From the the five years of winch training, amounting to about 1000 launches (and 52 years of auto launching) at Eagle Field I'd be hard pressed to improve on "Son of Flubber's" response.

But here are some comments anyway.

During the ground school preceeding flying a caveat we emphasize is that launching out of Eagle Field in a Duo with a 330 HP winch will equip the pilot with a good foundation in the technique, but a thorough briefing/checkout is necessary at any other site because it will have different conditions.

Our course consists of a minimum of 10 flights with an emphasis on unexpected launch termination (weak link breaks, etc.) At release the instructor takes over, dives, pulls to 60 degrees nose up and hollers "bang" as the speed winds back through 60 knots. At that point the student buries the stick in the panel until the nose is below the horizon and the total energy situation is assessed. These maneuvers are repeated three or four times on every launch until the student can do it asleep.

The only launch failure we fly is the most critical one - failure just as max nose up attitude is reached - about 150 feet.

There can be a wide variation in a student's aptitude for the training. For German's, Brits, etc. who learned on the winch and are looking for an FAA sign off this flying is a formality. At the other end are pilots not used to pointing "straight up" and need some repetitions to quell the hyperventilating.

And, echoing Flubber's comments about expanding "stickmanship," winch training is an excellent venue to expand a pilot's envelope of comfort with unusual attitudes. Could come in handy some day if they find themselves unexpectantly pointed in the wrong direction.

And these motorless "cat shots" are fun! Beats any Six Flags or Cedar Point ride.

KS