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Long Tow Rope Pros & Cons
Janusz Kesik )wrote of using 30m [98ft]
tow ropes as standard and 20m[65ft] for experienced pilots in Poland. In the US I'm accustomed to being aerotowed behind a 150 to 200 foot tow rope[45-61m]. However my club has been experimenting with using a longer rope: 275ft[84m]. This struck me as non-standard and made me wonder where the standard of 200ft came from and the possible advantages/disadvantages of the longer 275ft rope. 275ft vs 200 Advantages 1. longer time to react to tow plane positional changes - easier for beginners. 2. can be easily shortened as the ends fray/wear. 3. more room to turn away from towplane for an on-the-ground aborted takeoff. 4. ? Disadvantages 1. uses 75' more runway length - less room to land ahead or land back incase of a rope break. 2. possibly lull pilots into complacency - will later be confronted with 150'. 3. longer tow rope hanging behind towplane during its landing. 4. more rope to handle and untangle - I've had to clear it off the runway in a hurry to allow a power plane to taxi onto the runway. 5. glider is smaller in towplane's mirror. 6. I've noticed the middle of the towrope continue to drag on the runway at the beginning of the tow while waiting for the towplane to takeoff. This is additional wear on the rope in the middle where it gets inspected less. 7. ? Can it make a glider that zooms too high easier or harder to recover from - for either the towpilot or gliderpilot? chris |
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