Recognizing and reacting to tow plane engine failure

On Friday, October 24, 2014 12:43:25 PM UTC-4, Waveguru wrote:
Glider pilots and tow pilots have an iron-clad covenant that should be talked about, not just silently acknowledged: You do your very best not to kill me, and I'll do my very best not to kill you. Towing is a unique thing in aviation, it's serious business, and it needs to be constantly recognized as such.


I had a tow pilot get mad at me just the other month for doing a steering turn. He slammed the Pawnee over so hard I couldn't follow him and it broke the rope. My passenger was so freaked out he'll never fly again. When I talked to the tow pilot about it he admitted that it ****ed him off when I tried to steer him.

Boggs

Hmmmm - maybe you should pass the word around your airport so that particular tow pilot never flies again! At the least acquaint him with the mnemonic IMSAFE so he can run a check on himself. For non-US pilots it stands for Illness, Medication, Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue, and Emotion (on occasionally Eating, especially lack thereof).

-John, Q3

Hmmmm - maybe you should pass the word around your airport

From what I understand, ours is not the only airport around here where he is no longer welcome to fly either tug, or his ASW-28...

Boggs