Winch operations in MN?

[[email protected]]

My understanding is that Frank Whiteley and Bill Daniels qualified a
commercial operator and several local pilots/CFIs on winch
operations somewhere in Minnesota.

Please tell me which airport and operator contact info?

Were any of you there?

Have you heard about this?

Will you consider going to a commercial operator to train and get
your winch signoff?

Note, we do winch operations with our membership at Owl Canyon
Gliderport (4CO2), Colorado Soaring Association, Wellington,
Colorado.


Best regards,

Jer/ "Flight instruction and mountain flying are my vocations!"
--
Jer/ (Slash) Eberhard, Mountain Flying Aviation, LTD, Ft Collins, CO
CELL 970 231-6325 EMAIL jer'at'frii.com http://users.frii.net/jer/
C-206, CFII Airplane&Glider, FAA-DEN Aviation Safety Counselor
CAP-CO Mission&Aircraft CheckPilot BM218 HAM N0FZD 282 Young Eagles!

[Bill Daniels]

I endorsed Don Ingraham as a winch CFI-G and gave a lot of other pilots got
their first winch rides. I think Don is doing winch checkouts on weekdays
for now. I suggest calling ahead. See: http://www.crosscountrysoaring.com/

It's nice to have one commercial operation using a winch - at least part
time.

Bill Daniels


> wrote in message
p...
> My understanding is that Frank Whiteley and Bill Daniels qualified a
> commercial operator and several local pilots/CFIs on winch
> operations somewhere in Minnesota.
>
> Please tell me which airport and operator contact info?
>
> Were any of you there?
>
> Have you heard about this?
>
> Will you consider going to a commercial operator to train and get
> your winch signoff?
>
> Note, we do winch operations with our membership at Owl Canyon
> Gliderport (4CO2), Colorado Soaring Association, Wellington,
> Colorado.
>
>
> Best regards,
>
> Jer/ "Flight instruction and mountain flying are my vocations!"
> --
> Jer/ (Slash) Eberhard, Mountain Flying Aviation, LTD, Ft Collins, CO
> CELL 970 231-6325 EMAIL jer'at'frii.com http://users.frii.net/jer/
> C-206, CFII Airplane&Glider, FAA-DEN Aviation Safety Counselor
> CAP-CO Mission&Aircraft CheckPilot BM218 HAM N0FZD 282 Young Eagles!
>

[Frank Whiteley]

On Jun 26, 10:25*am, wrote:
> My understanding is that Frank Whiteley and Bill Daniels qualified a
> commercial operator and several local pilots/CFIs on winch
> operations somewhere in Minnesota.
>
> Please tell me which airport and operator contact info?
>
> Were any of you there?
>
> Have you heard about this?
>
> Will you consider going to a commercial operator to train and get
> your winch signoff?
>
> Note, we do winch operations with our membership at Owl Canyon
> Gliderport (4CO2), Colorado Soaring Association, Wellington,
> Colorado.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Jer/ "Flight instruction and mountain flying are my vocations!"
> --
> Jer/ (Slash) Eberhard, Mountain Flying Aviation, LTD, Ft Collins, CO
> CELL 970 231-6325 EMAIL jer'at'frii.com *http://users.frii.net/jer/
> C-206, CFII Airplane&Glider, FAA-DEN Aviation Safety Counselor
> CAP-CO Mission&Aircraft CheckPilot BM218 HAM N0FZD 282 Young Eagles!

Don Ingraham has shared some pictures of the winch clinic here
http://www.crosscountrysoaring.com/welcome22.html

A video of some of the launches is here
http://www.soaringchapters.org/minnesota/mn_winch.wmv

Note that most of the recorded launches are the first, second, or
third efforts by the four others learning to drive the winch. The
videos are specifically to show the rope control after release. A
fair quartering crosswind was blowing so it often dropped to the side
a bit.

That said, when operating with runways lights, it's very useful to
have 500ft of overrun past the end lights as it's difficult to judge
the chute distance between 500-1000ft and the distance closes over the
last 500ft. Using a shorter distance may well result in snagging a
light or putting the winch tackle into the rollers or fairlead. Two
end lights were removed on the retrieve side of the runway.

That winch is well-behaved and straight forward to drive, though the
throttle handle throw was a bit long for my liking. It has very good
dual-caliper disk brakes on the drum.

Frank Whiteley

[Tom Gardner]

On Jun 26, 7:56*pm, Frank Whiteley > wrote:
> Don Ingraham has shared some pictures of the winch clinic herehttp://www.crosscountrysoaring.com/welcome22.html
>
> A video of some of the launches is herehttp://www.soaringchapters.org/minnesota/mn_winch.wmv
> Frank Whiteley

Can I suggest that the people taking the video might like to consider
what would happen to the cable when it breaks under tension at just
the wrong height. I've watched the cable snake along the ground
alongside and (say) 40ft behind our winch. Quite entertaining (and
even pretty), but I was glad I was off the ground in another vehicle!

Tom Gardner

[John Smith]

> Can I suggest that the people taking the video might like to consider
> what would happen to the cable when it breaks under tension at just
> the wrong height. I've watched the cable snake along the ground

Just another advantage of Dyneema over steel.

[Bill Daniels]

"John Smith" > wrote in message
...
>> Can I suggest that the people taking the video might like to consider
>> what would happen to the cable when it breaks under tension at just
>> the wrong height. I've watched the cable snake along the ground
>
> Just another advantage of Dyneema over steel.

Yes, the safety difference between Dyneema (or Spectra) and the old steel
cable is dramatic. By comparison, steel cable is just ugly, dangerous
stuff. If you break Dyneema under tension, it just falls. It never snaps
back or tangles like steel.

However, even though Dyneema is very light and extremely well behaved, it's
still very strong. I wouldn't want to get it wrapped around me while it's
being pulled by a big engine. I've seen the results of it cutting through
half inch steel plate like a laser with no apparent damage to the Dyneema.

Bill D

[Frank Whiteley]

On Jun 26, 2:08*pm, Tom Gardner > wrote:
> On Jun 26, 7:56*pm, Frank Whiteley > wrote:
>
> > Don Ingraham has shared some pictures of the winch clinic herehttp://www.crosscountrysoaring.com/welcome22.html
>
> > A video of some of the launches is herehttp://www.soaringchapters.org/minnesota/mn_winch.wmv
> > Frank Whiteley
>
> Can I suggest that the people taking the video might like to consider
> what would happen to the cable when it breaks under tension at just
> the wrong height. I've watched the cable snake along the ground
> alongside and (say) 40ft behind our winch. *Quite entertaining (and
> even pretty), but I was glad I was off the ground in another vehicle!
>
> Tom Gardner

You bring up a valid point. Solid steel wire is the worst and needs a
wide clear zone for auto tow, reverse pulley, or winching. 7/7 (and
7/19 to a slightly lesser extent) needs a clear zone also, especially
on the drum side and aft. I wouldn't have my truck attached with any
steel, even with drum covers. The dyneema and spectra ropes have no
recoil and negligible mass. Even then, when I put the camcorder on
the drum side, it was left unattended on a tripod, nor would I allow
anyone on that side during launching. When winching, we need folks
switched on, at both ends of the rope, to what's happening on, above,
and in the traffic vicinity of the airfield. As this was a new
activity there, it was NOTAMed. At one point, we had a large tractor,
towing a tank and spray gear cross the airport. Bill announced
holding for heavy equipment on the runway. The FBO replied what heavy
equipment? Then took a look. The treads of the tractor actually
flicked the winch rope, but didn't snatch it fortunately. We
explained things as he passed by.

Frank Whiteley