A good post.

Some tow pilots strive to get into the air as quickly as possible since it's
easier to keep the tug straight in the air. This is not so nice for the
glider.

The last time I carried a full load of water, and with my CG aft of 90%, the
tug leapt into the air leaving me on the ground with full forward stick
trying to get the tail up. A few more knots would have made this an easy
tow.

When I'm towing, usually in a Pawnee these days, I simply guard the stick
during acceleration and let the tail come up by itself. Then, upon breaking
ground, fly in ground effect until reaching full tow speed for the glider's
weight. Haven't heard a complaint yet...


"Steve Koerner" wrote in message
...
I normally fly with aft CG. I have never had a kitting experience flying on
a CG hook, but I have had occasion where holding full forward stick for a
few seconds was necessary to hold attitude. That has happened only when the
towplane was pulling me slower than I prefer.

This leads me to think that a preventive measure that perhaps every tow
pilot should consider is to be vigilent in keeping the speed up on tow and
especially in the first 500 feet (the death zone). At higher speed, the
glider has more elevator authority to keep his nose down and the tug has
more elevator authority to keep his nose up. Lifting forces on the elevator
go as the square of airspeed, so a little extra airspeed can buy a lot of
elevator authority.

Besides exacerbating the kiting scenario, slow towing at low altitude
presents an entirely different and especially severe hazard to ballasted
gliders. That scenario has nearly killed me. Pulling the release is not an
option when your glider is slow at 100 feet with the nose pointed up at 30
degrees in a full stall.

Keep the airspeed up tuggies.