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#11
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This discussion, that started as one about whether to hold the release
during an aerotow launch, has focussed on the risk to the glider pilot if a wing drops during the launch and subsequently migrated to become a debate about winch launch techniques. The poor chap who has been forgotten in all this is the tug pilot! Over the years a number of tug pilots in different countries have been killed by glider pilots getting out of position and going too high too quickly. This results in a big reduction in the tug's airspeed towards the stall, and since it no longer has enough elevator authority the glider raises the tugs tail and points it at the ground. Below about 700' a tug upset is probably fatal for the tug pilot - but only a minor inconvenience to the glider pilot. Tug upsets, once triggered, occur in a very short elapsed time period - probably two or three seconds. This does not give the glider pilot time to search for the cable release and pull it so as to save the tug pilot's life. On aerotow a glider pilot should have his hand touching the release, or holding a loop of nylon connected to it, if the stick movement would otherwise be restricted until at least 1,000'. Tug pilots are doing you a service. Respect them by being able to release instantly if the tow goes wrong. One entry in this thread stated that tows can be very rough and that the release might get pulled by accident. Much better that than kill a tug pilot. |
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