Thanks for all the comments, and the few direct emails. Due to the time required I can't respond to all the issues raised.

Yes it is an Apis 13m, which was well built by Robert Mudd and then owned by Evergreen Soaring. I suspect Brad may have even flown it. I have read all the flying reports I can find about it, and I would respect anything Brad might add from his vast experience flying one.

My attitude still is that the crow-hop process I described is not a bad idea. And a few others here, with experience doing it, seem to agree. I have done many of them in new powered ultralights. For me it relieved the pressure of the transition, reducing the chance of “task over-load”, by getting more familiar with, and experience with some of the critical phases of flying before the actual flight, and thus reducing the risk.

I would also think that crow-hops in a towed glider are probably no big deal to do. The process is likely no different than practicing a rope break before the tow plane gets airborne, where you land straight ahead on the runway. So it is probably not a bad idea for others to practice it anyway.

A couple of useful things I did pick up on:

The comment which said watch out for PIOs rang a bell with me. I had that problem with one of the ultralights I designed and was crow-hop testing, when trying to test a new control while just a couple feet off the ground. That could be a problem in the Apis when reaching forward to release, or when unlocking the air brake. So I thought that unlocking the air brake first, like it would be anyway during a landing, and keeping the Apis on the ground with a forward stick while it gets up to speed, then release while still on the ground, then let it rise a few inches if there is enough speed left, then pull on the air brake, and then let it touch down and roll out like any normal landing.

The other concern might be allowing it to rise too high in a zoom climb, then stalling. But that is probably no different than any landing and not likely to happen to an experienced pilot.

Of course I'll discuss the crow-hop idea with my instructor, who is probably reading this RAS discussion anyway, and who has had a lot of experience in transitioning students to other gliders.

My Apis flying is still a few weeks away, so there is plenty of time to consider it, maybe even time for some others to try it and report back to RAS.

Thanks again,
Jerry Booker