Obviously. And we're not using weak links but we've got releases that don't stink on ice and we're not breaking gliders if we're not using total morons as boat drivers.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
Then in December of 1980 Saint Donnell of Kingsville submits his flavor of faith based aviation to Hang Gliding magazine and tells us that releases that stink on ice are perfectly acceptable as long as...
...we have a piece of fishing line in our system which blows, before we can get into too much trouble, at about the bottom end of what the FAA permits for sailplanes or, preferably, so it will blow WAY before we can get into too much trouble...Now I've heard the argument that "Weak links always break at the worst possible time, when the glider is climbing hard in a near stall situation," and that "More people have been injured because of a weak link than saved by one." Well, I for one have been saved by a weak link and would not even consider towing without one. I want to know without a doubt (1) when I am pushing too hard, and (2) what will break when I push too hard, and (3) that no other damage need result because I push too hard.
In skyting we use a simple and inexpensive strand of nylon fishing line which breaks at the desired tension limit. There is no possible way for it to jam and fail to release when the maximum tension is exceeded. Sure, it may get weaker through aging or wear and break too soon, but it cannot get stronger and fail to break. If it does break too soon, so what? We simply replace it with a fresh one.
...significantly off the bottom end.A properly designed weak link must be strong enough to permit a good rate of climb without breaking, and it must be weak enough to break before the glider gets out of control, stalls, or collapses. Since our glider flies level with a 50 pound pull, climbs at about 500 fpm with a 130 pound pull, and retains sufficient control to prevent stalling if a weak link breaks at 200 pounds pull, we selected that value.
And, after well over a decade and a half of mountains of evidence that this approach is completely full of shit, we have the excellent book...
...Towing Aloft, by Dennis Pagen and Bill Bryden, reinforcing this now Industry Standard crap.Towing Aloft - 1998/01
A weak link is the focal point of a safe towing system.
A weak link is a very simple device--typically a loop of line--that is intended to break in the event towline tensions exceed a safe or desired threshold.
A weak link is required that will not break needlessly in response to moderate thermals, or pilot inputs, yet will break at a low enough point to avoid disaster or excessive pilot panic.
"It is infinitely better to have a weak link break too soon rather than too late."
-- Towing Proverb
A weak link is a fuse that protects the equipment--your body!--on an overloaded circuit.
Always use a weak link when towing--WEAK LINKS SAVE LIVES.
Of course, your weak link should break before the lockout becomes too severe, but that assumes a properly applied weak link.
Back then we were all supposed to test our fishing line...
...too make sure it was safely at or below the bottom of the legal sailplane range.It is imperative that you make and test your own weak links on a test rig to know at what point they break. You should make and test at least 10 weak links. They will all break at slightly different points, but measure them and find the average. Also compare several of the highest and several of the lowest breaking values to the average. If they differ by more than 10% you do not have a reliable and predictable weak link system.
But last summer, when Dr. Trisa Tilletti finally revealed that for the previous eight years we had been covered by sailplane regulations which made the fucking standard aerotow weak link everybody was being forced to use illegally light for damn near all of our flights...
...it suddenly became unfashionable to test loops of fishing line - lest people start finding out that they WERE illegally light and half the strength the aerotowing experts were telling us they were.Dr. Trisa Tilletti - 2012/06
TRACY: We could get into details of lab testing weak links and bridles, but this article is already getting long. That would be a good topic for an article in the future. Besides, with our backgrounds in formal research, you and I both know that lab tests may produce results with good internal validity, but are often weak in regard to external validity--meaning lab conditions cannot completely include all the factors and variability that exists in the big, real world.
I've been effectively kicked out of hang gliding and banned from seven forums partially, largely, or entirely for my opposition to this bullshit, my push to get weak links up to the middle of the safety range, and take the decision of when to terminate a tow...
http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=26870
weak links
...away from a piece of string and give it back to the PILOT.Zack C - 2012/08/19 18:03
The decision of when to terminate a tow should be made by the pilot, not a piece of string.
I've just looked back at the 246 posts "Weak link question" thread...
http://www.chgpa.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3600
...at my old club forum, currently back on Page 72...
http://www.chgpa.org/forums/viewforum.php?f=2&start=1775
...from which I was "suspended" for three months over four years ago because of my blasphemous attack on the Sacred String and the Douchebag Disciples of Ridgely Rooney.
Those motherfuckers didn't just permanently suspend me. I see now that they locked the topic - well after I had been removed as a threat to their religion. Just can't be too careful on this 130 pound Greenspot issue.
And guess how many times anybody's raised the issue on that piece o' shit forum since then.
http://www.chgpa.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5426
ECC
Same thing on The Bag Show:John Dullahan - 2012/06/10 16:44:57 UTC
Paul Vernon's accident, as Matt described earlier, brought our the local press, and reporters interviewed some pilots and filmed some of the takeoffs, weak link breaks, and relights.
http://www.paraglidingforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=28697
Weak links why do we use them. in paragliding.
Find somebody questioning BHPA's wisdom on regulating for insanely light weak links to protect paragliders (and hang gliders) from stalls and lockouts after that.Forum Moderators - 2010/02/24 22:02:46 UTC
We, the Moderators, feel that weak links are an important topic. In our view Tad Eareckson's posts have discouraged others from taking part in this discussion, so, after several warnings, he has been banned. His most recent post, after this topic was locked, is here. We are happy to lift the ban if we come to the view that Tad has further positive contributions to make - please contact us by PM or by email if you feel that this is the case.
Hang Gliding magazine...
Find a recommendation for a weak link in excess of one G in the twenty-two plus years after that one.Dave Broyles - 1990/11
I talked to a lot of pilots at Hobbs, and the consensus was that in the course of Eric Aasletten's accident, had a weak link break occurred instead of the manual or auto release that apparently did occur, the outcome would have been the same. Under the circumstances the one thing that would have given Eric a fighting chance to survive was to have remained on the towline.
The weak link breaking strength should be between 100% and 150% of the combined weight of the glider and pilot being towed, but each pilot should be totally responsible for his own weak link.
The patterns...
- Pushing 1.5 is taboo behavior.
- Nobody in positions of control or authority condemns 130 pound Greenspot and/or pushes 1.5. What little condemnation and pushing occurs is done from the lower ranks and disenfranchised.
- If you:
-- push 1.5 you'll be attacked and branded as an unhinged and dangerous Tad clone
-- start scoring points you'll be ignored by the establishment
-- score too many points you'll be locked down, banned, blackballed, made an example of.
- After someone is dealt with there won't be any more discussions of...
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hhpa/message/9360
Hook knives and other inventions
...the wisdom of using 130 lb Cortland Greenspot for every pilot in every configuration.Zack C - 2010/02/03 21:07
I've had weak links break on aerotows for seemingly no reason a number of times. I feel that this is dangerous and am suspicious of the wisdom of using 130 lb Cortland Greenspot for every pilot in every configuration.
Too many scumbags in control whose professional reputations will be fucked and who will be opened up to liability issues if people start realizing the emperor is naked.
