[fly,surf,&ski]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drinking_the_Kool-Aid

[pjwings]

Just a couple of examples from my flight career. I'm probably a good case study being neither the best newb nor the worst to come out of Lookout in the last couple of years.

My first Lookout launch that I ever caught on video... it's a high winder. I have the 3 man wire crew, however the keel man is not touching my glider, and both wing men are reporting 'neutral' the entire time... in other words I had complete control of my glider from start to finish. It's not an amazing launch. I popped the nose a little.
http://vimeo.com/9927244

My launch at 1:44, another Lookout mtn H2 launches at 1:22. It's blowing about 20 at the POM SS. Again, the wire guys are there, but no one is touching my glider.
http://vimeo.com/14930729

Camels, Utah. My launch at 0:54. Other Lookout pilots are the Red, white, and black Sting II at 1:00 and the Lime Green & Orange Falcon at 1:10.
http://vimeo.com/14933473

Randolph, Utah. My worst launch ever at 2:07. I start my run out of balance and the right wing drops. As I try to alter my run to get under it my ankle rolls on a big rock and I struggle to get in a last step before falling/diving into the harness. My aggressive running launch style saves it. Other Lookout pilots launch at 2:28 and 2:45.
http://vimeo.com/14933635

There's more, but I'm out of time.

[pjwings]

These are all after I got my H3...

Launching Lookout in gusty and windy conditions. Again, 3 man wire crew. Again, no one is helping me control the glider, they're just there as a safety.
http://vimeo.com/16329403

Launch isn't until the 3:20 mark. High winds... wing men but no keel person.
http://vimeo.com/17699223

First flight at Whitwell. This one features a cute puppy.
http://vimeo.com/22468086

I think this is the only light wind launch I've got footage of... no crew at all of course. I hesitate to post this one, because my technique is poor for a no-wind ramp launch. I should have more aggressively brought the nose down to follow the relative airflow as I ran down the face of the ramp.
http://vimeo.com/24035824

My second to last launch from today. This was the same day Brandon dragged his wingtip and that other guy ballooned over into the trees. Again I feel it demonstrates how we use the crew for safety, but they don't actively control the glider. The keel guy never does a thing other than hang out, just in case.
http://vimeo.com/30699544

[dievhart]

Now when I fly either of those ramps (or any) in high winds I think I'll want a keel (rear wire) guy (when available) back there as long as I can trust they will not touch my glider (unless I yell for help)...the need is very understandable.

Knowing pushing on someone's keel is just wrong, can you imagine planning on doing it?.....it was weird but I would do it again any time Doug was ready.
Diev

[pjwings]

[HangDog]

Well from what I learned about someone on the keel was this:

As the pilot is getting ready to launch in strong wind conditions, the guy on the keel is only suppose to be there if the pilot yells to pull back or *abort* in the event the pilot decides to back off the ramp and launch another time. Then the keel guy will grab the keel and help pull him back up. This is how all this originated at LMFP anyway.

Usually this only happens if the pilot is a lot further down on the ramp because it can be a bit of work to walk back up the ramp during high winds by yourself and normally you only go low on a ramp if you have higher winds because you don't need to run as if there were no winds or light winds.

If there are no winds then you would start running from the back of the ramp to get more speed so you usually don't need a keel man but over time this has become a habit at LM and has developed into people actually pushing on the keel during a takeoff. Why? I guess the guy in the back feels like he has to do something besides looking useless back there for all the onlookers (public)


But me? I would have a guy on the back too but only in very windy conditions and instruct him that he is only there to grab my keel should I want to abort. I would also tell him not to touch my keel and tell him do not push on my keel during takeoff!! OR DID LMFP FORGET WHAT CLEAR MEANS????
*CLEAR* Means get the hell off my glider and DON'T TOUCH IT AGAIN *AND* ESPECIALLY DON'T PUSH MY KEEL!!! your suppose to be CLEAR! REMEMBER? jeeeeeez.

It has caused people to trip on takeoff because some people actually think they are suppose to help launch you and this is wrong! THE PILOT DOE'S THE WORK HERE FOLKS!!! CLEAR CLEAR CLEAR LMFP and don't linger your fingers around my side wires either after I yell CLEAR! GET AWAY!

I've seen people trip during a keel push both the guy on the keel and the pilot, and have seen people's wings dip and scrape the launch pad because fingers did not *CLEAR* the side wires.

[iSoar]

Since this is a keel assistance thread ....
I feel it worth mentioning that if you are the "keel guy" and if or when you are instructed to "back off or abort", you should NOT grab the keel. You should grab the rear wires.

Many of the topless gliders have kick stand keels and are only attached to the glider with bungee cord. If you the pilot encounters a lot of ramp suck and is relying on you to help him back off and you pull on the keel ... well, he could be launching anyway and you could be left holding part of his glider.

[$!><]

Keel signs!

[Cal Glider]

Keel assist….depends on the variables. Type of glider, pilot experience, conditions. Stan (airhog) Roberts decided to fly his beater glider (Aeros Phantom) at The Gin because of the sand. Wind was 25 gusting to over 30. Because of the control surfaces on a rigid, wings level was easy. I had the keel and nose angle control. The keel was resting on the palm of my hand as I held the nose down. Pilot just eased out on the bar and the wing lifted out of my out stretched hand. Excellent launch technique (at least for that type of glider in high wind conditions.) I have never launched with a keel assist. If the launch required any kind of run, I don’t want any one back there either! Then again, I fly a rag wing, not a stiffie. There is one wing that comes to mind where a keel assist was needed a Quicksilver.