Towpilots ignoring turn signals

On 5/1/2015 8:43 PM, wrote:
On Thursday, April 30, 2015 at 9:14:53 AM UTC-6, Dan Marotta wrote:
Don,

This discussion is mainly by and for US pilots. In the US, steering the
tug is acceptable practice and is taught during training. It is not
dangerous as you suggest because it's common practice.
Snip

On 4/30/2015 7:28 AM, Don Johnstone wrote:
OK let us look at this sensibly. For a glider pilot on tow to move his
glider in an attempt to steer the tug is just plain crazy, only a
complete idiot would attempt it. In over 50 years of gliding this is the
first time I have ever heard anyone suggest the procedure. The duty of a
glider pilot is to remain, as far as possible, in the correct position
behind the tug. The glider goes where the tug takes him and if you have
no radio contact there is NO safe way of telling him where you want to
go. An out of position glider is putting the combination at risk. While
it is acceptable to demonstrate out of position, for training purposes,
it is essential that the tug pilot is briefed, and agrees before hand. If
you got any more crazy ideas please keep them to yourself. Someone with
limited knowledge might just read your crazy idea and try it out.

I question whether it is wise to intentionally inhibit the towpilot's
ability to turn in one direction by pulling on it's tail. What will the
towpilot do if you are pulling the tail left and he needs to turn left for
traffic? Is it worth losing a rope? or having the rope wrap around your
wing when the towpilot is forced to release? or have the towpilot or you
run get in a mid-air?

There are many things that have been changed in gliding manuals over the
years. You're allowed to make changes as you gain experience.

I've no problem with that last paragraph.

WRT the immediately preceding paragraph, I'd suggest it's also possible to
overthink things. The O.P.'s point was he'd tried to signal a U.S. towpilot to
turn a certain direction and was ignored. THAT - by far - is the most
common/likely effect from an ignored or not understood turn signal from a
glider moving off to one side.

The U.S. (and my own) experience is gliders moving to one side or another to
silently signal a turn, works, when folks at both end of the rope are properly
trained and switched on. Those times my signal was ignored...I rationalized I
just practiced 25% of a boxed wake!

So far as I'm aware, your hypothetical scenario has never happened in the
U.S., while I know of two situations where a signaled turn presented and
responded to in a timely manner may have *prevented* the towplanes being
center-punched by light power traffic. Understand, we're talking statistical
probabilities near zero...

Bob W.

On Friday, May 1, 2015 at 11:13:38 PM UTC-4, Bob Whelan wrote:
The O.P.'s point was he'd tried to signal a U.S. towpilot to
turn a certain direction and was ignored. THAT - by far - is the most
common/likely effect from an ignored or not understood turn signal from a
glider moving off to one side.

this OP thanks you for bringing this full circle. and from a few towpilots' responses, my experience is borne out: some certainly don't pay attention to glider signals, except the tailwag on the ground and wingrock in the air.