On Jan 6, 3:16*pm, Papa3 wrote:
On Jan 6, 3:05*pm, Surfer! wrote:



On Jan 5, 11:22*pm, "
wrote:
Snip
Also, I think (WAO) that users who learn from a winch feel much more
comfortable and may be safer when flying low i.e. "scratching around
low" as they spent their first 50 flights mostly below 1000 feet. And
of course they must learn to thermal away from this height to be able
to fly longer. You will always remember your first climb out in a
thermal you accomplish, maybe better that your solo. I can certainly
remember mine :`)

Snip

Hope the snip is right...

How happy one is low down surely depends on what kind of site one learnt
at? *If it's a ridge site then no, when the ridge(s) is/are working, one
launches, heads for the ridge and goes soaring, possibly just ridge
soaring or possibly as a prelude to thermal and/or wave soaring.

--
Surfer!
Email to: ramwater at uk2 dot net

FWIW, I was lucky enough to learn auto-tows (not quite the same as
winching) from John Campbell back in the mid 1980's. * We rarely got
above 700-800 feet AGL, but this was actually IDEAL training for
students getting close to solo. * It forces you to develop a very good
"feel" for the pattern and requires a certain amount of flexibility
when things don't go quite as planned. * Plus, you can operate with
only one rated pilot, eliminating the "no tow pilot today" problem
which happens in many smaller clubs.

If I were king, I would have an operation that used both winch and
aero tow. * The winch comes out first thing in the morning (no reason
not to start at 7 a.m. on nice summer days), and your students who are
ready for landing practice get 3 hours all to themselves while a) the
neighbors get to sleep in and b) the students don't burn huge holes in
their wallet. *Round about 11 am the towplane fires up and hauls some
early students who need airwork as well as the XC guys who just HAVE
to get going now. * *Tow pilot takes his/her lunch break around 1 pm
and the winch gets going again to work with more students as well as
those cheapskates who just can't bring themselves to spend $50 on a
2,000 foot aero-tow while they can get a 1,200 foot winch launch for
$18.

Sorry Rolf - not really answering your question. *I guess the only
point is that it's not "either-or" and there are certainly many pilots
(students or folks who need to just stay current) who would benefit
from more landing practice.

Erik Mann

http://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-2.0...t=olc&pi=18098

One pilot's summer. Coyote Run is a winch site. Note the Coyote Run
to Parowan to Coyote Run to Parowan to Ely series. He derigged once.
Didn't quite make it home on the last day of his summer safari.

Read how Cliff spent his summer vacation, http://tinyurl.com/7lwmbj