I know we are getting off the original thread but winch
launching holds no fear for me. On the other hand a
rope break on aero tow is something that I have little
experience of. I do however have a plan and that I
believe is the key.

Understanding the problems, the differences if you
like is what training should all be about. In many
ways with the right training winch launching is safer
than aero tow, if it goes wrong you always have the
airfield to land on.

At 14:24 27 June 2005, wrote:
Glad to inject some humor into your life.

I too am amused by the risks we accept through habituation.
I regularly
take off in tailwinds exceeding 15 knots, with water,
on a runway only
2,600 feet long. I'm used to it, and accept the risk
as a byproduct of
where I fly. Most pilots would consider these practices
insane. As a
result, I stood in a amazement at a US Nationals when
pilots were
showing grave concern over the safety of a launch with
less than 7
miles per hour of tail wind.

For pilots who winch launch regularly, the definition
of normal flight
attitudes is greatly expanded. But I think you'll all
agree that it is
a highly specialized type of flying (even if you are
used to it). Pull
on the stick to go faster. Push to go slower. If the
cable breaks, no
messing around... stick right forward until the nose
is well below the
horizon, then ease it back gently, paying attention
to your airspeed.
Abrupt control motions, significantly reduced g, large
angles of nose
up and nose down, close to the ground, special considerations
regarding
turns... sounds to me like a pretty threatening environment,
sort of
like taking off downwind at gross from a short runway.
Deserves some
special consideration. And occasional reexamination
to prevent the
complacency of experience.

Chuckle.

OC