On Jul 11, 2:38*pm, wrote:
On July 7, 2011 at Nowy Targ in southern Poland, glider Puchacz
crashed during training flight 2/3 mile from the airport. The
instructor (~64-67) and the student pilot (~18-19) are dead. *It was a
tow rope brake practice flight with down wind turn for down wind
landing from about 130-150 m of altitude (400 feet).
What can we learn from this?
Are these training flights mendatory under FAA rules?
Can pilot request opt-out from "rope brake" during Biennial Flight
Review to avoid getting killed?
I remember once during BFR the instructor pulled the release on me in
the Blanik at about 200 feet, I had to do 180 turn and land down wind
from very low altitude. I think it was dangerous and unnecessary even
for an experienced pilot as me. Andre

http://wiadomosci.onet.pl/regionalne...Szybowiec_rozb...

The article sais that Puchacz was in a spin.

I think that from towing attitude quick push stick forward with wings
level into the headwind would get speed faster plus 10-20 mph before
starting 180 downwind turn, that would prevent stall and spin.
Starting 180 downwind turn with high nose attitude at the moment of
release from tow may cause a rapid loss of airspeed and spin. There is
no problem at higher altitude, there is a big problem at low altitude.
Puchacz has a momentum, demands respect or it will bite.
Some pilots survived collisions with ground in full spin, did not
survive when rotation was stopped close to the ground.