Gliding Winch Launch Practice Cable Break

Gliding instructor pulls a simulated practice cable break on his unsuspecting student, who deals with it in copy book style. Landing straight ahead is always the safest option during the earlier part of the launch, if reasonably possible. Higher up you fly a circuit, or even soar away. The buggy will tow the landed glider back to the launch point for the next launch within about 10 minutes. You can also overhear our resident winch driver 'Q' (South African accent) having a discussion with a visiting winch driver about the joys of winch driving!

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• glider
• segelflugzeug
• planeur
• sailplane
• winch
• launch
• windenstart
• cable
• break
• gliding
• segelfliegen
• lasham
• winter
• wednesday

[finlayh55]

hi!! just thought i would let you know that part of this is wrong. when lowering the nose, you slect the approach attitude. the recovery attitude is for stalling.

[cirrusflyboy]

@finlayh55. Lowering the nose to the recovery attitude is also appropriate to to a winch launch failure, as it's an analogous situation where you usually end up flying very slowly. Lowering the nose only to the normal approach attitude means that it would take too long to regain a safe flying speed!

[temy2]

nice job, i wonder, can you give me more details about the winch , i.e performance, price because we need to buy one in my club in Egypt, thanks in advance

[cirrusflyboy]

The winch is a Skylaunch 2 fitted with an 8.2 litre GM Marine engine running on LPG. It gives very well controlled and consistent launches and is very easy to operate. Price new about 90,000 Euros depending on spec.

[seal74]

I think a 360 was beter than a straight landing... He had enough hight...

[cirrusflyboy]

Landing approximately straight ahead without making any turns is always the safest option, provided there is enough space ahead to do so. In this case the glider stopped well short of the airfield boundary, so the pilot's decision was correct.

[elskerstine]

I had one in 80meters last sunday

[hrford]

Indeed, If you don't get your nose down low enough, you can be fooled into thinking a turn is required, couple that with low airspeed and crunch! Once established in the climb with a cable break, always get the nose down and look at the remaining field/runway!