-we keep the rope...
-we have no obstructions on short approach so the tuggie can land at the
threshold
-gliders stage from about the 600ft point from the arrival threshold
-most gliders stage beside the runway and can launch on the angle thus
glider is ready before tug lands beside him
-in most situations (except extreme calm winds) the tuggie can get down and
stopped in 900ft (700ft from threshold plus apx 200ft of rope) no back taxi
required in most cases (5 to 10 knt headwind makes a lot of difference on
short landing) (PA-25-250 Piper Pawnee)
-we have no lights on the side or at the threshold to bother the tuggie or
the rope
-we get about 3 to 4 months of weekend work (appx 600 to 800 tows on average
(25 per day x 8 weekend days per month x 3 to 4 months)) per rope
-we get 3 ropes at 200ft length out of one 600ft spool for about $80 (apx 3
to 4 cents cost per tow based on averages) (3 ply 7/16ths poly)
-less damage to rope dragging on paved runway than on gravel/dirt on the
approach
-more time spent retrieving and reconnecting rope than it takes to launch
the glider

BT

"Ray Lovinggood" wrote in message
...
Stewart asked why some operations drop the tow rope.
We do because of two reasons:

1. We want to reduce wear and tear on the rope by
not dragging it on the paved runway. Yes, the tuggie
does drop the rope onto the paved runway, but that
doesn't seem to cause undue wear and tear.

2. Sometimes (most?), the tuggie must taxi to the
parallel taxiway to make his way back to the staging
area rather than turn around on the runway and back-taxi.
The tow rope could then get caught in the runway and
taxiway lights as the tug makes his way around the
airport. Possibly.

Ray Lovinggood
Carrboro, North Carolina, USA