Letter to the FAA

If it was really 50-50 nobody would be flying. Did that statistic come
from MSNBC or Johnny Depp?

On 6/24/2017 9:44 PM, wrote:
The death toll doesn't match your hyperbole

In your article on "Launch Emergencies" you state that the odds are
50/50 of something going bad on each launch. Either it will or it
wont. Experiencing something go bad on a launch such as what happened to
me will convince any tow pilot of the imperative need to have a positive
and unfettered chance to release the glider. As you said, the Tost
release mechanism is not affected by vertical or horizontal loads
imposed by a glider flying in an out of bounds towing position. Clearly
the Scnweizer hook is affected by such conditions rendering it useless.


In a low, severe kiting incident such as mine the tow pilot must
react in an instant. Anything that delays that reaction can result in a
catastrophy. Relying on the rope to break under such circumstances is
not a good alternative to a positive release mechanism. Any commercial
operator or club still operating with a Schweizer hook and/or a release
handle not conveniently available to the pilot is playing Russian
roulette with the life of their tow pilot.


Walt




--
Walt Connelly

--
Dan, 5J

[quote=Dan Marotta;949727]If it was really 50-50 nobody would be flying. Did that statistic come
from MSNBC or Johnny Depp?

Actually it was in an article from Tom Knauff called "Launching Emergencies." I read everything I can find on the subject. I saw the humor, the tongue in cheek of what he said, did you not?

http://www.eglider.org/NewsArticles/...mergencies.htm

Walt

At 03:44 25 June 2017, wrote:
The death toll doesn't match your hyperbole

How many pilots have to die before you act, give me a number.

On Sunday, June 25, 2017 at 2:30:04 PM UTC-4, Don Johnstone wrote:
At 03:44 25 June 2017, wrote:
The death toll doesn't match your hyperbole

How many pilots have to die before you act, give me a number.

Couple of posts back I suggested several acts that are more productive than squealing to the teacher. You want a number, I'll give you an equation: When the yearly towpilot death toll = the yearly glider pilot death toll. Glider pilot lives matter too. Simple solution is to write letters demanding the FAA ban gliding. All those glider pilot's lives and by default towpilot's lives saved. Brilliant.

On Tuesday, May 23, 2017 at 8:43:10 PM UTC-4, Walt Connelly wrote:
Before I send my letter to the FAA I'd like to ask if anyone has ever
attempted to get them to see the light and end the use of Schweizer
hooks on tow planes here in the land of the free and the home of the
brave. It is a well known fact and clearly stated in the SSA/SSF and
FAA circulars and literature that under certain conditions (the exact
condition that the tow pilot will need to release) that it can be near
impossible to release the glider. Tow planes have crashed, lives have
been lost and at the same time everyone knows that this is a dangerous
situation.

Along with the conversion to Tost hooks I'd like to see it made
mandatory that the release handles be up high, near the throttle and
quickly available to the tow pilot with adequate mechanical advantage. I
can assure you that one does not have the time to go ducking and
reaching and feeling for a handle down on the floor of a Pawnee while
the glider kites in back of you.

The idea of requiring nose hooks on all gliders does not seem to be
feasible although it has been brought up to me as something that needs
to be addressed. My understanding is that the CG hook is meant for
ground/winch launch operations, however I have probably done thousands
of CG hook aero tows with no problem. For the most part these are ships
being flown by the best and most aware pilots. I'd like more input from
experience pilots on this point.

I currently have a number of highly experienced pilots from all levels
of aviation in agreement with me and willing to help me in this cause.


If one life is saved as a result of this endeavor then it will be well
worth it.

Walt Connelly




--
Walt Connelly

Back in the late 70's I witnessed an incident that almost became tragic for both the tow pilot and the glider pilot. Location was at the old Kendall Gliderport SW of Miami, and was owned by Mary GAffney.
Rudy was the owner of the operation and was towing a 233 on a pattern tow when the glider pilot kited after the glider pilot had not actually pulled the release, but turned in an upward angle. Suddenly the tow plane was in a spin, with the glider attached and they were both hurling toward the ground.. Somehow the glider released and Rudy was able to recover before slamming into the ground. I remember Rudy saying that he could not get the release to function because of the heavy load placed upon the assembly. Bob Youngblood

Any reason why rope-cutting guillotines (like we have in winches) aren't installed in tow planes? Regardless of the design of the hook, surely redundancy (as long as it doesn't increase the risk of an unintended release, which would potentially be more problematic on tow than on the winch).

On Monday, July 3, 2017 at 4:22:54 PM UTC+3, John Wells wrote:
Any reason why rope-cutting guillotines (like we have in winches) aren't installed in tow planes? Regardless of the design of the hook, surely redundancy (as long as it doesn't increase the risk of an unintended release, which would potentially be more problematic on tow than on the winch).

I believe the installations with a winch to retract the tow rope after glider release also have a guillotine in lieu of a release on the tow plane end..

It might be pretty tricky to design an installation with both a release and a guillotine on the tow plane end without:

1) having the guillotine hanging way off the back of the tow plane, and mounted to what?

2) having the tow rope attachment/pull point much further forward than usual, and potentially difficult to hook up/unhook

3) being able to release the rope in flight (or while taxiing) without cutting the rope and without risk of the rings (or whatever) fouling on the guillotine.


I'm not sure why a guillotine would add any more risk. There are already plenty of ways for PTT to happen, and glider towing should always be performed in a way that makes PTT safe at any point during the takeoff.

At 13:22 03 July 2017, John Wells wrote:
Any reason why rope-cutting guillotines (like we have in winches) aren't
in=
stalled in tow planes? Regardless of the design of the hook, surely
redund=
ancy (as long as it doesn't increase the risk of an unintended release,
whi=
ch would potentially be more problematic on tow than on the winch).

Our aerotow ropes have weak links at both ends, a weak one at the glider
end and a stronger one at the tug end. Normally the glider weak
link goes but if the tug takes the rope through the hedge the the tug end
goes and no harm - except to the tug pilot's reputation.

Chris

Walt,

Can you give an update on your letter to the FAA regarding this incident?

Regards,
Gerald

Gosh, this has been a concern for many years.

At least one way to look at this is to consider is it a problem?

There are recorded instances of glider pilots becoming too high on the tow plane early on tow resulting in lifting the tail of the towplane driving it into the ground. Killing the tow pilot.

It is well known if you lift on the tail-installed tow release with enough force, the Schweizer tow release may not function.

The soaring community can not ignore the problem.

I remember when we installed the Tost tow release on our tow planes many years ago. We felt it best to have our installation (easy) approved by an FAA inspector. He took a simple look at the installation and approved it on the spot.

The Tost tow release is a low cost item and easy to install.