Letter to the FAA

The belief that low-tow significantly reduces the risk of sling-shot tug
upsets is mistaken. The trigger is if the glider pitches up to about 30
degrees above the line of the rope. Being in low-tow when that happens
simple makes the sunsequent event take about half a second longer - not
enough extra time to greatly increase the chance of releasing before the
critical point.

At 08:42 20 June 2017, Justin Couch wrote:
On Tuesday, 20 June 2017 15:45:04 UTC+10, Don Johnstone wrote:

From another thread it has been confirmed that in Australia low tow=20
is the standard position behind the tug.

Definitely. All our training from the first tow is in low position for
clim=
b. We'll go high if doing a cross-country tow, and some clubs use high
tow
=
for the first couple of hundred feet of the launch, but low is our
teaching=
here.=20

There is, however, a second factor: All gliders have been mandated to
have
=
nose hooks installed when brought into the country. This was instituted
in
=
mid 80's after a couple of upset accidents resulting in multiple deaths.
It=
is rare to see a glider with only a belly release. Mandated nose
releases=
as a local requirement were removed a couple of years ago as CS22
effectiv=
ely mandated them for aerotow certification anyway. No need to duplicate
th=
e rules.=20

Also, I believe Schweizer tow hooks here are illegal. I've only ever seen
T=
OSTs on tugs here. Don't quote me on that though. I've been doing a
quick
=
search while writing this up and can't find out either way.=20

Does using low tow offer a solution to the ring jam with a Schweizer=20
hook given that there is almost no chance of glider getting too high=20
behind the tug?=20
Tug upsets should be almost unknown in Australia, are they?=20

I haven't heard of one in the last 30 years or so (I started gliding in
198=
7). There's been a few ground loops from wing drops in paddocks on CG
relea=
ses, but nothing resulting in a tug pilot looking at the ground due to
kiti=
ng.