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Dual Aerotowing, USA
By Patricia Smith
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If like me, you thought aerotowing was only for those few bold, intrepid pilots with more than their fair share of rugged good looks, intelligence, charisma, etc., think again. Aerotowing is great for just about everybody who flies a hang glider, from low-airtime pilots to the Sky Gods mentioned above. Here's how it happened for one pilot still sporting a red ribbon on her kingpost. Inspired by Graham Malone's
article Florida Flying in October's Skywings, Ray and I booked the cheapest
charter flight we could find and arrived in Florida on Christmas Eve. Located
just south of Orlando at Davenport, the Wallaby Ranch is just about as
close as you can get to heaven on earth.
Once an actual ranch owned
by a cattle breeder, the barn and tractor still remain, though it has now
been transformed into an airfield of over fifty acres with every possible
amenity. Swimming pool, sun deck, picnic area, trampoline (for kids and
the energetic), a swing seat and hammock (for those less so), a kid-sized
motorbike (popular with adult kids) and every facility you could wish for:
shower, bathroom, king-sized fridges to cool your apres-flight beers and
camping available for the outdoor types. And this haven is set in beautiful
country with pine forest either side; motels, diner's and a 7- Eleven with
excellent coffee are literally a five-minute drive away. So, while you
lot were gazing forlornly at grey skies before resigning yourselves to
Christmas telly and the rest, we lucky devils were contemplating blue skies
and mellowing out in the Florida sunshine.
Experienced pilots with
thermalling and cross-country experience and an appropriate number of hours
logged may aerotow solo after ground school and briefing. Less experienced
pilots are given tandem instruction on aerotow flight plus ground school
prior to solo launching. Low- airtime pilots and those unused to thermic
conditions are given tandem tuition from Malcolm Jones, an excellent instructor
and former competition pilot, winner of the first Open Hang Gliding Championships
in Guatemala and member of the victorious US 1980 American Cup team. Now
if sharing an A-frame with a pilot this good doesn't improve your flying
skills, I don't know what will. Don't expect your tuition in the form of
a demo either; you do the flying, taking control of a greater part of each
flight, until such time as you are confident of going solo.
A very simple and effective
aerotow bridle is used which consists of a single line with a loop at each
end, one of which is attached to the release at the glider keel and the
other to the pilot's shoulder straps. When the release is operated the
bridle line slips through the ring on the towline and releases the tow.
All checks are carried out under the scrutiny of Malcolm's assistant Ryan
who attaches the towline, sees that the runway area is clear, then indicates
to the pilot that the glider is ready for take-off. The aerotow take-off
is surprisingly easy. Solo launches make use of a specially designed dolly
which acts as an undercarriage and supports the glider at the right angle
of attack. The pilot holds on to it along with the bottom bar and releases
it as the glider lifts. The tandem glider doesn't need the dolly as it
takes off and lands on its own wheels on the bottom bar. This glider has
an unusually long keel with a small pair of wheels mounted on the end.
When resting on the wheels and keel it is at the right attitude for take-off.
For both solo and tandem launches, pilots and passengers are in prone for
the take-off. This eliminates the obvious danger of failure to clip in
and also means that no change in position is necessary.
Thermal-hungry pilots
get towed up using any available lift (it gets you up faster) and the pilot
will, if possible, find you a nice fat thermal to release in. Less experienced
pilots and tandems get smooth air and gentle turns until they have mastered
the technique of control under tow. The basic principles are quite simple:
Follow the movements of the aircraft as closely as possible during take-off,
then assume a position whereby the wings of the tug appear level with horizon
and maintain your position directly behind so that you are looking straight
down the towline. This position places the glider slightly higher than
the tug and out of any prop turbulence. The golden rule is to correct both
lateral and vertical drift early with small inputs of weight-shift (keeping
your body in line to prevent yaw, returning to the neutral position on
the bar and waiting for the glider to respond. Remember, if flying tandem
a large glider with a high wing loading is heavy so your inputs must be
positive and the response may be slower than with your own glider. This
should effectively eliminate the problem of pilot-induced oscillation due
to over-correction. An important point to remember is that, unlike other
methods of towing, there are two pilots and two aircraft attached by few
hundred feet or so of line, thus the action of one can have an impact on
the other. A release mechanism and a weak link are incorporated at both
ends of the towline but it is your responsibility to follow the instructions
of the tug pilot and maintain the correct position. Resist the temptation
to look at the view until you are free flying! The weak link is to protect
against lockout, whether pilot-induced or resulting from turbulence.
On receiving the signal
to release at about 2,500 feet, get straight and level, increase the pressure
on the bar then hit the release. The protocol is that the tug turns away
to the left, the glider turns right . The next time you see the pilot he'll
be several hundred feet below you (tip: look for something yellow, rotating
and diminishing in size rapidly!) You will now have around ten minutes
of glorious free flying in which to improve your skills, paying attention
to such things as flying with constant airspeed, 360's, coordination of
turns and getting your figure of eights and S-turns as precise as possible
over a given spot before setting up an approach and landing in a predisignated
area of the field. The great advantage of tandem flying is that you get
immediate feedback on how you perform these tasks. You will then have the
opportunity to work on any weaknesses with the sky to yourself instead
of wobbling around on a small ridge shared with several other gliders.
This is a great way for new pilots to get some confidence in glider control
and will undoubtedly improve your flying on the ridge.
So there you have it,
the perfect flying holiday and a great deal more besides. You can take
your own glider or hire from Malcolm's range of gliders- it's up to you.
Everyone is so friendly, laid-back and relaxed you just won't want to leave.
If you have a non-flying partner this is the perfect compromise, everybody
including their kids and dogs are welcome at the Ranch where nobody minds
what you do as long as you're having fun. All the major tourist attractions
of Florida are right there on the doorstep with Disneyworld, MGM Studios
and Epcot Center only a twenty minute drive away - if you can possibly
bring yourself to leave this little corner of paradise.
For Information Contact: Wallaby Ranch 1805 Dean Still Road Davenport, Florida 33837 863.424.0070 |