On 1/5/2011 2:57 PM, John Cochrane wrote:
Easier: Always take off with brake half open. This give you better
aileron control on takeoff. On a schleicher glider, you want the brake
open as the towplane takes out slack to have the wheel brake on so you
don't over run. Cycle the brakes a few times to show the tow pilot you
now what you're doing. Just leave your left and hand on the airbrake,
and close when you have aileron control (then move to flap handel).
It's really hard to forget a handle that is in your left hand!

John's procedure is exactly what I always used with my ASW 20C for many
years, and it did work out very well, just as he says. There were never
any problems caused by the procedure, and it sure solved some!

As Darryl points out, the situation is different in a motorglider. Since
many of us have the spoilers open to control the wheel brake while
taxiing, I used to think it wasn't possible to forget to lock them. I
changed my mind after hearing of a few close calls and at least one
accident. No one seems know how it happened (more distractions in the
cockpit than a tow?), but they did not lock the spoilers before
beginning the launch. That was when I went to the 302 alert, the simple
spoiler handle block, and the "always closed unless my hand is on it"
procedure.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to
email me)