Went down to Quest late Friday to fly in small weekend comp organized by paul and Lauren, and was greeted by heavy rain and spectacular lightening. John Simon also made the trek and there were lots of local and visiting pilots there as well.
Sat was blown-out, with 13 -15 mph winds, so made do with dinner and socializing.
Sunday the winds were around 12 MPH, with a further reduction forcasted between 1 and 3 pm. Pilots lined up after Bo Hagwood took off in a single surface glider but sank out near the first turnpoint.
With winds of 10 -12 mph I waited for a few minutes for a lull before giving the take-off signal. Lift -of from the cart was nice and level, but at about 10 ft the right wing was suddenly and violently lifted (Paul said a strong thermal came through juat as I left the cart and pilots had to hold down their gliders). Almost immediately the glider went into a lockout and the weak link broke just as I hit the release. The high right wing put me into a left turn, so I committed to making a complete 360 back into the wind as the best option. At the 180 point I was about 20 ft over the ground and flying very fast downwind, so to avoid a downwind stall I pulled in slightly then pushed out to gain a little altitude before completing the 360. I almost got it around but couldn't quite pull it off, so the left corner of the control frame dug into the ground taking out the right downtube and fractured a small bone in my wrist (the ulnar styloid). I got a small soft cast which allows use of the hand for driving etc.
After that the winds and thermal activity on the ground picked-up, pilots waited, but the wind strength continued to increase, and the day was eventually called.
By Monday morning the winds had died down and the everybody was getting ready to fly as I left for an early afternoon flight.
The two people with me at the cart release didn't notice the thermal activity at the gliders, which were downwind and behind us.
Besides the windsock, which was about 250 yards away and 2 o'clock from my position (right front) there was a streamer about 100 yards away and 11 o'clock (left front). The windsock was about 30 degrees below the horizantal and indicating the wind was from the west, the direction of takeoff, and the streamer indicated similar conditions closer to launch.
The incident demonstrated the few options available when towing in winds of 10 - 12 mph and a wing is suddenly and violently lifted close to the ground - a lockout often insues very quickly and the glider is pulled into a turn before either the pilot can release or the weak link breaks, and a dangerous situation insues (flying downwind close to the ground).
With a similar wing lift at a mountain site I think the pilot has more options, such as pulling-in if airspeed is low, or immediately and agressively high-siding (without having to remove one hand from the base tube to release).
The experience gives me a very healthy respect for any thermal activity during towing, especially when combined with winds over about 8 mph.
I am indebted to Bob at Quest, who with others broke down the glider, and to Lauren, Jamie, Lisa, Diana, and Jenna who fussed-over an babied me unmercifully and successfully ameliorated any pain. Thanks also to Jenna who drive me to the emergency room to get the cast, and to JD who picked me up, missing a portion of the Superbowl and the Stones in the process.
John D.
Towing at Quest
Moderator: CHGPA BOD
-
Flying Lobster
- Posts: 1042
- Joined: Fri Feb 25, 2005 4:17 pm
Jeez John, sorry to hear about the accident, though it sounds like you will recover soon. My most exciting tows at Quest have usually been when being towed to the west--something about the type of frontal passage maybe, I dunno. A similar thing happened to me a couple of years ago up here in Maine--except I was landing on my Talon when I slammed into a thermal which pitched me up and rolled me 180.
Especially nice of you and JS to come back a second time to help Paul and Lauren. Any results of the comp known yet?
marc
Especially nice of you and JS to come back a second time to help Paul and Lauren. Any results of the comp known yet?
marc
Great Googly-moo!
-
Paul Tjaden
- Posts: 398
- Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2005 10:28 pm
Thought I'd add a few points regarding John's accident at Quest.
First, let me say that Lauren and I have gotten to know John much better during his two visits to Quest to join in our little competition and we decided that he is probably the nicest, most selfless guy we have ever met. Due to our bad luck with weather and his accident on Sunday, all John got for his expense and trouble of traveling to Florida twice was one afternoon of free flying back in December and a broken arm and glider repair bill. Still, when he left here yesterday, he had a big grin on his face and was thanking us for the great time he had and the help I had given him regarding using his new Flytec 5030. His attitude is constantly sunny no matter what happens.
Sunday's weather was post frontal and most local forecasts were calling for strong winds but the FSL soundings showed very reasonable, even light winds below the inversion layer between 1:00 and 4:00. As the morning progressed, the winds dropped as the soundings had projected and we all set up to fly. Around 1:00, Bo Hagewood launched and everyone else headed to the East side of the field to tow up. Most of us were hanging out to see how well Bo would do when John made it to the launch area. He asked why we weren't launching and when he found out we were just waiting to check soaring conditions he said he was going up. That got us all in gear and Jamie Sheldon, Mark Fruitiger, myself and others headed to our gliders to hook in. I was doing this with my glider on the cart and tail to the wind when a HUGE cycle came through. The pine trees were whipping and my glider was trying to leap off the cart. After about a minute, the winds started to lighten but were still kicking where I was (about 40 yards down wind from John) when I heard the tugs engine wind up. My first thought was " No, wait a bit longer and let this thermal clear." (I later found out that conditions seemed much more benign where John was. ) I looked under my wing to watch the launch and was horrified to see John's wing turn violently left just a few feet off the cart. From my perspective it looked as though he would impact in a hard diving turn to the left and I was amazed to see that he was able to pull it together and make the turn downwind. He continued on around, just missing a tree, and managed to get the glider mostly back into the wind before the left tip dug in and brought him down to a hard landing.
I don't know if John realized how close he came to a REALLY severe accident. It scared the hell out of me. He also did a spectacular job of piloting to avoid a major wreck. Good lesson, never give up, just keep flying that wing until it stops.
Of course we were extremely happy to find John was't seriously hurt but most of us were pretty shaken. Conditions seemed to go back to reasonable and for a brief time I considered launching. My heart wasn't in it but the winds really were inside normal safe limits. But then another freight train came through and another and another. Obviously the soundings had been incorrect and we were done for the day. Guess we shouldn't have put so much faith in just one forecast. I think my desire to finally have a task flown after the weather had screwed us for so many days made me jump at the chance to believe a forecast that was optimistic.
On Sunday the conditions were great and we flew two tasks and managed to complete our comp but I'll write more about that later.
Thanks to John for pulling off a near miraculous save and not getting badly hurt. I would have felt at least somewhat responsible and that would have been hard to live with.
Paul
First, let me say that Lauren and I have gotten to know John much better during his two visits to Quest to join in our little competition and we decided that he is probably the nicest, most selfless guy we have ever met. Due to our bad luck with weather and his accident on Sunday, all John got for his expense and trouble of traveling to Florida twice was one afternoon of free flying back in December and a broken arm and glider repair bill. Still, when he left here yesterday, he had a big grin on his face and was thanking us for the great time he had and the help I had given him regarding using his new Flytec 5030. His attitude is constantly sunny no matter what happens.
Sunday's weather was post frontal and most local forecasts were calling for strong winds but the FSL soundings showed very reasonable, even light winds below the inversion layer between 1:00 and 4:00. As the morning progressed, the winds dropped as the soundings had projected and we all set up to fly. Around 1:00, Bo Hagewood launched and everyone else headed to the East side of the field to tow up. Most of us were hanging out to see how well Bo would do when John made it to the launch area. He asked why we weren't launching and when he found out we were just waiting to check soaring conditions he said he was going up. That got us all in gear and Jamie Sheldon, Mark Fruitiger, myself and others headed to our gliders to hook in. I was doing this with my glider on the cart and tail to the wind when a HUGE cycle came through. The pine trees were whipping and my glider was trying to leap off the cart. After about a minute, the winds started to lighten but were still kicking where I was (about 40 yards down wind from John) when I heard the tugs engine wind up. My first thought was " No, wait a bit longer and let this thermal clear." (I later found out that conditions seemed much more benign where John was. ) I looked under my wing to watch the launch and was horrified to see John's wing turn violently left just a few feet off the cart. From my perspective it looked as though he would impact in a hard diving turn to the left and I was amazed to see that he was able to pull it together and make the turn downwind. He continued on around, just missing a tree, and managed to get the glider mostly back into the wind before the left tip dug in and brought him down to a hard landing.
I don't know if John realized how close he came to a REALLY severe accident. It scared the hell out of me. He also did a spectacular job of piloting to avoid a major wreck. Good lesson, never give up, just keep flying that wing until it stops.
Of course we were extremely happy to find John was't seriously hurt but most of us were pretty shaken. Conditions seemed to go back to reasonable and for a brief time I considered launching. My heart wasn't in it but the winds really were inside normal safe limits. But then another freight train came through and another and another. Obviously the soundings had been incorrect and we were done for the day. Guess we shouldn't have put so much faith in just one forecast. I think my desire to finally have a task flown after the weather had screwed us for so many days made me jump at the chance to believe a forecast that was optimistic.
On Sunday the conditions were great and we flew two tasks and managed to complete our comp but I'll write more about that later.
Thanks to John for pulling off a near miraculous save and not getting badly hurt. I would have felt at least somewhat responsible and that would have been hard to live with.
Paul
Towing at Quest
Sorry to hear about your mishap but glad you and the glider are only
slightly damaged. I am recovering from sprained hands after a
motorcycle mishap, and Sallie broke her wrist and dislocated a finger
(opposite sides) in a bicycle accident this weekend, so we can all
get together and play patty-cake when you get back. - Hugh
slightly damaged. I am recovering from sprained hands after a
motorcycle mishap, and Sallie broke her wrist and dislocated a finger
(opposite sides) in a bicycle accident this weekend, so we can all
get together and play patty-cake when you get back. - Hugh
Towing at Quest
John;
Sorry to hear about your injury. I hope you mend quickly. Regards,
Linda
-----Original Message-----
From: John Dullahan [mailto:johndullahan@comcast.net]
Sent: Monday, February 06, 2006 10:20 PM
To: hg_forum@chgpa.org
Subject: Towing at Quest
Went down to Quest late Friday to fly in small weekend comp organized by
paul and Lauren, and was greeted by heavy rain and spectacular
lightening. John Simon also made the trek and there were lots of local
and visiting pilots there as well.
Sat was blown-out, with 13 -15 mph winds, so made do with dinner and
socializing.
Sunday the winds were around 12 MPH, with a further reduction forcasted
between 1 and 3 pm. Pilots lined up after Bo Hagwood took off in a
single surface glider but sank out near the first turnpoint.
With winds of 10 -12 mph I waited for a few minutes for a lull before
giving the take-off signal. Lift -of from the cart was nice and level,
but at about 10 ft the right wing was suddenly and violently lifted
(Paul said a strong thermal came through juat as I left the cart and
pilots had to hold down their gliders). Almost immediately the glider
went into a lockout and the weak link broke just as I hit the release.
The high right wing put me into a left turn, so I committed to making a
complete 360 back into the wind as the best option. At the 180 point I
was about 20 ft over the ground and flying very fast downwind, so to
avoid a downwind stall I pulled in slightly then pushed out to gain a
little altitude before completing the 360. I almost got it around but
couldn't quite pull it off, so the left corner of the control frame dug
into the ground taking out the right downtube and fractured a small bone
in my wrist (the ulnar styloid). I got a small soft cast which allows
use of the hand for driving etc.
After that the winds and thermal activity on the ground picked-up,
pilots waited, but the wind strength continued to increase, and the day
was eventually called.
By Monday morning the winds had died down and the everybody was getting
ready to fly as I left for an early afternoon flight.
The two people with me at the cart release didn't notice the thermal
activity at the gliders, which were downwind and behind us.
Besides the windsock, which was about 250 yards away and 2 o'clock
from my position (right front) there was a streamer about 100 yards away
and 11 o'clock (left front). The windsock was about 30 degrees below
the horizantal and indicating the wind was from the west, the direction
of takeoff, and the streamer indicated similar conditions closer to
launch.
The incident demonstrated the few options available when towing in winds
of 10 - 12 mph and a wing is suddenly and violently lifted close to the
ground - a lockout often insues very quickly and the glider is pulled
into a turn before either the pilot can release or the weak link breaks,
and a dangerous situation insues (flying downwind close to the ground).
With a similar wing lift at a mountain site I think the pilot has more
options, such as pulling-in if airspeed is low, or immediately and
agressively high-siding (without having to remove one hand from the base
tube to release).
The experience gives me a very healthy respect for any thermal activity
during towing, especially when combined with winds over about 8 mph.
I am indebted to Bob at Quest, who with others broke down the glider,
and to Lauren, Jamie, Lisa, Diana, and Jenna who fussed-over an babied
me unmercifully and successfully ameliorated any pain. Thanks also to
Jenna who drive me to the emergency room to get the cast, and to JD who
picked me up, missing a portion of the Superbowl and the Stones in the
process.
John D.John Dullahan
Sorry to hear about your injury. I hope you mend quickly. Regards,
Linda
-----Original Message-----
From: John Dullahan [mailto:johndullahan@comcast.net]
Sent: Monday, February 06, 2006 10:20 PM
To: hg_forum@chgpa.org
Subject: Towing at Quest
Went down to Quest late Friday to fly in small weekend comp organized by
paul and Lauren, and was greeted by heavy rain and spectacular
lightening. John Simon also made the trek and there were lots of local
and visiting pilots there as well.
Sat was blown-out, with 13 -15 mph winds, so made do with dinner and
socializing.
Sunday the winds were around 12 MPH, with a further reduction forcasted
between 1 and 3 pm. Pilots lined up after Bo Hagwood took off in a
single surface glider but sank out near the first turnpoint.
With winds of 10 -12 mph I waited for a few minutes for a lull before
giving the take-off signal. Lift -of from the cart was nice and level,
but at about 10 ft the right wing was suddenly and violently lifted
(Paul said a strong thermal came through juat as I left the cart and
pilots had to hold down their gliders). Almost immediately the glider
went into a lockout and the weak link broke just as I hit the release.
The high right wing put me into a left turn, so I committed to making a
complete 360 back into the wind as the best option. At the 180 point I
was about 20 ft over the ground and flying very fast downwind, so to
avoid a downwind stall I pulled in slightly then pushed out to gain a
little altitude before completing the 360. I almost got it around but
couldn't quite pull it off, so the left corner of the control frame dug
into the ground taking out the right downtube and fractured a small bone
in my wrist (the ulnar styloid). I got a small soft cast which allows
use of the hand for driving etc.
After that the winds and thermal activity on the ground picked-up,
pilots waited, but the wind strength continued to increase, and the day
was eventually called.
By Monday morning the winds had died down and the everybody was getting
ready to fly as I left for an early afternoon flight.
The two people with me at the cart release didn't notice the thermal
activity at the gliders, which were downwind and behind us.
Besides the windsock, which was about 250 yards away and 2 o'clock
from my position (right front) there was a streamer about 100 yards away
and 11 o'clock (left front). The windsock was about 30 degrees below
the horizantal and indicating the wind was from the west, the direction
of takeoff, and the streamer indicated similar conditions closer to
launch.
The incident demonstrated the few options available when towing in winds
of 10 - 12 mph and a wing is suddenly and violently lifted close to the
ground - a lockout often insues very quickly and the glider is pulled
into a turn before either the pilot can release or the weak link breaks,
and a dangerous situation insues (flying downwind close to the ground).
With a similar wing lift at a mountain site I think the pilot has more
options, such as pulling-in if airspeed is low, or immediately and
agressively high-siding (without having to remove one hand from the base
tube to release).
The experience gives me a very healthy respect for any thermal activity
during towing, especially when combined with winds over about 8 mph.
I am indebted to Bob at Quest, who with others broke down the glider,
and to Lauren, Jamie, Lisa, Diana, and Jenna who fussed-over an babied
me unmercifully and successfully ameliorated any pain. Thanks also to
Jenna who drive me to the emergency room to get the cast, and to JD who
picked me up, missing a portion of the Superbowl and the Stones in the
process.
John D.John Dullahan
-
John Dullahan
- Posts: 152
- Joined: Sat Feb 19, 2005 7:43 pm
Paul and Lauren, Jim from NZ, Hugh, Mark F, and Linda, thank you for the kind words and good wishes.
Yes Paul, I do understand how bad the situation was and how lucky I was to escape with just a little wrist-bone break (not the arm). Also, it was the left corner of the control frame that made contact with the ground - not the wingtip.
I apologize for scaring the bejeebers out of you, both for my well-being and on your own account. For those standing under their gliders downwind from my launch - you must have felt like Army Air Corps personnel on Hickam Airfield, Hawaii, on that Day of Infamy as a low-level Zero bore down on them. The only thing missing was the muzzle-flashes.
Congratulations to you, Paul and Lauren, on your accomplishments, and for the grand finale on the last day of the Comp. Did Jamie also qualify for the Worlds? In any event, please keep us abreast of your endeavors - we will be rooting for you.
John D
Yes Paul, I do understand how bad the situation was and how lucky I was to escape with just a little wrist-bone break (not the arm). Also, it was the left corner of the control frame that made contact with the ground - not the wingtip.
I apologize for scaring the bejeebers out of you, both for my well-being and on your own account. For those standing under their gliders downwind from my launch - you must have felt like Army Air Corps personnel on Hickam Airfield, Hawaii, on that Day of Infamy as a low-level Zero bore down on them. The only thing missing was the muzzle-flashes.
Congratulations to you, Paul and Lauren, on your accomplishments, and for the grand finale on the last day of the Comp. Did Jamie also qualify for the Worlds? In any event, please keep us abreast of your endeavors - we will be rooting for you.
John D
John Dullahan
Every year people are injured or killed by incidents like this. Glider comes off the cart crooked (or gets crooked shortly after) and proceeds to a lockout situation very quickly before the pilot has time to release. These are generally advanced pilots towing from the shoulders in rowdy conditions.
While nothing like this has ever happened to me, reading about these incidents (particularly one in Australia where someone was killed) made me uncomfortable with my barrel release system. Accoridngly, I devised a release where you hold a string that activates the release in your mouth. Open your mouth and you are off. Instantly. It works. What's more, as the pressure from an incipient lockout builds, you have to actively decide to stay on by biting down harder. "Duh" mode results in a release.
Once you are up a hundred feet or so and out of danger, you slide a keeper over the string and it becomes a barrel release. I think it is great. Tad Eareckson has made it even smaller. While I really do not like to proselytise (?) on behalf of this system, it seems a no brainer to me. I think if everybody used this or something like it, there would be fewer incidents. So you should. And tow parks should make them and sell them.
I have made a few. Tad has some. If you want to try one let me know and I will send you one.
While nothing like this has ever happened to me, reading about these incidents (particularly one in Australia where someone was killed) made me uncomfortable with my barrel release system. Accoridngly, I devised a release where you hold a string that activates the release in your mouth. Open your mouth and you are off. Instantly. It works. What's more, as the pressure from an incipient lockout builds, you have to actively decide to stay on by biting down harder. "Duh" mode results in a release.
Once you are up a hundred feet or so and out of danger, you slide a keeper over the string and it becomes a barrel release. I think it is great. Tad Eareckson has made it even smaller. While I really do not like to proselytise (?) on behalf of this system, it seems a no brainer to me. I think if everybody used this or something like it, there would be fewer incidents. So you should. And tow parks should make them and sell them.
I have made a few. Tad has some. If you want to try one let me know and I will send you one.
-
Flying Lobster
- Posts: 1042
- Joined: Fri Feb 25, 2005 4:17 pm
I've seen Steve's system and it looks pretty simple to use.stevek wrote:Every year people are injured or killed by incidents like this. Glider comes off the cart crooked (or gets crooked shortly after) and proceeds to a lockout situation very quickly before the pilot has time to release. These are generally advanced pilots towing from the shoulders in rowdy conditions.
While nothing like this has ever happened to me, reading about these incidents (particularly one in Australia where someone was killed) made me uncomfortable with my barrel release system. Accoridngly, I devised a release where you hold a string that activates the release in your mouth. Open your mouth and you are off. Instantly. It works. What's more, as the pressure from an incipient lockout builds, you have to actively decide to stay on by biting down harder. "Duh" mode results in a release.
Once you are up a hundred feet or so and out of danger, you slide a keeper over the string and it becomes a barrel release. I think it is great. Tad Eareckson has made it even smaller. While I really do not like to proselytise (?) on behalf of this system, it seems a no brainer to me. I think if everybody used this or something like it, there would be fewer incidents. So you should. And tow parks should make them and sell them.
I have made a few. Tad has some. If you want to try one let me know and I will send you one.
Steve, I was wondering about something--just a question--not a criticism or attack of any kind--
When under tow--is there a possibility that a sudden gust or pitch adjustment could be transmitted as a suddenly load to your mouth? I get a little nervous about having my teeth ripped out by an unanticipated shock load. Is this a possibility?
marc
Great Googly-moo!
-
Paul Tjaden
- Posts: 398
- Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2005 10:28 pm
Towing at Quest
In a message dated 2/8/2006 9:17:18 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, johndullahan@comcast.net writes:
Jamie finished in a tie for 4th with several other pilots and will qualify with Lauren and I as long as the FAI has no problems with our comp. Jamie had a problem getting the results sent. So they just went out. Can't imagine why there would be an issue, though so we are assuming it's all good.
?
Hope your wrist is healing and not causing too much discomfort.
?
Paul
?
BTW, The wine you left was delicious.
Did Jamie also qualify for the Worlds?? In any event, please keep us abreast of your endeavors - we will be rooting for you.
Jamie finished in a tie for 4th with several other pilots and will qualify with Lauren and I as long as the FAI has no problems with our comp. Jamie had a problem getting the results sent. So they just went out. Can't imagine why there would be an issue, though so we are assuming it's all good.
?
Hope your wrist is healing and not causing too much discomfort.
?
Paul
?
BTW, The wine you left was delicious.
-
bustedwing2
- Posts: 249
- Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2005 10:58 pm
- Location: McConnellsburg,Pa
options,my 2 cents
A nice set of wheels provides one more option,a small increase in the safety factor,we all make our own decision about how much risk we're willing to assume.Glad to hear you made it with only minor injuries. RichB
I have deliberately broken weak links. You have to bite down pretty hard to hang on to that point but it doesn't feel like your teeth are coming out or anything. Have never felt any sudden shock load. Seems to me the weak link would just break
I've seen Steve's system and it looks pretty simple to use.
Steve, I was wondering about something--just a question--not a criticism or attack of any kind--
When under tow--is there a possibility that a sudden gust or pitch adjustment could be transmitted as a suddenly load to your mouth? I get a little nervous about having my teeth ripped out by an unanticipated shock load. Is this a possibility?
marc[/quote]
I've seen Steve's system and it looks pretty simple to use.
Steve, I was wondering about something--just a question--not a criticism or attack of any kind--
When under tow--is there a possibility that a sudden gust or pitch adjustment could be transmitted as a suddenly load to your mouth? I get a little nervous about having my teeth ripped out by an unanticipated shock load. Is this a possibility?
marc[/quote]
-
Flying Lobster
- Posts: 1042
- Joined: Fri Feb 25, 2005 4:17 pm
[/quote]stevek wrote:I have deliberately broken weak links. You have to bite down pretty hard to hang on to that point but it doesn't feel like your teeth are coming out or anything. Have never felt any sudden shock load. Seems to me the weak link would just break
I've seen Steve's system and it looks pretty simple to use.
Steve, I was wondering about something--just a question--not a criticism or attack of any kind--
When under tow--is there a possibility that a sudden gust or pitch adjustment could be transmitted as a suddenly load to your mouth? I get a little nervous about having my teeth ripped out by an unanticipated shock load. Is this a possibility?
marc
OK--I'll try it--send me one along with an estimate of your costs in time and shipping and I'll pay you for it. Also include instructions for proper use.
marc
P.O. Box 66
Bass Harbor, ME 04653
Great Googly-moo!