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Old March 18th 21, 06:26 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
2G
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Default Ground Operations, Margins, and Safety

On Wednesday, March 17, 2021 at 11:15:14 AM UTC-7, Dgtarmichael wrote:
On Wednesday, March 17, 2021 at 10:43:48 AM UTC-5, Papa3 wrote:
On Wednesday, March 17, 2021 at 11:37:28 AM UTC-4, wrote:
Hey Erik,

You posted on RAS rather than the club group as you probably intended..

All the best,
Daniel

So I did. Still applies.

Whenever I someone states or writes, "release immediately if you drop a wing." I cringe.
This is well intentioned but bad advise. If your wing touches the ground, the horses have already fled the barn! You must release before the wing touches the ground as a best practice because, while some types will let you get away with it under some conditions there are MANY other less forgiving examples. I did not wittness V12's accident but it sounds like the release occured early in the sequence if the excursion was upright and only 30 degrees off center. If release is delayed they stray farther off centerline, pitch up, bounce, cartwheel, and end up inverted. I have three friends who've taken this ride now.

Doug


WTF? So WHAT are you supposed to do when the wing hits the ground and you're still connected, hold on and hope for the best? OF COURSE you release!! Truth is the wing will drop faster than you can recognize it and pull the release - been there, done that. In any event, the wing was going to drop for reasons out of the pilot's control and he already had energy that had to be dissipated due to the speed he was going. The other pilot's blatant violation of the safety rules is what really caused this accident.

Tom