Stefan writes
I'm sure you instruct your students correctly. The only thing I jumped
on was the statement that there was something "abnormal" in a winch
launch. Again, different conditions require different techniques, which
means different normalities.

I think we're generally agreed that the conditions during a routine
winch launch are quite "normal" for a glider and its usual modes of
flight.

The assertion, which I agree with, is that the conditions of a launch
failure are abnormal to the normal modes of operation for the glider and
so need peculiar training and discipline to handle safely. But that's no
more a slur against winch launching than the risk of a turbulence
induced incipient spin is a discouragement to thermalling a glider. As
long as you know better than to just "pull back hard on the stick" to
prevent the spin developing and don't try to scratch away from stupidly
low heights it's a non-issue.

This is the approach I take: Normality depends on cirumstance, so
broaden your view and your repertoire of techniques.

However, the obvious extension of such a relativistic view is to argue
that abnormality is a fabrication of perception and that everything can
be termed "normal" within the context of itself. Which may be all well
and good but is catastrophically useless when it comes to defining
anything in terms that are any more than halfway useful.

That said, I can't say I don't agree with you

--
Bill Gribble
http://www.scapegoatsanon.demon.co.uk
- Learn from the mistakes of others.
- You won't live long enough to make all of them yourself.