On Tue, Apr 12, 2011 at 8:02 PM, Jarek Mosiejewski <jar...@optusnet.com.au>wrote:
> I do not think this is quite in agreement with the Instructor's Handbook . > The relevant paragraph in the Instructor's Handbook reads: > > "If intending to carry out an aerotow in the high or the low tow position, > the separation and climb-away stages are IDENTICAL." and later > "If intending to carry out a low tow, maintain station ABOVE the slipstream > (JM: by definition this is high tow), as the tug leaves the ground. When the > tug is positively in a climb, move the glider gently positively DOWN through > the turbulence behind the tug until once again in smooth air. The glider is > now in low tow position". > > This contradicts the common practice of "hugging" the ground and being > pulled up by the tug without the transition phase from high to low tow > position as described above. In my opinion it is quite self evident that it > if is far safer for the glider pilot to be a few meters higher if the rope > breaks at the critical moment soon after the separation when the tug is not > yet fully established in a climb, than in low tow, especially on small > strips and / or when one is behind a low powered tug. Presumably the improvement in the glider pilot's position comes at the expense of the tug pilot as I would imaging that the C of G of the whole combination (tug + glider) follows a similar path. I vaguely seem to recall that the use of low tow in Australia was from the experience of Fred Hoinville towing a Schweizer TG3A behind a Tiger Moth. I've just found a reference on pages 132 and 133 of Allan Ash's "Gliding in Australia". cheers, Ken
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