tow rope brake practice crash, what can we learn...

On Jul 22, 6:01*pm, "
wrote:
On Jul 22, 1:36*pm, 5Z wrote:

On Friday, July 22, 2011 6:42:31 AM UTC-7, Dan Marotta wrote:
I've had two engine failures with gliders on tow (blown front engine seal
and failed oil pump) and both times the glider released when I rocked the
wings. *Had they not, I'd have dumped them without concern of the terrain
below.

Exactly! *If I get a wing rock, I'll think long and hard if pulling the release will put me in danger. *If, while thinking, the tow pilot dumps me, then the decision is made.

The tow pilot has two (radio is the third) options to "signal" the glider: wing rock and pull the release. *Pulling the release is easier to do, so if the towplane rocks its wings for me, I will assess the situation before pulling the release.

When driving a car, do you immediately swerve when something jumps out in front of you? *At a low speed this might work. *At high speed this results in a rollover. *Always, *think* before you act!!!

-Tom

BTW......I know a couple of tow pilots who say it is not all that easy
to get to and pull the release during a real emergency.....also that
they may not be in a position to rock the wings either.

We had one tow pilot, who when I asked to do a wing rock, to show a
student...she would just simply put the tow plane into a
dive.......She said that is what she would do in a real
emergency...not release, not rock the wings...just establish a nose
down glide.....

I teach my students to release imediately if the tow plane starts
diving..

Cookie

I don't "dive" but I do bunt over and begin a shallow descent while
simultaneously rocking the wings when I need the glider to release
now. If the situation is dire I'll pull the release myself. Simply
diving the towplane while a glider is on tow is a recipe for making
things worse.