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Not really. I'm also a certified tow operator. This was a forward launch without wind. That means that the pilot has to run to raise the wing. The abort decision in this case must be entirely on the pilot. The pilot can stop and the winch will keep exerting pressure, but not so much that it will drag the pilot. I saw the cravat and decided to continue launching because I misjudged how bad it was. I thought it would clear with a simple tap. After being airborne, I appreciate that the operator keeps the pressure constant. In a similar incident, that happened to me some time ago, the operator released the pressure, and that almost stalled my wing because between the drag of the collapsed side and the break on the good side necessary to keep the wing flying straight, the only thing keeping the wing flying was the pressure of the winch.

@@paraglidingflorida thanks for the reply. I feel that the tow operator should have noticed that there was a cravat and then not added enough pressure to launch. I think it’s important to not add enough pressure to launch until the pilot is running, with a totally open wing overhead. It makes it so that something like this is a total non issue instead of a TH-cam video. AB

​@@paraglidingflorida Si le treuilleur ouvre les yeux il ne tire pas une voile mal gonflée et tu ne décolles pas. Point final

@@johnalexbaker He noticed the cravat, and he didn't add pressure. This was a pay-out towing (The winch is on a moving car). Even without added pressure, I was going up unless I stopped my run. Again, in this case, the operator did exactly what works best for these cases. The idea that he should make the decision to abort the launch is flawed. He doesn't have enough information to make that decision correctly. It might seem that aborting at the right time saves the pilot, but aborting without coordinating with the pilot the sudden cessation of pressure is actually worse given the conditions of the wing. Only timing it to be done while still on the ground can be good, and it is almost impossible to time it right just from the car alone. What it is important in these cases is for the pilot to have a radio with a PTT button easily accessible. Mine is on the tip of my finger under my glove. I can talk to the operator without releasing the breaks. The operator knew that I could tell him "abort, abort, abort" if I really needed him to abort. Lacking that, he would do exactly what I expected him to do and what is best in this condition: Keep applying constant pressure. When I tell him that I was going to release, he slowed down releasing the tension slowly and that prevented a surge. You can see that in my way of handling the breaks and the fact that I almost forgot to grab the right brake and correct it when I felt the release of pressure.

@@paraglidingflorida thanks for responding. Personally I like to pay out tow so that we give enough tension to keep the line off the ground when running, but we don’t add enough tension to launch until after the pilot is running with a clear open wing. I feel it’s way safer, and makes it so that if the wing comes up with a cravat and the pilot does everything they can to launch, they still can’t. In fact they could continue running down the road trying to fix it for as long as they want. If it gets fixed, and they are still running and ready to launch, the operator could dial it up and get the pilot airborne. For anyone else watching that is getting into towing: you don’t have it do it the way shown in the video. Launching with a giant cravat is easily avoidable with the right techniques. I’m also fine moving to a personal conversation if you have any interest. AB

I was stressed because I had another similar incident and at that time the operator released tension due to the problem he saw I had. But releasing tension when I'm putting a lot of break to the flying side to keep flying straight and jerking and pulling lines on the collapsed side to try to clear the knot had the effect of sending the wing into a stall. Fortunately I sensed it and reacted on time, but in the time I gave the glider to recover it turned 180º and put me downwind at low altitude and with a glider I could not turn quickly and still connected to the tow line. I aimed to a tree and that caught me on time and delivered me to the ground without any injury. So, I was remembering all the lessons learned then and hoping I would not make mistakes.

On tow, the first thing is controlling the wing and its direction. When launching forward like I did, you must be able to sense if the wing is coming right or slanted. And you should be able to correct any slant without having to see it. That's what I did. Then you check the tips and make your decision to stop or continue. I misjudged the cravat and thought I could clear it with a tap, so I continued running. Once you are airborne, you need to make sure you have enough control on the wing. I checked and between the weight shift and right brake, I could make the wing fly straight and even turn to the right. So, I positioned the wing more to the right of the car before attempting to clear it tapping on the break. If you see too much turning towards the collapsed side, you need to gain enough altitude to do a 360 close to the ground and release then, and prepare for that 360 that will take you to the ground. Some would say that if you have enough control, ride the tow until you have sufficient altitude to release, try to clear once, and if unsuccessful, throw reserve. I didn't even think about throwing reserve. After I was unsuccessful clearing with taps, I tried to search for the Stabilo, but it was limp, and pulling too much on the Stabilo would send me hard to the left wich is not good on tow and much less close to the ground. So, at that point, the options were to communicate with the operator so he would soften the pressure, and I will release doing minimal control until reaching the ground.

@@paraglidingflorida Yeah - I'm not sure I want to try towing. But I imagine in Florida you don't have many hill launches. I would have released when you did too. The thing that wouldn't be on my list on tow launch cravats would be any attempt to use the brake on the cravatted side to clear the cravat. Shallow or fast pumping never works and on tow a deep pump and hold would risk a spin. In clear air - which is a completely different situation - my list is this: 1) stop any rotation 2) get a good heading 3) check what kind of cravat (usually they are cloth in front of the lines but occasionally they are cloth through lines or a knot 4) for cloth in front of lines, if it's less than half the wing gone, spin to cravatted side, if it's a monster cravat, stall if I have enough height 5) for cloth through lines, stabilo 6) with knots I've tried big big ears but usually I just have to land and sort it out on the ground. In your case, too low when releasing for most of those cleaning techniques so I'd land carefully with the cravat

@@7up-weee I had a friend in Deerfield Beach that used to use 100 foot rope. Catch people on the beach and ask them to pull him up. Would use the high-rise buildings once he got up there release and he could fly around all day with onshore winds….

@@DavidRitchie-tr2rnsounds fun 😂

Yes exactly this. Give enough pressure to keep the line off the ground when the pilot is running, but only add pressure when everything is perfect. In this case the cravat is super obvious and the tow tech should therefore not launch the pilot. Line tension is up to the tech, not the pilot, and giving enough to fly with a cravat is a mistake, IMO.

"Up, Centered, Stable, Tips? NO!!"

I went at the end of their summer. So, it is like that at that time. But green at the end of their winter.

0:58

@@MrEvpatoria ah, line-over not cravat

I thought of finishing the tow and then try to clear it, but from the looks of the knot, I thought the chances of clearing it would be low and I would put too much stress on the lines doing it. So, that's why I decided to release and manage coming down.

Looked like a tension knot to me. Hard to say tho. Pilot did well in an incredibly stressful situation

@@huepix From my perspective, it seemed a tension not around a twig. The twig cannot be seen in the video due to the resolution, but I remember seeing it why trying to clear the knot.

I think I need to rerecord it, and procure better audio. Just recently there was another death because of this. I'm not sure this technique can be applied to every circumstance, but certainly it should be something we keep in the back of our mind just in case it is the only option we have.

No. Reserve is in the pilots harness. Those handles are for the passenger to grab and seat.

Makes a lot of sense for a passenger harness not to have that option. 😄

@@iamhove the only thing the passenger can grab before due time is the release handle. I warn them that it is their duty to release us but only when we are at the end. I can also release it, but that imprints in them that they should not use it before told so.

Flying passengers gets you the pleasure we had when we flew for the first time.

Power paragliding seems similar to paragliding, but it is quite different. Many PG pilots are also PPG and know the difference which are more than just the engine. While it is true that towing with a static line is dangerous, this is not it. Lots have been learned about towing and the dangers of lockout (the one you mention) and those learnings are now part of the training that you need to take to tow and to be towed with a specially designed winch. Towing, when done correctly, is as safe or even safer in many circumstances, than other means of take off, including being propelled by an engine or launching from a mountain. If you already know ppg, I invite you to learn free flight with towing. It is very different and you will love it.

We use the e-winch produced here in Miami. miamiparagliding.com/ewinch/

On tow we release between 1,000 and 2,000 feet. And once free flying, the max altitude is given by the ceiling (how high the thermals are getting that day) in Florida I've been at 9,000'.

@@paraglidingflorida got it, thanks :) I am a beginner pilot and fly in the mountains only so far, so have little understanding how hard it is to find a thermal in a flat area. But judging from your comment i guess you can do it consistently

@@abadonael yes. You can. But you must learn to read the sky and the ground to know where to search for them.

Not really. The winch's job is to mantain the tension constant regardless of the car speed. When the car accelerates, the winch just gives more line.

Dan, find us on FB: Paragliding Florida Group. Get in touch via PM with the Admin and we will get you in the right whatsapp group were we post the location where we are going to fly.