Kite Strings

Channel 5 News - 2010/10/18

Police are investigating the death of an Hidalgo County lawyer killed while hang gliding in Edinburg.

Lemuel Lopez died along the stretch of Constitution Street and Highway 281 Wednesday evening. Police say he was in a hang glider being pulled by a pickup truck.

They say Lopez lost control of the glider and crashed in a nearby field.

We're told the 45-year-old suffered serious head injuries.

Justice of the Peace, and close family friend Charlie Espinoza says, "He was a loved individual. He was very professional. He cared about his community; he cared about his people but most of all he cared about his family. I know that he will be dearly missed."

Funeral services are still pending.

Michael Hoffman - 2010/10/19 10:48 UTC

This situation just has WRONG wrote all over it. Is this where a USHPA accident crew should be sent to the scene to do interviews. I wonder if there was anybody there that knew what they were doing. Goes to show that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. As an H2, I only fly when there is an instructor or other qualified pilot fiends there. Thanks to them for their time and attention to safety, I have logged over a hundred flights without an accident. They say stick with the winners and for me those are the ones doing it safely year after year.

MJH

2009/11/03 05:24:31 UTC

It works best in a lockout situation... if you're banked away from the tug and have the bar back by your belly button... let it out. Glider will pitch up, break weaklink, and you fly away.

During a "normal" tow you could always turn away from the tug and push out to break the weaklink... but why would you?

Have you never pondered what you would do in a situation where you CAN'T LET GO to release? I'd purposefully break the weaklink, as described above. Instant hands free release

2010/09/07 02:50:00 UTC

Weak link in truck towing WILL (read: should) still break in a lockout situation... but as everyone has already pointed out, it takes a lot longer because the glider can continue to pull line off the winch.

There is a limit to how fast line can come off the winch though... so the forces still build up, and the weaklink still fails.

Marc Fink - 2007/05/19 12:58:31 UTC

Tad,

The simple fact is that hundreds of thousands of tows using weaklinks in their present configuration successfully bely your contentions that we're all crazy for towing that way.

Simply put, your statements are irresponsible and are based on your personal interpretations.

I am a tow operator--as well as a "towee." I also do aerotow tandems. Using greenline or similar line, which generally tests at 125 lbs +- 50 lbs is widely accepted because it simply works well and relatively predicatably for the enormous range of conditions and applications in towing. If this weren't true, then accident rates would be much higher and these kinds of weaklinks would have been abandoned along time ago.

A 400 lb load limit for a solo tow is absurd. You claim in-depth knoweldge of what you're doing--but do you know what kind of stitching your using, what kind of tack, and how it affects the integrity of the join you're doing?

Everyone supports you making efforts to improve things--but in the process you trash the present methods as somehow being an accident waiting to happen. You might not actually say it--but the implication is that both the operators and towed pilots are being irresponsible for using faulty equipment and practices.

Steve Uzochukwu - 2010/02/11 14:25:49 UTC

Alan's letter and BHPA reply

Alan Maguire - 2010/02
XClent Paragliding Club
Gloucestershire

Paragliding safety

David Thomson (Attitude, December) pointed out that accidents in paragliding come in two forms: when the glider stops flying, and when we fly into something while the glider is still flying. He says we should identify problem areas. Well...

I do a lot of towing and have done for some twenty years. In fact it's 99 percent of my flying and I do fly all the time. One of my (and some of my fellow tow pilots') fears is sudden loss of power due to a line break. In fact we worry about little else as this is the only thing we have no control over. Or do we? One of the reasons for line breaks is weak link failure.

I fly a Nova Triton. I recently wrote to Nova and asked their recommendations on weak links for my particular glider-pilot combination. I was advised by them to use 200 kg. "The last thing you want is a low-level line break," they told me. Well, I already knew that.

In South Africa they have done away with weak links altogether, as have a lot of other countries (I would in no way suggest we follow suit). In Germany all solo pilots must use 150 kg. In the UK 125 kg is mandatory for most pilots. Most other countries simply make use of a weak links advisory.

Now, back to David's article. He says we should assess systems and implement changes to improve their safety. Well I think the weak link system is one such. It has so many variations the world over it is surely due a look.

Angus Pinkerton, Chairman, BHPA Flying and Safety Committee - 2010/02

Alan is convinced that a weak link parting is dangerous. Indeed this seems to be a common misconception in various types of towing, despite the fact that in almost all cases the perceived danger of a weak link break is undoubtedly due to high tow tensions causing dangerous aircraft attitudes. In any properly conducted paraglider tow operation the canopy is at a safe attitude (i.e. above the pilot) when it is at low level. A low-level line break is a mild inconvenience. What is dangerous is a random part of the tow system failing at high tension. The weak link ensures that high tensions can never be reached.

Apparently Alan believes that all paraglider tow launching is conducted with high tow tensions (and hence a dangerous paraglider pitch attitude) from the moment the pilot leaves the ground. The fix for that is retraining the Winch Operator on the fundamentals of winch launching.

Because all BHPA tow clubs use weak links it is difficult to quantify what the effect of not using them would be - i.e. how many serious accidents have been averted. There is however a very recent example of a non-member tow launching a paraglider on the Isle of Wight in November 2009 with no weak link, in gusty conditions. The paraglider suffered catastrophic structural failure and the occupant was lucky to survive the ground impact with multiple fractures.

Alan is wrong about 125 kg being mandatory in the UK. It is the maximum but is definitely not the minimum. Most pilots and clubs happily use a lower value. Pilots considerably lighter than average should be advised by their Chief Tow Coaches to use smaller weak links if these are available - and if a system is in place for readily recognising which link is in use. And if the pilot's total weight in flight exceeds 125 kg the weak link value can be increased to 150 kg (more accurately 150 daN).

Different nations around the world have adopted different policies in regard to towing and weak links (the 200 kg weak link that Alan reports being recommended by Nova is actually illegal in Germany). Achieving a standardised world weak link value is not on the FSC's current job list.

To take a not-completely-accurate but reasonable analogy, Alan's argument would seem to be that it is dangerous to have your lights go out in the house (you might fall down the stairs in the dark] - so to avoid this risk you should double up all your fuses and hence minimise the chances of a fuse blowing. Most readers will recognise that this involves swapping the 'risk' of some moderate danger when a fuse blows for the danger of burning down your house. This would reduce safety, not improve it.

Alan and the rest of the membership can rest assured that all aspects of BHPA flight operations are under constant review with regard to improving safety. If there was any evidence to suggest that there was a need to change any aspect of paraglider towing procedures then, following appropriate study, this would be done.

Subj: Re: [Tow] AT SOPs - proposed revisions
Date: 2009/05/10 02:08:52 UTC
From: cloud9sa@aol.com
To: skysailingtowing@yahoogroups.com
cc: GreggLudwig@aol.com, lisa@lisatateglass.com

Hi Tad.

I'm Tracy Tillman, on the USHPA BOD, on the Tow Committe, and I am an Aviation Safety Counselor on the FAA Safety Team (FAAST) for the Detroit FSDO area. As a rep of both the USHPA and FAA, I would like to help you, USHPA, and the FAA improve safety in flying, towing, and hang gliding.

The FAA gets a lot of letters of complaint from a lot of yahoos. For best effect, I suggest that you describe in your letter (and also post to the skysailingtowing group and share with the USHPA Tow Committee) your areas of expertise (if any) related to this issue, and list your qualifiications, logged hours, and currency in certain categories, such as:

1. hang glider pilot rating and logged hours
2. hang glider aerotow rating, logged hours, and logged number of tows
3. hang glider tug pilot rating, logged hours towing, and logged number of tows
4. hang glider aerotow administrator appointment date
5. hang glider aerotow supervisor appointment date
6. hang glider tanderm instructor rating, logged hours of aerotow tandem instruction, and logged number of instructional flights
7. airplane pilot license ratings and logged number of hours
8. airplane tow pilot endorsement date, logged number of hours towing with airplane, logged number of tows
9. sailplane tow pilot license ratings, logged number of hours, logged number of tows.
10. sailplane instructor license date, logged number of hours of instruction, logged number of instructional tows
11. any other flying or engineering-related credentials that you may have as evidence of your competence to make these claims.

(BTW, if you have an AT hang glider rating or above the you would/should have received the USHPA Aerotow Guidelines as part of your instruction from the person who taught you to aerotow and/or gave you your AT rating, and you should currently have access to them via the packet that is accessible to you on the USHPA web site, if your AT or higher AT-related ratings and appointments are current.)

It would also be good for the FAA and USHPA to know what kind of ultalight or sport plane tug and airplane you use for towing hang gliders and sailplanes with at your operation (if any), along with a general description of your towing operation or who you provide towing and instructional services for (if any).

Additionally, if you want to really present a convincing argument, you should also: (a) get other experts to co-sign your letter, such as those who have some or most of the aerotowing-related credentials listed above, who have been doing this for many years with many students, and who support your argument; and (b) present reliable data based on valid research showing that there is a significant difference in safety with the changes that you recommend. Supportive comments from aerotow experts along with convincing data can make a difference. Otherwise, it may seem as if your perception of "the sky is falling" may not be shared by most others who have a wealth of experience and who are deeply involved in aerotowing in the US.

This information would also be very helpful in convicing the USHPA and others to take your complaint seriously. Most of the individuals who serve on the USHPA Towing Committe have most of the credentials listed above, so it will be great for you to let them know about your similar credentials and depth of experience, too. If you do not have those credentials, it will be a simple matter for the USHPA Tow Committee to respond to the FAA to discount your complaint, so it will be very important for you to present this information in your letter to the FAA and to others now.

The best way to make change is to get involved, and join the Tow Committee at its meetings. That's what people who really care do to make change. Such is the nature of the great opportunities we have to make a difference in the US (although it means having to spend time, money, and effort, compared to the ease of just sitting in front of a computer.)

Good luck with your endeavor, and regards,
Dr. Tracy Tillman
USHPA Director, Region 7
FAA Detroit FSDO FAAST Aviation Safety Counselor

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

Gee, didn't think we'd have to delve into "pilot in command"... I figured that one's pretty well understood in a flying community.

It's quite simple.
The tug is a certified aircraft... the glider is an unpowered ultralight vehicle. The tug pilot is the pilot in command. You are a passenger. You have the same rights and responsibilities as a skydiver.
It's a bitter pill I'm sure, but there you have it.

Mitch Shipley - 2011/01/31 15:22:59 UTC

Jim,

Enjoy your posts, as always, and find your comments solid, based on hundreds of hours / tows of experience and backed up by a keen intellect/knowledge of the issues when it comes to most things in general and hang gliding AT/Towing in particular. Wanted to go on record in case anyone reading wanted to know one persons comments they should give weight to.

The Press - 2006/03/15

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is urgently pushing for new hang-gliding industry standards after learning a hang-gliding pilot who suffered serious injuries in a crash three weeks ago had not clipped himself on to the glider.

Extreme Air tandem gliding pilot James (Jim) Rooney safely clipped his passenger into the glider before departing from the Coronet Peak launch site, near Queenstown, CAA sports and recreation manager Rex Kenny said yesterday.

However, he took off without attaching himself.

In a video, he was seen to hold on to the glider for about fifty meters before hitting power lines.

Rooney and the passenger fell about fifteen meters to the ground.

Richard Bryant - 2011/02/12 16:41:43 UTC
New Egypt, New Jersey

He has his 'facts 'completely wrong about what happened to Holly Korzilius (I talked to her and her version is nothing like what Tad states).

Holly Korzilius - 2006/09

I have no recollection of the accident itself. My hang gliding instructor saw my 'flight' from a distance. The only thing I remember was making the decision to tow off the shoulders, preparing to get towed aloft by the ultralight, and acknowledging that the wind was crossing slightly from my left and to prepare for my left wing to get lifted.

The Press - 2006/03/15

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is urgently pushing for new hang-gliding industry standards after learning a hang-gliding pilot who suffered serious injuries in a crash three weeks ago (2006/02/21) had not clipped himself on to the glider.

Extreme Air tandem gliding pilot James (Jim) Rooney safely clipped his passenger into the glider before departing from the Coronet Peak launch site, near Queenstown, CAA sports and recreation manager Rex Kenny said yesterday.

However, he took off without attaching himself.

In a video, he was seen to hold on to the glider for about fifty meters before hitting power lines.

Rooney and the passenger fell about fifteen meters to the ground.

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

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

Jim Rooney - 2008/02/13 09:06:35 UTC

Selective memory I see.

When you first showed me the straight pin release, I told you I wouldn't touch it because "I had to give instructions on how to use it so that people would not rig it wrong". I showed you how you could rotate the pin sideways and close the barrel... and pointed out how this was not possible on a Bailey release. I told you if you fixed that, then I'd use it.

Oh..... in failing to answer my "what advantage does a straight pin have" question... you attempt to reverse it to "what advantage does a curved pin have".

Well, two things....
One... no one's trying to improve on your design. The bar was set with the Bailey... it is to YOU to "improve", which you have not done.

Bart Weghorst - 2011/02/25 19:06:26 UTC
Cowboy Up Hang Gliding
Jackson Hole

Most of the time. But 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.

Mitch Shipley - 2011/01/31 15:22:59 UTC

Enjoy your posts, as always, and find your comments solid, based on hundreds of hours / tows of experience and backed up by a keen intellect/knowledge of the issues when it comes to most things in general and hang gliding AT/Towing in particular. Wanted to go on record in case anyone reading wanted to know one persons comments they should give weight to.

Two... The advantage of a curved pin... it can handle differing thicknesses of materials. Yours can't. You have a very narrow range and then you run into the problem of that pesky stop. That's why yours have weaklinks on both ends... nice and thin.

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.

Call it insignificant if you will, but YOU are the one that is the incumbent... the onus is on you, not Bobby.

But I've had it once where the pin had bent inside the barrel from excessive tow force.

Holger Selover-Stephan - 2010/05/28 22:16:33 UTC
Portland, Oregon

I ordered and received a few barrel releases from Blue Sky. They have straight pins, not the curved ones I'm used to. Steve at Blue Sky tells me this:

...they [the curved pins] don't release with as little tension on them as the straight pins. Otherwise, there is no difference. It makes it hard to put just a rope on the barrel end, which encourages a weak link. Just a good idea. That's why we've been shifting that way, as are many other manufacturers of these releases.

Anybody got an opinion on this matter? Thanks!

Anyway, he doesn't sell junk. If he's selling it, he likes it.

That goes a long way in my book ;)