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Old June 6th 19, 02:29 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Jonathan Foster
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Posts: 27
Default One-man rigging aids - is the electric up/down control worth it?

On Sunday, June 2, 2019 at 8:44:34 AM UTC-6, Paul Kaye wrote:
My new club seems to have a culture of rig in April and derig in October! Personally I prefer to rig and derig for each flight, unless I know that there is a run of several days good weather and I'm available to fly. I have covers (Cloud-dancers) but I really don't think they offer the protection against UV that is needed for leaving it outdoors for long periods.

Anyhow, as a consequence, it's not always easy to get help to rig/de-rig so I'm thinking of getting a on-man rigging aid. It seems that I can get one from IMI for about €900 that is manually-adjustable for height and sideways alignment, or I could pay around €1500 for an electrically-adjustable version. I'm happy to pay for the more expensive one, if it's worth it. So, if any of you have any experiences/opinions, I'd be happy to hear them!

Thanks in advance.


I bought a used electric Cobra Rigger and I have to say it has been great. I can now put my glider together and disassemble without help. In all honesty, I now actually prefer rigging without help.

Originally I was going to make one of Herb's rigger's but between family activities, civic duties, and flying I realized I simply didn't have time. Herb is a wealth of knowledge and I used his plans/advice to modify my rigger to be wirelessly operated. I can now make fine adjustments without running all over the place.

The relay module I used is the Sonoff 4CH Pro R2 Smart Switch. It has options to use a 433mhz remote or even an app on your phone if you lose the remote (like I have several times). The bonus is the sonoff with remote was only $40.

If you get an electric rigger and want to convert it to wireless operation here is a link to the Amazon page: https://amzn.to/2I02OKT