We've just finished a tie-down improvement project at the Soaring Club
of Houston. It covered both the direct tie-down equipment and related
items and processes necessary for protecting and taking good care of
the seven club gliders in our hangars. Our gliders live in Quonset-hut
style hangars with one open side. Two gliders per hangar, rolled in
sideways on dolly tracks. Over time as we had moved gliders and
acquired new planes, the tie-downs and processes had become
increasingly marginal and outdated.

If anyone is facing similar issues and would like to see more about
the various issues we faced and solutions we found, I can forward a
copy of our club newsletter (pdf) with an article about the tie-down
project. The article is about 5 pages long, illustrated with before
and after pictures. I also have an equipment list (MS Excel) with
sources and prices, and a design document (MS Word) which provides
additional detail.

No attempt has been made to make the above material generic; much of
it obviously won't apply directly to other clubs or operations. It's
not the most exciting topic, but you may find a few useful ideas if
you're facing similar concerns.

If you're interested in getting a copy, let me know your e-mail
address via ras, or directly to my hotmail email account which is
fe4me. We'd be glad to share what we've done, and try to answer any
questions.

- Frank Allen
Soaring Club of Houston