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#1
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A Rough Day Towing
Seems I'm towing more than soaring these days...
A couple of days ago, while rolling out on final at about 300' AGL, a strong gust under the high wing upset the Pawnee. Fortunately (for me), I carry a lot of energy around the final turn, and was able to recover and land normally. I had to take a short break to allow my heart to slow down. Later that day, an experienced pilot was flying his first flight in an HP-14. At 2,400' AGL we were indicating 1,100 fpm climb and said, "This is a nice thermal" on the radio. Seconds later the tow plane was jerked to the left and I looked over my right shoulder to see the glider at my 4 o'clock with a large loop of slack in the rope. I yelled, "Get off, get off, get off!!!" and, to my surprise, the response was the glider banking sharply into me and diving past my tail. Before I could grab the tow release, there was another sharp jerk and the rope broke. The glider pilot then enjoyed about 4 hours in the -14. Next morning, when I arrived to tow (again...), I was told to go have a look at the HP-14. There was a deep gash in the leading edge of the left wing (top and bottom), right at the root, where the rope had sawed through the skin before being cut by he sharp edge of the aluminum. There was also damage along the leading edge and to the side of the fuselage. I've got to become less tolerant of gliders getting out of position... I'll be towing again this morning but, hopefully, will get my LAK out this afternoon. |
#2
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A Rough Day Towing
Given the damage to the HP-14, I sure hope someone has taken a good look at the tail of the Pawnee...
-John On Friday, June 1, 2012 10:28:55 AM UTC-4, Dan Marotta wrote: Seems I'm towing more than soaring these days... A couple of days ago, while rolling out on final at about 300' AGL, a strong gust under the high wing upset the Pawnee. Fortunately (for me), I carry a lot of energy around the final turn, and was able to recover and land normally. I had to take a short break to allow my heart to slow down. Later that day, an experienced pilot was flying his first flight in an HP-14. At 2,400' AGL we were indicating 1,100 fpm climb and said, "This is a nice thermal" on the radio. Seconds later the tow plane was jerked to the left and I looked over my right shoulder to see the glider at my 4 o'clock with a large loop of slack in the rope. I yelled, "Get off, get off, get off!!!" and, to my surprise, the response was the glider banking sharply into me and diving past my tail. Before I could grab the tow release, there was another sharp jerk and the rope broke. The glider pilot then enjoyed about 4 hours in the -14. Next morning, when I arrived to tow (again...), I was told to go have a look at the HP-14. There was a deep gash in the leading edge of the left wing (top and bottom), right at the root, where the rope had sawed through the skin before being cut by he sharp edge of the aluminum. There was also damage along the leading edge and to the side of the fuselage. I've got to become less tolerant of gliders getting out of position... I'll be towing again this morning but, hopefully, will get my LAK out this afternoon. |
#3
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A Rough Day Towing
On 6/1/2012 8:28 AM, Dan Marotta wrote:
Snip... Later that day, an experienced pilot was flying his first flight in an HP-14. At 2,400' AGL we were indicating 1,100 fpm climb and said, "This is a nice thermal" on the radio. Seconds later the tow plane was jerked to the left and I looked over my right shoulder to see the glider at my 4 o'clock with a large loop of slack in the rope. I yelled, "Get off, get off, get off!!!" and, to my surprise, the response was the glider banking sharply into me and diving past my tail. Before I could grab the tow release, there was another sharp jerk and the rope broke. The glider pilot then enjoyed about 4 hours in the -14. Snip... Mercy! Tell me again what that in-glider release is for? My only self-induced rope break came on a BFR, demonstrating instructor-induced slack rope recoveries. (Due to lack of practice at slack rope after obtaining my license, I undoubtedly only got worse at it.) So I understand the desire to recover an out of position towing situation...just not at risk of life and limb. On another BFR the instructor bemused both of us as we watched the rope drift aft over the top of the G-103's wing until I could barely see the aft end of the loop from the front cockpit. It was one of the times I almost overrode an instructor's "My ship." In hindsight, we both agreed I probably should have. What WERE we thinking?!? Bob W. |
#4
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A Rough Day Towing
Yes, we checked the Pawnee and it's OK.
The glider's owner (not the pilot involved) told me that this release won't let go unless it's under tension. I'm not familiar with the design and wonder if that's a design defect or a defect in this particular piece of hardware. (Did 12 tows this morning and 2.3 hours in the LAK this afternoon!) "BobW" wrote in message ... On 6/1/2012 8:28 AM, Dan Marotta wrote: Snip... Later that day, an experienced pilot was flying his first flight in an HP-14. At 2,400' AGL we were indicating 1,100 fpm climb and said, "This is a nice thermal" on the radio. Seconds later the tow plane was jerked to the left and I looked over my right shoulder to see the glider at my 4 o'clock with a large loop of slack in the rope. I yelled, "Get off, get off, get off!!!" and, to my surprise, the response was the glider banking sharply into me and diving past my tail. Before I could grab the tow release, there was another sharp jerk and the rope broke. The glider pilot then enjoyed about 4 hours in the -14. Snip... Mercy! Tell me again what that in-glider release is for? My only self-induced rope break came on a BFR, demonstrating instructor-induced slack rope recoveries. (Due to lack of practice at slack rope after obtaining my license, I undoubtedly only got worse at it.) So I understand the desire to recover an out of position towing situation...just not at risk of life and limb. On another BFR the instructor bemused both of us as we watched the rope drift aft over the top of the G-103's wing until I could barely see the aft end of the loop from the front cockpit. It was one of the times I almost overrode an instructor's "My ship." In hindsight, we both agreed I probably should have. What WERE we thinking?!? Bob W. |
#5
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A Rough Day Towing
On Jun 1, 5:40*pm, "Dan Marotta" wrote:
Yes, we checked the Pawnee and it's OK. The glider's owner (not the pilot involved) told me that this release won't let go unless it's under tension. *I'm not familiar with the design and wonder if that's a design defect or a defect in this particular piece of hardware. (Did 12 tows this morning and 2.3 hours in the LAK this afternoon!) "BobW" wrote in message ... On 6/1/2012 8:28 AM, Dan Marotta wrote: Snip... Later that day, an experienced pilot was flying his first flight in an HP-14. At 2,400' AGL we were indicating 1,100 fpm climb and said, "This is a nice thermal" on the radio. Seconds later the tow plane was jerked to the left and I looked over my right shoulder to see the glider at my 4 o'clock with a large loop of slack in the rope. I yelled, "Get off, get off, get off!!!" and, to my surprise, the response was the glider banking sharply into me and diving past my tail. Before I could grab the tow release, there was another sharp jerk and the rope broke. The glider pilot then enjoyed about 4 hours in the -14.. Snip... Mercy! Tell me again what that in-glider release is for? My only self-induced rope break came on a BFR, demonstrating instructor-induced slack rope recoveries. (Due to lack of practice at slack rope after obtaining my license, I undoubtedly only got worse at it.) So I understand the desire to recover an out of position towing situation...just not at risk of life and limb. On another BFR the instructor bemused both of us as we watched the rope drift aft over the top of the G-103's wing until I could barely see the aft end of the loop from the front cockpit. It was one of the times I almost overrode an instructor's "My ship." *In hindsight, we both agreed I probably should have. What WERE we thinking?!? Bob W. It sounds like a failure of the release. Any release should "drop the rope/ring" when pulled. Especially at ground speed = zero on the launch line. I can see it now, tow line already hooked up, glider pilot finds something wrong and cannot release and the radio gets garbled by a walked on transmission, just as the tow plane goes full throttle. How did that one pass the condition inspection. I'm sure the release rope break with the rope over the wing slew that glider sideways. The pilot could not see the damage to the leading edge of the wing and flew 4 hours?? WTFO. T |
#6
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A Rough Day Towing
I'm sure the release rope break with the rope over the wing slew that glider sideways. The pilot could not see the damage to the leading edge of the wing and flew 4 hours?? WTFO. Helloooooooooooooooooo, captain CRUNCH, where are you???? Brad |
#7
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A Rough Day Towing
What size rope were you using? Was there an weak link?
Boggs |
#8
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A Rough Day Towing
On Tuesday, June 5, 2012 7:25:16 AM UTC-5, GARY BOGGS wrote:
What size rope were you using? Was there an weak link? Boggs What type of release mechanism? |
#9
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A Rough Day Towing
The glider's release mechanism is the standard Dick Schreder design.
http://www.soaridaho.com/Schreder/Co...k/Tow_Hook.htm Here is a photo of the mechanism as it appears in HP-14T blue-prints. http://www.soaridaho.com/Schreder/HP..._Tow_Hitch.jpg This hook has been very reliable for the past 50+ years. The concept has been copied and install on other sailplane designs including the 1-35A Wayne http://www.soaridaho.com/Schreder "150flivver" wrote in message ... On Tuesday, June 5, 2012 7:25:16 AM UTC-5, GARY BOGGS wrote: What size rope were you using? Was there an weak link? Boggs What type of release mechanism? |
#10
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A Rough Day Towing
On 6/5/2012 9:27 AM, Wayne Paul wrote:
The glider's release mechanism is the standard Dick Schreder design. http://www.soaridaho.com/Schreder/Co...k/Tow_Hook.htm Here is a photo of the mechanism as it appears in HP-14T blue-prints. http://www.soaridaho.com/Schreder/HP..._Tow_Hitch.jpg This hook has been very reliable for the past 50+ years. The concept has been copied and install on other sailplane designs including the 1-35A And also - at least conceptually/functionally - George Applebay's Zuni design (though some may now/have-had Tost releases); I can't speak for dimensionally/geometrically. Difficult (for me) to imagine a simpler release mechanism. I never had release a release problem in 106 HP-14 and 655 Zuni aerotows. Had 1-each back release in both ships, from BIG bows in the rope...as should have happened. Bob W. Wayne http://www.soaridaho.com/Schreder "150flivver" wrote in message ... Snip... What type of release mechanism? |
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