Keep your hand off the release handle during aero tows!

Couple of things;

1) THIS THREAD IS ABOUT YOUR HAND ON THE RELEASE! NOT ON THE SPOILERS! Can we all say "oops"?

2) I had a PTT when I had my hand on the release. Never again.

3) That being said (#2 above) I saw a friend get in trouble on tow and couldn't find the release handle due to G forces (scratch one glider). So I came up with a fairly long lanyard that goes from the release knob to my wrist. In this way small movements of my hand won't impact the release but, in an emergency, a half way hands up gesture of "you're under arrest" will release the tow. Luckily I have never used this. Needless to say I use the knob for a non-emergency releases. Here is a link to my Mark 1 version (Bumper type model numbering), I don't have a shot of Mark II with its adjustable palm knob and black nylon webbing. http://aviation.derosaweb.net/images...selandyard.JPG

My $0.02.

- John

Winch tow, hand on release? Not a good idea?
Jerk acceleration, from some slack or something in the line and you inadvertently pull the release.
Probably not too bad if still on the ground.

The accident report is not final from the recent Jacuma CA winch accident. Preliminary information is a Premature release at to low an altitude and to high an attitude.

Aero tow, I was giving a flight review and the pilot tried to hold his fist right in front of the 2-33 release, it was a bumpy tow and his hand was everywhere except near the release. We discussed the usefulness of that concept.

BT

On Friday, October 4, 2013 8:06:12 PM UTC-6, Bill T wrote:
Winch tow, hand on release? Not a good idea?

Jerk acceleration, from some slack or something in the line and you inadvertently pull the release.

Probably not too bad if still on the ground.



The accident report is not final from the recent Jacuma CA winch accident.. Preliminary information is a Premature release at to low an altitude and to high an attitude.



Aero tow, I was giving a flight review and the pilot tried to hold his fist right in front of the 2-33 release, it was a bumpy tow and his hand was everywhere except near the release. We discussed the usefulness of that concept.



BT

OK, I gotta jump in here. Keeping a hand on the release is SOP on winch launch. If the ground roll isn't perfectly straight and level, you have to release instantly.

A launch failure can happen anytime at any height on a winch launch and in itself doesn't cause accidents - provided the PIC is doing his job of flying the glider. Student pilots can expect an instructor to pull the release at any height and then be expected to land the glider safely.

On Fri, 04 Oct 2013 19:06:12 -0700, Bill T wrote:

Winch tow, hand on release? Not a good idea?
Jerk acceleration, from some slack or something in the line and you
inadvertently pull the release.
Probably not too bad if still on the ground.

If that happens, would you really want to stay on?

If/when that happens to me the release gets pulled because:
(1) I don't want a large bight in the shock rope to wrap round my wheel
(2) I'd rather not subject my hook to the sort of snatch load a powerful
winch can apply.

The accident report is not final from the recent Jacuma CA winch
accident. Preliminary information is a Premature release at to low an
altitude and to high an attitude.

This a good reason for the UK emphasis on a slow rotation into full climb
and not starting rotation until you have 150% of stall speed (50kts in
most gliders) and positive acceleration. It helps to ensure that while
you're low and slow you're not steep.


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |

At 02:06 05 October 2013, Bill T wrote:
Winch tow, hand on release? Not a good idea?
Jerk acceleration, from some slack or something in the line and you
inadvertently pull the release.
Probably not too bad if still on the ground.

The accident report is not final from the recent Jacuma CA winch
accident.
Preliminary information is a Premature release at to low an altitude and
to
high an attitude.

Aero tow, I was giving a flight review and the pilot tried to hold his
fist
right in front of the 2-33 release, it was a bumpy tow and his hand was
everywhere except near the release. We discussed the usefulness of that
concept.

BT

It is absolutely essential that hand contact with the release is maintained
from the time a cable is attached to the time until flight is achieved on a
winch launch. The wing drop/yaw/crash sequence is well documented and while
being able to operate the release quickly does nothing to prevent, only
mitigates the severity of the accident, it is nevertheless literally the
difference between life and death.
Inadvertently operating the release on a winch launch may prove
embarrassing, not operating the release if a wing drops may spare your
embarrassment by killing you.

http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources...NN%2006-13.pdf

At 02:06 05 October 2013, Bill T wrote:
Winch tow, hand on release? Not a good idea?

Asking a question? Making a statement? Sarcasm? What?

Jerk acceleration from some slack or something in the line and you
inadvertently pull the release.

HAD VERY MANY WINCH LAUNCHES?

All Out in my country means you take up the slack and launch. What slack
then?

"Or something else in the line". Like what, Gremlins tight rope walking?

HAVE MUCH WINCH EXPERIENCE?

What DOES cause slack in the ground roll or climb-

1. Pretty rare to have a tail wind gradient change as you climb or no wind
create momentary slack rope, but it happens.

So what? Then the trained winch driver gives more kts. Enough acceleration
to cause so severe a jerk and a premature detach because you were holding
the release? Pretty hard to fathom.

2. Poor pilot winch technique or not timely enough reactions, cause your
own slack, line catches up and a hard jerk? Not so. Thousands of feet of
line are very nice at cushioning shock, if not, maybe you should be
releasing and start over anyway.

3. EXPERIENCED winch pilots know instead, that with even a momentary slack,
usually a chute does you a favor, opens and an auto back release on a Tost
hook. If not, my left palm is right there on the left knee and left pinky
on the yellow knob for as fast as I can pull.

4. Hit severe sink on the way up, some slack (usually just a bow in the
line), recover as above or abort. Where's the jerk?

5. Novice winch driver or one with a lead foot on the accelerator and no
line tension control, brief cough in the motor, too fast a start can cause
slack in a stretched elastic line or break a weak link or both. Imagine all
the possible senarios. Prudence says immediately release and land straight
ahead, not react with a harder pull, steeper rotation to risk stall or back
release at a high AOA, or possibly break the weak link at not enough meters
high to have time, airspeed and elevator authority to aim back at the
ground and flare. (Maybe this is the type of situation where one can get so
excited and pull whatever he is holding on to.)

My hand (or part of it) is on (or near) the let-go mechanism.

Hey, I thought they were locked!

On Friday, October 4, 2013 12:46:52 PM UTC-4, Jp Stewart wrote:
On Friday, October 4, 2013 12:36:19 PM UTC-4, wrote:

I have seen several videos on youtube lately where the glider pilot holds the tow release handle during all parts tow. I've been told it is taught this way by some in the UK. Sorry to pick on you folks on the other side of the pond as I love your country and can't wait to come over and glide with you in the next few years.







It seems to me that holding the handle during aero tow is a recipe for disaster eventually.







We have all hit big bumps and turbulence down low on tow. Why risk accidentally pulling the release at 50ft or 100ft in the air? If you are saying it is so that you can immediately pull the handle if something goes bad on tow, it might not be a good enough reason due to the risks of a accidental release. Keep your hand on your knee or the flaps handle right next to the release and I bet you can pull it just as quickly and you don't have to worry about messing up a perfectly good tow down low. Am I missing something here?







Your thoughts? This just seems like a big safety mistake and I would hate for people who see these videos and then think it is the right and correct thing to do.







Have fun and fly safe,



Bruno - B4



www.youtube.com/bviv



Or you can keep you hands on those pesky spoilers?



JP

We in the UK are not taught to hold the release throughout an
aerotow. Have there been reports of inadvertent releases on
aerotow from this? Cable releases are not hair-trigger.

Especially for winch launches we are taught to "start the launch
with the hand on the release" . The following AAIB report is
relevant to that:

http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/Schempp-
Hirth%20Nimbus-3%20glider%20G-EENN%2006-13.pdf

John Galloway







At 16:36 04 October 2013, wrote:
I have seen several videos on youtube lately where the glider
pilot holds
t=
he tow release handle during all parts tow. I've been told it is
taught
th=
is way by some in the UK. Sorry to pick on you folks on the
other side of
=
the pond as I love your country and can't wait to come over
and glide with
=
you in the next few years. =20

It seems to me that holding the handle during aero tow is a
recipe for
disa=
ster eventually.

We have all hit big bumps and turbulence down low on tow.
Why risk
accident=
ally pulling the release at 50ft or 100ft in the air? If you are
saying
it=
is so that you can immediately pull the handle if something
goes bad on
to=
w, it might not be a good enough reason due to the risks of a
accidental
re=
lease. Keep your hand on your knee or the flaps handle right
next to the
r=
elease and I bet you can pull it just as quickly and you don't
have to
worr=
y about messing up a perfectly good tow down low. Am I
missing something
he=
re?

Your thoughts? This just seems like a big safety mistake and I
would hate
f=
or people who see these videos and then think it is the right
and correct
t=
hing to do.

Have fun and fly safe,
Bruno - B4
www.youtube.com/bviv

On Friday, October 4, 2013 1:30:46 PM UTC-4, John Galloway wrote:
We in the UK are not taught to hold the release throughout an

aerotow. Have there been reports of inadvertent releases on

aerotow from this? Cable releases are not hair-trigger.


Glad to hear it, and yes, respectively. http://dms.ntsb.gov/aviation/Acciden...2013120000.pdf

T8

On Friday, October 4, 2013 11:30:46 AM UTC-6, John Galloway wrote:
We in the UK are not taught to hold the release throughout an
aerotow. Have there been reports of inadvertent releases on
aerotow from this? Cable releases are not hair-trigger.

Especially for winch launches we are taught to "start the launch
with the hand on the release" . The following AAIB report is
relevant to that:

http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources...NN%2006-13.pdf

John Galloway

Hi John and everyone else, thanks for the responses so far. As I stated in the title I am only talking about aero tows. What I don't want people to think is if it is the right way for a winch launch then it is the right way for aero tows. I completely agree on keeping the hand on during the first part of the winch launch. If you accidentally pull at 50 or even 100 feet you still have a lot more runway ahead than with most aero tows since on winches you get off the ground and up in a much shorter distance.

Getting back to the original topic, we are already seeing examples of stories in this thread of people who DID hold on to the release and had a low inadvertent release. The problem does exist and has caused accidents. Please keep your hand off the handle on an aero tow unless you have one of the extending lanyards that have been spoken of. I could not reach the release for the life of me in my Phoebus and so had the lanyard attached. It sat on my knee with my open hand on top of it during tow.

Take care and be safe,
Bruno - B4