Stop the launch- wing down.

I hope the full sequence includes the glider pilot releasing the rope
before the
wing goes down!


At 03:54 30 June 2014, wrote:
On Sunday, June 29, 2014 5:04:30 PM UTC-4, Steve Koerner wrote:
It hasn't happened yet, but we are going to kill or maim the flagman if
w=
e don't change our ways. It's just a matter of time. =20
=20
=20
=20
This has become my personal pet peeve. Over the years, I have
personally=
observed a lot of gliders drop a wing and veer off the runway. And
admitt=
edly a number of times my observation was from the driver's seat. My
own
=
launching technique is better now so my odds of staying on the runway are
n=
ot as bad as they used to be. Yet, I know it can happen again. It can
hap=
pen to anyone. =20
=20
=20
=20
The matter of how to avoid wing drop is not what this writing is about.

=
That's for another thread. This is about the fact that it does happen.
Th=
is thread is about a potentially serious consequence when it does.
Having
=
a serious veer off the runway is an uncommon event for sure. It's one of
t=
hose things where all goes well so often that it's easy to be neglectful
of=
the low probability yet high consequence risk scenario that plays out at
e=
very contest launch. =20
=20
=20
=20
We were all trained that there should be a safety cone in front of the
gl=
ider when we launch. That being a zone in which there are no people or
obj=
ects that have the potential to convert an embarrassing non-event into a
sm=
all or large catastrophe. At US contests this important need for a
safety=
cone is routinely overlooked. The flagman stands and does his work in a
d=
angerous location in front of the launch.
=20
=20
=20
Our contest flagmen are volunteers. I, for one, am very appreciative
of
=
all of the contest volunteers. Without the dedicated work of the
volunteer=
s, contests wouldn't happen. Certainly, there is a high obligation to
not
=
put volunteers at risk.
=20
=20
=20
The manner by which a glider can come off the runway varies
dramatically.=
Often, the affected pilot is faced with a real dilemma that plays out
in
=
a matter of seconds. A wing is low, perhaps dragging on the runway. He
be=
lieves he can lift the down wing if he simply persists a bit and waits
for
=
airspeed to come up. In the mean time he's beginning to veer. If he
rele=
ases early, the matter is low energy and low consequence. If he holds on
f=
or a little longer, he thinks he can raise the wing yet his speed is
increa=
sing and the potential for adverse consequences increase perhaps with the
s=
quare of velocity. Should the pilot fail to get to the release quickly
eno=
ugh and the wing stays low, the resulting veer will be high energy. The
v=
eer off the runway can occur at speeds that can do real damage. I've
seen
=
it happen.
=20
=20
=20
In my, thus far, unsuccessful efforts to change contest practice in
this
=
regard, I've spoken to several different contest operations managers and
I'=
ve also spoken to flagmen about the issue. I'm routinely pooh-poohed.
The=
flagman will tell me that he can run out of the way if a wing is coming
at=
him. One flagman told me that he can jump over the wing if he needs
to.
=
But wait a minute... what if the wing that is coming at him is coming at
3=
0 or 40 MPH? What if it happens to be the high wing that is coming at
him
=
or the fuselage?
=20
=20
=20
What I observe at contests is that wing drops are sufficiently rare
that
=
the flagman always becomes complacent (assuming he or she is aware of
the
h=
azard in the first place). As the towplane and glider roar by, he'll be
si=
pping from his water bottle while maybe sauntering a few step out of the
wa=
y. =20
=20
=20
=20
If it were the case that our flagmen were selected for sprinting
ability
=
and if their practice was to swing the flag then immediately begin
sprintin=
g for the sidelines then perhaps the present hazard wouldn't be. Yet,
that=
is never what happens. Requiring a sprint from the flagman at every
launc=
h would be an unreasonable expectation for sure. At any rate, few would
ha=
ve the endurance strength and athleticism to do 30 to 50 successive 25
yard=
sprints in launch time summer heat.=20
=20
=20
=20
It isn't as if there is no alternative to using a flagman for launch
cont=
rol. There is an alternative that works extremely well and puts no one
at
=
risk in the safety cone. The launch controller stands aside the
sailplane
=
with a handheld radio as the glider is being hooked up and readied for
laun=
ch. The launch controller gives particular radio commands to take up
slack=
and then a particular distinctive word sequence command to commence the
la=
unch. Barb Smith, who's served as operations manager at a few Parowan
con=
tests in recent years, seems to have pioneered this method. This is
reall=
y a very good scheme. There is no double communication required. The
laun=
ch controller is in a position to easily observe the towline slack and
also=
very well observe the readiness of the wing runner, the glider and the
gli=
der pilot too. =20
=20
=20
=20
I urge that we adopt the radio method of launch control at US contests.

=
Let's not wait until we've killed the flagman.

I agree- mostly.
The mirror is adequate to know when to take up slack.
When the rope is tight- we're going flying.
Stop the launch- wing down.
Radio only when unusual happens.
UH