Quote:
Originally Posted by Don Johnstone[_4_]
At 14:09 25 May 2017, Charlie M. UH & 002 owner/pilot wrote:
Make the numbers matter, do a world list, I wonder if we would even
break a
dozen broken ships even worldwide.....let alone fatalities.
Open canopies probably break more gliders.
That might not help much. I have seen a schweizer hook on a tug in
the UK but not lately, I have seen lots of TOST hooks.
The other part of this was ensuring that the release in the tug is as
close as possible to the throttle, in the UK this is mandatory, mainly as
the result of a tug upset in which a good friend of mine is killed.
If there are people in gliding who are more concerned with commercial
concerns than the safety of pilots, that is a real problem. If the
problem cannot be solved voluntarily what is left.
If this is the case then goon on yer Walt, make them have it!
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Mr Johnstone,
I agree completely, to some there is more concern with maintaining a profitable commercial operation and little to none with tug pilot safety. Would it matter if there was one or one hundred tug pilot fatalities due to the current use of a system which is documented as prone to failure in SSA, SSF and FAA documents? I find it telling that Burt Compton didn't not respond when i pointed out verbatim the comments on the SSF website. I'm willing to engage in a dialogue.
The BGA seems to have teeth and uses them. The SSF and SSA obviously have no teeth nor a willingness to use whatever influence it has to correct this potentially deadly situation.
I have much research left to do but what I have so far supports my position.
There also is a question as to the use of the CG hook for aero tow. I see where New Zealand has recommended aero tow not be done with other than a nose hook and Germany had required special training for pilots flying CG hooks on aerotow. I am not advocating the restriction of the CG hook, this was not a contributing factor in my case but certainly seems to have been in others.
Walt