Lockout

[MattHayes]

Just want to see if I can get this Youtube thing down. This is a video that is floating all over Facebook and numerous other websites. I am quite partial to foot launching off a mountain and this doesn't make me feel warm and fuzzy about aerotowing. Granted the pilot did many things wrong, I still like being a "glider" not a "kite".


I think I got it!!!

[Bob Kuczewski]

I still like being a "glider" not a "kite".

Me too. I've been very lucky to be in a part of the country (Southern California) where foot launch sites are everywhere (Torrey, Crestline, Sylmar, Elsinore, Soboba, Horse, Otay, Laguna, Blossom ... and I'm sure I'm forgetting some). But I did fly an aerotow tandem with Malcolm in Florida, and it was pretty amazing. I wonder if there are any meaningful statistics on the safety of each launching method?

Either way, thanks for being here Matt!! Please contact me any time if you have any questions or suggestions regarding the forum. We're trying to build a national association based on open communications, so don't hesitate to ... communicate!!

[Bill Cummings]

Just want to see if I can get this Youtube thing down. This is a video that is floating all over Facebook and numerous other websites. I am quite partial to foot launching off a mountain and this doesn't make me feel warm and fuzzy about aerotowing. Granted the pilot did many things wrong, I still like being a "glider" not a "kite".


I think I got it!!!

Matt I do think you gots it.
Here is what I see.
0:14 still in good position with tugs wheels even with the horizon.

0:14+ Tug enters thermal. Pilot my be too low to safely push out to put tug wheels in line with the horizon. USHPA does not recommend a push out in this situation. Fish eye lens makes altitude hard to judge here but being he was only off the dolly for five seconds a push out now would be too low. I would have released. (He didn’t and it worked THIS time.)

0:14 to 0:18 (in fast forward) notice PIO (wing angle to horizon changing repeatedly) Recommend using a vertical stabilizer.

0:37 to 0:39 too low behind tug, prop wash and left wing flutter indicating stall at the root. (Near the keel.) Camera mounted left of keel, blocking some view of right wing activity.

0:45 RELEASE NOW PLEASE!

0:50 to 0:54 Slack in harness main.
(At 0:51 pilot was against the left rear flying wire, here he could have let go of the bar and release late.)

0:53 Separate from tow. (I suspect weaklink is too strong.)

0:56 Bar should be stuffed or respond with a wing over here to not climb into break stall that happens at--
0:59 Break stall. (This was close to tucking and tumbling.)

1:02 to 1:04 Bar should be back more to prevent mild stall at---
1:06 Mild secondary stall.
Flare higher on the down tubes. (Flare was low and late)
There was a time higher up where a push out to get into position behind the tug may have been okay but I wasn’t there to judge airspeed so I can’t recommend that it would have been safe to do so.
This is my best guess with only the video for evidence.

[Bob Kuczewski]

This is a flight attitude I hope to never see first-hand:

Lockout_53sr.jpeg (34.49 KiB) Viewed 8208 times

He was very lucky to survive!     

[MattHayes]

Bob thank you, very glad to be here. Thank you for all your help and support! Bill your analysis seems spot on. I have aerotowed tandem a few times behind a Dragonfly. Lucky for me I was with a very competent HG pilot, Dustin Martin and tug pilot Mark Knight with Sonora Wings in AZ. Obviously much different in a big ole tandem Falcon over a high performance blade wing. Maybe one day I'll get the itch and try it but for now I'm happy running of peaks.

[SamKellner]

This is a flight attitude I hope to never see first-hand:

The attitude/bank angle is not the scary part, in normal flight. The slack hang strap is

When learning aerotow, I was reluctant to be aggressive enough and push-out when the tug starts to climb suddenly in lift/thermal.

But when under tow, we have thrust, so it is a bit different than normal flight.

Keep the tug on the horizon.

Thanks for the video Matt. Again welcome to US Hawks.

[RobinHastings]

Man, that was scary, Matt! I found myself whispering, "Pull the line! Pull the line!" I'm so glad that pulling the release worked for this guy, and that he had the altitude to make it safely back to the runway.
-Robin

[Bill Cummings]

The pilot couldn't find his release line tied to one of his shoulder straps.
His beefed up weaklink let go (way late).
A hand free release would be a great way to go.
Since this pilot did not respond correctly to prevent first the break stall then failed to correctly respond to prevent the secondary milder stall It seems to me that the pilot was not flying ahead of his glider mentally.
In other words not just responding to situations but anticipating them and not being late with control inputs on time.

[Nate]

His beefed up weaklink let go (way late).
A hand free release would be a great way to go.
Since this pilot did not respond correctly to prevent first the break stall then failed to correctly respond to prevent the secondary milder stall It seems to me that the pilot was not flying ahead of his glider mentally.
In other words not just responding to situations but anticipating them and not being late with control inputs on time.

Excellent summary. Not flying ahead of his glider mentally is what led to the lock out.

That is the AT version of doing a foot launch with bottle grip, nose high, tinkerbell launch run.

It is not hard to find the release once you enter a lock out. You are locked out after all, no longer able to get back in position (no longer in control), so it is pointless not to just let a hand go, look down at your release, and get off tow (and get back in control). That is hard to do when you are newer to AT and your frontal cortex is occupied by the new experience....

The weak link is there to protect from structural failure, not a lockout. Premature weak link breaks by weak material create their own safety issues too.

I miss my RGSA brothers. Have a Merry Christmas!

Nate