Hi José,

besides some exceptions (like Blanik or Romanian IS gliders), winch launches do not cause additional limitation of glider life times on top of the usual flight time limits.

Winch launching is a very common method in many European countries. The ASK13 of our club has close to 50,000 starts, 95% of them as winch launches. We safely take it to Vne, do basic instructions and spin trainings with it. There is no doubt that it can safely be flown within the approved operational limits. It has always been stored in a dry place and received a major overhaul 15 years ago.

If you there is any doubt about the airworthiness of a glider, it should receive a thorough inspection rather than being flown up to 50% of Vne.

Best regards,
Christoph