Releases

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=26429
Pro Tow vs Three Point

Matt Christensen - 2012/06/29 11:07:58 UTC
Vienna, Virginia

I am interested in pro towing...

Well yeah...

Dennis Pagen - 2005/01

The first accident occurred in Germany at an aerotowing competition. The pilot launched with his Litespeed and climbed to about forty feet when he encountered a thermal that lifted him well above the tug. After a few moments, the glider was seen to move to the side and rapidly turn nose down to fly into the ground, still on tow, in a classic lockout maneuver. The impact was fatal.

Analysis

This pilot was a good up-and-coming competition pilot. He had been in my cross-country course three years ago, and this was his second year of competition.

What happened to him is not too unusual or mysterious. He encountered so much lift that although he was pulling in the base bar as far as he could, he did not have enough pitch-down control to get the nose down and return to proper position behind the tug. This situation is known as an over-the-top lockout.

I am personally familiar with such a problem, because it happened to me at a meet in Texas. Soon after lift-off the trike tug and I were hit by the mother of all thermals. Since I was much lighter, I rocketed up well above the tug, while the very experienced tug pilot, Neal Harris, said he was also lifted more than he had ever been in his heavy trike.

I pulled in all the way, but could see that I wasn't going to come down unless something changed. I hung on and resisted the tendency to roll to the side with as strong a roll input as I could, given that the bar was at my knees.

I didn't want to release, because I was so close to the ground and I knew that the glider would be in a compromised attitude. In addition, there were hangars and trees on the left, which is the way the glider was tending.

By the time we gained about sixty feet I could no longer hold the glider centered - I was probably at a twenty degree bank - so I quickly released before the lockout to the side progressed.

The glider instantly whipped to the side in a wingover maneuver.

...who DOESN'T wanna tow like the pros?

...because partly because I like the simplicity of the release.

ME TOO!!!

http://www.chgpa.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3391
More on Zapata and weak link

Paul Tjaden - 2008/07/22 04:32:22 UTC

I have never had a lockout situation happen so quickly and dramatically and had no chance to release as I have always thought I could do.

http://www.chgpa.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3107
I have a tandem rating!!!

Lauren Tjaden - 2008/03/23 22:20:15 UTC

When Jim got me locked out to the right, I couldn't keep the pitch of the glider with one hand for more than a second (the pressure was a zillion pounds, more or less), but the F'ing release slid around when I tried to hit it. The barrel release wouldn't work because we had too much pressure on it.

Anyhow, the tandem can indeed perform big wingovers, as I demonstrated when I finally got separated from the tug.

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=21033
barrels release without any tension except weight of rope..

Bart Weghorst - 2011/02/25 19:06:26 UTC

I've had it once where the pin had bent inside the barrel from excessive tow force. My weaklink was still intact. The tug pilot's weaklink broke so I had the rope. I had to use two hands to get the pin out of the barrel.

No stress because I was high.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aerotowrelease/8331326948/


http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=24846
Is this a joke ?

Jim Rooney - 2011/08/26 08:24:31 UTC

Bobby's a fucking genius when it comes to this shit.

And I'll bet you like the U2 160 and Flytec 6040 because of their simplicity.

I have had issues with the spinnaker release popping early and while I think I have that issue resolved.

You purchased this fine piece of equipment at Ridgely or Manquin, right? I'm really surprised that none of those top notch professionals...

http://www.chgpa.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1079
$15 pacifiers

Jim Rooney - 2005/09/22 14:05:50 UTC

It is not merely a matter of inconvenience. I was there, and in my oppinion Steve came rather close to breaking his legs. I was getting ready to dial 911.

Sure, being on tow at the wrong time is an extremely bad thing. But don't tell us that being off tow at the wrong time is all sweet and wonderful. Yes, we prepare for it, but that doesn't make it a safe situation. It makes it a manageable situation. There are times where it's better to be on tow than off tow.

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=17404
Aerotow barrel release - straight or curved pin?

Jim Rooney - 2010/05/31 01:53:13 UTC

BTW, Steve Wendt is exceptionally knowledgeable. Hell, he's the one that signed off my instructor rating.

...resolved that issue for you.

Have you talked to anyone at Quest?

http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=24534
It's a wrap

Paul Tjaden - 2011/07/30 15:33:54 UTC

Quest Air has been involved in perfecting aerotowing for nearly twenty years...

They've been involved in perfecting aerotowing for nearly twenty years. I'd be really surprised if it took them much more than another ten or fifteen to get that little problem ironed out.

I would like to try pro towing.

I currently tow from the carabiner and the tow pressure is fine. I have had no issues with towing from the carabiner other than a touch of PIO in rough air a couple times and the release popping five times in the last two comps.

Really great to see...

Manned Kiting
The Basic Handbook of Tow Launched Hang Gliding
Daniel F. Poynter
1974

"The greatest dangers are a rope break or a premature release." - Richard Johnson

http://ozreport.com/12.081
Weaklinks - the HGFA rules

Davis Straub - 2008/04/22 14:47:00 UTC

Here is the requirement from the 2007 Worlds local rules (which I wrote) for weaklinks:

Pilots must use weaklinks provided by the meet organizers and in a manner approved by the meet organizers. All weaklinks will be checked and use of inappropriate weaklinks will require the pilot to go to the end of the launch line to change the weaklink.

Weaklinks will consist of a single loop of Cortland 130 lb Greenspot braided Dacron Tolling line and should be placed at one end of a shoulder bridle.

At the 2008 Forbes Flatlands Greenspot for the first time was used as the standard weaklink material (thanks in large part to the efforts of Bobby Bailey). We applaud these efforts to improve the safety of aerotowing by using a better weaklink material.

http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=24846
Is this a joke ?

Davis Straub - 2011/08/26 14:04:5 UTC

We had six weaklink breaks in a row at Zapata this year.

http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=22308
Better mouse trap(release)?

Jim Rooney - 2010/12/16 18:47:05 UTC

A few years ago, I started refusing to tow people with home made gear.
I like the idea of improving gear, but the lack of appreciation for the world they were stepping into didn't sit with me.
For example... flying with the new gear in mid day conditions?
Are you kidding me????

Approach it for what it is... completely untested and very experimental gear which will likely fail in new and unforseen ways as it tries it's damndest to kill you... and then we can talk.

...how concerned the comp officials are that no one gets on a cart with shit towing equipment.

Casey Cox - 2012/06/29 12:37:32 UTC

Matt, usually when the release releases prematurely it's from the cable being too tightly bound to the down tube causing the cable jacket to be pulled and not the actual cable (but in turn pulls the cable).

What if you didn't use fucking cable? What if you did the job right...

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/skysailingtowing/message/4411
Keel Attachment

John Moody - 2004/12/16 23:07:36 UTC
Conroe, Texas

What is not normal is to see a factory-made glider that has a built in nose attachment or keel attachment or even the keel release built-in, faired and clean - like a VG system is.

...and built the goddam thing into the fucking glider instead of having decades worth of idiot discussions on how to properly velcro these pieces of shit onto the glider?

I think I may have pio a little when I first tried pro-tow, but if you are solid on tows, I can not think why you would not be ok.

Yeah. If you're absolutely positive you'll never launch into a powerful enough thermal to need the speed range for which the glider was certified...

What happened to him is not too unusual or mysterious. He encountered so much lift that although he was pulling in the base bar as far as he could, he did not have enough pitch-down control to get the nose down and return to proper position behind the tug.

...I can't think of any reason why you wouldn't be perfectly OK either.

As soon as I pio I remember that it is pilot induced and then I relaxed. I towed for a good while with the V bridle and was pretty solid prior to pro-tow, so for me I felt very comfortable.

Yeah. Terry Mason...

http://www.ushawks.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1022
young woman was killed in Tandem Discovery flight

Terry Mason - 2012/06/01 22:26:39 UTC

Say Al, do you happen to have anything exciting, new, or entertaining to post. How about some videos of 'good' landings, or stories about good experiences in hang gliding. My family and friends are interested in seeing what I love about this sport, and i'm reluctant to guide them to a disaster scene blog full of sadness and grief. We really are wanting to see the positive side, without argument or insult. And thanks again for all your help with the scooter tow, hope to see you on it soon, Terry

...was feeling very comfortable with what Sam and he were doing at the beginning of the month.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8143/7462005802_bbc0ac66ac_o.jpg


And Jonathan Orders was feeling very comfortable with the hook-in verification procedures which had served him so well for thousands of launches right up until the end of April.

And I think it's a real safe bet to say that the vast majority of people who've bought it participating in this sport did so precisely because they were:
- feeling very comfortable with what they were doing
- not looking at any of the evidence which strongly indicated that they really shouldn't be feeling very comfortable
- not thinking about worst case scenarios

I suggest to start with smooth air and taking it easy and not jump into comp conditions before a number of tows.

Yeah Matt. And if you start with smooth air and taking it easy and don't jump into comp conditions before a number of tows there's NO FUCKIN' WAY you'll ever find yourself with the bar stuffed to your knees and the glider still going up like a rocket in comp conditions. Just take your time and get very comfortable with what your doing.

Hell, all the other Jack and Davis Show guys are.

But just remember two things... The guys on the Jack and Davis Shows are NOT the ones who've been:

- killed 'cause they had the bar stuffed to their knees and and were still unable to stop the fuckin' glider from going up like a rocket in comp conditions

- kicked off the Jack and Davis Shows for trying to warn guys like you about the people who've been killed 'cause they had the bar stuffed to their knees and were still unable to stop the fuckin' glider from going up like a rocket in comp conditions

Matt Christensen - 2012/06/29 14:02:59 UTC

Yeah, I plan to ease into it. No rush, but I would like to try it.

Ya know, Matt...

It's fuckin' OBVIOUS that you KNOW - logically and instinctively - that one point towing is twice as dangerous as two point. And the ONLY reason you're looking down this path is because the only two point equipment to which the Flight Park Mafia is allowing you access is total shit.

Well good freakin' luck. The one point equipment they're making available...

Steve Kinsley - 1996/05/09 15:50

Personal opinion. While I don't know the circumstances of Frank's death and I am not an awesome tow type dude, I think tow releases, all of them, stink on ice. Reason: You need two hands to drive a hang glider. You 'specially need two hands if it starts to turn on tow. If you let go to release, the glider can almost instantly assume a radical attitude. We need a release that is held in the mouth. A clothespin. Open your mouth and you're off.

...stinks on ice too.

P.S. Looked at any of the stuff that Antoine has done? Just kidding.

Asshole.

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=26713
First attempts at Aerotowing.

Alan Wengren - 2012/07/25 03:33:57 UTC

Found this video today. It's interesting watching the first few attempts of this pilots tows. It could of been a lot worse I guess but he seems to handle it well.

Go to 1:20 to see the emergency releases of his tows.

I've often thought about getting my tow rating especially since I live in Florida but I've always had a fear of something terribly going wrong.

Yeah Alan. It's not like anything ever goes wrong on free flight launches. (And keep skipping those hook-in checks.)

Anyone else feel this way? Or is it just me? I have over 65 hours of flying but I just don't feel that great about towing. Your thoughts?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z49Zpra4wfY

Alan Wengren - 2012/07/25 03:44:12 UTC

After watching this again, Personally I don't think he should of been towing on a Horizon double surface?

It's a Hang Two rated glider.

What happen to the Falcon for his first tows?

You mean the type of glider Roy Messing was flying on his last aerotow?

I mean according to the video It looks like he was towing on a Horizon for his first few tow flights! I've never seen this before.

michael170 - 2012/07/25 04:02:13 UTC

Scott Corl - 2012/05/20

The date in the video is wrong, I recorded this 2012/05/19.

For a much longer write up on these attempts check out my blog:

http://mypathtopilot.blogspot.com/

but here is a summary:

And we'll dispense with the double imbedded quotation at this point.

After 2 pretty scary attempts early in the morning on my Northwing Horizon, we came to the consensus that I should try towing on the Falcon 170 instead. The falcon had been Aerotowed many times and the 3rd...

Second.

...point of attachment at the keel was well known. We had to guess at the attachment point on the Horizon.

Lessee... North Wing can't be bothered to build the fuckin' release in - the way to do things right - and can't even be bothered to publish the recommended trim point.

But this was just one of the issues that we identified from the two attempts in the morning. I was also doing a number of things wrong as far as my control input. I was flying far too fast, or at least pulling it too far.

Then the trim point on the keel was NOT an issue.

On the first attempt this only lead to me leaving the kart late. The tug pilot then gave me the line when he sensed a few things going wrong. On the second attempt I left the cart in a more appropriate way, but then continued pulling in far too much. This caused some over correction very early while simultaneously the tug climbed up above me.

It didn't cause any overcorrection - but it sure made the effects pretty dramatic.

I released when things got very uncomfortable.

By the evening, I had thought a lot about what I experienced, and was able to carefully watch the 6 other pilots that were out that day Aerotowing. I took some mental notes and was able to make a big improvement. Flying the gentle and reliable Falcon 170 also contributed to a smooth first flight.

Brad Barkley - 2012/07/25 04:15:38 UTC
Frostburg

I can't believe he was flying a DS glider for his first tows; can't believe it was a glider that had "never been towed before"...

Guess what. Horizons have been towed before.

...and so the tow point was guessed at;...

BFD. It's not that critical, it wasn't too for forward, and it wasn't the least bit of an issue on those flights.

...can't believe his instructor didn't test fly it for him... etc, etc.

Nah, let's hear the et ceteras.

I am a H2 and recently learned to AT at Highland. The instructor there (Sunny)...

Fuck you, Sunny. Fuck you for doing NOTHING to fix ANY of the shit you KNOW is wrong, fuck you for turning Rooney loose on hang gliding, and fuck you for doing jack shit when your li'l asshole buddy Adam put Tad on the no-fly list.

...checked my tow point and then test flew my Eagle, but had me do my first tows on a Falcon. It was a smooth and easy transition to AT.

Casey Cox - 2012/07/25 04:17:49 UTC
Eastern North Carolina

We usually have a ground crew member push the cart to help from breaking weak link and to help guide the cart straight.

Trust me, Hang. If you're flying a weak link that's likely to break without a ground crew member pushing the cart you really don't wanna get airborne with it anyway. It's a lot like this:

While pushing up on the leading edge between the nose and the crossbar junction, step on the bottom side wire with about 75 lbs. of force. This is a rough field test of the structural security of the side wire loop, the control bar, the kingpost, and the crossbar, and will likely reveal a major structural defect that could cause an in-flight failure in normal operation.

If you can break it on the ground it would've been a really bad idea to have flown with it - even if you maybe coulda gotten away with it.

It looks like you are trying to fly the glider while in the cart...

He stays on the cart way too long on the first effort. He doesn't lift off until the Dragonfly does.

...and cross controlling.

There's no such thing as cross controlling.

When I had minimal experience, I did not worry about where the cart was going.

He doesn't. But he's flying with the cart.

Sometimes now I adjust my weight to steer the cart straight and one should not have to do that. The pilot really should concentrate on the liftoff and then flying.

Nic Welbourn - 2012/07/25 05:41:17 UTC
Canberra

Anyone else feel this way?

Me too. I learnt AT but have decided not to continue (I live close to a bunch of mountain launches)... Apart from the expense, hassle, and time spent driving to an airfield, I figure it has a pretty narrow margin for error. And when things go wrong, they can do so very quickly.

Things can go wrong very quickly at a mountain launch too - if you don't watch the streamers before you commit. Otherwise, we don't have things going wrong very quickly in the critical launch phase when the guy on the back end has half a clue what he's doing and the asshole on the front end follows some reasonable facsimile of the weak link regulations.

I figure you want to tow in the warm part of the day, which makes sense if you wanna stay up, but not if you like a comfortable margin for error when close to the ground.

1. You don't do your first aerotows in the warm part of the day.

2. It should be pretty fuckin' obvious from the zillions of tows done by recreational and competition flyers that - even with the total shit they choose to use for equipment - the margins of error are fuckin' huge.

I'm primarily a leisure pilot, it was good to learn AT but I'm happy about deciding not to stay current.

That's fine - as long as the hills aren't farther away than the runways.

Dawson - 2012/07/25 06:12:38 UTC
Lake Macquarie

Until I decided to learn to AT, I was also concerned about the relative safety. I no longer feel that it's any more dangerous than hill launching.

Sure, the middle of a thermic day is when you want to tow up, AND it's when the risks are higher, but exactly the same is true of launching from a hill, and for the same reasons.

Bull's-eye.

The way I see it, no matter how we launch, there are dangers involved. The specific dangers are different when mountain launching than when AT launching. This is why we get training, so that we can learn from the mistakes that others made in the past.

Name an aerotow mistake from which there was something to learn. Hell, name a perfectly successful aerotow flight from which there was something to learn from the past.

Yes, it can cost more, but it's an awesome way to get airborne. If you bomb out, you just land back at the strip and go again, no need to pack up and try to get your glider back to the top of the hill.

And let's not assume that there's no cost involved in a mountain relaunch.

A couple of the tows in that vid looked very scary - but I've also seen hill launch failure videos which were just as scary.

Just my 0.02c

Grant Bond - 2012/07/25 11:24:38 UTC
Perth

It seems a big step but not as scary as I thought it may be. First two tows was with a Sting and no harder than car towing. Third was with a Falcon 3 195 towed off the chest only and gave the forearms a good burn, won't do it like that again. Fourth and fifth was last weekend on the Combat, had really been wondering how the topless would handle it and was better than hoped for. Towed off the chest and was easier than the Falcon to get airborne. Wasn't until 1500 feet on both tows started sinking into the prop wash and became unstable but at any time could have just released, continued to three grand.

Are you sure? I was under the impression that prop wash would blow your standard aerotow weak link and flip you upside down.

TheNewGuy - 2012/07/25 11:58:54 UTC
Ohio

Wow. My buddy Scott just seems to attract media attention. He is always getting internet advice. I guess that's why I chose to keep my videos more private.

Why? So you can exude an aura of perfection and not catch any flak from all the assholes also attempting to exude auras of perfection?

He went out of his way to document every single flight since day two. I have found it really cool to have all the documentation of his progress since he and I started the same weekend.

But I have to come to his defense. He was flying his North Wing Horizon even for his first aerotow, because he had transitioned to that glider about five months earlier, gotten lots of practice, and had become very dialed in to that glider!

He is that guy who you would think would be fine to do this. Also the tow pilot is a very skilled pilot who had gone over all the aspects of AT many times that morning, they had a clear idea of what to do if something went wrong, as you can see he handled it like a champ!

Not by a long shot - but not horrible either.

He then decided that even though it had been five months since flying a Falcon he would do it the regular way, and aced it. He is now flying the Horizon with no fin, on soarable days just fine.

Are you sure? I was under the impression that it was pretty much impossible to safely aerotow a glider with no fin.

Craig Hassan - 2012/07/25 12:27:15 UTC
Ohio

That is my fat arse launching him his first couple attempts.

I was concerned about the wing not being test flown, but figured worse case it would just be a bit more bar pressure. Scott has always come off as a reserved guy who calculates his risks well. So with his instructor's blessings on towing the wing I didn't have enough concern to speak up.

Hindsight 20/20 and all, I wish I would have, but Scott did handle himself well with the outcomes. He learned a valuable lesson, as did I, and has become a fine AT pilot in the weeks following this video.

As for TheNewGuy, yeah he went the right path using the Falcon first, then stepping to his wing. A fine job, but he hasn't had any soil your drawers moments to humble himself, so he is still has a little Maverick attitude.

Paul Edwards - 2012/07/26 20:21:18 UTC
Tennessee

Alan, I felt exactly the same way... until I learned to tow. Now I really enjoy towing. It always reminds me of water skiing. I have no way, nor do I know of any way of quantifiably assessing the danger of AT launches versus foot launches.

In the period from 2009/11/27 to present, how many people have been killed launching from the:
- Lookout LZ?
- Henson Gap ramp?

Which site do you think sees more takeoffs?

You take your life in your hands either way, so be ready to do what you have to.

The best advice I ever heard was to be prepared to pin off at all times, and don't hesitate to do so when it starts to get crooked because you think you can save it.

- The assumption being that your situation is automatically gonna dramatically improve as a consequence of you not hesitating to pin off.

- How many people:
-- would you estimate have been slammed in 'cause they hesitated to pin off?
-- do you think have been slammed in 'cause some asshole at the other end of the string made a good decision in the interest of their safety?

- How well did you follow the aftermath of the 2012/06/16 Terry Mason fatality?

- So why don't you tell us what piece of equipment you're using to give you the ability to pin off without hesitation...

GT Manufacturing Inc. (GT) and Lookout Mountain Flight Park Inc. (LMFP) make no claim of serviceability of this tow equipment. There is no product liability insurance covering this gear and we do not warrant this gear as suitable for towing anything.

...when it starts to get crooked?

Even so I've managed to tow periodically for two years without ever breaking a link or having to pin off early.

What's your flying weight?

After about forty hours of flying I found learning to AT to be a no brainer... there are definitely different flying characteristics, but with your muscle memory well tuned to flying you can easily absorb the new information and make the necessary adjustments.

Good luck!!

Unless he replaces the crap that he's using now with something from outside of the mainstream that's exactly what he'll need to be operating on.

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=26713
First attempts at Aerotowing.

Alan Wengren - 2012/07/26 21:59:58 UTC

Thanks Paul. If I do decide to go towing you'll all be the first to know when I post the video lol... I was just kicking some things around about towing online the other night and was thinking about it so... I mean I know I could handle it as far as muscle memory, that's no prob but I guess I just always feared a line snapping while near the ground after liftoff from the cart or something like a total lockout or something and crashing hard.

I'll think about it though.

Dude...

Manned Kiting
The Basic Handbook of Tow Launched Hang Gliding
Daniel F. Poynter
1974

"The greatest dangers are a rope break or a premature release." - Richard Johnson

http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=24846
Is this a joke ?

Jim Rooney - 2011/08/26 02:44:10 UTC

The "purpose" of a weaklink is to increase the safety of the towing operation. PERIOD.

If you use a standard aerotow weak link the chances of you having a towline failure are so close to zero that the difference isn't worth talking about.

Paul Edwards - 2012/07/27 01:50:32 UTC

Yep that's what I used to think about too. I still think about those situations every time I tow. You have to in order to keep safe. I change my weak links often and make sure I get my launches right.

Yeah Paul. Make sure you change those standard aerotow weak links that are just perfect for you often. If they get a little fuzzed they may be just perfect for someone twenty pounds lighter than you are.

I choose my conditions conservatively and I've never had a problem or even a moment of concern while towing.

Yep. If you just fly in sled conditions there's almost no chance you're gonna have any problems with Industry Standard releases or standard aerotow weak links.

I've also seen some people do some boneheaded stuff. One guy I watched veered to the left, going into lockout just off the cart. Thinking he could save it he held on just an extra second or two... just long enough to ensure he pounded in royally after the tug gave him the rope.

So he was OK going with his boneheaded decision holding on and trying to save it but pounded in royally after the tug pilot made a good decision in the interest of his safety?

He was fine, though the glider needed some downtubes.

Well, he was right there at Lookout and Lookout sells downtubes so I really don't see that there was much of a problem.

Towing Aloft - 1998/01

Pro Tip: 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.

I certainly hope he remembered thank the tug pilot for intentionally releasing him, even if he felt he could have ridden it out. The tug pilot should be given a vote of confidence that he made a good decision in the interest of his safety.

Nah...

http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=14221
Tad's release

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."

Probably not.

The next one to come up to the tuggie and say "Thanks for saving my life." will be the first.

These people are all so unappreciative. They should read the excellent book, Towing Aloft, by Dennis Pagen and Bill Bryden.

Manned Kiting
The Basic Handbook of Tow Launched Hang Gliding
Daniel F. Poynter
1974

"The greatest dangers are a rope break or a premature release." - Richard Johnson
"A bad flyer won't hurt a pin man but a bad pin man can kill a flyer." - Bill Bennett

Another guy accidentally pulled the release at the same moment as he let go of the cart to lift off. He came down again on top of the cart in an awkward position, but with no damage to him or the glider.

Jim Rooney - 2007/08/01 19:49:30 UTC

It's more of this crappy argument that being on tow is somehow safer than being off tow.

Scott Corl - 2012/07/27 14:45:06 UTC
Fairborn, Ohio

In regards to the dangers of aerotowing versus foot launching, I don't think there's any way except guessing to determine the relative dangers (you're comparing two very different things). I do think that if you apply the same attitude of caution and attentiveness to the process of learning you can be just as successful towing as you can foot launching.

Dolly launched aerotowing blows foot launching away. It's simpler, easier, more idiot resistant, and conducted in a safer environment.

As for the video linked in the original post. I am the pilot.

I think the two "scary" attempts I showed there are entirely caused by pilot error in the first few seconds after calling clear. My personal assessment is that I was applying far too much of what I learned scooter towing to aerotowing.

By that I mean I thought scooter towing and aerotowing would be very similar in the way you handled the glider. But the forces the pilot feels (bar pressure, tow line pressure...

Yes Scott, towline PRESSURE.

...etc), the way the glider behaves, the speed you are flying at, are all different. Which means that my comfort and confidence flying the North Wing Horizon for my first few tows was misplaced. I think I can be pretty damn convincing too when I'm confident, so I have no cause to blame anyone but myself for the extra risk I took.

I definitely learned something on those first few attempts. Both within the realm of piloting my glider and within the realm of learning a new skill. And I think Craig's words are true for a number of the other pilots around at the time, hindsight shows that that was definitely an excessive risk.

Stay away from that asshole.

But thankfully, it turned out just fine, and I've learned a significant amount since then. I can now smoothly pilot my Horizon on aerotow without any significant PIO and without overly exerting myself in flight.

Sounds like you could stand to move your trim point a bit fore.

John Fritsche - 2012/07/28 04:01:47 UTC
Lompoc, California

I first tried aerotowing when it was still a pretty new phenomenon. I knew several pilots who had recently started doing it before me, and they all had done well. I was an H4. So I approached it with confidence and low anxiety, and made my first attempts to aerotow on my WW Super Sport (which developed a reputation for being very squirrely on tow). No tandems first.

Long-story-short: several attempts didn't go well at all, and I'm lucky I'm alive.

I ate my humble pie and tried it again the right way. Soon thereafter I was feeling as comfortable with aerotowing as I was with foot-launching.

Now, I haven't aerotowed in well over ten years. If for some reason I once again am living in a place where that's the only method for getting into the air, I plan to approach it like I've never done it before, regardless of the cost. Just like I'd spend time on a training hill after not foot-launching for a long time. Aerotowing is awesome, no better or worse or more dangerous than foot-launching - just different, and it requires proper training.

Not nearly as much as many of the proper trainers would have you believe. It does, however, require a lot better equipment than damn near all of the proper trainers would have you believe - unless you - like most people in this game - are happy rolling dice.

Steve Seibel - 2012/07/28 05:21:27 UTC
Willamette Valley

Speaking of which...

Aerotowing is totally awesome, end of story.

I learned aerotow by tandem. Probably a good thing, as it took me a few flights to get the hang of it. Even with much prior sailplane aerotow experience.

At a location near me, they throw pilots out solo for their first aerotow. On Falcons of course. Nine out of ten go well. One out of ten is very exciting to watch. Try to be there on that day, it will be worth it for you for cheap entertainment. A pilot keeps pulling in going lower lower lower when he should be pushing out, etc. God knows what he was thinking.

The secret to good roll control on aerotow is to keep your wrists loose and not try to influence the glider in yaw, just observe your position behind the towplane and make roll (bank) inputs as needed to correct, have no care for yaw/heading (which way the nose is pointing). Let the glider yaw from side to side as much as it wants as long as you are in the right position behind the towplane. Absolutely never try to "lead with your feet" as you would in free flight, just keep your wrists/arms loose and allow your shoulders to move more than your feet if that's what happens naturally. As long as you are pushing the bar in the right direction and keeping your arms/wrists loose and not trying to do a "lever" action to force your feet to move more than your shoulders, you will be fine.

The secret to good pitch control on aerotow is to pull in to go down and to push out to go up. (Duh!)

Always try to be present when someone tries foot-launched aerotow for the first time or for the first time in a long time. It is often very exciting, just as if they were a new beginner pilot.

michael170 - 2012/07/28 05:31:37 UTC

Indeed!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u51qpPLz5U0

06-0818


10-1003
http://vimeo.com/17743952

password - red
10-525
http://farm1.staticflickr.com/435/19224482318_2da3f48afe_o.png

sboost1 - 2012/07/28 15:55:01 UTC
Montreal

I remember my first attempt at towing many years ago on my WW Super Sport (reputed to be one of the worst behaving wings to tow). I broke the weak link on my first two attempts which just turned me away from the whole idea of towing.

Did the thought occur to you to just get turned away from the whole idea of standard aerotow weak links?

http://www.chgpa.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3600
Weak link question

Jim Rooney - 2008/11/24 05:18:15 UTC

I've personally refused to tow a flight park owner over this very issue. I didn't want to clash, but I wasn't towing him. Yup, he wanted to tow with a doubled up weaklink. He eventually towed (behind me) with a single and sorry to disappoint any drama mongers, we're still friends. And lone gun crazy Rooney? Ten other tow pilots turned him down that day for the same reason.

Oh, right.

Craig Hassan - 2012/07/28 19:18:58 UTC

Yep, we had a guy trying to tow a Super Sport. It was often exciting to watch. He almost never had trouble until he got well away from the ground.

I did my first foot launch AT not long ago. Wasn't as big a deal as I had anticipated.

Nah Craig, there are plenty of stupid things we do in hang gliding - like foot launch aerotow and towing one point - that are only big fucking deals once out of many thousands of flights.

But please don't let me influence the ways you're doing things.

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=26790
Blown launch in Yosemite

SWIFTY - 2012/08/04 21:14:00 UTC
Modesto

OK. I just talked to Dans wife. He had surgery this morning. They wired his jaw yesterday but had to wait until today to do the reconstructive stuff. They had to build him a new chin but his wife says he looks great even though he has a lot of swelling. He does have nerve damage on the right side of his face and that will take time to see what happens with that. He does have a puncture wound but they can't sew it up, it has to heal from the inside. They've done another full body scan and they're trying to figure out why he has low blood pressure. Since he has his jaw wired shut he can't talk so it's no use calling him on the phone. Also since he can't eat visits are ok because there won't be any interuption for meals. He's at Memorial Hospital in Modesto. Right now it's room 3321 but it may change. We do need to wait until sunday to visit since he's still coming to from surgery.

I'd just like to say that I was there and the wife of one of the pilots from the Crestline Soaring club did a SUPER job! I didn't get her name in the turmoil but she said she is the safety director for the club. There was another woman there with one of the pilots and she told me her name but I can't remember it, red head. They both climbed down to where Dan was and gave great first aid. They were both VERY good and a big help! Thanks a bunch!

I was there watching from behind and looked like his nose was high on launch and he mushed out of my view and from other discriptions he yawd to the left and started to correct then his wing tip clipped the dead tree and that made him flat spin into the ground at the base of the tree.

His wife is asking for everyone prayers.

I'll update as I find out more. Thanks

People get killed perfectly dead on aerotow launches but:

- they ALWAYS hafta try WAY harder than Dan did; and

- with good equipment - that Trisa Tilletti and the rest of the Flight Park Mafia keep from getting into circulation - the safety margins are freakin' huge.

There's just no contest between aero and Henson, Chelan, Glacier Point.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuSHh0nmKkQ

07-1412
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3900/14557433291_0d22597fd6_o.png


http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2926/14374222698_ed4d1c396d_o.png
11-1513

[Tad Eareckson]

http://mypathtopilot.blogspot.com/2012/05/saturday-may-19th-my-first-aerotow.html
My path to Pilot: Saturday May 19th, My first Aerotow!

Scott Corl - 2012/05/21

This weekend an event was organized in memory of a club members Mom. She was a big part of the community many years ago when the Ohio Flyers would fly from her property. It was a great weekend of flying, food, and drink.

The weekend was forecast for 2 decent days of flying and most expected to see some soaring. I was also looking forward to this weekend because of the possibility of doing my first Aerotows. John (Alden) has been hinting at it for a few weeks now but this week was the first I seriously considered trying. I arranged to be out early to take advantage of the calm and cool air and Frank and I set up my glider for towing.

To cut strait to the chase: my first two attempts went very poorly although no harm was done.

On my first launch, I stayed in the cart too long. I over reacted to the advice that I would need to hold on to the cart much longer than I normally do while scooter towing and ended up trying to stay on the cart well after I was at an appropriate speed to take off.

What total asshole gave you that advice? Airspeed is airspeed - whether it's aero, scooter, platform, slope, or standing in the wind.

I made a safe (but uncomfortable) wheel landing in the tall grass and went back to try again.

When I did finally come out of the cart, I didn't follow the tug as it climbed, I stayed low and fast, again over reacting to the advice that when aerotowing you need to fly much faster. While I don't think I was necessarily in immediate trouble, I was certainly not doing vary good yet so Frank made the cautious move and gave me the tow line.

Yeah, dumping someone who's trying to fly is ALWAYS the cautious move.

http://www.chgpa.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2467
weak links

Jim Rooney - 2007/08/01 13:47:23 UTC

Whatever's going on back there, I can fix it by giving you the rope.

Ya just can't go wrong giving someone the rope.

I made a safe (but uncomfortable) wheel landing in the tall grass and went back to try again.

I can name you a whole bunch of foot landings at aerotow operations that were a helluva lot more uncomfortable than that one. Lauren and Shannon come to immediate mind.

The second launch was much scarier. Although I did come out of the cart on time, I stayed low, and didn't watch the tug at all.

Watch NOTHING BUT the tug.

I had all my attention on flying the glider.

He's flying the glider more than you are. Your job is pretty much all staying aligned with the thrust he's providing.

I was still pulling in too far in order to keep my speed up where I thought it should be so I got below the tug again. If I had led the bar out and climbed up with the tug I think I might have been OK.

You'd have been fine.

But I didn't, and I definitely was not OK. I started oscillating by making enormous corrections and holding those corrections for too long. One wing tip came close to the ground and I surged all over the place. I felt like I was loosing control so I released myself from the line.

Using a piece of crap Quallaby release with the lever on the basetube but - due to the shoddiness of the "design" - outboard of your hand position. And you had to let go of the basetube and move your hand to hit it. That defeats a good chunk of the advantage of having the lever mounted there.

After releasing, I leveled off and made a controlled landing on my feet in the grass.

You made a controlled landing on your wheels in the grass the first time.

Right after that second attempt, I knew I didn't do very good but I didn't realize how ridiculously close I was to a bad crash.

You'd have been fine. Your standard aerotow weak link would've blown before you could've gotten into too much trouble.

Anyway, the video shows it pretty well I think.

We discussed my second attempt a bit, but easy concluded I shouldn't try again just yet.

Who the fuck debriefed you? It was blindingly obvious that you were too fast and too low. If somebody could've gotten that to sink in you could've gone right back up and done fine.

I would wait until the late evening to try again. Many people thought that the glider was a big unknown, it hadn't been aerotowed before and the attachment point at the keel could have been wrong.

Many people were and are total morons. It wasn't the trim making you go too fast, it was you making you go too fast.

It was also suggested that I should use more VG, although, in my limited experience using the VG on that glider, it doesn't make that much of a difference in free flight so I wasn't convinced.

Good job.

In fact, I don't like having the VG on at all while scooter towing because it ends up being harder to make the small corrections in roll that you need to stay facing down the tow line.

In smooth air crank on some VG. You've got so much speed that handling isn't really an issue.

In the end I think aerotowing has nothing in common with scooter towing and I shouldn't be trying to apply my experiences with scooter towing to aerotowing.

Bullshit. If you had come off the cart on the aero EXACTLY like you were doing for scooter you'd have been fine.

I think VG is pretty likely to make a positive difference in my control under aerotow.

I thought about stepping all the way back to taking a tandem next...

You'd have had Trisa Tilletti weeping with joy.

...I already have complete confidence controlling the glider (at least under the most gentle of conditions), but the feeling of being towed behind the airplane is still pretty unique and I could easily get comfortable with that before trying again. The other option was just flying the Falcon that John trains students on. It would eliminate many unknowns from the equation since it was already set up to aerotow and had been aerotowed by dozens of pilots over the years and was a very easy glider to fly.

So easy, if fact, that there's really no advantage to putting the release actuator on the basetube like you have it on your Horizon. Besides, there's really no way to do it with those training wheels he's using.

We waited until the evening when things were starting to cool off before I towed again. By this time all the other pilots were around, some already finished flying for the day so they were eager to jump in with advice at the last minute. Some were so eager, they continued throwing scenarios at me even while I was doing my hang check ("If you have to land out in a field, remember to land on TOP of the grass...Don't forget, if you have to drop the tow line, remember where it lands...etc). I had spent all day thinking about this and talking to people for advice and I was ready to go. It stops helping when the student is overwhelmed with information that really doesn't have anything to do with what he's trying to accomplish!

Kinda like the way everybody gets told to check that his chest buckles are clipped, lines aren't twisted, backup loop is engaged, carabiner's locked, bar clearance hasn't changed, and chinstrap is snapped when he's verifying that he's connected to his glider?

Anyway...that third attempt went perfectly smooth. I felt calm, controlled, and focused the whole flight. I had my eyes on the tug from the time the wheels first started rolling, I left the cart on time...

About the same time you would've for a scooter tow?

...and followed the tug as it climbed to maintain my position behind it. I might have been slow to adjust my position when I drifted low or drifted high, but I think I did a good job of staying in the sweet spot over all. I didn't have an instrument with me so I don't remember how high I got, but I think we climbed all the way to 2200 feet and I had a smooth sled ride back down to the field. I think my first aerowtow flight went great!

That was your third aerotow flight. If you had been killed on the second one it would've have been as a consequence of an aerotow flight.

TL;DR Check out the video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z49Zpra4wfY

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=26922
Towing release's.

Chris McKeon (Roadrunner) - 2012/08/19 16:16:13 UTC
California

Hello Pilots of the Dot ORG.

Limiting your horizons a bit, aren't you?

Does anyone use a towing release that to operate it. One does not have to remove one's hand from the control bar to operate the release?

I used to - before I got kicked out of the sport for trying to get USHGA and the bullshit operations it "regulates" to get the deadly illegal shit they were putting people up on out of the air and got blacklisted.

I am just thinking here. When things are going wrong, that is not the time one wants to release a hand from the control bar.

Nah.
- Read the excellent book, Towing Aloft, by Dennis Pagen and Bill Bryden.
- Check out the equipment the people at Quest, who've been involved in perfecting aerotowing for nearly twenty years, are using.
- Read the Higher Education articles by Dr. Trisa Tilletti that have been clogging Hang Gliding magazine for the past year.
- Read the towing crash and fatality reports subsequent to 1994 and Doug Hildreth's term as USHGA Accident Review Committee Chairman.

There's really no advantage to flying releases of that capability and there aren't any crashes attributable to lack of that capability. Just use a fin, Tilletti Link, and whatever release the flight park tells you is high quality, stay within the Cone of Safety at all times, and ALWAYS RELEASE THE TOWLINE before there is a problem and you'll be fine.

This subject has brought back an old memory. Years ago a Pilot friend of mine with years more experience than myself told me: "you must remember that when you are under tow, you are a powered aircraft" I have always remembered that.

That's just not correct.

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=11497
Aerotow release options?

Michael Bradford - 2009/07/04 13:00:24 UTC
Rock Spring, Georgia

SG,

A glider under tow is a powered aircraft. String powered. When climbing under power, the angle of attack is relevant to the climb path, not the horizon. And if the tow force is subtracted instantly, the angle of attack is instantly translated, whether or not there is pilot input. A classic Departure Stall can easily, almost instantly result. Pitch and power are not independent forces.

If you are in the middle of a climbing correction when the "power" fails, failure to immediately lower the angle of attack can yield an immediate deep stall.

On a powered aircraft or a towed sailplane it's a bad thing when the engine seizes or the weak link blows.

But on a hang glider a really flimsy weak link is the focal point of a safe towing system and increases the safety of a towing system. PERIOD. If you got killed when it blew you'd have been killed a lot worse if it hadn't blown.

I hope that one of you says something like this: He needs what I use, it is perfect.

http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=22660
What can be learned from this "scooter" towing accident?

Jim Rooney - 2011/02/06 18:35:13 UTC

The minute someone starts telling me about their "perfect"system, I start walking away.

with a squeeze of a lever...

Would an inboard slide of the hand or twist of the grip...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aerotowrelease/8306300488/


...be OK?

...all towing energy is released, and best of all, you do not have too remove a hand from your control bar at the worst possible time.

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=11497
Aerotow release options?

John Glime - 2009/04/13 18:09:32 UTC

Not being constructive? There is one person who has put more thought and time into releases than anyone. That person is Tad. He explains the pros and cons to every release out there. I gave you the link to more release information than the average person could ever digest, and I didn't get a thank you. Just you bitching that we aren't being constructive. What more could you want? He has created something that is a solution, but no one is using it... apparently you aren't interested either. So what gives??? What do you want us to tell you? Your concerns echo Tad's concerns, so why not use his system? Every other system out there has known flaws.

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=12403
weak link table

ian9toes - 2009/06/14 15:18:37 UTC

I strongly disagree with banning the one guy who has the most knowledge about safety issues involving what I believe is the most dangerous part of our sport. I hear someone dies every year from towing. I hope SG bites his tongue in the interest of public safety. Maybe just changing the heading of the post to Blatant plug for aerotow weaklink. Does anyone really think he stands to get rich out of selling these, I don't think so. I suspect his main motivation is to save some lives and to not have all his hard work gone to waste. Keep the cocky bastard on I say.

Jack Axaopoulos - 2012/02/24

No posts or links about Bob K, Scott C Wise, Tad Eareckson and related people, or their material. ALL SUCH POSTS WILL BE IMMEDIATELY DELETED. These people are poison to this sport and are permanently banned from this site in every possible way imaginable.

OK: Dot Org. this is about it, Good By The BIG GUY. 925-497-1059 CCMCK@GOLDSTATE.NET

You might wanna look outside of Dot Org for information on this issue. What you're getting there tends to be a bit filtered.

Craig Stanley (FlyLikeARock) - 2012/08/19 18:23:44 UTC
Campbell, California

I do

BigGuy,

For 2-point tow system (shoulders and glider), I keep my bicycle-brake release right at my hands, like a bike brake should be.

Hey, there's a novel idea.

I've been in situations before where your intuition is telling you to hold onto that bar...

That's not just your intuition, Craig. That's several hundred million years of genetically programmed survival instinct.

...but pilot training tells you to release.

Pilots don't send pilot up on pieces of equipment or train them to make decisions about which way they prefer to die when there are better options available. For example...

They've engineered conventional gliders such that you can control the ailerons and elevator with one hand and the rudder pedals with your feet and blow the release with your free hand.

For Pro-Tow...

Please don't call it Pro-Tow. It makes The Jack Show a (more) dangerous place for people of various ages to visit.

I use a mouth release. It's basically a 3-string release on one shoulder, with the final string going to the mouth. The other shoulder has a barrel release.

http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15571
Pro/Tow release from base tube

Give Steve Kinsley the credit for that one. There aren't any Jack Show rules banning mention of his name - unless he's considered a "related" person.

My mouth release also has a barrel at the release that you slide forward to engage a lock on the string. Once you get to a safe altitude, you can lock the string in position with a barrel, and then drop it from your mouth.

Or you could use this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aerotowrelease/8305333309/


configuration.

I think it makes AT a lot safer!

This isn't a matter of THINKING, Craig. This is two plus fucking two.

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=26922
Towing release's.

GerryP - 2012/08/19 18:35:07 UTC

Hey Chris -

I don't have the perfect answer for you, but a few notes (for aerotow) ...

1. I towed last year with a pilot flying a pro-tow mouth-release (it must be Craig who just posted above!). It was impressive; he would use it for only the first ~500 feet of flight, and after that could lock it in place and use the barrel. This way, the ultra critical first part of the tow he had release without moving his hands. I asked where he got it, and he said he built it himself. I like this idea.

Kind of a shame that the Quest, Manquin, and Ridgely Flight Park Mafia franchises ignored it seven years ago and Davis sabotaged a prototype and declared it unfit for human consumption a year later, dontchya think?

2. I use the Wallaby brake-style release. What I do is, for the tow, turn the brake handle toward my hand on the control bar. This way, to get off tow I only need to punch three inches to my right. I can do this without looking very quickly.

I'm guessing you've got your standup landings perfected too - 'cause this configuration doesn't sound like it accommodates wheels.

Well, maybe the Wills Wing wheels extended forward of the basetube... But, still, there are WAY better ways to engineer this solution - and that's before you consider that the performance and reliability records of Wallaby Releases totally suck.

3. I think if I were to get a new release, I'd try this Lookout one:

http://estore.hanglide.com/Aerotow_Primary_Release_p/14-9004.htm

Maybe you should read the owner's manual:

http://www.kitestrings.org/post41.html#p41

GT Manufacturing Inc. (GT) and Lookout Mountain Flight Park Inc. (LMFP) make no claim of serviceability of this tow equipment. There is no product liability insurance covering this gear and we do not warrant this gear as suitable for towing anything.

...and some reviews:

http://www.kitestrings.org/post499.html#p499
http://www.kitestrings.org/topic19.html

first.

It is roughly what you are asking for, a quick release without looking.

Yeah.

That's the way they advertise these things.

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=22540
LMFP release dysfunction

Antoine Saraf - 2011/07/14 08:33:59 UTC

LMFP Release
I sent 3 times this email to fly@hanglide.com without any answer !!! :

Hello

I recently purchased one of your Aerotow Primary Releases for use in aerotowing tandem gliders. We conduct a tandem aerotowing operation just south of Paris, France.

We have been having considerable trouble releasing when the line is under high tension. It takes considerable effort to pull the Rope-Loop release, often requiring two or three violent tugs on the loop.

http://vimeo.com/40757858

password - red

But as long as you use a standard aerotow weak link...

The new GT aerotow release, new as of July 11th 2009, is designed to be used with a V bridle and a 130-pound green stripe Dacron tournament fishing line weak link. At this time it is not recommended to use this release with a higher value weak link.

...like this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTKIAvqd7GI


you should be able to pry your way loose eventually without too many problems. And, hell, even if you can't...

If properly used, there is a minimum of three ways to release from the towline. Do not depend on any of these ways by themselves and fly with a back up. The first release is the primary release which under certain situations may fail, second, is the secondary release that works most of the time, if all is set up correctly, and third, the weak link which will break under the right load. You should also fly with a hook knife that will allow you to cut the line if need be.

That's why God gave us backup releases, standard aerotow weak links, and hook knives.

There is no shortage of opinions on towing release and methods.

NO SHORTAGE WHATSOEVER. The problems are that:
- Anyone who expresses on OPINION on towing is a total asshole and has no fucking clue what he's talking about.
- There's ONE best method for doing ANYTHING in this game and it ain't rocket science to figure out what it is.

Myself I follow Wallaby/Lookout who have done a zillion safe tows.

1. And thousands of dangerous ones...

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=17092
Crash at Questair

Alfie Norks - 2010/06/03 12:24:40 UTC
Brazil

Speedy recovery to the pilot in question.
It could have been worse. It could have happened at...the other place (but nothing happens there. ) Good luck if it does. No 911 calls allowed. My friend was lucky, the nurse on hand convinced the owner not to move him, this after he snatched and threw her phone away. She was trying to dial 911. My friend suffered lower back injury.

...that nobody ever hears about.

2. Yeah, Wallaby uses these really great weak links, which...

http://www.wallaby.com/aerotow_primer.php
Aerotow Primer for Experienced Pilots

Wallaby Ranch - 2012/08/19

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.

...if you fail to maintain the correct tow position (centered, with the wheels of the tug on the horizon), the will break before you can get into too much trouble.

3. And at Wallaby...

Remember: it is almost impossible to stall under aerotow. The induced thrust vector makes the glider trim at a higher attitude. It is OK to push way out; you will climb, not stall.

Remember: it is almost impossible to stall under aerotow. The induced thrust vector makes the glider trim at a higher attitude. It is OK to push way out; you will climb, not stall.

Unless, of course...

http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=865
Tandem pilot and passenger death

Mike Van Kuiken - 2005/10/13 19:47:26 UTC

The weak link broke from the tow plane side. The towline was found underneath the wreck, and attached to the glider by the weaklink. The glider basically fell on the towline.

...the Wallaby Link breaks before you can get into too much trouble and after you fail to maintain the correct tow position (centered, with the wheels of the tug on the horizon).

4. And the equipment they sell...

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/skysailingtowing/message/4049
Towing errata

Bill Bryden - 2004/04/01 16:20:18 UTC

Some aerotow releases, including a few models from prominent schools, have had problems releasing under high tensions. You must VERIFY through tests that a release will work for the tensions that could possibly be encountered. You better figure at least three hundred pounds to be modestly confident.

Maybe eight to ten years ago I got several comments from people saying a popular aerotow release (with a bicycle type brake lever) would fail to release at higher tensions. I called and talked to the producer sharing the people's experiences and concerns. I inquired to what tension their releases were tested but he refused to say, just aggressively stated they never had any problems with their releases, they were fine, goodbye, click. Another person tested one and found it started getting really hard to actuate in the range of only eighty to a hundred pounds as I vaguely recall. I noticed they did modify their design but I don't know if they ever really did any engineering tests on it. You should test the release yourself or have someone you trust do it. There is only one aerotow release manufacturer whose product I'd have reasonable confidence in without verifying it myself, the Wallaby release is not it.

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=11497
Aerotow release options?

Axel Banchero - 2009/06/20 04:57:01 UTC

I just kept hitting the brake lever for a few seconds in WTF mode...

...is second to none, the absolute best that money can buy!

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=26922
Towing release's.

Zack - 2012/08/19 19:10:26 UTC

The type of towing and bridle configuration is significant. For aerotowing with a keel attachment, Joe Street's GetOff release is the best I've found.

That's the best you've USED - not the best you've FOUND.

"GETOFF" Primary Release
http://ozreport.com/1327514388
"GETOFF" Primary Release
http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=26440

I haven't used one but I like the idea of mouth releases. Some discussion on them here:

Mouth AT Releases
http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=25527

Mouth Release - Where / How can I get one ???
http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=21242

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=26922
Towing release's.

Chris McKeon - 2012/08/19 19:13:46 UTC

More release banter

Hello Gerry:

The concept of this release sounds good.

The concept is great! The execution totally sucks!

The not having to take one's hands off the control bar to release the tension.

You mean the way everyone and his dog was doing it in the early Seventies?

sounds great to me.

Until you read...

GT Manufacturing Inc. (GT) and Lookout Mountain Flight Park Inc. (LMFP) make no claim of serviceability of this tow equipment. There is no product liability insurance covering this gear and we do not warrant this gear as suitable for towing anything.

...the fine print.

I do not see in the Pictures how that is accomplished.

Here's one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pg65528o5-U

1-2602
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5549/13995699911_14ebe6da3f_o.png


Oh, right. I forgot. They don't use those releases on the gliders THEY go up on - just the ones they sell to you guys. For the gliders THEY go up on they use Wallabies with the lever on the downtube - so the cable won't bind 'cause of the extra hard turn.

They also don't use weak links on the tandems to increase the safety of the towing operation. PERIOD.

Could/would you shed some more light on this aspect of the release?

It's an unbelievably dangerous piece of shit sold by a motherfucker with no trace of a conscience who's already killed at least one pilot with a similar piece of shit.

Ralph Sickinger - 2000/08/26 22:18:20 UTC

After towing to altitude, Sunny waved me off; I pulled on the release (hard), but nothing happened! After the second failed attempt to release, I thought about releasing from the secondary, but before I could move my hand the tug stalled and started to fall; Sunny had no choice but to gun the engine in attempt to regain flying speed, but this resulted in a sudden and severe pull on the harness and glider; I was only able to pull on the release again, while simultaneously praying for the weak link to break.

But don't let me stop you. Go ahead and knock yourself out.

Thanks

And don't bother listening to what Zack said, looking at his links, thanking him for his effort to help you, or even so much as acknowledging him.
---
2022/03/31 15:30:00 UTC

Never mind. It's Chris. Can't help it.

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=26935
New idea for two stage winch release - need peer review

Andrew Stakhov - 2012/08/20 20:14:09 UTC
Toronto

New idea for two stage winch release - need peer review

Trust me. You don't want PEER review - especially not from all your totally useless Jack Show asshole buddies.

Hey guys,

I don't know how many of you winch tow from a static line (non payout), but those that do are probably familiar with a two stage release used for this kind of system.

Brief summary for those that are not familiar how this works:

Release is a metal "bar" that sits on your chest and accepts two loops into it. The release features two handles...

Levers.

...one activates one loop, the other handle activates both.

The line from winch is split up into two segments, one shorter, one longer. The shorter feeds over the basebar, the longer under the basebar, and both hook into the release.

The pilot launches being towed by the short one, once about fifty feet in the air he drops the short line and starts getting pulled by the longer line below basebar. You need two stages because if you have the line just under the bar it will push your basebar up when it gets tension, and if you run it through it it will pull you down on basebar once you get enough altitude.

Anyways, this release is super ugly, kinda heavy, and often the cause of double release (when you transition it activates both).

No. IT doesn't blow both. If you hit just the long lever it'll just blow the top line. If you blow both it's 'cause you hit too far inboard and got the paddle. If you end up in the trees it's hardly ever the glider's fault.

So I started thinking if there's a better way of doing it, and here's my solution...

Sorry, that doesn't come anywhere within a mile of being a solution.

...please provide criticism.

Don't worry.

We...

Who's "we"? The committee that designed this thing?

...use two barrel type releases.

To what load did you test them?
- I didn't hear you punching any holes in what Zack was saying about weak links.
- I'm sure you want this to be able to be able to handle a 350 pound solo glider at one and a half Gs.
- So we're talking a 525 pound tow tension capacity.
- The second stage / emergency barrel has gotta be able to handle half that - 263 pounds.
- The first stage SHOULD be able to handle all of that.
- How many pounds did Davis say these were good for?
- Are you sure you've got enough bend in the pins for really efficient operation?

We use chest loops for this setup, with one small release connected to one chest loop.

Sorry, I didn't see a big release in the configuration.

It must be shorter then midway point of your release yet very close to mid point and have enough travel distance left to activate the release mechanism. (I tested this on my harness - it's doable to align it this way).

Do you really think that apex angle is gonna stay that obtuse when you've got a couple of hundred pounds of towline tension?

There's a reason the Koch two stage was built on a spreader bar.

The other loop features just a heavy duty Spectra that meets up with the release in the middle.

Why do you need "heavy duty" Spectra when you're using piece o' shit Davis Releases that start locking up around 155 pounds direct loading?

The rest is self explanatory from picture. The one across the chest can be used to drop both the bottom and top tow, while the top release can be your first stage. This kind of configuration should allow quick one hand release even when there's no tension on the line as you still maintain tension between the chest loops to activate the release.

Yeah, I think you'll be a lot happier testing for and thinking about this configuration under zero towline tension. 'Cause, for one thing, real tow tension is gonna pull your shoulder straps together so hard that you're gonna get your head cut off.

Thoughts?

No. YOU do some thinking.

- The top barrel release is gonna be directly loaded to 150 pounds at routine actuation time.

- You're gonna hafta grab it hard and pull it forward about 25 pounds worth to get it to blow.

- What's your hand gonna feel like if/when you get it to work?

- Have you considered pitch control range?

- Are you gonna be able get it to work at all if the top assembly is tensioned over the basetube and the basetube is occupying the space into which you wanna slide barrel?

I'll probably go out to the field this weekend to test out this system.

DO NOT - repeat - DO NOT *EVER* go out to the field this weekend to test out this system - or ANY - tow equipment. There is absolutely NOTHING that can be learned by putting it in the air that can't be learned a thousand times better through bench testing - regardless of what you're always hearing from shitheads like Rooney and Dr. Trisa Tilletti.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyPaFa-m5rc
2 steps barrel-strings release for towing.wmv

PSUCVOLLIBRE - 2011/11/04

Not as safe as the Koch (it's a lot quicker and easier to swat a paddle than to find and pull a barrel) but a pretty good concept.

You get a couple of points for trying but your efforts are pretty useless unless you come up with something better than or at least improve upon something that's already out there - and you're going way backwards with this one. Do your homework before you start assembling components.

(I can't believe Miller hasn't said anything yet.)

[Tad Eareckson]

The FAA's regulations on tug end weak links:

A safety link is installed at the point of attachment of the towline to the towing aircraft with a breaking strength greater, but not more than 25 percent greater, than that of the safety link at the towed glider or unpowered ultralight vehicle end of the towline and not greater than twice the maximum certificated operating weight of the glider or unpowered ultralight vehicle.

The FAA's regulations on glider end weak links:

A safety link is installed at the point of attachment of the towline to the glider or unpowered ultralight vehicle with a breaking strength not less than 80 percent of the maximum certificated operating weight of the glider or unpowered ultralight vehicle and not greater than twice this operating weight.

USHGA's guidelines on tug end weak links:

The weak link used at the tow plane end of the towline must be stronger, but not more than 25% stronger, than the strength of the weak link used at the glider end of the towline.

USHGA's guidelines on glider end weak links:

Weak links must be used in accordance with 14 CFR 91.309(a)(3). USHPA recommends that a nominal 1G (combined operating weight of the glider and pilot) weak link be used, when placed at one end of a hang glider pilot's V-bridle; or about 1.5-2G if placed at the apex of the tow bridle or directly in-line with the tow rope. The actual strength of the weak link used by the hang glider pilot must be appropriate for the operation and have a breaking strength between 80% and 200% MCOW (max. cert. operating weight) of the glider, in terms of direct towline tension.

The purpose of the weak link is to protect the tow equipment, and may not prevent lockouts or other abnormal flight conditions.

The FAA's regulations on tug end releases:

The towing aircraft is equipped with a tow-hitch of a kind, and installed in a manner, that is approved by the Administrator.

The FAA's regulations on glider end releases:

-

USHGA's guidelines on tug end releases:

A pilot operational release must connect the tow line to the towing vehicle. This release must be operational with zero tow line force up to twice the rated breaking strength of the weak link.

USHGA's guidelines on glider end releases:

A release must be placed at the hang glider end of the tow line within easy reach of the pilot. This release shall be operational with zero tow line force up to twice the rated breaking strength of the weak link.

Dr. Trisa Tilletti's 2011/09 article on how to stay within the Cone of Safety so you will be invulnerable to lockouts and never need to effect an emergency release:

http://www.kitestrings.org/post2522.html#p2522

Dr. Trisa Tilletti's 2012/03 article on how to use a fin to help you stay within the Cone of Safety so you will be invulnerable to lockouts and never need to effect an emergency release:

http://www.kitestrings.org/post2356.html#p2356

Dr. Trisa Tilletti's 2012/06 article on how to tie a loop of 130 pound Greenspot to best meet your expectations of being strong and reliable enough to avoid frequent breaks from turbulence but break as early as possible in lockout situations and use in conjunction with your fin and Cone of Safety training so that in the almost unimaginable event of your entering a lockout despite your fin and Cone of Safety training you will never need to effect an emergency release:

http://www.kitestrings.org/post2230.html#p2230

Dr. Trisa Tilletti's article on the best two and one point release systems to use in the totally unimaginable event of your entering a lockout despite the installation of a properly tied loop of 130 pound Greenspot and fin and Cone of Safety training:

http://www.kitestrings.org/post0000.html#p0000

References to the release hardware used by the aerotow operation which is the leader in aerotow safety from the series of articles which define the high bar to which all others should aspire:

Dr. Trisa Tilletti - 2012/06

The worst performance comes from a relatively short Spectra or thin pro-tow bridle, especially when the weak link is attached directly onto the thin curved pin of the secondary release, which imparts high loads over a very small area of the weak link.

Dr. Trisa Tilletti's position on the importance of employing only the finest equipment the industry can offer for aerotow operations:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TUGS/message/1149
aerotow instruction was Re: Tug Rates

Dr. Trisa Tilletti - 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.

Dr. Trisa Tilletti's position on the obligation of all participants in aerotowing to never tire in the unending pursuit of excellence in aerotowing equipment:

Dr. Trisa Tilletti - 2012/06

What we have covered in this article is practical information and knowledge gleaned from the real world of aerotowing, developed over decades and hundreds of thousands of tows by experts in the field. This information has practical external validity. Hopefully, someone will develop methods and technology that work better than what we are using as standard practice today. Like the methods and technology used today, it is unlikely that the new technology will be dictated onto us as a de jure standard. Rather, to become a de facto standard, that new technology will need to be made available in the marketplace, proven in the real world, and then embraced by our sport.

Fuck Dr. Trisa Tilletti - and the horse he rode in on.