Ooh! I see you edited in a full name!
Did you know there's a guy who goes by the handle of Ridgerodent and frequently gets deleted and locked locked down on The Davis Show with the EXACT SAME NAME?!
You guys should get together at Funston sometime. You seem to have a lot in common and would probably get along great.
I'm afraid the FAA is never gonna do us any good. The next time somebody gets killed because a Lookout Release locks up or a half G weak link blows they'd hafta admit that they're every bit as negligent as Matt and Tracy in that they've spent over a quarter century not making any pretense of enforcing any standards.
instructors and other qualified pilot fiends
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Tad Eareckson
- Posts: 9161
- Joined: 2010/11/25 03:48:55 UTC
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Tad Eareckson
- Posts: 9161
- Joined: 2010/11/25 03:48:55 UTC
Re: instructors and other qualified pilot fiends
Higher EDUCATION - 2011/07
HOW TO GET THE USHPA AEROTOW RATING
by Drs. Lisa Colletti & Tracy Tillman
It is our understanding that the title of our previous article struck a chord with the magazine's editorial staff--thus, the name of our monthly column is changing from "Towline" to "Higher Education." That's just fine with us. Although we sometimes discuss some issues not directly associated with towing, we will still have an emphasis on towing. This month, our discussion is on how to get the USHPA Aerotow (AT) rating, along with a mention of some recent towing-related changes to USHPA's Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). An example syllabus and curriculum for AT instruction is presented.
TRACY: About a year ago, I was looking through the USHPA SOPs and other official USHPA aerotowing documents and found the Aerotow (AT) credential referenced in different places as a rating, a special skill, an appointment, and even a certification. What is it, really?
LISA: It is a rating. The USHPA SOPs [ref 1] have recently been cleaned-up to clarify that, and the revision of other official USHPA aerotowing documents is currently in-process.
TRACY: Why is it considered to be a rating rather than a special skill?
LISA: Aerotowing is one of the most advanced and difficult skills in which to become proficient in hang gliding, and, like being a tug pilot or a tandem instructor, the AT pilot bears some responsibility for the safety of another person (the tug pilot) while being towed. As such, aerotowing is something that needs to be learned from a good aerotow instructor or administrator, rather than being self-taught. Therefore, it is considered a rating, which is awarded by an instructor or administrator, rather than a special skill [SOP 12-02.11] that is just observed and received from an observer [SOP 12-05.04].
TRACY: Why is it not considered an appointment or certification?
LISA: Ratings are permanent, like the H0-H5 hang ratings, whereas appointments and certifications are only good for three years. For example, the Instructor credential is a certification [SOP 12-07.02(B)]. Instructors must seek re-certification from an Instructor Administrator every three years, and to get re-certified they must provide evidence of current first aid training and use of an instructional curriculum, along with other specifics related to the type of Instructor Certification [SOP 12-05.05].
TRACY: There have been some other recent clarifications and changes to the SOPs that affect towing.
LISA: Right, these include the following:
1. The Aerotow Pilot (ATP) is a rating, thus is permanent (as long as the pilot holds USHPA membership) [SOP 12-07.02(A)].
2. The Paragliding Tow Tech Operator (TECH) is a rating for paragliding tow operations, not hang gliding tow operations, and is permanent (as long as the pilot holds USHPA membership) [SOP 12-02.21].
3. A surface or aerotow administrator is an appointment, thus requiring a request for reappointment from a surface or aerotow supervisor every three years [SOP 12-07.02(B) and 12-10.03(E)].
4. A surface or aerotow supervisor is an appointment, thus requiring a request for reappointment from the Tow Committee chair every three years [SOP 12-07.02(B) and 12-10.03(D)].
5. Observers cannot grant AT, ATP, or TECH ratings, as these three credentials are not special skills [SOP 12-05.04(C.1)]
6. The AT rating may be issued by AT Supervisors, AT Administrators and Basic and Advanced Instructors who possess the AT rating [SOP 12-02.12(F.3)].
TRACY: So, the AT, ATP, and TECH credentials are ratings, the Supervisor and Administrator are appointments, and Instructors are certified.
LISA: That is correct. And pilots can get ratings at levels 0-5 and various special skills, per SOP 12-02.
TRACY: You mentioned that the AT rating is one of the most advanced and difficult skills to achieve in hang gliding. Why is that?
LISA: Unlike surface towing skills, which are classified as special skills, much more is happening with aerotowing. First, compared to stationary or winch towing, the tow line is quite short, meaning that getting out of the "cone of safety" and locking out can happen much quicker with aerotowing. Getting out of position on tow is most likely to happen at launch, due to prop wash and mechanical wind turbulence, and is most dangerous because of being near the ground. Getting out of position can also cause the tug pilot to lose control, which, likewise, is most dangerous for the tug pilot near the ground. Second, ground-based tow systems are either not in-motion, or travel in a straight line at a relatively consistent speed. With aerotowing, the tug usually does not fly in a straight line for the entire tow--rather, the tug must often do at least a 180-degree turn to keep a novice hang glider pilot within gliding distance of the airfield after release and will often do 360s in thermals with more advanced pilots. Third, the tug has variations in airspeed, horizontal position, and vertical position, along with additional twisting motions in pitch, roll, and yaw. Because of the various axes of motion of the tug are combined with the axes of motion of the hang glider, much more is going on for the AT hang glider pilot relative to free flight or other types of towing. To deal with all of this, an AT pilot must learn to have very quick, proper, and precise skills--but those help to make their free-flight skills better and more precise, too.
TRACY: Aerotowing is a high-level skill that is also very popular with recreational pilots in the flatlands of our country as well as a popular launch method for major competitions across the world. What does a hang glider pilot need to learn in order to get the USHPA AT rating?
LISA: Technically, the pilot needs to learn the skills required to perform at a minimum level of competence per what is spelled out in USHPA SOP 12-02.12. Basically, this includes passing the AT written exam and an oral quiz [SOP 12-02.12(A.1-4)] on:
1. Demonstration of proper set-up, inspection, and use of aerotow equipment.
2. Demonstration and use of aerotow signals and emergency procedures.
3. Discussion of dangers to hang glider pilot and tug pilot of getting out of the cone of safety in straight and turning flight.
4. Discussion of the effects of wind and turbulence during and after tow.
TRACY: What about practical aerotow flight skills?
LISA: This requires a minimum of two tandem aerotows flights in smooth air [SOP 12-02.12(A.5)], with:
1. Demonstration of successful, confident, controlled launches and flight under tow to release at altitude with a tandem pilot, with a smooth release and turn to the right when transitioning to free flight.
2. Demonstration of proper directional and pitch control, resulting in proper tracking of the aerotow vehicle in both straight and turning flight and appropriate maintenance of proper tow line tension and airspeed.
3. Demonstration of proper technique for at least one normal and one crosswind takeoff (actual or simulated) with a tandem pilot.
4. Demonstration of ability to control the glider position within the "cone of safety" behind the aerotow vehicle by performing "cross" and "diamond" maneuvers during tow at altitude with a tandem rated pilot who is experienced and proficient at performing those maneuvers. (Note: This checks for positive control and lockout prevention skills, somewhat like the "boxing the wake" maneuver used for sailplane aerotow check flights, but "boxing the wake" must not be performed by hang gliders on tow due to lack of 3-axis control.)
5. Demonstration of ability to recover from roll oscillations induced by the tandem pilot.
6. Demonstration of proper reaction to a weak link/tow rope break simulation with a tandem rated pilot, initiated by the tandem pilot at altitude, but at a lower than normal release altitude. This is then followed by a minimum of at least three solo aerotow flights in smooth or mildly turbulent air [SOP 12-02.12(A.6)] to:
1. Demonstrate successful, confident, controlled launches and flight under tow to release at altitude as a solo pilot, with a smooth release and turn to the right when transitioning to free flight.
2. Demonstrate proper directional and pitch control, resulting in proper tracking of the aerotow vehicle in both straight and turning flight and appropriate maintenance of proper tow line tension and airspeed. Such demonstrations may be made in smooth or mildly turbulent air.
TRACY: These requirements set a baseline/minimum level of competence for getting the AT rating. Does it really provide assurance that a new AT-rated pilot can fly in tough conditions?
LISA: Absolutely not. SOP 12-02.12(A.6) states: "Additional instruction or mentorship should be provided to help the newly rated aerotow pilot gradually transition to towing in mid-day thermal/ turbulent conditions." In our experience, it can take 10 to 20, or even more, mentored solo flights for a new AT H-2 pilot to transition to mid-day soaring and reasonably windy conditions.
TRACY: Then, AT pilots need continued mentorship as they transition to new equipment. For example, entry-level gliders are very forgiving of poor weight-shift technique that can cause roll oscillations to be induced on tow. After solo, the weight shift technique of some students will deteriorate over time due to the stability and forgiving nature of their entry-level glider. That puts them at great risk of inducing roll oscillations when they transition to flying a higher performance glider, and even greater risk if towing it. That is why anyone transitioning to a higher performance glider should fly first with a fin and in smooth air. Actually, most AT pilots here at our club keep a fin on their glider permanently, because it makes their glider behave so much better on tow--and, if it's the right size, does not adversely affect free flight handling or performance.
LISA: Yeah, just like all the school kids in Lake Woebegone and at the University of Michigan, our club's pilots are smarter and above average.
TRACY: So, how does a pilot learn the AT skills prescribed by SOP 12-02.12?
LISA: Hopefully, from a good, well-qualified instructor who has a good curriculum.
TRACY: In our previous "Higher Education" article [ref 2] we built a curriculum for a tandem aero tow discovery flight lesson as a set-by-step example of how quick and easy it is to do. For this article, let's present a curriculum for an AT lesson program.
LISA: OK. Since getting an AT rating involves a lot more than just a tandem aerotow discovery flight lesson, we should present the curriculum as part of a more inclusive syllabus.
TRACY: That makes sense. To start, the instructional objectives for our syllabus can simply be the AT written and oral knowledge requirements and the AT flight skill requirements that are listed in SOP 12-02.12, which you just covered.
LISA: Then our curriculum can be set so as to teach those skills in a logical, set-by-step manner. Let's start with the ground school portion:
Ground work:
1. Introduction to instructor(s) and other student(s).
2. Orientation to flying site and facilities, completion of paperwork as needed.
3. Check USHPA card for current membership, ratings, and special skills.
4. Check pilot's log book, discuss recent and past flying experience and other towing background, if any.
5. Conduct ground training, covering aerotow techniques, signals, and technology.
6. Take AT written exam.
7. Post-exam review of AT exam questions/answers to fill knowledge gaps and improve understanding.
TRACY: What's the next part of the curriculum?
LISA: The tandem and solo AT flight training portion:
Air work:
01. Pre-launch check list. (Example: HIERTow.)
02. Take-off technique and correct position relative to tug during take-off.
03. Correct position (in the "sweet spot") for straight flight on tow.
04. Practice slow, controlled movements from the "sweet spot" to high and low tow positions.
05. Practice slow, controlled movements from the "sweet spot" to left and right tow positions.
06. Follow hand signals given by tug pilot to direct a change of tow position (up/down/hold).
07. Release at signal from tug pilot and turn to right (conserving speed, avoiding nose pop-up).
08. Correct timing and position for moderate, wide, and tight turns on tow.
09. 90, 180, 360 degree turns on tow.
10. 90, 180, 360 reversing turns on tow (a turn in one direction immediately followed by a turn in the other direction).
11. Correct position for changes in radius of turns during same turn (wide to tight/tight to wide).
12. Towing in turbulence (correct position for changes in airspeed and position of tug during straight and turning flight).
13. Cross-wind takeoff technique.
14. Simulated weak link/line break (release initiated by surprise by instructor).
15. Oscillation recovery (oscillations initiated by instructor with recovery by student).
16. Lockout recognition and recovery (instructor is safety pilot for student as student experiences and recovers from the beginning stage of lockout at the edge of the cone of safety).
17. Cross the plane, center/up/down/ center, then center/left/right/center (instructor is safety pilot for student as student flies to high/low and left/right edges of the cone of safety).
18. Diamond the plane, up/right/down/ left/up/center (instructor is safety pilot for student as student flies to edges of the cone of safety in a diamond pattern).
19. Final follow-the-tug skill confirmation check-out (preferably in mild turbulence) before first solo aerotow.
20. Three solo aerotow flights.
21. Additional solo aerotow training/ mentoring for gradual transition to towing in mid-day turbulence.
TRACY: How about including what to do to get the rating after training is completed?
LISA: That would include the oral quiz and flight skills demonstration, which can be fulfilled concurrently with training, since the instructor is usually also the rating official:
AT Rating Oral Quiz and Flight Skills Test
1. Oral quiz. The oral quiz portion can be done after flight training is complete, or can be done concurrently with the ground school and flight training portion of the program.
2. Two tandem flights. The student can demonstrate their proficiency at performing the skills prescribed by SOP 12.02-12 with a tandem pilot after completion of training or the skills may be demonstrated concurrently during the tandem flight training portion of their program. Thus, two additional tandem flights after completion of AT training may not be required.
3. Three solo flights. The student can demonstrate their proficiency at performing the skills prescribed by SOP 12.02-12 as a solo pilot after completion of tandem training, but still as part of their AT training program.
TRACY: Well, that is pretty straight-forward. Anything else?
LISA: Along with having instructional objectives, ground work curriculum, air work curriculum (the fun part), and the rating skills test as part of our syllabus, we should also include a skills check-off list in our syllabus, so that we and our students can keep track of their progress through the program.
TRACY: It should be stated that this is not an official USHPA AT curriculum.
Rather, it is an example of a curriculum that can be followed to teach students the skills they need to meet USHPA's AT rating requirements.
LISA: This particular curriculum is similar to what we experienced many years ago as sailplane student pilots. Following this approach to learning what is necessary to tow is thorough and very effective.
TRACY: The science, technique, and technology for aerotowing and teaching of aerotowing for hang gliding has gradually evolved and improved over the years and has gotten closer and closer to the approach used and approved by the FAA over many decades of towing of sailplanes.
LISA: And, aerotowing of hang gliders is now covered by the same FARs [refs 3,4] for towing of sailplanes.
TRACY: Right. Politically (our relationship with the FAA) and practically (our producing competent aerotow pilots) the techniques and requirements we follow for aerotowing of hang gliders have become more closely aligned with aerotowing of sailplanes. This happened concurrently with the FAA establishing common FARs for aerotowing of hang gliders and sailplanes. That is why the tandem "cross" and "diamond" out-of-position maneuvers are now a required part for hang glider aerotow instruction. These out-of-position training and skill demonstration maneuvers replace the tried-and-true "box the wake" maneuver that has been used for sailplane aerotow instruction for many decades, because the "boxing the wake" maneuver requires 3-axis aerodynamic control, rather than weight-shift control. Becoming proficient at these maneuvers produces a competent tow pilot who can safely handle out-of-position situations. Below is a drawing of a hang glider student learning to do the cross maneuver with her instructor. It shows them halfway through the maneuver, at the low 6 o'clock position of the diamond (shown in red), which is at the low edge of the cone of safety (shown in yellow). The normal "sweet spot" for towing is when the hang glider is at the very center of the cone of safety, which in this case would be when the wheels of the tug (and the horizontal centerline of the cone of safety) are on the horizon.
LISA: About a year ago, Dean Funk produced a great simulation of the "cross" and "diamond" maneuvers used for tandem hang gliding aerotow instruction [ref 5]. They can be seen at:
http://ihanglide.com/aerotow/
Thanks, Dean! We also have some air-to-air photos posted on Bob Grant's Skydog website [ref 6] that illustrate the boundary of the cone of safety while performing the "cross" maneuver. It should be noted that the normal "sweet spot" tow position behind the high-powered tugs we fly here at Cloud 9 is lower than that for tugs with less power, due to our very high climb rate, climb angle, and deck angle. Thus, our normal tow position has the wheels of the tug above the horizon.
TRACY: The requirement for including these maneuvers as part of tandem aerotow instruction for the AT rating came out of the Hang Glider Instruction Symposium, which occurred in Salt Lake City in early 2010. At this meeting, some of the best and most experienced instructors gathered from all across the US to share ideas and improve best practices in hang gliding instruction.
LISA: It is my understanding that these changes cause a problem for some aerotow operations.
TRACY: Right, although the changes were meant to set a standard of best practice, it does cause an unintended problem for some aerotow operators who are unable to provide tandem aerotow instruction. To accommodate these operations, the SOPs still include an option for solo-only aerotow instruction [SOP 12-02(A.7)].
LISA: Our experience and approach to teaching and learning to aerotow is with tandem aerotow instruction. We just don't have the personal experience or expertise to explain how to teach it via solo-only aerotow instruction, so we won't try to address it in this article.
TRACY: One other thing, what is the HIERTow pre-launch checklist?
LISA: It is a pre-launch checklist for aerotowing, which pilots go through just prior to launch. A pre-flight check of equipment is different, and should be done earlier, after initial set-up and prior to going out to the flight line. Pilots in all forms of aviation use checklists prior to flight, during flight, prior to landing, and after landing. The more complex the aircraft and modes of flight, the more checklists they will use. It is easier to remember what is in a checklist--and not miss something--when an acronym is used. In this case, the acronym HIERTow covers five general areas. The first four, HIER should be checked while "on deck" waiting for the tug to land and prior to being attached to the tow rope, so as not to slow down launch operations. The last item, Tow, should be completed after being attached to the tow rope, just prior to launch. This is the HIERTow pre-launch checklist:
1. Hang check: Carabiner in primary and secondary hang loops, carabiner closed and locked, in leg loops, harness closed and secured (leg doors open), hang height verified, parachute and helmet secured, no loose lines or cords.
2. Instrument check: Instruments secured, turned on, and set/zeroed. No loose lines or cords.
3. Equipment check: Overview scan of glider (this does NOT replace a careful preflight!!). Overview scan of launch cart, verify correct angle of attack, check that wheels are straight.
4. Release check: Check weak link, primary release routing, primary release position and function, secondary release security, bridle line routing (over the base tube and not twisted), location of hook knife.
5. Tow check: Verify in leg loops, bridle over the base tube, no loose parachute pins, no loose lines or cords (especially VG lines or harness cords) that could get caught on the launch cart. Note wind speed and direction, scan for traffic in pattern, mentally prepare for tow and emergency actions. Close visor. Launch command is "Go, Go, Go."
TRACY: Well, that's it for this month's edition of Higher Education. The soaring forecast is great--let's go, go, go fly!
Illustration:
Low Tow Position during Diamond Maneuver
REFERENCES
1. "Standard Operating Procedures of the USHPA":
https://www.ushpa.aero/documents/SOP/ushpa_sop_book.pdf
2. "Towline/Higher Education: How to Teach Better, Higher, Faster." by Lisa Colletti and Tracy Tillman, Hang Gliding and Paragliding magazine, June 2011:
https://www.ushpa.aero/member_magazine_current.asp
or
http://issuu.com/us_hang_gliding_paragliding/docs/1106_web?mode=embed&viewMode=presentation&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayoutxml&showFlipBtn=true
3. "Glider and Unpowered Ultralight Vehicle Towing: Experience and Training Requirements." Title 14 CFR Part 61.69:
http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=ea83fd8f5a4822b85363941f6820a009&rgn=div8&view=text&node=l4:2.0.1.l.2.2.17&idno=14
4. "Towing: Gliders and Unpowered Ultralight Vehicles." Title 14 CFR Part 91.309:
http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=1ec36648b040f89b54835e5b488b758b&rgn=div8&view=text&node=14:2.0.1.3.10.47.5&idno=14
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Tad Eareckson
- Posts: 9161
- Joined: 2010/11/25 03:48:55 UTC
Re: instructors and other qualified pilot fiends
Higher EDUCATION - 2011/07
HOW TO GET THE USHPA AEROTOW RATING
- USHGA stuff that specifies that a release has to be able to handle twice weak link and that a weak link is required on both ends of the towline?
- FAA stuff that specifies a MINIMUM of 0.8 times the glider's MAXIMUM certified operating weigh?
Yeah, you probably did - and then just assumed that what all you assholes were using and doing was good enough.
Any chance of the AT Guidelines being made publicly available? Just kidding.
http://www.ushawks.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=929
Training Manual Comments / Contribution
If you wanna see what our difficult skills are look where people are crashing and getting hurt and killed in the greatest numbers.
- Landings take it hands down - especially since USHGA and its schools and instructors force and program damn near everyone to land hands up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuMxK9PadzA
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But even if it didn't landing would still take it. You're flying a GLIDER, you very seldom get to choose when you land, and you get ONE shot at it - even if the wind does decide to go 180 and pick up on you at some point in the final five seconds.
- Foot launch - flat slope, slot, ramp, cliff, towing - comes in second.
http://vimeo.com/34757572
You're having to manually trim the glider in pitch and roll, pick a cycle, and either run up to launch speed in light air or keep things together in the strong stuff.
http://sites.google.com/site/ericthorstenson123/
Eric Thorstenson
- Also...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHWbu0su1fA
...seems to be such an astoundingly advanced and difficult skills in which to become proficient...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0lvH-KxGlQ
5:00
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcKebsmnVUk
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u51qpPLz5U0
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...that only on the rarest of occasions does one see anyone making an attempt.
Aerotowing is brain dead easy. You:
- are on a flat as a pancake grassy runway instead of a cliff.
- put your glider on a cart and lie down underneath it. Your pitch is preset and your wings are level and you can't launch unhooked.
- tell the tug to go and wait until you have all the airspeed you want. Cross and tailwinds which would destroy you foot launching are barely noticeable.
- point the glider at the tug until you're as high as you wanna be.
Take your fucking 130 pound Greenspot standard aerotow weak links and Florida Ridge "runway" out of the equation and aerotow launch incidents are statistically nonexistent.
HOW TO GET THE USHPA AEROTOW RATING
Did you look through the:Tracy
About a year ago, I was looking through the USHPA SOPs and other official USHPA aerotowing documents and found the Aerotow (AT) credential referenced in different places as a rating, a special skill, an appointment, and even a certification. What is it, really?
- USHGA stuff that specifies that a release has to be able to handle twice weak link and that a weak link is required on both ends of the towline?
- FAA stuff that specifies a MINIMUM of 0.8 times the glider's MAXIMUM certified operating weigh?
Yeah, you probably did - and then just assumed that what all you assholes were using and doing was good enough.
Oh. They've been CLEANED UP. How reassuring.Lisa
It is a rating. The USHPA SOPs have recently been cleaned-up to clarify that, and the revision of other official USHPA aerotowing documents is currently in-process.
Any chance of the AT Guidelines being made publicly available? Just kidding.
http://www.ushawks.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=929
Training Manual Comments / Contribution
Any chance you gave Tad's proposals a skim before starting on your housekeeping? Fuck you.Bill Cummings - 2012/01/10 14:04:59 UTC
Tad's procedures for aerotowing should become part of any training manual.
Tad must have put hour upon hour of gathering together his written procedure.
Tracy
Why is it considered to be a rating rather than a special skill?
BULLSHIT.Lisa
Aerotowing is one of the most advanced and difficult skills in which to become proficient in hang gliding...
If you wanna see what our difficult skills are look where people are crashing and getting hurt and killed in the greatest numbers.
- Landings take it hands down - especially since USHGA and its schools and instructors force and program damn near everyone to land hands up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuMxK9PadzA
11-3923
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2918/14088365389_a9e8c49e68_o.png
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But even if it didn't landing would still take it. You're flying a GLIDER, you very seldom get to choose when you land, and you get ONE shot at it - even if the wind does decide to go 180 and pick up on you at some point in the final five seconds.
- Foot launch - flat slope, slot, ramp, cliff, towing - comes in second.
http://vimeo.com/34757572
You're having to manually trim the glider in pitch and roll, pick a cycle, and either run up to launch speed in light air or keep things together in the strong stuff.
http://sites.google.com/site/ericthorstenson123/
Eric Thorstenson
Look what just happened less than four weeks ago at Chelan to one of the Wannabe Ranch tug drivers ferchrisake.Ben Dunn - 2012/07/05
On July 4th Eric Thorstenson had an accident, suffering C6 and C7 vertebral fractures which caused C6-C7 spinal cord injury, resulting in paralysis from armpits down.
- Also...
Verifying that one is connected one's glider within five seconds of launch...With each flight, demonstrates a method of establishing that the pilot is hooked in just prior to launch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHWbu0su1fA
...seems to be such an astoundingly advanced and difficult skills in which to become proficient...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0lvH-KxGlQ
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u51qpPLz5U0
07-0913
11-1118
...that only on the rarest of occasions does one see anyone making an attempt.
Aerotowing is brain dead easy. You:
- are on a flat as a pancake grassy runway instead of a cliff.
- put your glider on a cart and lie down underneath it. Your pitch is preset and your wings are level and you can't launch unhooked.
- tell the tug to go and wait until you have all the airspeed you want. Cross and tailwinds which would destroy you foot launching are barely noticeable.
- point the glider at the tug until you're as high as you wanna be.
Take your fucking 130 pound Greenspot standard aerotow weak links and Florida Ridge "runway" out of the equation and aerotow launch incidents are statistically nonexistent.
-
Tad Eareckson
- Posts: 9161
- Joined: 2010/11/25 03:48:55 UTC
Re: instructors and other qualified pilot fiends
Higher EDUCATION - 2011/07
HOW TO GET THE USHPA AEROTOW RATING
In reality tugs are NEVER endangered by gliders.
- Tugs have full control of the thrust for both planes.
- We launch at THEIR preferred takeoff and climbout speeds.
- No glider has ever flown a tug downwind of a runway.
- Tugs ALL use releases that don't stink on ice and...
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/skysailingtowing/message/6726
Weaklinks
- No glider ever mandated that a tug use the nonfunctional shit towing hardware that he sells.
- While the glider is is ALMOST always better off connected to the tug, the tug IS ALWAYS better off without the glider. Therefore they force gliders to use weak links off the bottom end of the FAA legal range.
- It also never hurts a tug to land without 250 feet of trailing spectra so...
http://www.chgpa.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3648
Oh no! more on weak links
- No glider has ever left a tug with 250 feet of spectra draped over its basetube.
- While it's sometimes impossible or lethally dangerous for a glider to climb to a high tug it ALWAYS improves the tug's situation to drop back down to where it's supposed to be.
- No glider has ever crashed a tug by...
http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=14221
Tad's release
- No tug has ever been destroyed after failing to get airborne by...
http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=553
Weak Links vs Strong, but foolproof release?
I can name you seven glider people killed by tug driver negligence and incompetence. And that doesn't count the ones who've knowingly towed gliders with known deadly equipment on the back end. Name me one tug that's ever been scratched by a glider.
- If you can fly a glider you can aerotow. I was one of hundreds of people who just hooked up behind a Cosmos trike and flew. Of course we didn't have highly experienced aerotow professionals back than to tell us how impossible and deadly that would be back then.
- As far as I can tell there ARE NO good instructors or administrators. They're all a bunch of stupid, incompetent, corrupt assholes.
HOW TO GET THE USHPA AEROTOW RATING
Name some tugs who have been fucked over by gliders.Lisa
...and, like being a tug pilot or a tandem instructor, the AT pilot bears some responsibility for the safety of another person (the tug pilot) while being towed.
In reality tugs are NEVER endangered by gliders.
- Tugs have full control of the thrust for both planes.
- We launch at THEIR preferred takeoff and climbout speeds.
- No glider has ever flown a tug downwind of a runway.
- Tugs ALL use releases that don't stink on ice and...
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/skysailingtowing/message/6726
Weaklinks
...whereas gliders view unplanned semi-loops as fairly routine occurrences following emergency separations no tug has ever so much as wobbled in the course of dumping a glider.Peter Birren - 2008/10/27 23:41:49 UTC
Imagine if you will, just coming off the cart and center punching a thermal which takes you instantly straight up while the tug is still on the ground. Know what happens? VERY high towline forces and an over-the-top lockout. You'll have both hands on the basetube pulling it well past your knees but the glider doesn't come down and still the weaklink doesn't break (.8G). So you pull whatever release you have but the one hand still on the basetube isn't enough to hold the nose down and you pop up and over into an unplanned semi-loop. Been there, done that... at maybe 200 feet agl.
- No glider ever mandated that a tug use the nonfunctional shit towing hardware that he sells.
- While the glider is is ALMOST always better off connected to the tug, the tug IS ALWAYS better off without the glider. Therefore they force gliders to use weak links off the bottom end of the FAA legal range.
- It also never hurts a tug to land without 250 feet of trailing spectra so...
http://www.chgpa.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3648
Oh no! more on weak links
...they're quite happy towing gliders with weak links even lighter than the ones on the back end.Carlos Weill - 2008/11/30 19:24:09 UTC
The tug weak link broke off at 1000ft, in less than a second the glider was at 500ft. At that point I realized I had the rope, so I drop it in the parking lot.
- No glider has ever left a tug with 250 feet of spectra draped over its basetube.
- While it's sometimes impossible or lethally dangerous for a glider to climb to a high tug it ALWAYS improves the tug's situation to drop back down to where it's supposed to be.
- No glider has ever crashed a tug by...
http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=14221
Tad's release
...making a good decision in the interest of its safety.William Olive - 2008/12/24 23:46:36 UTC
I've seen a few given the rope by alert tug pilots, early on when things were going wrong, but way before it got really ugly. Invariably the HG pilot thinks "What the hell, I would have got that back. Now I've got a bent upright."
- No tug has ever been destroyed after failing to get airborne by...
http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=553
Weak Links vs Strong, but foolproof release?
...being dragged down a runway by glider unaware of its status.Justin Needham - 2005/02/09 23:03:22 UTC
My launch on this occasion was in medium length grass where the tug had slow acceleration. The winds were pretty much zero. On my "all out", I guess a gentle thermal tailwind hit me from behind as I began to run. This was enough to prevent me from getting airborne. I ran a very long way till I could no longer keep up with the groundspeed. The glider wasn't taking my weight, and I was then forced to push out to try and avoid hitting the ground. Unfortunately even in deep ground effect mush, there was still not enough lift. The control frame hit down, followed immediately by the nose of the glider and then everything went crazy.
I was accelerated along the ground, with a flattened control frame, with my face in the dirt and absolutely no ability to release since my arms were being flailed about. All I clearly recall, is shouting "stop stop stop" since I could do nothing else. I was in severe danger of breaking my neck, since my head was being caught up in all this as I did twenty plus miles per hour across the ground.
The tug pilot was inexperienced, and for those few seconds was concentrating on getting airborne, not on looking at me. After ploughing a furrow for about 75 meters, while my glider disintegrated about me, the tug pilot got the message and finally stopped.
I can name you seven glider people killed by tug driver negligence and incompetence. And that doesn't count the ones who've knowingly towed gliders with known deadly equipment on the back end. Name me one tug that's ever been scratched by a glider.
Bullshit.As such, aerotowing is something that needs to be learned from a good aerotow instructor or administrator, rather than being self-taught.
- If you can fly a glider you can aerotow. I was one of hundreds of people who just hooked up behind a Cosmos trike and flew. Of course we didn't have highly experienced aerotow professionals back than to tell us how impossible and deadly that would be back then.
- As far as I can tell there ARE NO good instructors or administrators. They're all a bunch of stupid, incompetent, corrupt assholes.
-
Tad Eareckson
- Posts: 9161
- Joined: 2010/11/25 03:48:55 UTC
Re: instructors and other qualified pilot fiends
Higher EDUCATION - 2011/07
HOW TO GET THE USHPA AEROTOW RATING
- You don't introduce people to aerotowing in demanding conditions.
- The propwash thing...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlIGsgNFRWM
...is a myth created by assholes like Jim Rooney to account for standard aerotow weak links preventing flights from getting to ten feet.
- People who have basic up/down/left/right hang gliding skills don't get out of position on launch. They come off the carts level with lotsa speed and almost always fly straight as arrows through the critical period. They get out of position when they start getting their asses kicked by thermals after they've gotten up a few hundred feet.
- And using a two point (yeah, TWO point) tow system you can EASILY trim ANY glider to the tow speed.
- In training and virtually all soaring conditions the tugs and gliders NEVER turn under two or three hundred feet.
- However, if a glider gets kicked out of line a tug CAN maneuver in front of him. That's a bit of a tough assignment for a stationary winch or a truck on a runway or back road.
- But let's say that's not the case. So wave the novice off before you get to the point of no return.
- Or do the turn training in range. If he locks out, so what? He's high enough that it doesn't matter.
- Just how sharp a 180 do you need to do anyway?
And nobody ever got killed aerotowing 'cause he couldn't follow a tug doing 360s in thermals or anywhere else.
- With stationary winch or static tow you're dealing with a constantly and dramatically increasing tow angle and that's something of a pain in the ass from engineering and procedural standpoints.
- As line pays off of winches you're also dealing with tension increases which need to be either adjusted out or lived with.
- Whereas a tug and glider are in pretty much the same box of air on surface tow you can be flying through gradients the surface doesn't know about.
- Additional TWISTING MOTIONS? The fuckin' glider knows and deals with two things - line direction and tension. Anything that happens with the glider as a consequence of the tug moving or getting bounced around can also happen on surface static tow as a consequence of what's going on with the vehicle and/or air. People can and do lock out and get killed just as dead on any flavor of surface tow as they do on aero - sometimes more. (Thanks, Sam.)
- BECAUSE the tug has variations in airspeed, horizontal position, and vertical position, along with "additional twisting motions" in pitch, roll, and yaw he - assuming he isn't a TOTAL douchebag - can and does do his fuckin' job and adjust to accommodate the glider.
- Or would you Cloud 9 assholes prefer to tow behind a tug that DOESN'T have variations in airspeed, horizontal position, and vertical position, along with additional twisting motions in pitch, roll, and yaw? Maybe Tracy can round up some of his old engineering students and design and build a nice safe tug like that. (If they haven't already. It would make a nice complement to the Wallaby and Bailey releases.)
- Because the tow angle is straight ahead and constant it's brain dead easy to engineer a release system that allows the pilot to blow tow with both hands on the basetube and no interruption of control. And that's a fuckin' HUGE checkmark in the plus column for aero. But you goddam wastes of space don't make the slightest effort to exploit it.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TUGS/message/1149
[TUGS] aerotow instruction was Re: Tug Rates
http://www.flickr.com/photos/aerotowrelease/8306300488/
...than a standard aerotow weak link which you HOPE will meet your moronic EXPECTATION of breaking as early as possible in lockout situations.
HOW TO GET THE USHPA AEROTOW RATING
Corrupt criminally negligent commercial flight parks who've gained control of the national organization and sport, hijacked it from the people who want to soar hang gliders, and killed every effort from the people who know what they're talking about to advance it and make it safe and sane.Tracy
You mentioned that the AT rating is one of the most advanced and difficult skills to achieve in hang gliding. Why is that?
- Tell me how short the towline is compared to what somebody gets at the beginning of a platform launch and the relative dangers of the two flavors of launching.Lisa
Unlike surface towing skills, which are classified as special skills, much more is happening with aerotowing. First, compared to stationary or winch towing, the tow line is quite short, meaning that getting out of the "cone of safety" and locking out can happen much quicker with aerotowing.
- Given your expectation of performance for weak links on hang gliders there at Cloud 9, just how much of a problem could a low level lockout be anyway?Lisa Colletti - 2012/06
Actually, that is our expectation of performance for weak links on hang gliders here at Cloud 9, too. Primarily, we want the weak link to fail as needed to protect the equipment, and not fail inadvertently or inconsistently. We want our weak links to break as early as possible in lockout situations, but be strong and reliable enough to avoid frequent weak link breaks from turbulence. It is the same expectation of performance that we have for the weak links we use for towing sailplanes.
Bullshit.Getting out of position on tow is most likely to happen at launch, due to prop wash and mechanical wind turbulence, and is most dangerous because of being near the ground.
- You don't introduce people to aerotowing in demanding conditions.
- The propwash thing...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlIGsgNFRWM
...is a myth created by assholes like Jim Rooney to account for standard aerotow weak links preventing flights from getting to ten feet.
- People who have basic up/down/left/right hang gliding skills don't get out of position on launch. They come off the carts level with lotsa speed and almost always fly straight as arrows through the critical period. They get out of position when they start getting their asses kicked by thermals after they've gotten up a few hundred feet.
BULLSHIT. Hang gliders lock out and die with tugs scarcely noticing anything's going on behind them. Cite an incident or shut the fuck up.Getting out of position can also cause the tug pilot to lose control, which, likewise, is most dangerous for the tug pilot near the ground.
- Tugs at launch travel in straight lines at relatively constant speeds/tensions and totally constant tow angles.Second, ground-based tow systems are either not in-motion, or travel in a straight line at a relatively consistent speed.
- And using a two point (yeah, TWO point) tow system you can EASILY trim ANY glider to the tow speed.
- In training and virtually all soaring conditions the tugs and gliders NEVER turn under two or three hundred feet.
- However, if a glider gets kicked out of line a tug CAN maneuver in front of him. That's a bit of a tough assignment for a stationary winch or a truck on a runway or back road.
- Gliders glide flatter than any but the most anemic of tugs climb. In dead air or a headwind a glider can ALWAYS make it back to the runway from a straight tow.With aerotowing, the tug usually does not fly in a straight line for the entire tow--rather, the tug must often do at least a 180-degree turn to keep a novice hang glider pilot within gliding distance of the airfield after release...
- But let's say that's not the case. So wave the novice off before you get to the point of no return.
- Or do the turn training in range. If he locks out, so what? He's high enough that it doesn't matter.
- Just how sharp a 180 do you need to do anyway?
The title of this article is:...and will often do 360s in thermals with more advanced pilots.
So we don't really need to be talking about doing 360s in thermals with more advanced pilots.How to Get the USHPA Aerotow Rating
And nobody ever got killed aerotowing 'cause he couldn't follow a tug doing 360s in thermals or anywhere else.
Bullshit.Third, the tug has variations in airspeed, horizontal position, and vertical position, along with additional twisting motions in pitch, roll, and yaw. Because of the various axes of motion of the tug are combined with the axes of motion of the hang glider, much more is going on for the AT hang glider pilot relative to free flight or other types of towing.
- With stationary winch or static tow you're dealing with a constantly and dramatically increasing tow angle and that's something of a pain in the ass from engineering and procedural standpoints.
- As line pays off of winches you're also dealing with tension increases which need to be either adjusted out or lived with.
- Whereas a tug and glider are in pretty much the same box of air on surface tow you can be flying through gradients the surface doesn't know about.
- Additional TWISTING MOTIONS? The fuckin' glider knows and deals with two things - line direction and tension. Anything that happens with the glider as a consequence of the tug moving or getting bounced around can also happen on surface static tow as a consequence of what's going on with the vehicle and/or air. People can and do lock out and get killed just as dead on any flavor of surface tow as they do on aero - sometimes more. (Thanks, Sam.)
- BECAUSE the tug has variations in airspeed, horizontal position, and vertical position, along with "additional twisting motions" in pitch, roll, and yaw he - assuming he isn't a TOTAL douchebag - can and does do his fuckin' job and adjust to accommodate the glider.
- Or would you Cloud 9 assholes prefer to tow behind a tug that DOESN'T have variations in airspeed, horizontal position, and vertical position, along with additional twisting motions in pitch, roll, and yaw? Maybe Tracy can round up some of his old engineering students and design and build a nice safe tug like that. (If they haven't already. It would make a nice complement to the Wallaby and Bailey releases.)
- Because the tow angle is straight ahead and constant it's brain dead easy to engineer a release system that allows the pilot to blow tow with both hands on the basetube and no interruption of control. And that's a fuckin' HUGE checkmark in the plus column for aero. But you goddam wastes of space don't make the slightest effort to exploit it.
Yeah. It's all about learning to have very quick, proper, and precise skills. When you've got those you're bulletproof. Same idiot mentality as with standup landings. Get those perfected and we don't really need to put a good pair of wheels on the basetube or think about any advantages to using them.To deal with all of this, an AT pilot must learn to have very quick, proper, and precise skills--but those help to make their free-flight skills better and more precise, too.
And NEVER ONCE in either of your flying or USHGA careers have either of you motherfuckers acknowledged that there's the slightest safety advantage to being able to blow tow with both hands on the basetube...Gregg B. McNamee - 1996/12
PRIMARY RELEASE CRITERIA
1) To actuate the primary release the pilot does not have to give up any control of the glider. (Common sense tells us that the last thing we want to do in an emergency situation is give up control of the glider in order to terminate the tow.)
If your system requires you to take your hand off the control bar to actuate the release it is not suitable.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TUGS/message/1149
[TUGS] aerotow instruction was Re: Tug Rates
...with a piece of equipment more sophisticated...Tracy Tillman - 2011/02/10 20:08:32 UTC
Anybody who is truly a good pilot, in any form of aviation, knows that the knowledge, skills, and judgement you have in your head, learned from thorough instruction from a good instructor with a good curriculum, are the best pieces of equipment you can fly with. Good equipment is important, the best equipment is a well-trained brain.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/aerotowrelease/8306300488/
...than a standard aerotow weak link which you HOPE will meet your moronic EXPECTATION of breaking as early as possible in lockout situations.
-
Tad Eareckson
- Posts: 9161
- Joined: 2010/11/25 03:48:55 UTC
Re: instructors and other qualified pilot fiends
Higher EDUCATION - 2011/07
HOW TO GET THE USHPA AEROTOW RATING
I'm just a little confused though...
How come:
- you need a Hang Three to score Assisted Windy Cliff Launch, Turbulence, Restricted Landing Field, Cross Country, and High Altitude Launch but just a Hang Two for an AT on your card?
- you can solo AT with a Hang Zero?
- some of the stupidest, most clueless, most inept assholes I know can aerotow just fine?
- the biggest problem I typically have on AT is getting so bored that I take my eyes off the tug to watch a vulture for a couple seconds and get out of position?
- significant incidents not attributable to shitrigged Industry Standard releases and 130 pound Greenspot standard aerotow weak links are virtually nonexistent?
I'm just a little confused though...
How come:
- you need a Hang Three to score Assisted Windy Cliff Launch, Turbulence, Restricted Landing Field, Cross Country, and High Altitude Launch but just a Hang Two for an AT on your card?
- you can solo AT with a Hang Zero?
- some of the stupidest, most clueless, most inept assholes I know can aerotow just fine?
- the biggest problem I typically have on AT is getting so bored that I take my eyes off the tug to watch a vulture for a couple seconds and get out of position?
- significant incidents not attributable to shitrigged Industry Standard releases and 130 pound Greenspot standard aerotow weak links are virtually nonexistent?
`
-- Although the pilot will not feel the blast himself and the glider will not pitch up in response to it, the standard aerotow weak link will be subjected to massive loading - two or three times its 130 or 260 pound capacity.
-- In order to protect your standard aerotow weak link from having to protect you from this greatly underappreciated hazard, mush your glider into the air as soon as you think you may have adequate airspeed.
- Never get behind a 914 Dragonfly pilot who tows solos at full throttle. Even at 28 miles per hour gliders are unable to keep up with the climb - weak links will go left and right.
- Whatever problem you're having can be fixed by the tug driver giving you the rope.
- Always thank the tug pilot for intentionally releasing you, even if you feel you could have ridden it out. He should be given a vote of confidence that he made a good decision in the interest of your safety.
- It is OK to push way out - you will climb, not stall.
- Always release the towline before there is a problem. The only people who get killed in lockouts are the ones who didn't release the towline before there was a problem.
- It's beyond the scope of human engineering to design and produce a fully dependable release - such as the Tost models standard on sailplanes.
-- If it were we'd all be using it already.
-- If anybody tells you he's developed a totally bulletproof release then just start walking away.
- The Aerotow Primary Release made at Lookout Mountain Flight Park represents the state-of-the-art in releases and features the Rope-Loop type release mechanism, a better alternative to the lever release like the one they use for rides and training on their tandem gliders, as you don't have to let go of the basetube to release. But since it isn't warranted for towing anything and has an astronomical failure rate either wait for the weak link to blow or let go of the basetube to use your backup release or hook knife.
- A brake lever on a downtube is always within easy reach - even if the pilot falls to the opposite side of the glider in a lockout and can't reach it.
- A brake lever may spin to the far side of the downtube during an emergency release actuation attempt if the pilot did a poor job of velcroing it in place.
- Never release from the bottom end because the bridle could wrap and pull the glider into a lethal dive.
- If the primary release jams pull the backup.
- Release mechanisms which actuate prematurely are extremely dangerous and completely unacceptable.
- Weak links break! They are supposed to. Good aerotow pilots are ready for that. It's what they do.
- Always turn a carabiner around backwards when you're using it as a two point release anchor. Otherwise the percentage of the tow tension reaching it will load the gate, as the carabiner remains vertically aligned, and blow it apart from the inside.
- Always carefully preflight your bridle to minimize the chances of a catastrophic loss of tow tension. Then install a loop of 130 pound Greenspot on it to maximize them.
- There has never a control loss associated with taking a hand off the controls.
- A release malfunction is never a serious problem as long as you have a hook knife.
- Always test fire your release prior to hooking up. If it works at twenty pounds of towline tension there's no way it will lock up at two hundred.
- A bent pin barrel release is superior to a straight pin because it's a lot easier to close over the end of a three thousand pound bridle without a weak link.
- Always stow a spare Bailey Release in your harness. That way when the pin folds in half inside the barrel of the one you're using you'll be able to go back up with another one with a minimum possible delay.
- A standard aerotow weak link is the focal point of a safe towing system.
- When a regulation states that a weak link must be installed on the end of the towline it actually means that the weak link must be installed on one end of a bridle.
- A standard aerotow weak link will blow in time to limit required lockout recovery altitude to 250 feet. Lockouts below that altitude are of very little concern.
- Always use an appropriate weak link with a finished length of 1.5 inches or less.
- Always check with your tow park operator to find out if you should be using a de jure, de facto, nominal, or actual loop of 130 pound Greenspot as your weak link.
- As the weak link is the focal point of a safe towing system pilots with extra safe weak links can dispense with wheels.
- A 0.8 G weak link will limit the injuries resulting from a blown dolly launch to the breaking of four ribs and the larynx.
- There has never been a crash attributable to a weak link failure.
- Any crash which has followed a weak link failure would have been either fatal or more fatal as a consequence of the lockout the weak link was about to prevent.
- A good rule of thumb for the optimum weak link strength is one G.
- The de facto standard for hang gliding aerotow weak links is a 260 pound weak link made from a loop of 130 pound Greenspot IGFA Dacron braided fishing line attached to one end of the pilot's V-bridle. This standard is based on several decades of experience and hundreds of thousands of tows conducted by numerous aerotow operators across the county and must not be questioned by anyone with less than several decades of experience and hundreds of thousands of tows conducted at numerous aerotow operations across the county.
- Based on several decades of experience and hundreds of thousands of tows conducted by numerous aerotow operators across the county, a single loop of 130 pound Cortland Greenspot IGFA Dacron braided trolling line installed at the top end of a two point bridle has been determined to be the perfect weak link link for a minimally loaded / 165 pound Falcon 3 145 because it has the exacting tolerances required to meet our expectation that it fail before the glider breaks and as early as possible in lockout situations but be strong and reliable enough to avoid frequent breaks from turbulence.
- As a loop of 130 pound Cortland Greenspot IGFA Dacron braided trolling line has been determined to be the perfect weak link for a 165 pound Falcon 3 145 one might conclude that a loop of 200 pound Cortland Greenspot IGFA Dacron braided trolling line would be the perfect weak link for a 254 pound Sport 2 135. But, of course, one would be wrong because Cortland doesn't manufacture its 200 with anything close to the precision of its 130. So, until someone can find anything better that's acceptable to the aerotow professionals, everyone must use the perfect weak link for a 165 pound Falcon 3 145 to give himself the widest possible safety margins.
- The sole purpose and function of the weak link is to limit the towline tension to a manageable level, i.e. a level such that the pilot can still maintain control of the aircraft in the event that the weak link breaks.
- The purpose of a weaklink is to increase the safety of the towing operation. PERIOD.
- The appropriate strength of a weak link depends upon pilot skill. A skillful pilot can maintain control when a stronger weak link breaks whereas a less skillful pilot cannot. As a general rule, a beginning pilot should limit his towline tension to 0.5 Gs and an experienced pilot to 1.0 Gs. Only highly experienced pilots qualified to perform aerobatics while on tow should use a 2.0 G or stronger weak link while being pulled forward (such as when aerotowing).
- Aerotowing is a constant speed form of towing and the tow forces can vary dramatically in response to thermals, sink, pilot actions, etc. but because the forward pull afforded by aerotow yields a higher rate of climb per pound of towline tension than surface towing - most typically payout platform launch - proportionally lighter weak links should be used.
- Aerotowing requires a weak link that will not break needlessly in response to moderate thermals or pilot inputs, yet will break at a low enough point to avoid disaster or excessive pilot panic. Pilots particularly prone to panic should use weak links in the neighborhood of 0.6 Gs.
- Videos depicting gliders using standard aerotow weak links going into severe violent lockouts and experiencing severe stalls following failure must be studiously ignored.
- A single loop of 130 pound Greenspot is the ideal lockout protector for all solo gliders - 165 to 390 pounds.
- If you fail to maintain the correct tow position (centered, with the wheels of the tug on the horizon), the weak link will break before you can get into too much trouble.
- Expect your weak links to break as early as possible in lockout situations, but be strong and reliable enough to avoid frequent weak link breaks from turbulence - no matter how many you hear about people being killed after locking out to the point of no recovery with their standard aerotow weak links intact and how many times you've had yours blow when straight and level in smooth air.
- When attaching the weak link to the bridle, position the knot so that it's hidden from the main tension in the link and excluded altogether from the equation.
- There are many reasons for relatively high incidences of weak link breaks, but for most pilots it is not because the standard 130 pound Greenspot Dacron line used to make weak links for hang gliders is too weak.
- The reason that hang glider weak links blow every other tow while sailplane weak links never blow is that not enough hang gliders have fins.
- If a weak link blows with the glider straight and level behind the tug it's never because it was too light - it's because the glider did something wrong. Carefully analyze any available video recordings to identify the problem.
- Never install a secondary weak link at the pilot end of a two point system. That weaklink is just as likely to break as the one at the other end. If the lower weak link breaks the bridle could get caught at the tow ring, pull the glider from the carabiner or keel, and cause it to tuck.
- When using a one point bridle engage with a barrel release on one end and a weak link on the other.
-- If you release and the bridle wraps you won't need a release because you have a weak link.
-- If the weak link blows and the bridle wraps you won't need a weak link because you have a release.
- Installing weak links at both ends of a one point bridle is a bad idea because it doubles the probability of an increase in the safety of a towing operation.
- Installing weak links at both ends of a one point bridle is a bad idea because it halves the probability of an increase in the safety of a towing operation by doubling the limit of the towline tension.
- If you're towing one point you use a heavier weak link on your bridle end than you would for two point.
- A double loop of 130 is extremely dangerous to the tug pilot if it's on a solo glider but perfectly OK if it's on a tandem.
- If a heavy weak link is installed at the glider end it will prevent the tug end weak link from failing and kill the tug pilot on the next flight.
- Weak link failures occur only to defuse fatal lockout situations but people should use polypro bridles to lessen the rate of fatal lockout situations being defused.
- Without shock absorption, a Spectra bridle acts somewhat like an impact wrench on the weak link.
- Bench test data is of no value whatsoever because it cannot completely include all the factors and variability that exist in the big, real world of aerotowing - and the people who produce it are beneath contempt and should be ignored at every opportunity. Common failures of bench testing include:
-- the solo standard aerotow weak links blowing at 50 percent of its known value
-- the tandem standard aerotow weak links blowing at 38 percent of its known value
-- Industry Standard releases locking up and distorting at far below legally required tensions
http://www.kitestrings.org/post15.html#p15
Edited (Amended):
2012/08/25
2012/10/18
HOW TO GET THE USHPA AEROTOW RATING
Yeah Tracy...Tracy Tillman - 2011/07
Aerotowing is a high-level skill that is also very popular with recreational pilots in the flatlands of our country as well as a popular launch method for major competitions across the world.
...keep emphasizing what an incredible skill this is and how difficult it is to master.Lisa Colletti
Aerotowing is one of the most advanced and difficult skills in which to become proficient in hang gliding...
I'm just a little confused though...
How come:
- you need a Hang Three to score Assisted Windy Cliff Launch, Turbulence, Restricted Landing Field, Cross Country, and High Altitude Launch but just a Hang Two for an AT on your card?
- you can solo AT with a Hang Zero?
- some of the stupidest, most clueless, most inept assholes I know can aerotow just fine?
- the biggest problem I typically have on AT is getting so bored that I take my eyes off the tug to watch a vulture for a couple seconds and get out of position?
- significant incidents not attributable to shitrigged Industry Standard releases and 130 pound Greenspot standard aerotow weak links are virtually nonexistent?
Yeah Tracy...Tracy Tillman - 2011/07
Aerotowing is a high-level skill that is also very popular with recreational pilots in the flatlands of our country as well as a popular launch method for major competitions across the world.
...keep emphasizing what an incredible skill this is and how difficult it is to master.Lisa Colletti
Aerotowing is one of the most advanced and difficult skills in which to become proficient in hang gliding...
I'm just a little confused though...
How come:
- you need a Hang Three to score Assisted Windy Cliff Launch, Turbulence, Restricted Landing Field, Cross Country, and High Altitude Launch but just a Hang Two for an AT on your card?
- you can solo AT with a Hang Zero?
- some of the stupidest, most clueless, most inept assholes I know can aerotow just fine?
- the biggest problem I typically have on AT is getting so bored that I take my eyes off the tug to watch a vulture for a couple seconds and get out of position?
- significant incidents not attributable to shitrigged Industry Standard releases and 130 pound Greenspot standard aerotow weak links are virtually nonexistent?
`
-- Although the pilot will not feel the blast himself and the glider will not pitch up in response to it, the standard aerotow weak link will be subjected to massive loading - two or three times its 130 or 260 pound capacity.
-- In order to protect your standard aerotow weak link from having to protect you from this greatly underappreciated hazard, mush your glider into the air as soon as you think you may have adequate airspeed.
- Never get behind a 914 Dragonfly pilot who tows solos at full throttle. Even at 28 miles per hour gliders are unable to keep up with the climb - weak links will go left and right.
- Whatever problem you're having can be fixed by the tug driver giving you the rope.
- Always thank the tug pilot for intentionally releasing you, even if you feel you could have ridden it out. He should be given a vote of confidence that he made a good decision in the interest of your safety.
- It is OK to push way out - you will climb, not stall.
- Always release the towline before there is a problem. The only people who get killed in lockouts are the ones who didn't release the towline before there was a problem.
- It's beyond the scope of human engineering to design and produce a fully dependable release - such as the Tost models standard on sailplanes.
-- If it were we'd all be using it already.
-- If anybody tells you he's developed a totally bulletproof release then just start walking away.
- The Aerotow Primary Release made at Lookout Mountain Flight Park represents the state-of-the-art in releases and features the Rope-Loop type release mechanism, a better alternative to the lever release like the one they use for rides and training on their tandem gliders, as you don't have to let go of the basetube to release. But since it isn't warranted for towing anything and has an astronomical failure rate either wait for the weak link to blow or let go of the basetube to use your backup release or hook knife.
- A brake lever on a downtube is always within easy reach - even if the pilot falls to the opposite side of the glider in a lockout and can't reach it.
- A brake lever may spin to the far side of the downtube during an emergency release actuation attempt if the pilot did a poor job of velcroing it in place.
- Never release from the bottom end because the bridle could wrap and pull the glider into a lethal dive.
- If the primary release jams pull the backup.
- Release mechanisms which actuate prematurely are extremely dangerous and completely unacceptable.
- Weak links break! They are supposed to. Good aerotow pilots are ready for that. It's what they do.
- Always turn a carabiner around backwards when you're using it as a two point release anchor. Otherwise the percentage of the tow tension reaching it will load the gate, as the carabiner remains vertically aligned, and blow it apart from the inside.
- Always carefully preflight your bridle to minimize the chances of a catastrophic loss of tow tension. Then install a loop of 130 pound Greenspot on it to maximize them.
- There has never a control loss associated with taking a hand off the controls.
- A release malfunction is never a serious problem as long as you have a hook knife.
- Always test fire your release prior to hooking up. If it works at twenty pounds of towline tension there's no way it will lock up at two hundred.
- A bent pin barrel release is superior to a straight pin because it's a lot easier to close over the end of a three thousand pound bridle without a weak link.
- Always stow a spare Bailey Release in your harness. That way when the pin folds in half inside the barrel of the one you're using you'll be able to go back up with another one with a minimum possible delay.
- A standard aerotow weak link is the focal point of a safe towing system.
- When a regulation states that a weak link must be installed on the end of the towline it actually means that the weak link must be installed on one end of a bridle.
- A standard aerotow weak link will blow in time to limit required lockout recovery altitude to 250 feet. Lockouts below that altitude are of very little concern.
- Always use an appropriate weak link with a finished length of 1.5 inches or less.
- Always check with your tow park operator to find out if you should be using a de jure, de facto, nominal, or actual loop of 130 pound Greenspot as your weak link.
- As the weak link is the focal point of a safe towing system pilots with extra safe weak links can dispense with wheels.
- A 0.8 G weak link will limit the injuries resulting from a blown dolly launch to the breaking of four ribs and the larynx.
- There has never been a crash attributable to a weak link failure.
- Any crash which has followed a weak link failure would have been either fatal or more fatal as a consequence of the lockout the weak link was about to prevent.
- A good rule of thumb for the optimum weak link strength is one G.
- The de facto standard for hang gliding aerotow weak links is a 260 pound weak link made from a loop of 130 pound Greenspot IGFA Dacron braided fishing line attached to one end of the pilot's V-bridle. This standard is based on several decades of experience and hundreds of thousands of tows conducted by numerous aerotow operators across the county and must not be questioned by anyone with less than several decades of experience and hundreds of thousands of tows conducted at numerous aerotow operations across the county.
- Based on several decades of experience and hundreds of thousands of tows conducted by numerous aerotow operators across the county, a single loop of 130 pound Cortland Greenspot IGFA Dacron braided trolling line installed at the top end of a two point bridle has been determined to be the perfect weak link link for a minimally loaded / 165 pound Falcon 3 145 because it has the exacting tolerances required to meet our expectation that it fail before the glider breaks and as early as possible in lockout situations but be strong and reliable enough to avoid frequent breaks from turbulence.
- As a loop of 130 pound Cortland Greenspot IGFA Dacron braided trolling line has been determined to be the perfect weak link for a 165 pound Falcon 3 145 one might conclude that a loop of 200 pound Cortland Greenspot IGFA Dacron braided trolling line would be the perfect weak link for a 254 pound Sport 2 135. But, of course, one would be wrong because Cortland doesn't manufacture its 200 with anything close to the precision of its 130. So, until someone can find anything better that's acceptable to the aerotow professionals, everyone must use the perfect weak link for a 165 pound Falcon 3 145 to give himself the widest possible safety margins.
- The sole purpose and function of the weak link is to limit the towline tension to a manageable level, i.e. a level such that the pilot can still maintain control of the aircraft in the event that the weak link breaks.
- The purpose of a weaklink is to increase the safety of the towing operation. PERIOD.
- The appropriate strength of a weak link depends upon pilot skill. A skillful pilot can maintain control when a stronger weak link breaks whereas a less skillful pilot cannot. As a general rule, a beginning pilot should limit his towline tension to 0.5 Gs and an experienced pilot to 1.0 Gs. Only highly experienced pilots qualified to perform aerobatics while on tow should use a 2.0 G or stronger weak link while being pulled forward (such as when aerotowing).
- Aerotowing is a constant speed form of towing and the tow forces can vary dramatically in response to thermals, sink, pilot actions, etc. but because the forward pull afforded by aerotow yields a higher rate of climb per pound of towline tension than surface towing - most typically payout platform launch - proportionally lighter weak links should be used.
- Aerotowing requires a weak link that will not break needlessly in response to moderate thermals or pilot inputs, yet will break at a low enough point to avoid disaster or excessive pilot panic. Pilots particularly prone to panic should use weak links in the neighborhood of 0.6 Gs.
- Videos depicting gliders using standard aerotow weak links going into severe violent lockouts and experiencing severe stalls following failure must be studiously ignored.
- A single loop of 130 pound Greenspot is the ideal lockout protector for all solo gliders - 165 to 390 pounds.
- If you fail to maintain the correct tow position (centered, with the wheels of the tug on the horizon), the weak link will break before you can get into too much trouble.
- Expect your weak links to break as early as possible in lockout situations, but be strong and reliable enough to avoid frequent weak link breaks from turbulence - no matter how many you hear about people being killed after locking out to the point of no recovery with their standard aerotow weak links intact and how many times you've had yours blow when straight and level in smooth air.
- When attaching the weak link to the bridle, position the knot so that it's hidden from the main tension in the link and excluded altogether from the equation.
- There are many reasons for relatively high incidences of weak link breaks, but for most pilots it is not because the standard 130 pound Greenspot Dacron line used to make weak links for hang gliders is too weak.
- The reason that hang glider weak links blow every other tow while sailplane weak links never blow is that not enough hang gliders have fins.
- If a weak link blows with the glider straight and level behind the tug it's never because it was too light - it's because the glider did something wrong. Carefully analyze any available video recordings to identify the problem.
- Never install a secondary weak link at the pilot end of a two point system. That weaklink is just as likely to break as the one at the other end. If the lower weak link breaks the bridle could get caught at the tow ring, pull the glider from the carabiner or keel, and cause it to tuck.
- When using a one point bridle engage with a barrel release on one end and a weak link on the other.
-- If you release and the bridle wraps you won't need a release because you have a weak link.
-- If the weak link blows and the bridle wraps you won't need a weak link because you have a release.
- Installing weak links at both ends of a one point bridle is a bad idea because it doubles the probability of an increase in the safety of a towing operation.
- Installing weak links at both ends of a one point bridle is a bad idea because it halves the probability of an increase in the safety of a towing operation by doubling the limit of the towline tension.
- If you're towing one point you use a heavier weak link on your bridle end than you would for two point.
- A double loop of 130 is extremely dangerous to the tug pilot if it's on a solo glider but perfectly OK if it's on a tandem.
- If a heavy weak link is installed at the glider end it will prevent the tug end weak link from failing and kill the tug pilot on the next flight.
- Weak link failures occur only to defuse fatal lockout situations but people should use polypro bridles to lessen the rate of fatal lockout situations being defused.
- Without shock absorption, a Spectra bridle acts somewhat like an impact wrench on the weak link.
- Bench test data is of no value whatsoever because it cannot completely include all the factors and variability that exist in the big, real world of aerotowing - and the people who produce it are beneath contempt and should be ignored at every opportunity. Common failures of bench testing include:
-- the solo standard aerotow weak links blowing at 50 percent of its known value
-- the tandem standard aerotow weak links blowing at 38 percent of its known value
-- Industry Standard releases locking up and distorting at far below legally required tensions
http://www.kitestrings.org/post15.html#p15
- You can't trust anyone in this sport but yourself and Sir Isaac Newton.Zack C - 2010/12/13 04:58:15 UTC
I had a very different mindset too back then and trusted the people that made my equipment. Since then I've realized (largely due to this discussion) that while I can certainly consider the advice of others, I can't trust anyone in this sport but myself (and maybe the people at Wills Wing).
Edited (Amended):
2012/08/25
2012/10/18
Re: instructors and other qualified pilot fiends
Don't forget...a good release isn't that important because you can always intentionally break your weak link.
Excellent, if depressing, post.
Zack
Excellent, if depressing, post.
Zack
-
Tad Eareckson
- Posts: 9161
- Joined: 2010/11/25 03:48:55 UTC
Re: instructors and other qualified pilot fiends
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hhpa/message/11629
Question
Question
Tad Eareckson - 2010/11/11 23:13:24 UTC
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hhpa/message/11608
Safety - Hook-in Incidenthttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/hhpa/message/11614Zack C - 2010/10/10 06:22:39 UTC
We discussed FTHI at the meeting tonight. From my perspective, this seemed to be the consensus:
- We need to help each other more.
- There is no difference between a hang check and a hook-in check.
- Checking your connection status five minutes before you launch is no less acceptable than two seconds (and five minutes probably qualifies as 'just prior' for USHPA's ratings).
- It is preposterous to suggest that hang checks are dangerous.
- The Aussie method is one way to prevent FTHI.
Those there can add to or correct this recap as necessary.
QuestionSee?terryw109 - 2010/11/10 20:13:31 UTC
Good rule (Aussie Method)! Lets all help each other follow it.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hhpa/message/9360
Hook knives and other inventionsThese are precisely the same people who established the single loop of 130 pound Greenspot as the universal standard weak link for every pilot in every configuration. Stay with me in this conversation and I guarantee you that within eighteen months I can make you as frustrated, exasperated, hated, hateful, abusive, isolated, ostracized, lonely, depressed, borderline alcoholic, and suicidal as I am.Zack C - 2010/02/04 02:07
I've had weak links break on aerotows for seemingly no reason a number of times. I feel that this is dangerous and am suspicious of the wisdom of using 130 lb Cortland Greenspot for every pilot in every configuration.
Zack C - 2011/08/26 00:20:56 UTC
http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=24846
Is this a joke ?Wow. The irony. The arrogance. And people call Tad arrogant...I can see why you have so much contempt for this guy, Tad.Jim Rooney - 2011/08/25 04:55:25 UTC
It always amazes to hear know it all pilots...
...
Some weekend warrior isn't about to inform me about jack sh*t when it comes to towing.
Zack C - 2012/06/02 02:20:45 UTC
I just cannot fathom how our sport can be so screwed up.
Pretty close to schedule, am I not?Zack C - 2012/08/01 13:56:41 UTC
Excellent, if depressing, post.
Re: instructors and other qualified pilot fiends
A (normal) weak-link will always save you from a faceplant, one 30lb stronger will always cause injury, a measurable fact.
A sudden release from the towline with the glider nose up is nothing more than an inconvenience and every effort should be made to make this happen automatically.
People who don't get paid to do this shit are no more than a bunch of armchair twats who couldn't possibly know anything nor have anything to contribute.
Bridle configurations are best described by the way they connect to the harness, never mind about all that flying stuff.
At the onset of a lockout with the glider in a steep bank a simple firm push out will break the weak-link. The glider will automatically level out and recover especially when close to the ground. A 30lb stronger weak-link will deprive you of this valuable safety procedure.
The best strategy is to find ways to improve your crashes, trying to avoid them is a waste of energy. For example; don't spend time on methods to ensure you are hooked in, instead go to the gym and practice your pull-ups.
(How much webspace have you got?)
A sudden release from the towline with the glider nose up is nothing more than an inconvenience and every effort should be made to make this happen automatically.
People who don't get paid to do this shit are no more than a bunch of armchair twats who couldn't possibly know anything nor have anything to contribute.
Bridle configurations are best described by the way they connect to the harness, never mind about all that flying stuff.
At the onset of a lockout with the glider in a steep bank a simple firm push out will break the weak-link. The glider will automatically level out and recover especially when close to the ground. A 30lb stronger weak-link will deprive you of this valuable safety procedure.
The best strategy is to find ways to improve your crashes, trying to avoid them is a waste of energy. For example; don't spend time on methods to ensure you are hooked in, instead go to the gym and practice your pull-ups.
(How much webspace have you got?)
Re: instructors and other qualified pilot fiends
LOL...you are a prophet.Tad Eareckson wrote:Pretty close to schedule, am I not?
I'll never be as hated as you as long as I keep biting my tongue when I see stuff like this, though.
I have an unfortunate distaste for pissing people off...The tugging was a struggle today in the strong rowdy conditions and during the early part of the climb, when I hit sink with the glider in lift the glider pilot needed to pull in to get down to the trike but doing so the acceleration of the gliders when pulling in put slack in the line and when the line went tight again the weak link popped. This happened on the first 3 tow so I decided to put the trike away as the dragonflys were not having the same issue.
...
However the issue was sinking out, i.e. climb rate reducing to 50fpm when the glider behind was in lift. Perhaps instead of diving down to the tug the pilots should have just eased in to take the tension off the tow line and then waited for the tug to recover the climb, though the last pilot I towed was Jonny Durand so I figured he would know how to handle it but when he had a weak break I decided to pull out of the tugging.
Zack