How Many Ways to Launch?

I am interested in getting a sailplane and wondering what are the
various ways to launch. I am aware of the traditional methods.
Example= Steep downhill runway? Maybe I had too much coffee this morning!!
I live on Kauai and there are no Gliders on this Island at present.
Alo9ha, Les

Les Ward wrote:
I am interested in getting a sailplane and wondering what are the
various ways to launch. I am aware of the traditional methods.
Example= Steep downhill runway? Maybe I had too much coffee this morning!!

This method ("roll-off"?) is used by some pilots with the lighter weight
gliders. There is a neat video some where, but I don't have the URL.
It's most practical on a hill where you have some wind to help with the
launch and can slope soar afterwards. Check out the hang glider sites.

I live on Kauai and there are no Gliders on this Island at present.
Alo9ha, Les

You should also consider bungey launching, which would be practical with
a lightweight gliders like the SparrowHawk, Russia, and few others. This
is also best done from a slope soaring site, and doesn't need the
"runway" the roll-off technique needs.

If you stick with Kauai, your soaring possibilities seem quite limited,
so maybe a hang glider might be a better choice than a sailplane. If
traveling to the other islands is acceptable, Oahu and Hawaii offer much
more soaring, and have glider operations. Some pilots are working on a
club on Hawaii, so having a partner in a glider there would allow more
and better soaring, and some camaraderie.

--
Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

Thanks Eric,
I have flown on the other islands, gliders as well as power (sel).
mostly at the North shore Oahu. Will look into some of your suggestions.
Mahalo

Eric Greenwell wrote:
Les Ward wrote:

I am interested in getting a sailplane and wondering what are the
various ways to launch. I am aware of the traditional methods.
Example= Steep downhill runway? Maybe I had too much coffee this
morning!!


This method ("roll-off"?) is used by some pilots with the lighter weight
gliders. There is a neat video some where, but I don't have the URL.
It's most practical on a hill where you have some wind to help with the
launch and can slope soar afterwards. Check out the hang glider sites.

I live on Kauai and there are no Gliders on this Island at present.
Alo9ha, Les


You should also consider bungey launching, which would be practical with
a lightweight gliders like the SparrowHawk, Russia, and few others. This
is also best done from a slope soaring site, and doesn't need the
"runway" the roll-off technique needs.

If you stick with Kauai, your soaring possibilities seem quite limited,
so maybe a hang glider might be a better choice than a sailplane. If
traveling to the other islands is acceptable, Oahu and Hawaii offer much
more soaring, and have glider operations. Some pilots are working on a
club on Hawaii, so having a partner in a glider there would allow more
and better soaring, and some camaraderie.

Snowmobile.

Back in the early 70s, The Gatineau Gliding Club of Ottawa (Canada) made
a winter sale of one of their 2-22s. Trouble was their hangar was on the
far side of the well-snowed-in airfield.

We got the glider out on the windswept ramp, a trailer on the perimeter
road across the field about 1/2 mile away, hooked the 2-22 to a
snowmobile with a towrope, and let'er rip.

The snowmobile had just enough speed and power to get the glider into
the air in ground effect and heading for the roadside fenceline. My
problem was timing the release - too soon and it would be down in the
deep snow too far from the fence. I don't recall how close I came but I
remember the derigging as not being a problem.

I logged myself a 1 minute flight.

how many ways to launch other than running down hill... winch, auto tow,
aero tow, self launch (motor glider).. for where you are, the new Silent
self launch motor glider may be a good option.

(Silent is the "brand / model name", not that the engine is really that
quiet.)

BT

"Les Ward" wrote in message
...
I am interested in getting a sailplane and wondering what are the various
ways to launch. I am aware of the traditional methods.
Example= Steep downhill runway? Maybe I had too much coffee this morning!!
I live on Kauai and there are no Gliders on this Island at present.
Alo9ha, Les

There must be fifty ways...

Bob "step off the hill, Bill" K.

"There must be fifty ways.." says Bob K.

OK, I'll bite: name 10 (listing different makes of tow vehicles or of tow
planes does not count)

Cheers, Charles

OK, I'll bite: name 10 (listing different makes of tow vehicles or of tow
planes does not count)

Hmm I will try
Autotow
reverse pully auto tow
Winch
winch with winch retrieve
Bungey
Shoulder launch
aerotow
Horse tow ( I know it sounds daft but I believe that they used a horse and a
tow rope at Dunstable pre war)

Now i am stuck. Any others?

OscarCVox wrote:
OK, I'll bite: name 10 (listing different makes of tow vehicles or of tow
planes does not count)


Hmm I will try
Autotow
reverse pully auto tow
Winch
winch with winch retrieve
Bungey
Shoulder launch
aerotow
Horse tow ( I know it sounds daft but I believe that they used a horse and a
tow rope at Dunstable pre war)

Now i am stuck. Any others?


Balloon drop. Seen it for hang gliders
Helicopter drop (tail first-done in airshows)
Rocket launch
Aircraft drop-like Space Ship 1, X-n
Pay-out winch
Catapult? (How much altitude could you get off the deck of a carrier?)

In article , Shawn sdotherecurry@br
esnananotherdotnet.? writes
OscarCVox wrote:
OK, I'll bite: name 10 (listing different makes of tow vehicles or of tow
planes does not count)


Hmm I will try
Autotow
reverse pully auto tow
Winch
winch with winch retrieve
Bungey
Shoulder launch
aerotow
Horse tow ( I know it sounds daft but I believe that they used a horse and a
tow rope at Dunstable pre war)

Now i am stuck. Any others?


Balloon drop. Seen it for hang gliders
Helicopter drop (tail first-done in airshows)
Rocket launch
Aircraft drop-like Space Ship 1, X-n
Pay-out winch
Catapult? (How much altitude could you get off the deck of a carrier?)

Gravity rope launch. AFAIK this has never been tried.

You need a disused mine shaft at one end of the runway, you set up a
great big pulley over it. You run a cable from the other end of the
runway, over the pulley and attach it to a weight.

Yo let the weight go and as it falls it pulls the glider into the air.
Then you heave the weight up again.

There is a club in the west of England that has several disused tin
mines nearby. Hmm.

--
Mike Lindsay