It's intriguing how much attention any post about winch launching seems to
generate here on RAS. I must admit I, like most here in the USA, cried
"foul" or was it"fool" any time one would suggest that winching could be
a viable alternative to the much perferred aero tow. Shame on me. Perhaps
it's time to lift our head out of the herd and get a new view. The recent
thread on which type of launch is safest seemed to conclude that each
launch is equally dangerous if done improperly and each launch is safe
when done properly. Problem is we in the USA don't know what we are
doing and learning can be a painful experience. Painful perhaps, but
worth it.
Here is my story. Soaring in West Texas had been on the decline for
the past fifteen years. Only a handful of sailplanes left,(four to be
exact), and no tow plane in sight. Sounding familiar? Well that was two
years ago. We simply did not have the money to purchase a tow plane or
the activity to attract a commercial operation. Our salvation was a
GOOD WINCH. The story of building a good winch and learning to operate
it could take up most the rest of the winter. However the proof is in
pudding, or in this case the bank account. Our club has more than tripled
in membership and is growing. We are able to support our activities and
flying is on the rebound in West Texas. Aero tow will always have a
place but do not discount what a GOOD WINCH can do for soaring in your
club. The economics simply cannot be overlooked. Winches generate real
revenue and provide for more flights for the buck than any other method
of launch, and can do it just as safely as aero tow.

Cheers,

Craig