Low towing thought

I did annual checks about a month ago, when we were encouraged to try
low position on the way up for spin checks. I decided that I like low
tow and will use it in future, but before I do so there's one thing I'd
like to ask the Aussies and other habitual low towers: when you release
do you just pull the bung in the low position or do you pop up above the
wake first?

I fly a Libelle, which normally tows with a lot of sag in the rope, even
with the wheel down, and it occurred to me that releasing in the low
position could cause the rings to pass close to the canopy or even hit
it. At least the Libelle has a nose hook: if this is an issue, would it
be even worse with a belly hook?


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |

On Mar 5, 8:50 am, Martin Gregorie wrote:
I did annual checks about a month ago, when we were encouraged to try
low position on the way up for spin checks. I decided that I like low
tow and will use it in future, but before I do so there's one thing I'd
like to ask the Aussies and other habitual low towers: when you release
do you just pull the bung in the low position or do you pop up above the
wake first?

That was the procedure I was taught in South Africa. Just release and
immediately initialize a turn away.

It is interesting, though, when the tug slows down in a thermal to
watch the slack tow rope disappearing backwards over your canopy
towards the tail! I had a Jantar-1 that had a forward, but not nose-
mounted tow hook.

Mike

On Mar 5, 8:34 pm, "Mike the Strike" wrote:
On Mar 5, 8:50 am, Martin Gregorie wrote:

I did annual checks about a month ago, when we were encouraged to try
low position on the way up for spin checks. I decided that I like low
tow and will use it in future, but before I do so there's one thing I'd
like to ask the Aussies and other habitual low towers: when you release
do you just pull the bung in the low position or do you pop up above the
wake first?

That was the procedure I was taught in South Africa. Just release and
immediately initialize a turn away.

It is interesting, though, when the tug slows down in a thermal to
watch the slack tow rope disappearing backwards over your canopy
towards the tail! I had a Jantar-1 that had a forward, but not nose-
mounted tow hook.

Mike



- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Interestingly enough, the FAA written exam. includes a question on
just this subject. The question is something like (pardon the liberal
paraphrasing, I left my book at the shop) "Releasing the tow rope from
the low tow position is:" A. Just fine; B. Not so good, because the
rope can snap forward and whack the towplane; C. Not a good idea
because it can whack your glider after release. The FAA's "correct"
answer is C.
I have only a CG hook, and would be kind of uncomfortable with the
tow rope rubbing the side of my glider during the entire tow.

Jim

If you were taught (in South Africa) to release in low tow, I'm sorry to say
that you were taught the wrong procedure by the individual instructor. The
approved procedure, also in SA, is to come up to high tow slowly, put some
tension on the rope, and then release.
If you release in low tow, you run the risk of the odfur ring breaking
through your canopy, or at worst, tangling up your glider.

"Martin Gregorie" wrote in message
...
I did annual checks about a month ago, when we were encouraged to try low
position on the way up for spin checks. I decided that I like low tow and
will use it in future, but before I do so there's one thing I'd like to ask
the Aussies and other habitual low towers: when you release do you just
pull the bung in the low position or do you pop up above the wake first?

I fly a Libelle, which normally tows with a lot of sag in the rope, even
with the wheel down, and it occurred to me that releasing in the low
position could cause the rings to pass close to the canopy or even hit it.
At least the Libelle has a nose hook: if this is an issue, would it be
even worse with a belly hook?


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |

Martin Gregorie wrote:
I did annual checks about a month ago, when we were encouraged to try
low position on the way up for spin checks. I decided that I like low
tow and will use it in future, but before I do so there's one thing I'd
like to ask the Aussies and other habitual low towers: when you release
do you just pull the bung in the low position or do you pop up above the
wake first?

In Oz it's a no-no to pop up into high tow as you release (with all due
respect to Oscar's experience and SA's rules) because it's been known to
initiate a kiting situation. I guess our experience is that a 'slow'
move through a turbulent slipstream into high tow isn't all that easy to
accomplish for ab initio and low experience pilots at the same time as
they're trying to stay in position, check for traffic before release,
think about which knob to pull and how to initiate a turn.

The current teaching in Oz is to tow in whatever position you prefer
(most choose low) BUT you release from the tow position you used for the
climb so you don't scare the tuggies. KISS principle.

In general, while all gliders in Oz should have a nose hook for aerotow,
in practice this isn't always possible and the few gliders with only
belly hooks usually high tow, while the rest have the luxury (as Martin
discovered, it's easier) of low tow. So Oscar's problem of the Ottfur
ring (?) breaking the canopy is not relevant.

I fly a Libelle, which normally tows with a lot of sag in the rope, even
with the wheel down, and it occurred to me that releasing in the low
position could cause the rings to pass close to the canopy or even hit
it. At least the Libelle has a nose hook: if this is an issue, would it
be even worse with a belly hook?

I've never heard of a problem with low towing Libelles with nose hooks.
Obviously it would be sensible to release when the rope is under
tension but this applies to all towing. For those with only belly hooks,
see above.

GC

"Graeme Cant" gcantinter@tnodedotnet wrote in message
...
Martin Gregorie wrote:
I did annual checks about a month ago, when we were encouraged to try low
position on the way up for spin checks. I decided that I like low tow and
will use it in future, but before I do so there's one thing I'd like to
ask the Aussies and other habitual low towers: when you release do you
just pull the bung in the low position or do you pop up above the wake
first?

In Oz it's a no-no to pop up into high tow as you release (with all due
respect to Oscar's experience and SA's rules) because it's been known to
initiate a kiting situation. I guess our experience is that a 'slow' move
through a turbulent slipstream into high tow isn't all that easy to
accomplish for ab initio and low experience pilots at the same time as
they're trying to stay in position, check for traffic before release,
think about which knob to pull and how to initiate a turn.

The current teaching in Oz is to tow in whatever position you prefer (most
choose low) BUT you release from the tow position you used for the climb
so you don't scare the tuggies. KISS principle.

In general, while all gliders in Oz should have a nose hook for aerotow,
in practice this isn't always possible and the few gliders with only belly
hooks usually high tow, while the rest have the luxury (as Martin
discovered, it's easier) of low tow. So Oscar's problem of the Ottfur
ring (?) breaking the canopy is not relevant.

I fly a Libelle, which normally tows with a lot of sag in the rope, even
with the wheel down, and it occurred to me that releasing in the low
position could cause the rings to pass close to the canopy or even hit
it. At least the Libelle has a nose hook: if this is an issue, would it
be even worse with a belly hook?

I've never heard of a problem with low towing Libelles with nose hooks.
Obviously it would be sensible to release when the rope is under tension
but this applies to all towing. For those with only belly hooks, see
above.

GC

We used to go from low tow up into high tow or level tow as some may prefer.

After a few TUG pilots were killed in and some nearly killed they stopped
high tow unless you only have a belly hook.

We turn right after release.

We have released without turning like in wave etc and just to experiment I
have never come into contact with the rings as the tug accelerates away.

http://www.mals.net/

On Mar 5, 3:50 pm, Martin Gregorie wrote:

when you release, do you just pull the bung in the low position
or do you pop up above the wake first?

If you release while still in low tow, aside from what happens to the
rope, how does the tuggie know that you have gone? Radio?

When tugging I have often wasted a few hundred feet of full-power
climb when the glider on the back has gone without either a mild
"twang" on the rope or a good visual indication by pulling up and
banking (from high tow) and seeing this in the tug's rear-view
mirror.

Ian Strachan
Lasham Tuggie

Ian Strachan wrote:

If you release while still in low tow, aside from what happens to the
rope, how does the tuggie know that you have gone? Radio?

One of the useful points of low tow is that a glider releasing causes a
definite nose down trim change (I'm told - I don't tow).

When tugging I have often wasted a few hundred feet of full-power
climb when the glider on the back has gone without either a mild
"twang" on the rope or a good visual indication by pulling up and
banking (from high tow) and seeing this in the tug's rear-view
mirror.

Perhaps some tuggies have a more sensitive bum than others?

GC

Ian Strachan
Lasham Tuggie

On Mar 5, 10:50 am, Martin Gregorie wrote:
I did annual checks about a month ago, when we were encouraged to try
low position on the way up for spin checks. I decided that I like low
tow and will use it in future, but before I do so there's one thing I'd
like to ask the Aussies and other habitual low towers: when you release
do you just pull the bung in the low position or do you pop up above the
wake first?

I fly a Libelle, which normally tows with a lot of sag in the rope, even
with the wheel down, and it occurred to me that releasing in the low
position could cause the rings to pass close to the canopy or even hit
it. At least the Libelle has a nose hook: if this is an issue, would it
be even worse with a belly hook?

--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |


Proper release procedure for low tow is to release from that position.
How do we know the "right" position? It is just below the tug wake
such that occasionally you will feel the wake on the top of the
vertical tail. Most people not well trained tend to fly too low.
When you release in "proper" position, the rope will go straight
forward and not up over the glider. If it goes up, you were too low.
Tuggie will feel release as in high tow. The difference is that he
will feel no trim change due to glider being on the thrust line of the
tug in low tow.
These comments based on 10,000+ tows at the back end and 5000+ at the
front end in low tow.
Cheers UH

Oscar:

As far as I remember, what I describe was standard procedure in both
Jo'burg clubs in the 1970's and 1980's. Not wrong, just different. I
remember also being taught never to release from a slack rope for the
reasons you describe.

Slack rope during low tow gave me more interesting experiences than I
have seen since using high tow here in the USA.

Mike

On Mar 5, 11:46 pm, "Oscar Goudriaan" wrote:
If you were taught (in South Africa) to release in low tow, I'm sorry to say
that you were taught the wrong procedure by the individual instructor. The
approved procedure, also in SA, is to come up to high tow slowly, put some
tension on the rope, and then release.
If you release in low tow, you run the risk of the odfur ring breaking
through your canopy, or at worst, tangling up your glider.