Tow rope length?

We start with a ~200' rope, it allows doing multiple new ends and still be a reasonable length, it also allows (when close to full length) more glider movement but keeping the angular distance to the tug reasonable.
When the rope gets towards 100', we either splice two short ropes together or use it for ground ops.

Short ropes are also useful when doing an aero retrieve from a short field.

On Tuesday, October 18, 2016 at 9:39:24 AM UTC-4, Charlie M. (UH & 002 owner/pilot) wrote:
We start with a ~200' rope, it allows doing multiple new ends and still be a reasonable length, it also allows (when close to full length) more glider movement but keeping the angular distance to the tug reasonable.
When the rope gets towards 100', we either splice two short ropes together or use it for ground ops.

Short ropes are also useful when doing an aero retrieve from a short field.

Correction Charlie- We start at 225 feet and add length when we get down to about 175 feet.
Short ropes make it harder, especially for students to keep rope angle to the towplane in the "safe " range for any given position error.
We believe we reduce the probability of a tug upset by not letting ropes get too short.
FWIW
UH

Obviously I haven't been flying enough recently.......sigh......

Charlie M. (UH & 002 owner/pilot) wrote on 10/18/2016 6:39 AM:
We start with a ~200' rope, it allows doing multiple new ends and
still be a reasonable length, it also allows (when close to full
length) more glider movement but keeping the angular distance to the
tug reasonable. When the rope gets towards 100', we either splice two
short ropes together or use it for ground ops.

Short ropes are also useful when doing an aero retrieve from a short
field.

I do not want a tow out of a field where shorter rope is needed to make
it safe! An extra 100 feet is not enough safety margin. The best reason
I've read for a short rope out of a field is the dust kicks up behind
the glider, instead of in front of it.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to
email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"

https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1
- "Transponders in Sailplanes - Dec 2014a" also ADS-B, PCAS, Flarm

http://soaringsafety.org/prevention/...anes-2014A.pdf