On Thursday, March 29, 2018 at 1:51:08 PM UTC-5, Tony wrote:
Yes, we do. Since the late 1940's the SSA/Soaring Safety Foundation has had a standard set of signals. http://soaringsafety.org/briefings/signals.html

The FAA Glider Flying Handbook includes these standard signals. They are part of training of every glider pilot. This being the USA, however, most people are pretty sure they have a better idea.

Ah, but Tony, they occasionally change - ref the signal to STOP - and are obviously not carved in stone. When they were first established, was there any consideration of the need to keep a modern tanked glider level if carrying water? Or the need to level the wings long enough to balance a partial load? Or of the development of tow rope winches for towplanes? All these result in local (or situational - races) changes to the "standard" rules.

Back to the wingrunner "start the launch" signal - I can see the utility of it as a repeat of the PICs final signal (rudder waggle). Emphasis on REPEAT, "foot stomp", because I do not want the decision to launch made by the wing runner. And perhaps it is a local problem, but I often look in the mirror and watch the wing get raised (glider pilot gave the wing runner the thumbs up "ready" signal) then immediately the wing runner gives the takeoff sign - followed by the pilot giving the rudder waggle!

Maybe now that it's the 21th century we should require actual communication between the tow and glider pilot!

It's nice that the Brits have a standardized system. Does all of Europe? Just watched a video of the Diana 3 launching, and all I saw was a rudder waggle. All the wing runner did was hold the wing level. What is the process in France? Germany? Poland?

Anyway, discussion is good and fun. Come on Cu's!

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