Keep your hand off the release handle during aero tows!

OK Bill, here is my problem with your argument that all our problems are
basically due to too slow acceleration.

1. I have not seen or experienced these slow acceleration launches and they
are certainly not the norm at any site at which I have flown recently.

2. I have also auto towed (some years ago) where the acceleration is by
definition slow, I never saw a wing drop come close to an accident.

3. The same applies to aerotows, slow acceleration, here I have seen wing
drops and witnessed people releasing but no cartwheels.

4. The reason these wing drops have been fatal is that they occur just
before the glider ls ready to fly. in my mind this implies that the
acceleration was fast since the glider apparently goes from insufficient
aileron control to flying speed too quickly for the pilot to react. I
think perhaps , as Don said that the problem is actually yaw induced roll.

Based on what you say we in the UK have a much worse safety record than the
Germans, so accepting this I agree that we are apparently not getting
something right. I do not agree with your analysis and you have shown no
readiness to accept that there may be another different problem. This is
what I mean by arrogance. If as you say everybody outside UK agrees with
your argument why have none of them posted here to say so.

I think it is a problem caused by individual pilot errors rather than our
procedures. Why I am not sure although I do have some thoughts regarding
pilot currency.

Terry Walsh


At 17:47 13 October 2013, Bill D wrote:
On Thursday, October 10, 2013 4:05:22 AM UTC-6, Terry Walsh wrote:
Fred,
=20
=20
=20
I did not intend this as a comment against Americans I know equally
=20
arrogant people of many different national origins. I was simply
commenti=
ng
=20
that if this indeed Bill Daniels then he could be considered to be an
=20
expert on winch operations, but his apparent refusal to accept any
other
=20
opinion than his own was more than a little arrogant.

I've let the UK "echo chamber" run a bit so they can all congratulate
each
=
other for fuzzy thinking.

Arrogant? Indignant and angry are a better words. Every time you screw
up=
, it has enormous impact outside the UK. When those screw-ups are based
on=
institutionalized nonsense, and you try to export that nonsense, it
makes
=
me angry. An example is the winch launch section in the 2013 Glider
Flying=
Handbook.

The main source of my guidance isn't from the US, or my own imagination,
i=
t's the German SDO Segelflugbetriebsordnung. It contains about the best
inf=
ormation on winch launch safety available.

The US stands accused of "doing few winch launches". That's true.
Compare=
d to the roughly one million annual launches in Germany, the UK doesn't
do
=
many either. That, and their superb safety record, makes Germany a far
bet=
ter source of safety information.

If you want an educational approach, read my thoughts on the acceleration
p=
hase and acceleration induced uncommanded rotation.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...celeration.pdf