Bill Daniels wrote:

A longer rope will just move the tug further down the runway where he has
even less room. I'm pretty comfortable with 250 foot ropes.

Yes, I really meant longer "within reason." I'm really just saying
even as a tug pilot I'd rather have a 250 foot rope and less
runway in front of me, than the extra 150 feet in front of me and
some guy on a 100 foot rope, if I had to abort. I can't imagine
anyone could abort takeoff and release successfully with a 100
foot towrope without scraping metal...I wouldn't even consider
practicing this as an abnormal during training...

A tuggie
always has the right to abort a takeoff roll any time being on the ground
will be preferable to being in the air. What I would like is a review of
the runway abort procedures. As far as I know, the following is not in the
"How to be a Tuggie" comic book.

The first step is for the tug to release the rope - that gives the glider
pilot the unmistakable sign that this is an abort. Just as in the air, the
tug must turn left and the glider right. There may be room to leave the
runway completely or just move as far to the edge as safety allows. If
there are runway lights, there may be clearance for the tug wing to pass
over them - use all the room available. The tug should try to maintain
speed and not brake until reaching the departure end of the runway or when
it's clear that a collision is not possible.

Again, you see why I like winch launch.

Bill Daniels


Bill,

excellent review. Just as with power training, aborts are
too rarely discussed or trained, IMHO.

I'd add the one point from our local tuggie/CFI, that if a certain
tire flattens, the tuggie may not be able to abort to the "correct"
side. I guess this is rare, but has happened to him...