Abstract: A pilot control mechanism for regulating operation of a rotatable winch drum through a power train including a normally engaged brake securing the winch drum against rotation and a normally disengaged clutch being selectively engageable for driving the winch drum in a reeling-in mode, the pilot control mechanism including a pilot controlled lever operatively coupled with the normally engaged brake and the normally disengaged clutch and a manual control lever, a pair of slave cylinders and a pair of master cylinders being respectively coupled with the pilot controlled lever and the manual control lever in order to operate the normally engaged brake and normally disengaged clutch under different rates of modulation.