Tom Gardner wrote:

But, to return to the thread; as I intimated, I suspect the
rollercoaster of a winch launch is a better way of getting
kids hooked than a rather sedate aerotow.

I thoroughly agree. Its bad news for amusement park operators, though -
their rides are rather unimpressive once you're used to winching.

I soloed on a winch. My only pre-solo aero-tow was the spin demo flight:
we managed to find thermals when we needed them for my actual spin
training. From my early aero tows I got the distinct impression that
winching is easier for the early ab initio than aero towing, simply
because most gliders are stable on the wire once they're established in
the climb while staying behind the tug is HARD while your handling
skills are still developing.


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martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
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