I did most of my ab initio training and learning to be an instructor on
autotow.

I'd suggest avoiding reverse pulley because it's difficult for both the tow
car driver and pilot to know when to finish the launch. With straight
autotow it's easy, stop sufficiently before the end of the runway that you
can drive forward and lay the cable out.

Another issue is cross winds. The cable will drift downwind and looking at
Ronan on Google Earth there are fields with irrigation equipment there. The
farmers will take a dim view of the launch cable being dragged through
their irrigation kit.

Chris

At 15:14 28 April 2018, Paul T wrote:
Some useful links. I was a member of a club that did straight reverse
pulley autotow off grass, just a pulley on a rotating shackle on a chain
staked into the grass, and we used to launch a 22M Kestrel with that
system. You have to be carefull with initial rotation as acceleration is
not as fast as a winch - using a 2:1 and 3:1 pulley system might help
with that.



http://www.ukmsg.co.uk/wp-content/up.../SG-Dec-2013.-
Expedition-pilots-guide-to-aunching.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0rv1zOmyWg

http://www.pas.rochester.edu/~cline/...und-launch.pdf

http://www.coloradosoaring.org/think...launching/reve
rse_pulley/default.htm