PLAYING AWAY- From Scary Tow to Solo Tow

Why aero tow when winch launching is far cheaper and so widely used?

Well, there is the teasing prospect of mountain soaring in Talgarth, which seems to be inching closer to a reality, and the even more tantalising possibility of soaring the Alps, which has moved from 'pipe dream' to possibility;and, of course, the urge to again push against the boundary of my own comfort zone. So when Don came up with the idea of a structured course to get interested parties up to aero-tow standard over a weekend, I made sure I was near the front of the queue. Modular teaching doesn't always equate to modular learning, but I was sure it would be fun to 'give it a go'.

Pawnee Tug with the North Hill K13

8-15am Sunday morning at North Hill, and a duty instructor was already opening up; cheery wave, handshake, all important first impressions, and straight into the Sunday routine of checking over vehicles, and pulling the winch into position.

It was a clear start to the day, and by 9am both Don and Dave Parker had arrived, as well as quite a few North Hill pilots; with aircraft checked and flying activities commenced, it was time for the 3 Brentorians to slope off for the first of the day's Aero-tow briefings.

Refueling the tug

First anomaly for a winch-only pilot: Start your ground run with stick held fully back [on the K13 at least] so the glider balances on it's wheel, BUT, ease the stick progressively forward so the glider, which is a much more efficient flying machine than the Tug, doesn't over-fly it.

Roger and Don

Anomaly 2; prop wash, which forced the left wing to drop; much like taking off in a cross-wind. And the lack of responsiveness of the controls on the long but slow ground run. And the super-responsive elevator, sluggish ailerons, and impossibly leaden rudder whilst on 60+ knot tow. All  this while trying to keep station behind the Tug.

The view while on tow

There's knowing it, and there's doing it, and the first couple of flights were a steep learning curve, with a part of my anatomy chewing large chunks out of the glider seat, but by the 3rd, flight nerves steadied and we were playing with the prop-wash, 'boxing the wake', and on the 4th launch practicing descending as well as ascending tows, as well as responding to Tug pilot signals; rudder flick-air brakes out, wing wiggle-pull off.
On the 5th flight the morning's exertions seemed to have been too much for Don, who remained silent throughout the flight; asleep, heart-attack, or reading Samuel Johnson? At 800 feet, high key, I just had to find out..........

Keeping the glider wings parallel to the tugs

''You still there, Don?"
"Mmmm?......oh....have we taken off yet?"
"I was thinking of going home now!"
"OK"

The 6th flight, and I was on my own in the glider; I didn't feel ready, but we never do when we first dip our toe in the water. Concentrating hard on preventing a wing-drop, I was slow progressing the stick forward, so leapt off the ground a bit, but eased back enough to let the Tug catch me up without over-flying; and then the training took over and I just got on with the task in hand.The 'gun-sight' concept was invaluable, thinking yourself onto the target rather than forcing yourself there, and concentrating on having the glider wings mirror the Tug's. There was even plenty of time to keep a lookout and check ASI and altimeter without loosing the Tug. Wing wiggle, check the rope is taut, pull off, watch the length of spaghetti wriggle away, nose up, Tug dips right, I go left and climb....................and then I'm on my own 2000ft above North Hill with parachutes floating down to Dunkerswell, gliders circling below, Dartmoor in the distance to the South West, the sea to the South, and North, the Quantocks, What a neat way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Dave and Don 

I wasn't the only one having a good day. Fellow Sunday Soarer Dave Parker, never having flown outside Brentor, was  a gnat's whisker from also going solo, beaten only by the fast approaching bad light; lucky so & so gets another bite at it next week.

Thanks must go to all at North Hill for their great hospitality and for making this course such a success, and look forward to seeing them at Brentor.

Special thanks must go to CFI's Don Puttock and Pete Harmer for organizing the day, and to Mark Courtney for 'tugging' most of the day and giving us both such enthusiastic support.

Roger Appleboom