You need to do what is safe and appropriate. If you can land to 30 degrees off the centreline safely, then do so. If you can land ahead safely in the next paddock, then do so. If you can land on another runway, then do so.
What happens when you can't? >60 degrees when low and slow?? in a 60 degree AOB turn your pulling 2g, and as >a result your stall speed goes up by 41%.... 60 knots is hardly slow for a 60 degree AOB turn (it is the usual entry speed for a steep turn), you will be above that speed on aerotow anyway. Once you roll out of the turn, the g-loading goes down as does your stall speed >The initial actions after a cable break are attain safe speed near ground, >before pulling airbrakes, initiating turns etc etc. You will already be at safe speed, this is not a winch launch. You will just have to adjust the nose attitude to the safe flying speed attitude. >Lets chuck in some wind sheer (i seem to recall this happeneing in the extreme >low levels of the atmosphere) not to mention thermals etc etc. If wind shear is a consideration then it is most probably too windy to consider a 180 degree turn! Wind shear is normally a very low level phenomenon (in the lower 200') you should have completed your manoevuring by then. Safe speed near the ground allows for thermal gusts too. Sometimes having too much airpseed can be problematic too because that will mean a much longer ground roll on landing. The idea is to have good airspeed control. I should know, I have spent many, many hours flying the Lochiel ridge, in gusty air, with thermals, and doing steep turns down low. You would have to be damn low to get wind shear effects (note wind shear is different to wind gradient). >Teaching students to whip a beast around after they have buggered around and >lost airspeed is fatal in my opinion. I totally agree. Hence you need to teach students to have safe airspeed before manoevuring. Don't allow them to bugger around. For all the nay sayers and skeptics, why don't you take a twin seater up and do some 60 degree AOB turns at 60 knots. Do it several times. Have the other pilot time how long it takes to do and monitor how much height is lost. Why not go up with an experienced ridge pilot, often times they are doing steep turns near the ground without any ill effect. As an aside: What are the hard numbers? Can the anecdotes and speculation be backed up with statistics? What is the outcome of low level rope breaks (real ones)? What percentage of pilots get injured or killed? What percentage of aircraft get damaged? What course of action did the pilot take? Has anyone heard of a gliding training accident whilst doing a 180 degree turn down low? If people feel more comfortably giving me an off list reply then do so. I can then compile a summary.
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