jb92563 wrote:
> It takes a bit of time to learn and mistakes WILL be made but that is
> no reason to throw out the
> standard signals becasue of a few.
Rudder waggle wasn't a standard signal when I learned. During my first
decade of flying (70s), rudder waggle was commonly used by tow pilots
with newbies (like myself) to suggest a point of release.
> Of the 10,000+ glider pilots I am sure only a couple dozen have
> released on rudder waggles.
I've done it, and I knew (in theory, anyway, what the signal was
supposed to mean). Grob 103, spoiler not properly secured at takeoff
(my bad), spoilers crept open during climb out, no dramatic sounds,
buffeting, etc. I could tell the tow wasn't going right as we tuned at
about 300 feet, continued slow climb rate as the tow pilot made a big
sweeping back towards the air****t. When we got back over the air****t at
1000 ft, he wagged the rudder, and I, fulling expecting to be rocked off
at any moment, pulled the release. The tow plane shot up like a rocket,
a light bulb lit up in my brain, and I looked back to see the spoilers
hanging out in the breeze. I think it clear what would have happened
had I been wagged at 300 feet.
> Thats 0.24%, and completely insignificant justification to change
> anything but the rigor of those few pilots training who are
> having problems.
I bet it's a lot more than 0.24%, I know of more than one tow pilot that
is very careful where they use this signal, from experience.
> We should start a thread on Pilot Mistakes, and you can be sure there
> will be 1000 hr pilots making entires there as well.
I had 1200 hours at the time.
Marc
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