Glider Winch Launch Wing Drop

Grob G103 glider catches a wingtip on the ground during a winch launch. Luckily the grass was short and the pilot got away with it this time. This could have easily resulted in a ground loop or a cartwheel accident. Note how the glider yaws towards the dropped wing. It is important to keep the wings level during a winch launch, and to pull the release knob if you can't.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• glider
• winch
• launch
• grob
• G103
• sailplane
• gliding
• soaring
• safety
• segelflugzeug
• windenstart
• segelfliegen
• wingdrop

[6axe1man5]

"Oh dear Bloggs, I don't remember teaching you that..."

Did the pilot get a bollocking for that? Even with the wing drop, the pilot cant be excused for ruddering into it! I've had a couple of my students drop the wing but I've always managed to recover it safely.

[cirrusflyboy]

Yes, just a gentle bollocking from me for not releasing when the wing started to drop. Showing him the video scared him quite enough!

[ask21glider]

He should have let the rope get out as soon as he sees that the wing is going too far down... this could have ended really serious

[cirrusflyboy]

That was the whole point of publishing this video! What saved the situation was that the grass was cut short, so the wingtip didn't get snagged in it. No guarantees, but short grass may help to avoid cartwheel or ground-loop type accidents.

[russy810]

If in doubt release......

[weaville]

A very good video to use for instructional purposes. The left wing appears to touch the ground at .23 without the glider yawing. It stays there till .25 when there is a sharp yaw to the left. At .25 they were in a potentially serious position. If the airspeed over the left wing had reduced to below the stall, it would have stayed down. The effect of the yaw would have meant higher airspeed over the right wing and it would have risen quickly producing a ground loop. They should have released.

[cb900crider]

Very lucky pilot indeed. My dad had a cartwheel on launch happen when there was a sudden crosswind gust immediately after launch. Right wing tip caught and the glider nosed in. I believe they had a schleicher ka7 on a winch, and the weight used for balancing the Cg snapped it's retainer and came forward crushing his right ankle. Lucky for him he is fine after a couple of surgeries and numerous pins in his ankle. He was back flying as soon as the next season started.

[florinbaiduc]

@SchultzieKL except that you have to pick it up using the left rudder, and I agree with cirrus, the acceleration is usually strong enough (2.5-3.5 sec from 0 to 100km/h) to allow for the ailerons to work in the first 1-2 seconds after the start...

[gjsgfkdche]

song name?

[Rickenbacker69]

There is a wing holder in this video too, but in a winch launch you don't have to run very far (the initial acceleration is very high), so he never enters the picture.

[chrisrobsoar]

As the cable goes tight and the glider begins to move it turns right, probably because the glider was not lined up with the cable.

I forget if the C of G hook is offset to the left of the centreline on the Grob 103. On the K21 when using the left cable it catches the nose wheel and violent swings can be induced. When using the left cable I ask for it to be threaded through between the nose wheel and the main, reducing the problem.

This video is a very good example of why we must release.

[Valy18]

In my airclub we have someone who holds the wing and runs until there is enough speed

[MrTumnus8896]

Left hand on the release to start !!!