Blown launch on Saturday

[wingedemily]

I was launching midday during gusty conditions. A couple of pilots in the air were doing very well, and I was in a hurry to get airborne. There were many people at launch, and I felt distracted. I launched and immediately turned left back into the hill. I made strenuous efforts to correct the turn to no avail. I impacted just below the left side of launch, breaking my right down tube and leading edge and injuring my right shoulder. A pilot standing behind my left wire said that my wing tip brushed his head, which probably indicates that I began my launch run already in a turn. Another pilot reported that as I began my launch the windsock above began spinning around. I can only conclude that I began my launch with too high an angle of attack with the wings not level. The gusty conditions made my errors unrecoverable.

[abinder]

Glad you're basically okay Emily.


Allen

[stebbins]

I also am glad that you are not more seriously injured, Emily.

Heal quickly.

[JD]

Emily,
I'm glad it wasn't worse. Heal well!
Jonathan

There a little bit of Emily's launch whack at the beginning of this video.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUkDS94dkZg[/youtube]
I was there when it happened and it was my hat that the sail of the dropping left wing brushed over mid-way aft behind the crossbar junction. For an instant I imagined pushing the wing up and forward quickly but thought it could make the situation worse then ducked fast and crossed my fingers.

This could have been avoided by keeping the angle of attack low and running hard down the ramp rather than taking two steps gingerly.

I will note that there was an excessive number of pilots and spectators crowding the launch ramp and I had to yell pretty loud several times to clear the ramp as I was walking up, hooked-in and ready to launch which I did without hesitation. It's our club's launch ramp and not a scenic overlook or a sidewalk cafe. Please help clear it when a hooked in pilot is approaching.

[Greg DeWolf]

Question is, Jonathan, why were you standing in the way?

Greg

[Don]

I was on the front wires and Jonathan was behind the side wires ready to assist if needed. When Emily said "clear" I moved to her right and lost sight of what actually happened in the next ~ 2 seconds. Based upon Emily's description of having the nose too high - it would seem reasonable that position would have resulted in the cross bar or trailing edge to brush Jonathan's head.

I frequently am in the same location when assisting a pilot. I'll have to keep that possibility in mind.

[JD]

Question is, Jonathan, why were you standing in the way?.......

Yo Greg Wherever did you get that false notion? It's ludicrous and demeaning.

I was crouched down behind Emily's left side wire with my right hand face down and over the wire in the correct position. Her right wing began to lift before she even began her run and she never asked whether her side wires had any pressure before she yelled "clear" and took two short steps and was lifted off the ramp into an immediate shallow left turn. When her right wing rose up her left wing dropped and the sail brushed my hat so I crouched down even lower.

She was doomed from the moment she yelled "clear". As hard as she fought to bring her right wing and nose down, she was overpowered by the fact her glider was in a mush with the right wing flying and the left wing stalled. Now, I could have lunged forward and pushed with all my might on her left crossbar in an heroic effort the rescue a damsel in distress. Maybe I would have succeeded and finally received my long overdue Knighthood as a consequence.

In which case you may address me as Sir NMERider.

[wingedemily]

Thank you all for your input and concern on my behalf. I thought that my wings were level and that I was at the proper angle of attack, I only concluded that I wasn't because of the outcome of my launch. I appreciate your observations.

[Greg DeWolf]

Question is, Jonathan, why were you standing in the way?.......

Yo Greg Wherever did you get that false notion? It's ludicrous and demeaning.

Sorry if I hurt your feelings, Jonathan. I guess it's just me, but if I got hit by a launching glider, I'd consider myself as having been in the wrong place.

Greg