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Old October 2nd 20, 04:08 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Dan Marotta
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Posts: 4,601
Default Rope Breaks (Grilling sacred cows)

I had a rope break at about 700' AGL during an auto tow while on
safari.Â* I climbed away.Â* When I landed, the wheel overran the two feet
of rope hanging from the release and it back released, saving the Tost
ring for the next day's flight.Â* It was a conscious decision not to pull
the release after the rope break.

On 10/2/2020 8:39 AM, Jim Kellett wrote:
On Thursday, October 1, 2020 at 7:29:47 PM UTC-4, UH wrote:
For what it may be worth, I have never had a rope break, except failure at the ring on initial acceleration, in over 12000 glider flights. I have had a few tug failures on both ends of the rope.

Sor of the same experience here . . in 55 years of flying gliders, I've had two rope breaks - one in rotor when a violent pitch oscillation by the towplane sent a wave down the rope that back released the CG hook on my Cirrus, and another at ca. 3000' when the towplane's defective release sent a cloud or rope heading my way. Both were non-events. And I can't remember a tow failure after airborne that we always train for, but several while still on the takeoff roll and a couple at pattern altitude or higher.
Skyline's Resident Curmudgeon


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Dan, 5J