Fatal crash Arizona

At 14:44 16 June 2014, Fred Bear wrote:
On 6/16/2014 4:13 AM, Z Goudie wrote:
At 07:15 16 June 2014, Jim White wrote:
May I offer a practical tip? Talk to yourself all the way up the
launch
t
a safe height (perhaps 500ft), deciding where you will go at every
momen
should the rope / tug break. Should it then happen you already have th
decision made and only have to execute it well.

I thought that was supposed to be part of the training!



Z - the very man who sent me solo at Portmoak all those years ago.


The thing that concerns me is the change to rotax tugs.
On Sunday I watched one tow a skylark up,perfect ,but 2 fat pilots in a
duo full of water and we are talking curve of the earth,assuming you can
get it rolling in the first place.Historicly we had accidents and learned
how to not have them.
But heavier gliders,weaker tugs and steam comes from my ears when I see the
launch point set up 1/3 of the way down the runway,because its easier to
get passengers to the glider and you can land behind.Explain that to the
family after Joe pilot coudn't land ahead because it was more convenient.
Rant over,my sinsera condolances to the family of the pilot who started
this at a terrible price.

On Tuesday, June 17, 2014 4:06:19 AM UTC+12, Jonathon May wrote:
At 14:44 16 June 2014, Fred Bear wrote:
But heavier gliders,weaker tugs and steam comes from my ears when I see the
launch point set up 1/3 of the way down the runway,because its easier to
get passengers to the glider and you can land behind.

Yeah, we did that recently when we had an away weekend at a 6500 ft strip on a dairy farm instead of our usual 2000 ft strip in the middle of a town. Definitely convenient.