Tow DROID

On Saturday, February 8, 2014 9:31:13 AM UTC-5, son_of_flubber wrote:
Returning for a moment to the 19th century tow hook designs that are on most tugs. Why does the pilot need to pull the release if the glider kites? Why is the release for a deadly tow position not fully automatic? Is a simple purely mechanical, totally foolproof and 100% automatic release not possible? As the guy in the glider, I would be fine with a 100% automatic release. If I kite, release me immediately.

There was a design and prototype of a release like this created many years ago and published, I believe, in Soaring magazine. I know if no one that has adopted this which makes it fairly clear that this is not perceived as a huge problem.
Many of us have inverted our Schweizer hooks to help avoid the problem of high release force when the glider is high.
FWIW
UH