces neutral.

If I feel pressure on the wingtip while the slack is being taken up
then I allow the tip to go markedly high or low until the pilot
notices the glider is not level and applies the appropriate aileron.


Applying no pressure get ready to really run like hell. Too many wing
runners think we're launching KA6s at sea
level, not massively over-watered gliders at high altitudes, hot
temperatures and all too often downwind.

I seldom take more than one or two steps. It's not necessary to run if
the glider is in balance to start with. I don't remember the last time
anyone touched a wingtip while being launched by me. Certainly it was
years ago.

Admittedly I don't recall flying from a truly high altitude runway,
but we do operate from a farm topdressing airstrip at 2000 ft for a
week in February every year, often with downwind takeoffs, and it's
often well over 30 C.

Said strip is visible here, near the bottom left of the first photo,
with some cars and trailers on it:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4015/...bd1bfc4d_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4062/...4f76ddcc_b.jpg