Letter to the FAA

Walt-

Before you go off with velocity but no direction, please supply the names and incidences of all these dead tow pilots. You see a problem because it happened to you. I agree that perhaps the Schweizer release is susceptible to failures when the towed glider is wildly out of position, and that there is likely a remedy through either inverting the release or hoping for better training.

Asking for a ban on these release mechanisms nationwide is likely to cause a large number of glider operations to halt operations since the Schweizer release is the ONLY mechanism accepted for a particular tow plane. Banning the Schweizer release is likely to shut down an active club or commercial operator.

The FAA will issue a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) prior to proposing an Airworthiness Directive that would ban the use of the Schweizer release. They will have to justify this by citing the "Unsafe conditions" that the AD is supposed to correct. You will have to supply the evidence that this is, in fact, a valid concern. Be prepared with solid evidence of fatalities, accidents incidents and testimony from affected parties. Your word and your singular experiences will not be enough.

Commercial operators and clubs faced with a significant monetary outlay to change release systems are encouraged to document the hundreds of thousands of successful aerotows using the Schweizer release with no incidents or accidents (or tow pilot fatalities).

You don't like Schweizer releases because of your particularly terrifying experience, and I can heartily agree and accept that. Glad you are still around. But, how many tows have you done with the same system that went off without a hitch?

I have fallen off a bicycle several times. (Also motorcycles, hang gliders, horses etc., etc.) but I don't see the need to stop other participants when the vast majority of operations are carried out successfully..

Or, as one of my more colorfully necked acquaintances recently said,

"Y'all don't need ta' NUKE the gopher!"

On Friday, June 2, 2017 at 6:52:27 PM UTC-7, wrote:
Walt-

Before you go off with velocity but no direction, please supply the names and incidences of all these dead tow pilots. You see a problem because it happened to you. I agree that perhaps the Schweizer release is susceptible to failures when the towed glider is wildly out of position, and that there is likely a remedy through either inverting the release or hoping for better training.

Asking for a ban on these release mechanisms nationwide is likely to cause a large number of glider operations to halt operations since the Schweizer release is the ONLY mechanism accepted for a particular tow plane. Banning the Schweizer release is likely to shut down an active club or commercial operator.

The FAA will issue a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) prior to proposing an Airworthiness Directive that would ban the use of the Schweizer release. They will have to justify this by citing the "Unsafe conditions" that the AD is supposed to correct. You will have to supply the evidence that this is, in fact, a valid concern. Be prepared with solid evidence of fatalities, accidents incidents and testimony from affected parties. Your word and your singular experiences will not be enough.

Commercial operators and clubs faced with a significant monetary outlay to change release systems are encouraged to document the hundreds of thousands of successful aerotows using the Schweizer release with no incidents or accidents (or tow pilot fatalities).

You don't like Schweizer releases because of your particularly terrifying experience, and I can heartily agree and accept that. Glad you are still around. But, how many tows have you done with the same system that went off without a hitch?

I have fallen off a bicycle several times. (Also motorcycles, hang gliders, horses etc., etc.) but I don't see the need to stop other participants when the vast majority of operations are carried out successfully..

Or, as one of my more colorfully necked acquaintances recently said,

"Y'all don't need ta' NUKE the gopher!"

You apparently did not read my post - go back and read it this time.

Tom

Originally Posted by

Walt-

Before you go off with velocity but no direction, please supply the names and incidences of all these dead tow pilots. You see a problem because it happened to you. I agree that perhaps the Schweizer release is susceptible to failures when the towed glider is wildly out of position, and that there is likely a remedy through either inverting the release or hoping for better training.

Asking for a ban on these release mechanisms nationwide is likely to cause a large number of glider operations to halt operations since the Schweizer release is the ONLY mechanism accepted for a particular tow plane. Banning the Schweizer release is likely to shut down an active club or commercial operator.

The FAA will issue a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) prior to proposing an Airworthiness Directive that would ban the use of the Schweizer release. They will have to justify this by citing the "Unsafe conditions" that the AD is supposed to correct. You will have to supply the evidence that this is, in fact, a valid concern. Be prepared with solid evidence of fatalities, accidents incidents and testimony from affected parties. Your word and your singular experiences will not be enough.

Commercial operators and clubs faced with a significant monetary outlay to change release systems are encouraged to document the hundreds of thousands of successful aerotows using the Schweizer release with no incidents or accidents (or tow pilot fatalities).

You don't like Schweizer releases because of your particularly terrifying experience, and I can heartily agree and accept that. Glad you are still around. But, how many tows have you done with the same system that went off without a hitch?

I have fallen off a bicycle several times. (Also motorcycles, hang gliders, horses etc., etc.) but I don't see the need to stop other participants when the vast majority of operations are carried out successfully..

Or, as one of my more colorfully necked acquaintances recently said,

"Y'all don't need ta' NUKE the gopher!"

Mark,

I am surprised that you would ask the question "But how many tows have you done with the same system that went off without a hitch?" Are you serious? Well, to answer your question I have done just short of 7,000 tows prior to my "dismissal." Of those seven thousand, TWO resulted in a severe, sudden, unanticipated kiting which resulted in my need to attempt to release. Of those two situations, IN ONE HUNDRED PERCENT OF THEM I WAS UNABLE TO RELEASE FROM THE GLIDER.

I too have fallen from my bicycle, I was a USCF Senior Three many years and about 40 pounds ago. The bicycle fall was my fault, no one elses. I have dropped my motorcycle in the rain, my fault, no one elses. I too have fallen from a horse, my fault. The difference here is that a tow pilot is connected to a glider by a 200 foot rope and the glider pilot can negatively affect the situation with no fault of the tow pilot. If at that moment the system that is meant to save the life of the tow pilot doesn't work (and it is beyond well documented that it might not) the tow pilot could be dead. What part of this is it that some people don't seem to understand?

I am willing to allow the SFF/SAA and their representatives handle this but the fact is they have had decades to do so and have failed in this regard.


Walt

It did!

I am in receipt of an email from the SSA Government Liason representative Mr Northcutt. I am truly amazed at being told that since I am NOT a current member of the Soaring Society of America he is unwilling to discuss my concerns.
He did go on to make three bullet points which make me think he did not read my email.

To say that perhaps the facility at which I worked need to address their training is a bit presumptative. One pilot was not from this field, but one of the many who come down to this facility due to the weather. The second was a 15 year old solo student on her third pull. For those of you familiar with the USAFA accident where the cadet instructor noted she was above the tow plane with a "taught" rope and decided to increase pitch to slow up and allow the tow pilot to get back in position I would ask, "how can we expect a 15 year old student to understand the importance of releasing in such a position if a USAFA student and CFI-G doesn't understand and react properly?

I am well aware of the FAA requirements for PIC. The airplanes I was flying were not unsafe to fly and the Schweizer hook system is approved by the FAA. My concern is one that has been expressed by other pilots and which has directly contributed to the death of more than one tow pilot here and in other countries.

My investigation of the available information continues, it will take some time but I will try to be as thorough as possible.

Walt

Do you even fly bro?
On Friday, June 9, 2017 at 8:43:08 PM UTC-4, Walt Connelly wrote:
I am in receipt of an email from the SSA Government Liason
representative Mr Northcutt. I am truly amazed at being told that
since I am NOT a current member of the Soaring Society of America he is
unwilling to discuss my concerns.
He did go on to make three bullet points which make me think he did not
read my email.

To say that perhaps the facility at which I worked need to address their
training is a bit presumptative. One pilot was not from this field, but
one of the many who come down to this facility due to the weather. The
second was a 15 year old solo student on her third pull. For those of
you familiar with the USAFA accident where the cadet instructor noted
she was above the tow plane with a "taught" rope and decided to increase
pitch to slow up and allow the tow pilot to get back in position I would
ask, "how can we expect a 15 year old student to understand the
importance of releasing in such a position if a USAFA student and CFI-G
doesn't understand and react properly?

I am well aware of the FAA requirements for PIC. The airplanes I was
flying were not unsafe to fly and the Schweizer hook system is approved
by the FAA. My concern is one that has been expressed by other pilots
and which has directly contributed to the death of more than one tow
pilot here and in other countries.

My investigation of the available information continues, it will take
some time but I will try to be as thorough as possible.

Walt




--
Walt Connelly

I would think that any institution we deal with, FAA, SSA, EAA, AOPA etc,. etc. should take with highest level of seriousness any remark concerning safety made by a pilot and based on his/her life-threatening experience in flight, member or not.

Several years ago when flying their LS-4 at Soar Minden I was in a situation after landing where the wheel brake, activated by pushing both rudder pedals, seemingly didn't work on a roll-out. I was happy I didn't hit any one on the tarmac. I quickly found out that you have to push with your HEELS, and not FEET. I reported my observation to their instructor with a reference to a possible wrong translation in the glider's Flight Manual, which I had studied before the flight. Some time later checking their web site I was pleased and grateful to see they had reacted and put a proper remark in the manual. The German original reads: "wird mit den Absätzen bedient". I just found the English manual for the LS-4A on-line, and it reads correctly now: "Press rudder pedals with heels to activate wheel brake" - so it must have been amended officially.

Just an example of a proper concern instead of a denial.

Tom BravoMike

Originally Posted by Tom BravoMike

I would think that any institution we deal with, FAA, SSA, EAA, AOPA etc,. etc. should take with highest level of seriousness any remark concerning safety made by a pilot and based on his/her life-threatening experience in flight, member or not.

Several years ago when flying their LS-4 at Soar Minden I was in a situation after landing where the wheel brake, activated by pushing both rudder pedals, seemingly didn't work on a roll-out. I was happy I didn't hit any one on the tarmac. I quickly found out that you have to push with your HEELS, and not FEET. I reported my observation to their instructor with a reference to a possible wrong translation in the glider's Flight Manual, which I had studied before the flight. Some time later checking their web site I was pleased and grateful to see they had reacted and put a proper remark in the manual. The German original reads: "wird mit den Absätzen bedient". I just found the English manual for the LS-4A on-line, and it reads correctly now: "Press rudder pedals with heels to activate wheel brake" - so it must have been amended officially.

Just an example of a proper concern instead of a denial.

Tom BravoMike

I would think the same Tom but apparently the SSA is less concerned with safety and more concerned with who is and who is not a member of the club. But for that matter every club and commercial operation out there still flying with Schweizer hooks and release handles not immediately accessable by the tow pilot are not concerned with safety either.

Walt

On Saturday, June 10, 2017 at 2:43:07 PM UTC-4, Walt Connelly wrote:

I would think the same Tom but apparently the SSA is less concerned with
safety and more concerned with who is and who is not a member of the
club. But for that matter every club and commercial operation out there
still flying with Schweizer hooks and release handles not immediately
accessable by the tow pilot are not concerned with safety either.

Walt

So you weren't concerned with safety, either, until very recently?

best,
Evan Ludeman / T8