Ian Johnston writes
Would you launch a K8 on a black link if the pilot requested it? In the
old days, would you have signalled "all out" to the winch driver if the
pilot requested it and despite open brakes? Would you launch a glider
with a faulty back-release if the pilot said "Oh, that's OK, just
launch me."

No, absolutely not. And I agree with you, to a point; I would consider
it a moral obligation to make my views known and then not participate in
a launch (or any other aspect of the flying operation) that I considered
unsafe.

I frequently fly a Ka8, so know that it takes a blue link. If somebody
asked for a black, I'd laugh at them and, on realising that they were
serious, refuse.

If I can see the airbrakes are unlocked, of course I'm going to stop the
launch, at it happens, irrespective of my role (or otherwise) at the
launch point.

Faulty back release? Again, being aware of it, no.

ASH25 on a black link? I wouldn't know any better, if that's what the
pilot asked for. Knowing now that it should be a brown link I'll likely
mention it to the pilot concerned if I come across such a situation in
the future, but if the pilot insists on black, I suspect I'd defer to
his judgement in such an instance and use black.

A black link instead of brown is a whole different magnitude to black
instead of blue, or open brakes or an obvious and known fault with the
back release.

I don't think /anyone/ on an airfield is entitled to overlook a clear
safety risk of this sort.

Obviously safety on the airfield is paramount and the responsibility of
all. The main point of my original answer to your "character test" was
to observe that, in our operation at least, the winch driver wouldn't be
aware of which link was being used at the other end of the field.
Moreover, the launch marshal would, in many instances, be reliant upon
the pilot to identify the correct link required.


--
Bill Gribble
http://www.scapegoatsanon.demon.co.uk
- Learn from the mistakes of others.
- You won't live long enough to make all of them yourself.