On Thursday, June 20, 2013 7:10:16 PM UTC-6, waremark wrote:
I do lots of winch launching but have never even seen an auto-tow. The report says the rope length was 234 foot. Is that normal or even possible?

It's not normal or generally advisable but it's possible. With a rope that short, the launch must be planned so the landing is straight ahead or at least with a minimal heading change.

At the end of a day, I've used two aero tow ropes tied together to auto tow to about 300' AGL then glide across the airport infield to land on the ramp.