On Monday, December 31, 2018 at 5:24:34 AM UTC-7, Bob Youngblood wrote:
Our tow pilot seems to be suffering from a new disease that we have diagnosed as TOW IMMUNITY SYNDROME. I guess this happens when you get a bit older and don't see things as you once did.
Let me describe the symptoms and please let me know of a remedy. First, he has lost a bit of spunk, shows up and sits in his truck and watches Three Stooges cartoons until everything is out of the hangar. Secondly he waits for someone to wash the windshield of the Pawnee. The next thing you know he is singing some crazy song that he wrote called, "SEABREEZE BABY". He will not get out of the towplane, stays in there for hours on end looking at his phone, guess he must be looking at more Stooges clips on YOUTUBE.
He doesn't like my grilled hot dogs for lunch, the dogs are pretty good, even come with potato chips. His request for lunch is my cigar ash chili, and it is pretty good. He did recently take one of the powdered sugar donuts from Dunkin, but he ate it in the Pawnee, now we fly with sugar dust coming from the tow plane.
We recently took on a new member who is a clinical psychologist, she is working on a treatment plan, I asked her if she thought he was crazy, she replied that we all are a bit crazy. One word of advice came from an old friend, "Don't **** Off The Tow Pilot". Thanks to all the tow pilots.

Generally I respect tow pilots, though there are some exceptions. I don't fly power as I'm colorblind, so night flying was never an option. Now, most organizations have a chief tow pilot who provides guidance on the policies and procedures of a particular site. I've also watched tows in 50kt headwinds where both the tow pilot and glider pilot were willing and experienced (although the glider pilot's wife refused to retrieve him if he landed out). It was interesting to see the pair rise mostly vertical during the launch. FWIW, the tow pilot is one of the most safety conscious tow pilots and CFI-G's I know.

Frank Whiteley