STAND DOWN

Well, it's been quite a month so far, hasn't it? A 200 foot "practice"
rope break resulting in crash. A recently purchased old wooden glider
where the spoilers came open and weren't noticed except by the tow
pilot who gave the 'check your aircraft' signal and this was
misintereperted to mean 'release now'. A couple of broken birds at
Logan and a crashed ASW-20 near Lone Pine, Ca.

Let's just suppose the SSA was a military organization (Army Division,
Navy Carrier or Air Force Wing) what do you think they would do with 3
fatalities, 2 seriously injured and 5 broken birds in just over 3
weeks?

I believe any of these organizations would call for a STAND DOWN to
review everything they were doing that related in any way to the safe
operation of their aircraft. The SSA doesn't have the authority to
stop anything, but they do have the authority and responsibility to
call for a review of everything we're doing that relates in any way to
the safe operation of the US glider fleet:

+ Minimum safe altitude to practice rope brakes (SSA recommendation to
all members)

+ Tow signal review, one two, all? (SSA recommendation to all members)

+ Radios in all tow ships and sailplanes (SSA recommendation to all
members)

+ Communication check before any tow (SSA recommendation to all
members)

+ Training changes (SSA recommendation to all members)

+ Other safety items/areas?

Any SSA directors rading this, what do you think?

JJ Sinclair