Bill Daniels wrote:
"Tony Verhulst" wrote in message
We did about 2000 aero tows last year - using a Pawnee, a C182 (since
replaced with another Pawnee), and a birddog. If we got a winch, we
could sell a Pawnee for around US$30,000 and save about US$10,000 PER
YEAR in maintenance (including engine reserve). If we did 1000 winch
launches at $10 per launch... Hmmmm, a pretty easy sell to the board of
directors, I think.

Only if the board of directors could be convinced that a proper winch is
a viable alternative to aerotow. If your board of directors is anything
like the ones I've dealt with, if they have any winch launch experience,
it was 40 years ago using a homebuilt gliderport special. Perhaps you
could send them all Europe for a month or so.

"I doubt there are more than one or two clubs or commercial gliderports
in the US that could justify that kind of expenditure, given their
current levels of operation."

Could it be that the "current level of operation" is due to high air tow
costs and that a winch operation would fix that?

That is precisely my point...

Marc