At 18:12 30 March 2006, wrote:
When aerotowing, is it more dangerous for the glider
to pull way up,
pitching the towplane nose down, or pulling way down,
pitching the
towplane nose up?
The dynamics of a glider pitch up/tug pitch down situation
are classic positive feedback and the divergence can
be extremely rapid. Always pull off before the tug
disappears downwards from view or you may well have
a dead tug pilot below a 1000' and a very irate one
if higher. From tug pitch down to impact can happen
faster than he can reach the release (and even if he
does the release force required may be high).
Pitching him up is more difficult and he'll have time
to think about it.