ASW 24 WL for beginner ?

Joe,

When I started flying my LS-1 with it's CG hook, I
probably had never aero-towed with a CG hook. I had
aero-towed with nose hooks and winch launched with
CG hooks and probably had about 300 hours (?). I did
experience a problem on my first takeoff that can be
attributed to the CG hook and a bit of tail-heaviness
in the glider. It was cured with a proper 'A&P' certified
weight and balance with me in the cockpit and the glider
sitting on the scales. We added weight to the nose
(since then, I've added weight around my belly...)

I would think an experienced pilot should handle the
CG hook for aerotowing well, but a newly licensed pilot,
I think, should get a lot of information from the instructor.
Maybe allow the instructor to fly the ship some before
he, the newly licensed pilot does, so the instructor
can discuss the flying characteristic? Also, if a
two-place ship is available with a CG hook, could it
legally and safely be aerotowed with the CG hook if
a nose hook is available? If so, why not do some dual
with the instructor in the two-seater?

Ray Lovinggood
Carrboro, North Carolina

PS: To David Hofstee. Hi David. Still the same Ray
here on the 'liberal' side of Chapel Hole!


At 22:36 22 July 2003, Joe Lacour wrote:
I have recently bought an LS-4A with a CG hook. What
kind of problems
did you have with aero-towing with a DG hook?

Joe

On Tuesday, July 22, 2003, at 05:15 PM, Glider Pilot
Network wrote:

------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroup: rec.aviation.soaring
Subject: ASW 24 WL for beginner ?
Author: Dhofstee
Date/Time: 22:10 22 July 2003
------------------------------------------------------------
Ray Lovinggood wrote:
If you get a ship with a CG hook
and you launch via aero-tow, make sure you can learn
all you can from the instructors before you make that
first launch.
Didn't do that, nearly became a statistic... One of
the two moments in

my (never ending) 'training' that I don't want to
repeat.

Ray Lovinggood
Carrboro, North Carolina, USA
Is that the same Ray that was present then? ;-)

David
NL


------------------------------------------------------------

"Ray Lovinggood" wrote in message
...
Snip----

Also, if a two-place ship is available with a CG hook, could it
legally and safely be aerotowed with the CG hook if
a nose hook is available? If so, why not do some dual
with the instructor in the two-seater?

Ray Lovinggood
Carrboro, North Carolina

It's legal and a good idea. I've done this sort of transition training many
times using a variety of two-place trainers equipped with CG hooks. If the
pilot flies the airtow within normal limits there are few differences to
show the effect of the CG hook. However, if the glider gets high, things
can go bad in an instant. I always brief the tug pilot that if he feels the
tail being pulled up, he should release his end of the rope instantly.

Occasionally, a transitioning pilot will turn up who has a habit of relying
on the nose mounted hook to help keep him in position laterally. That
pilot, when flying with a CG hook, will have to learn to fly the glider more
aggressively to stay in position.

There were some flights testing air towing with CG hooks done in the UK.
The take-home lesson seemed to be that a glider in a too-high position with
a nose hook is still recoverable. With a CG hook, the situation becomes
unrecoverable in an eyeblink. Air towing with a CG hook creates a situation
where things can appear controllable one instant and completely out of
control the next.

This is what prompted the LBA to mandate the installation of nose hooks for
airtow in Germany. I wouldn't go that far, but replacing the tug's
Schweitzer hook that can't be released under a strong up-load with a Tost
hook that can makes a lot of sense.

Bill Daniels

Why wouldn't you "go that far"?

Every glider should be equipped with a nose hook. In today's world, how
many of us will ever fly off a winch? The nose hook should be standard with
the c of g hook optional, not the other way around! We should insist on
nose hooks on all new gliders and stop letting our knuckle-dragging egos
cling to the past.


This is what prompted the LBA to mandate the installation of nose hooks
for
airtow in Germany. I wouldn't go that far, but replacing the tug's
Schweitzer hook that can't be released under a strong up-load with a Tost
hook that can makes a lot of sense.

Bill Daniels

Depends where you are.

There are winches at every club I have ever visited in South Africa.
At my club we gave up on Aerotow 8 years ago.
It is expensive.
It is slow.
It is more dangerous in some ways.
We have predictable enough thermals that we have very low 'relight'
incidence.

That said, you need aerotow when you have long wings, or are carrying
water or need the height or physical displacement to be able to contact
lift. The nose hooks on our gliders are pristine, make us an offer...

Stephen Szikora wrote:
Why wouldn't you "go that far"?

Every glider should be equipped with a nose hook. In today's world, how
many of us will ever fly off a winch? The nose hook should be standard with
the c of g hook optional, not the other way around! We should insist on
nose hooks on all new gliders and stop letting our knuckle-dragging egos
cling to the past.


This is what prompted the LBA to mandate the installation of nose hooks

for

airtow in Germany. I wouldn't go that far, but replacing the tug's
Schweitzer hook that can't be released under a strong up-load with a Tost
hook that can makes a lot of sense.

Bill Daniels

"Bruce Greeff" wrote in message
...
Depends where you are.

There are winches at every club I have ever visited in South Africa.
At my club we gave up on Aerotow 8 years ago.
It is expensive.
It is slow.
It is more dangerous in some ways.
We have predictable enough thermals that we have very low 'relight'
incidence.

That said, you need aerotow when you have long wings, or are carrying
water or need the height or physical displacement to be able to contact
lift. The nose hooks on our gliders are pristine, make us an offer...


I agree.

Bill Daniels