"CindyB" wrote in message
...
On Nov 16, 8:01 pm, BB wrote:
Too-slow tows are a constant problem at contests. Not being a tow
pilot, I can only guess a the problem,
Snip
glider has taken off before climbing. The contest rules say 70 mph,
and that means gain speed to 70 while still in ground effect.
Snip
"all right, all right, ... but what do y'all want to fly so fast for
anyhow?"

Of course many seasoned contest tow pilots provide excellent and
dedicated servce, for little reward, and we're very thankful for
them.

On thread -- I encourage labeling all vehicles largely on multiple
surfaces in contest environments.
Then -- dangling from the thread....


Oh, how I laugh. It must be about time that the list of ranked
pilots is now jonesing for a contest.... in the northern hemisphere
(specifically USA) , at least.

Thanks for publicly thanking tow pilots.

For starters, 70 mph is 60.8 knots
(or 112 kph for the entertained Continental pilots avoiding this
rant).
BB says 70 mph is the rule, so I won't go check the units of measure.
70 mph would do for me.
A wet glider won't stall at 60.8 knots in under 30 degrees
(aerotowing)
bank angle in moderately convective flight conditions, without some
other provocation. I do believe most of you will spend hours of the
day
thermalling at or less than that same 60 knots, wet, at significantly
more
bank angle than you used while being towed. Have you managed to
leave your flaps forward from that moment of initial roll, when you
wanted
that enhanced aileron effectiveness?

So why do those repetitive radio pleas for speed recur?

Simply, that the glider pilot is used to spending his day looking at
the horizon line with his nose BELOW the reference, and when he spends
a scant five to seven minutes with his nose above the horizon, his
little
peasized hypothalamus is screaming to "normalize" things. Especially
since he is aleady adrenalined up, with anticipation of fear or reward
in the midst of his peers. Let's holler at the only socially
acceptable
outlet, the towpilot.
Or, if we really don't like the picture, draw on some more positive
flap
to change lift and the forward view.

I didn't say this was rational, in fact, I strongly believe it is an
emotional moment. Truly, that heavy, draggy towplane has a seriously
higher stall speed than your glider has, and if he is flying, you are/
can
be flying. (Unless you happen to be blessed with a Cessna Wren
conversion or something else particularly tug exotic.) I heard tales
of climbing behind the Italian turbine Bird Dog at Uvalde years ago.
Speed was fine,
but the climb rate and pitch attitude had eyeballs rolling.

I often require pilots in field checks or flight reviews to make the
tug slow to 50 knots with signals (not radios). Most folks whine
and wallow, when they are learning how much pitch change that
requires from them to hold level position behind the tug.
Then they must use the speed-up(down?) signal to get back to
"regular" speed.

Since so few US operations require the use of signals in initial
training, flight tests, or recurrent training, few towpilots keep
sharp
on them, and become lazy/complacent in monitoring the
customer. Few glider pilots will practice them voluntarily.
And yet, what else improves airmanship during those available
minutes behind the tug?

Burt's post implies there are a potload of signals to remember
(eighteen).
But while airborn, there are only seven.
And only four originate from the glider pilot, three from the tug.

I'd bet everyone reading here can tell me the three hand signals
for use bicycling or driving antiques in road traffic. And you used
those how recently? Why can't we get glider folks to practice,
remember and use something which is so frequently relevant?
I want my customers to be "in command" of their towing
experience, both in heading and speed, and encourage visual signals
to the tug. Radios are helpful, but don't need to be the primary
form
of "convenience" communication, to save bandwidth for urgent calls,
or to be polite in a high traffic environment.

And, what do you want to fly so fast for anyway?
I know a towpilot who responds to the ground discussion later,
"You can tow fast or climb fast, which one do you want?"
Because the call after speeding up was frequently, "Can't you get
me to those guys any quicker?"

My favorite tow speed call from years ago was a complaint . . .

"That Pawnee is towing me at ninety knots. Slow down !!!!"
When asked later, the glider pilot told me that yes, they were
climbing at the time. I withdrew from the discussion at that moment,
knowing that those two factors were in complete opposition
to each other and not possible in reality. It was a 235 Pawnee
and a wet Open Class glider. I just told him I would "talk"
to the tow pilot.

Discuss, think, learn, practice.
Fly with a CFI every spring, and ask to really work on
something. Don't take the easy way out; improve.

Safe soaring,

Cindy B

www.caracolesoaring.com


While the SSA signals are important to know, as a practical matter, they are
insufficient. I have experience as a towpilot, CFIG, and contestant pilot.

Our club Pawnee is festooned with mirrors-4 in all. One is dedicated to
watching the "funnel" for the rope in a Tost reel-We have dyed the last 10
ft of rope with red rings to tell when it is "all out" and in flight to tell
when it has finished retracting. The switch doesn't always cut off when
fully retracted, and some pilots "forget" to reel in the rope, so it can be
checked before landing.

One is dedicated to seeing the wing runner and his signals. It is mounted
outboard on the strut. The other two give a pretty good view of the glider
in flight, but the cowl mounted mirrors do vibrate, and the glider doesn't
always stay where it belongs.

As a result, recognition of signals would not be immediate, to say the
least! Radio is IMHO essential communication, with signals as backup. We
should, of course, be "currernt" on all backup systems.

I have, on a few occasions, been towed "too slow" at a contest. Less
frequently now since the CD &CM and Chief TP have agreed that all tows are
at 80mph (70kt) unless requested otherwise. Lately, we have been specifying
"heavy" by radio during hookup if ballasted, in a contest with FAI and
Sports classses. The "too slow" is more of a sensation than a ASI reading,
which is often not accurate on tow. I only have a limited range of make and
model experience with ballast (ASW20B, ASW27B, DG800B) They all feel solid
at thermalling speed in the 55-60 kt range. When the same glider feels
"mushy" and wallowing at tow speed, it is worrisome, no matter what the
cause. A request for "Pawnee 23L 5 kt faster please" takes 5-6 sec. The
increased speed cures the feeling and solidity returns. On one occasion,
behind a "sick" Call Aire, I released at 1200 ft over the airport, in a good
thermal--preferring a relight to enduring the feeling any longer. A quick
look at the ASI showed a hair under 50kt! I was able to climb out but was in
a position to join a downwind if needed.

The last 3 characters of the towplane call sign on the flaps make it easy to
call the correct towplane. That would eliminate a lot of confusion. As far
as saving bandwidth, except for an imminent mid-air collision, what could be
more urgent than a mushy, heavy glider close to the ground on tow? How would
a glider stall and recovery while on tow affect the towplane? Would there be
time to recognize a "speed up" signal?

Accidents and fatalities have occurred on tow due to a too-slow tow. It is
not a trivial problem.


Hartley Falbaum
USA "KF"