At 12:27 28 June 2008, Jim Beckman wrote:
At 15:31 27 June 2008, jb92563 wrote:

The tow pilots have all confirmed that if they had a serious issue
they would release me even without a wing rock if they needed to.

Which is a perfectly reasonable attitude, and just what I'd
expect. It leaves me with another question, though, for
the towpilots:

Why would you *ever* rock the wings when you want the
glider off, and right away? The only reason I can guess is
to save the rope, which seems like a pretty minor item
when the going gets tough.

I've asked a few tow pilots about this. Some of them said
the hell with the wing rock, they're just going to drop the
rope. One said that if he had time, he would rock the wings
as his left hand was reaching for the rope drop lever, but
the rope was probably going to go anyway.

Other options?

Jim Beckman



As soon as a serious problem (engine, airframe, out-of-position, etc.)
became evident, I would expect most tug pilots to dump the rope ASAP.

If someone took a launch at our Club with their airbrakes unlocked, they
would be dumped on the ground if it was evident (we specifically check in

the mirror on the roll for this). In the air, if the tug could maintain a
safe
airspeed & rate-of-climb, the tow would continue until the glider was in a

position where it could make a straight-in to the airfield with full
airbrake. If
the tug pilot was in any doubt, the glider would be dumped.

We will 'wave off' gliders if there is time/space to do so but will
_not_ use
the 'rudder waggle' signal as it is a) easily missed/misinterpreted by a

stressed glider pilot and b) more importantly, booting the rudder around
at
low height, low airspeed and high AoA is not terribly clever.

There are complications with using the radio to warn of configuration
problems with gliders. At altitude, fine. At low level (which will
probably be
the case with brakes out), it may mean the glider pilot taking his eyes
off
the tug and looking for the lever, which will be in an unfamiliar
(deployed)
position, then applying force to close it that may result in the stick
being
pulled back a bit as a reaction...

Our procedures are based on the (continued) non-recognition of a problem
from the glider end. The tug pilots will make every reasonable attempt to

correct this but will not endanger themselves in doing so. Having watched

incidents/accidents like this from the ground and the air, I am of the
opinion that even with prompting (signals, radio calls, undercarriage
warnings, etc.) the majority are too fixated to recognise what is wrong
until
they're on the ground and the stress levels are reducing.