Met turbalance with a Capital T today!

[Gliderjohn]

Went to the glider port this afternoon and took out a I-26 (this is a 50s-60s vintage single seat glider). Between the wind direction and a grove of trees off the end of the runway there was some kick ass turbalance at about 300'. Was flying along quite smoothly and all of the sudden the tow plane just shot up well above me then I hit the updraft and as I shot up the tow plane was now falling like a rock in a down draft and went out of sight under my nose (at this point as to emergency procedure I am to release from the tow since I have lost sight of the towplane.)
Just as I am now trying to grab the tow release I hit the downdraft that is so strong that even with shoulder straps (Note to self, do not tighten the belts to where they are comfortable, tighten until they are very tight!) my hand cannot grab the release and my head hits the canopy pretty hard so I cannot release. To add to everything there is a pouch that is attached to the side of the cockpit which contains the logging pad, two pens and my water bottle, all flies up and out and lands on my lap. Now the tow plane comes back up into sight ahead of me but now with a large amount of slack in the tow rope so I carefully as I can maneuver to take the slack out and just as I get back in position everything happened again but even more violent. Again cannot get to the cable release, but got recovered again and into smoother air and completed the tow.
Talking later with the tow pilot he was was going to release me from his end but said each time he was about to pull the release I popped back into position. Amazing how fast training memory kicks in and ingrained reflexes.
Anyway ended up with an intentionally ended flight after 1.2 hours.
GliderJohn

[oldbike54]

 OH MY !

 Dusty

[Bill929]

I have time in a couple 1-26s (both E models - which remained in production until 1979)...  Great glider.  I never saw that kind of turbulence though.  Interestingly, two weeks ago I was in FL and drove by the air field where I learned to fly (when I was 16).  Brought back a lot of good memories.  Rudy's Gliderport, High Springs, FL.  Now closed, but I noticed it was for sale...  My avatar photo was taken there - when I was 11.

[Sheepdog]

Thank goodness for muscle-memory...

[Chuck in Indiana]

I've seen some turbulence... not in gliders, though. "Moderate, my ass.." 
Good for you.

[Gliderjohn]

From Bill929:

My avatar photo was taken there - when I was 11.

Great photo!
GliderJohn

[lucian]

You fly boys are all nuts. Glad it ended well.

[Diploman]

Your incident reminds me of the time I was cruising in an ASW 19 around the gliderport in Moriary, NM (east of Albuquerque) when my butt literally lifted off the seat as the glider entered a column of nearly 3000 ft./min sink.  After about 30 seconds of plummeting, as I was about to turn back towards the runway, BAM, I was slammed down into the seat as the plane hit a thermal of 2400 ft/ min lift.  I rode this elevator promptly up to around 15000 ft. ASL (8000 AGL) - all the Albuquerque-based gliders are oxygen-equipped - and then had a less dramatic flight of about 2.5 hrs.  As a general rule, whenever you encounter rapidly-moving vertical air in one direction, nearby you will find correspondingly fast vertical air in the opposite direction.  Transitioning between rising and falling air can be pretty violent, as GliderJohn experienced.  This is the reason modern gliders are built to withstand at least 6G positive and negative.

[Huzo]

The larger open class gliders such as ASH 25's, Nimbus and the like, are a lot more forgiving due to the flex in the wings, so I can relate to your situation.
Sounds like you handled that situation as well as anyone could have.
Good for you..!
BTW...
That'd be "turbulence"...

[Chuck in Indiana]

"eject!, eject! ,eject!"

Have you done that one, Mike?

[Chuck in Indiana]

Yikes..

[guzzimatic]

Since motorcycle riding is often compared to flying I would like to mention a bit of turbulence I experienced on my recent trip to Tahoe. I was pushing hard to make up time after my debacle with the alternator belt in Price,Utah. It was near the Nevada border and the sky was spectacular,the sun was backlighting thunderstorms to my right as I was passing a large dry lakebed to my left,I was hit with what had to be 50 mph crosswinds off the dry lake,no dust to give warning but the strongest crosswinds I ever fought! The only saving grace was they were constant,not gusting and it took me 10 minutes to clear the dry lake and get into some hills,wind gone... Ma nature just giving me a nudge to not get too cocky!

[Gliderjohn]

From guzzimatic:

Ma nature just giving me a nudge to not get too cocky!

More like a dope slap up the side of the head.
GliderJohn