FWIW,

My experience airotowing using a belly hook has been limited to my PIK
20B, fitted with Mazak winglets, using the Aussie low-tow technique.
Take-off procedure is stock standard:
1. Select full negative flap (-8 deg)
2. Select full forward trim
3. Hold the ship on the ground with back stick until full aileron
control established.
4. Ease stick forward and ease flaps to neutral. Ship lifts off with
no further elevator input.
5. Hold ship at 5-10 feet until tug lifts off and rises above glider.
6. Glider follows just under tug slip-stream. ( If there is a cross
wind hold the ship on ground longer until just before tug lifts off).

The above gives excellent directional control on the ground with no
tendency to drop a wing or drift off-line. Ropes are standard 55
metres length.

In the air (low tow position) directional stability is excellent but
one needs to read changes to the tug's angle of bank quickly. Only
had one (short-term) scare when, in my first competition, the tug went
into a 45 degree RH bank into a thermal at 600'. Took a few
milliseconds to regain my equilibrium!!

Only had one other experience of concern when an experienced tuggie
persuaded me to undertake an outlanding retrieve (from a remote
airfield) using a 35 meter rope - an experience I didn't enjoy and
wouldn't recommend.

Overall, aerotowing with the belly hook hasn't presented any
difficulties worth worrying about and well-intentioned (doom and
gloom) predictions by instructors and winch drivers fortunately have
proved groundless.

Geoff Vincent
Mangalore Gliding Club
Australia

VH-GAX


On 23 Jul 2003 05:32:18 -0700, (Hank Nixon)
wrote:

(Harry) wrote in message m...
would you recommend this ship for a recently licensed pilot ??? comments welcome!

regards
Harry

Reply:
This depends on the experienceyou have at this time and how your
training was done.
The '24 is a very honest glider with excellent stabilty.
Early versions without winglets do exhibit some wing tip drop at stall
if not well coordinated. That said, there is reliable warning. This is
helped a lot by the factory added winglets and even more by
aftermarket winglets in use in some countries.
Speed control is important in landing but not remarkably so.
The '24 was the first of the new generation of gliders with enhanced
safety as an important part of the design. Many manufacturers are just
now starting to catch up.
These include progressive failure in the cockpit area, Upper safety
beam in the cockpit, seat pan design, powerful hydraulic brake,
landing gear designed to fail progresively absorbing energy, and other
detail features.
Towing is honest with CG hook. Most in Europe will have the forward
nose hook installed. If flying with 30M ropes, I would suggest nose
hook for added safety.
If you were trained in modern glass, get some spin training and a few
hours in LS4 or similar and go for it.
I owned a '24 for 13 years and really enjoyed it.
Good luck UH