Steve Leonard wrote:
My suggestioin would be stick forward to get the tail in the air. This
way, you are in control of the airplane. If you leave the tail in the
ground, the airplane will take off when it wants to, leaving you to react
to what it has just done. I believe your task is to make the airplane do
what you want it to do, and not to try to catch up with what it just did.

Steve's method is the commonly used one on a good runway surface (and a
cross wind is not a significant factor), as it's easier to control the
glider; however, keeping the tail on the ground is a standard method for
soft field takeoffs, when you want the main wheel weight reduced as fast
as possible. It may also be useful on a rough field, when you want to
get off the ground as soon as possible. It is the recommended method for
both situations in my ASH 26 E flight manual.


--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
* Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

* "Transponders in Sailplanes" http://tinyurl.com/y739x4
* Sections on Mode S, TPAS, ADS-B, Flarm, more

* "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" at www.motorglider.org