Good questions.

1.Â* There are many planes that are usable as tugs and aren't retired
crop dusters.Â* I know it's not manly to fly with a nose wheel (sarcasm),
but I think a C-182 does a fine job and there's an STC to install a tow
hook.Â* And 182s are relatively cheap and there is a large network of
parts, mechanics, etc. to keep them flying.Â* At my location all three
tugs (all old dusters) are down and the owner is working furiously to
get one or two back to flying status before the soaring season starts
back up.Â* You can also use a Super Cub, Citabria, etc. instead of a
Pawnee.Â* I have towed with an L-19, Maule, Super Cub, Citabria, Pawnee,
Call Air, and Ag Wagon, admittedly all tail draggers, but I've seen
videos of 182s towing at large contests.Â* Take a look.

2.Â* It would be really hard to put a 182 on its nose and, besides, the
accident you described was caused by the glider pilot, not the tug.

3.Â* If your club doesn't own it's own field, find a county airport that
is not heavily used and set up a ground launch operation. Present a plan
if necessary on how you will operate with power traffic, get a winch or
a capable car or truck and begin ground launching.Â* I have flown into
and out of many small airports while on ground launch safaris.Â* It's fun!

Good luck!

On 1/23/2019 6:05 PM, wrote:
On Monday, December 31, 2018 at 7:24:34 AM UTC-5, Bob Youngblood wrote:

I fly "both ends of the rope" routinely too ... and I am not sure what this is all about other than a whining session.

If you don't have access where ground launch is possible, then soaring only exists because there are towplanes and tow pilots.

there are a LOT of problems with tow-planes and towing at the moment; big cost problems and regulatory difficulties, and the national supply of towplanes is going down, and I am really worried about the longer-term existence of our sport in the USA, due to towplane problems.

Could we perhaps have a discussion about the big issues? My list of these would be:

1. Towplanes are getting bloody expensive: to buy, to maintain, to tow with ... you name it.

2. A lot of the worst sailplane accidents involve towing and the towplane. Last year my club had a kiting-on-take-off episode -- amazingly nobody was hurt, destroyed the towplane, scared the bejezus out of everybody, me included. We survived as a club, but not easy.

3. Most soaring clubs exist to keep a towplane ... see #1. It's getting worse

--
Dan, 5J