http://www.kitestrings.org/post2543.html#p2543
Higher EDUCATION - 2011/07
HOW TO GET THE USHPA AEROTOW RATING
by Drs. Lisa Colletti & Tracy Tillman
It is our understanding that the title of our previous article struck a chord with the magazine's editorial staff--thus, the name of our monthly column is changing from "Towline" to "Higher Education." That's just fine with us. Although we sometimes discuss some issues not directly associated with towing, we will still have an emphasis on towing. This month, our discussion is on how to get the USHPA Aerotow (AT) rating, along with a mention of some recent towing-related changes to USHPA s Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). An example syllabus and curriculum for AT instruction is presented.
TRACY: About a year ago, I was looking through the USHPA SOPs and other official USHPA aerotowing documents and found the Aerotow (AT) credential referenced in different places as a rating, a special skill, an appointment, and even a certification. What is it, really?
LISA: It is a rating. The USHPA SOPs have recently been cleaned-up to clarify that, and the revision of other official USHPA aerotowing documents is currently in-process.
TRACY: Why is it considered to be a rating rather than a special skill?
LISA: Aerotowing is one of the most advanced and difficult skills in which to become proficient in hang gliding, and, like being a tug pilot or a tandem instructor, the AT pilot bears some responsibility for the safety of another person (the tug pilot) while being towed. As such, aerotowing is something that needs to be learned from a good aerotow instructor or administrator, rather than being self-taught. Therefore, it is considered a rating, which is awarded by an instructor or administrator, rather than a special skill [SOP 12-02.11] that is just observed and received from an observer [SOP 12-05.04].
It is our understanding that the title of our previous article struck a chord with the magazine's editorial staff--thus, the name of our monthly column is changing from "Towline" to "Higher Education."
Yeah Trisa, I'll bet it did. And here's a bit of the kind of response to the crap you publish from OUTSIDE of the Industry:
Zack C - 2012/06/02 02:20:45 UTC
I just cannot fathom how our sport can be so screwed up.
http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=26302
HIGHER EDUCATION ?
michael170 - 2012/06/06 03:14:26 UTC
Did anyone here bother to read Drs. Lisa Colletti and Tracy Tillman's thirteen page idiotic article in the June issue of USHPA's worthless magazine?
NMERider - 2012/06/06 03:25:09 UTC
You are being much too complimentary IMHO. I got so nauseated reading it I had to take a breather. Do you mean to tell me they wrote an article that wasn't insipid and self-congratulatory to the extreme? I've found their entire series on aerotowing to come off rather poorly to say the least. A sad waste of such exalted and highly qualified medical professionals. How do I know this? Well they won't stop patting each other on the back about how great they both are.
Pardon me while I puke.
Mike Lake - 2012/06/09 00:25:14 UTC
Cone of safety, flying with a fin is better for your weak-link, too many other examples from the last few pages.
What a load of shit.
Who are these people?
Steve Davy - 2012/06/09 22:38:46 UTC
Congratulations Tracy, you made it to the podium of USHPA's top ranked idiots.
The USHPA SOPs have recently been cleaned-up to clarify that, and the revision of other official USHPA aerotowing documents is currently in-process.
Why? I thought they were...
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/skysailingtowing/message/7067
AT SOPs - proposed revisions
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...
...perfect - motherfucker.
Aerotowing is one of the most advanced and difficult skills in which to become proficient in hang gliding...
Yes. Of course it is.
The United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, Inc. - 2011
Standard Operating Procedure
12. Rating System
02. Pilot Proficiency System
12. USHPA Hang Gliding Aerotow Ratings
-A. Aerotow Rating (AT)
The aerotow skill is a demonstration of the pilot's ability to launch and tow successfully and safely behind a flying tow vehicle. This rating is available to Novice and above rated pilots...
You need to have a NOVICE rating to be able to qualify.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcPhIzCFtC4
Morning Flight
01-03810
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7358/14063087972_3ef6d0163b_o.png
That means you need to have had...
The United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, Inc. - 2011
Standard Operating Procedure
12. Rating System
02. Pilot Proficiency System
07. Novice Hang Gliding Rating
-B. Required Witnessed Tasks
01. Logged Requirements
-a. Attends a minimum of 8 hours of ground school theory.
...eight hours of ground school theory (Would reading your article on weak links do it? That took me about ten hours.) and be able to...
02. Demonstrated Skills and Knowledge
-h. While in preferred flying position, demonstrates flight(s) along a planned path alternating "S" turns of at least 90° change in heading. Flight heading need not exceed 45° from straight into wind. Turns must be smooth with controlled airspeed, ending in safe, stand-up landings on a heading.
-i. Demonstrates 180° turns in both directions, and at various speeds and bank angles.
...turn a glider up to 180 degrees. Pretty heady stuff.
...and, like being a tug pilot or a tandem instructor, the AT pilot bears some responsibility for the safety of another person (the tug pilot) while being towed.
- So with USHGA's shoddy history of aerotowing - with its lax rating requirements allowing people to qualify minus the benefits of tandem instruction and fins and with virtually nothing but shit for releases which render the back end guys total dopes on ropes in lockout situations can you cite ONE SINGLE INSTANCE of a tug driver being so much as SCARED in a situation with an out of position glider?
And NO, you can't count the late Chris Bulger with John Pendry behind him and Dave Farkas with the late Bill Bennett and Mike Del Signore behind him. You can't go up with a total piece of shit for a front end release and put yourself out of position with respect to a glider that's staying in position.
- Fuck the tug pilot.
- He's knowingly pulling inherently roll unstable towed gliders with total useless shit for releases - which he often sells and mandates - and often deadly pro toad bridles...
03-02421
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7200/14097626583_03972773c6_o.png
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9Ek9_lFeSII/UZ4KuB0MUSI/AAAAAAAAGyU/eWfhGo4QeqY/s1024/GOPR5278.JPG
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xh_NfnOcUns/UZ4Lm0HvXnI/AAAAAAAAGyk/0PlgrHfc__M/s1024/GOPR5279.JPG
...into conditions he KNOWS can...
Bill Bryden - 2000/02
Dennis Pagen informed me several years ago about an aerotow lockout that he experienced. One moment he was correcting a bit of alignment with the tug and the next moment he was nearly upside down. He was stunned at the rapidity. I have heard similar stories from two other aerotow pilots.
...roll the most skilled and experienced flyers on the planet nearly upside down in a heartbeat - regardless of the chintziness of their fishing line.
- There's not a tug on the planet that's ever gone up with a release actuator "within easy reach". Every goddam last stick controlled tug has had a...
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7509/15659143120_a9aae8f7bd_o.jpg
...lever on the joystick and every goddam last weight shift controlled tug has had a...
...built in pedal actuated system.
Any tug driver too fucking stupid to squeeze the lever or stomp the pedal before his plane is significantly compromised by an out of position glider - be it out of position because of an act of Mother Nature, the incompetence of the guy on the glider, or his own incompetence deserves to be killed instantly - and nobody should bother shedding a tear.
Ditto and for the same reason for any glider driver who plummets to his death because he can't be bothered to do something on the order of THIS:
13-03110
http://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3697/13700915564_87a2a336b0_o.png
http://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2912/13700562685_86575e9220_o.png
14-03129
just prior to every foot launch he ever makes - like it says in the book.
The ONLY things that are crashing and:
- injuring tugs are stalls on takeoffs:
-- induced by the pilot
http://ozreport.com/forum/files/2_264.jpg
-- resulting from engine failures which were the fault of the pilot...
...or the consequence of a crappy engine design
- killing tugs...
...are control system failures on the Bill Moyes / Bobby Bailey Dragonfly that nobody's doing or saying anything about. So if you're so fucking concerned about the safety of that other person how come you're not publishing any Higher Education articles on THOSE issues?
As such, aerotowing is something that needs to be learned from a good aerotow instructor or administrator...
The way that Frank Spears, Victor Cox, Jeremiah Thompson, Roy Messing, Lois Preston, and this:
http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=18777
Accident - Broken Jaw - Full Face HG Helmet
Keith Skiles - 2010/08/28 05:20:01 UTC
Last year, at LMFP I saw an incident in aerotow that resulted in a very significant impact with the ground on the chest and face. Resulted in a jaw broken in several places and IIRC some tears in the shoulder.
unnamed and unreported on student were?
...rather than being self-taught.
Name some self-taught AT pilots who've eaten it because they were self-taught.
Should we hook up with Ben...
...Dunn? He's a USHGA certified tandem aerotow instructor. How 'bout Zack...
13302
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7395/13626862385_ae79ba296a_o.png
...Marzec?
Lauren Eminently-Qualified-
http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=24534
It's a wrap
Lauren Tjaden - 2011/08/01 02:01:06 UTC
For whomever asked about the function of a weak link, it is to release the glider and plane from each other when the tow forces become greater than desirable -- whether that is due to a lockout or a malfunction of equipment or whatever. This can save a glider, a tow pilot, or more often, a hang glider pilot who does not get off of tow when he or she gets too far out of whack.
I rarely break weak links -- in fact, I believe the last one was some two years ago, and I have never broken one on a tandem (probably because I am light and also because I change them whenever they show any signs of wear). They are a good thing to have, though!!
Tandem-Pilot Tjaden?
Bart No-Stress-Because-
http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=24846
Is this a joke ?
Bart Weghorst - 2011/08/28 20:29:27 UTC
Now I don't give a shit about breaking strength anymore. I really don't care what the numbers are. I just want my weaklink to break every once in a while.
I-Was-High Weghorst?
Brad...
http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=31052
Poll on weaklinks
Brad Gryder - 2013/02/21 23:25:31 UTC
There's also a way to swing your body way outside the control frame so it stays up there while you reach out with one hand and release. Come on - do some pushups this winter. See if you can advance up to some one-arm pushups.
...Gryder?
Jim Keen-
http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=30971
Zach Marzec
Jim Rooney - 2013/02/11 19:22:18 UTC
Of course not... it's Asshole-ese.
Sorry, I'm sick and tired of all these soap box bullshit assheads that feel the need to spout their shit at funerals. I just buried my friend and you're seizing the moment to preach your bullshit? GO FUCK YOURSELF!!!!!!!!
I can barely stand these pompus asswipes on a normal day.
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.
...Intellect Rooney?
Ya know where self-taught AT pilots have a fair advantage? They don't have as hard a time unlearning all the total crap total assholes such as yourself are always cramming down our throats.
Therefore, it is considered a rating, which is awarded by an instructor or administrator, rather than a special skill [SOP 12-02.11] that is just observed and received from an observer [SOP 12-05.04].
Really?
The United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, Inc. - 2013/02/07
Standard Operating Procedure
12. Rating System
02. Pilot Proficiency System
-A. Special Skills attainable by Novice
-D. Aerotow
The aerotow skill is a demonstration of the pilot's ability to launch and tow successfully and safely behind a flying tow vehicle. This special skill is available to Novice and above rated pilots...
So maybe you could write another Higher Education article explaining to us why, five days after the Zack Marzec fatality, AT was demoted back to Special Skill status - where it remains - and, while identified as being "available to Novice and above rated pilots" it's not included in the "Special Skills attainable by Novice" category.
Assholes.
