On Sunday, July 15, 2012 11:58:15 PM UTC-4, tstock wrote:
Important to remember who is PIC. I have seen several accident reports where a passenger or person on the ground reports "ABORT! ABORT!" or "RELEASE! RELEASE!". If the aircraft is in control, it is up to the PIC when to release, even in an "emergency"... and at 100ft is not the time to release, especially at my local airfield because you will end up in the trees. If there is truly a problem with the glider, and it does pitch up and stall, you do not want any surprises like this at 100ft! Might as well keep going since you are in control, hopefully to a safe bailout altitude and high enough to buy some time to figure out if the glider can fly or what you need to do to keep it flying. I know if some cool headed chap on the ground reported "Glider XXX your dolly is on, you may have some CG problems", I would definitely climb as high as possible before releasing.

Maybe instructors should suddenly yell RELEASE! RELEASE! at a safe tow altitude to get new pilots thinking about who is PIC?

Wind the clock.
Tom

If I suspected CG problems I'd prefer to not release but go around and land with the towplane. No?