Safety of winch launch vrs. aero tow?

"Bob Johnson" wrote in message
...
Here's an interesting point of reference:

Proper pilot life-saving reaction to winch line breaks, op inattention,
winch engine failure, or op incapacitation is routinely taught in ground
launch training.

How many airtow instructors pull the release on their student at 200 ft
over the outbound fence? Just once? Several times?

BJ

Gary Boggs wrote:

Someone must have already compared the safety of these tow launch
methods.
What do the statistics show is the safer method of launch? Aero tow
seems
to involve more inherent dangers to me. For one thing, there is just
more
time for things to go wrong. What could be more dangerous than to tie
tow
airplanes together and try to fly?

Gary Boggs

Bob;
Right, I thik this is really imprtant.
On tow, at 200 ft over the far-boundary you need the confidence to
know the right thing to do and do it straight away while retaing air-speed.
On tows we take of saying to oursevles 'land-ahead if it breaks now' from 0
to 150 feet
but there is a sweaty bit between150 and 300 ft where the choices are less
attractive.
In a winch lanuch (probably becauseof more experience) I am never in this
sweaty "hope it don't break at just this second" position.


--

Jonathan