On Wednesday, June 18, 2014 4:51:46 PM UTC+12, Andrew wrote:
At 01:18 18 June 2014, Bruce Hoult wrote:
Here in NZ, students are frequently asked "where would you go
now?"

Hi Bruce, can you tell us what the teaching is in NZ is about this? Do
you teach 180 degree turns at 200ft?

The Gliding NZ training syllabus requires the instructor demonstrating a low level launch failure. It doesn't require the student flying one. (the same applies to fully developed spins, by the way ... the student only has to demonstrate incipient spin, recognition, recovery).

I don't think there is mention of any particular height. Our students are doing 180 and 360 degree turns 200 ft above ridges all the time, and constantly have "safe speed near the ground" drummed into them.

250 ft is the common simulated launch failure height, with an expectation that you'll be able to turn onto a downwind and then evaluate whether to land crosswind (probably) or into wind.

Further information:

One of Gliding NZ's A certificate oral questions and model answer:

Q: What is the pilot's first priority immediately following a launch failure on a winch launch and an aerotow launch?

A: Winch launch: Lower the nose to attain "Safe Speed Near The Ground".
Aerotow launch at low level: Raise the nose to convert excess speed to height but never fly slower than "Safe Speed Near The Ground".

For winch launching, the instructor's manual recommends landing ahead if you are less than half way down the strip and with less height than 1/10th of the total strip length. It recommends 400 ft as the minimum for doing a full circuit and normal landing. (it also recommends 4000 ft as the minimum length for winch launching, so that is internally consistent)

If you will always deliberately release if you find yourself halfway down the strip at less than 400 ft then there can never be a situation where you'd want to turn 180 and land downwind. At least, on a strip where the entire length is landable. I've flown from sites with a 5000 or 6000 feet run for the winch cable, but only a few hundred yards of landable area ... different guidelines will apply.

For aerotow launching, no specific advice is given as to heights. It does say "Unlike winch launching, aerotowing often involves entering the non-manoeuvring area." and "Beware the low-level turnback--if in doubt, land out", but without any definition of what is low level.

Certainly at our site -- a commercial airport with scheduled Dash 8 flights, surrounded by dense housing on all sides -- any off field landing is going to have very severe consequences. The seal is 1500m, but the grass we use is only about 600m. In one direction, we have the option of stepping sideways onto the main runway and landing ahead. In the other direction, grass and seal hit the fence at essentially the same point, but there is an old X'd tarsealed runway parallel and close to the fence that will serve in an emergency with only a 90º turn if 180º doesn't seem advisable.