On Oct 31, 1:58*pm, chris wrote:
Some of the recent contests I've attended in the US had trouble
getting tow pilots and enough towplanes. *One issue was the
controversial issue of do towpilots need commercial ratings to tow at
a contest.

I did just read an article that I wanted to share. I'm a bit behind on
my reading but the Feb 2010 issue of AOPA Pilot had a relevant
article. *Page 42, Pilot Counsel, by John S. Yodice, AOPA general
counsel. *"Complex private priviledges".
It discusses FAR 61.113.
"...the general part of the rule, a private pilot may not act as pilot
in command of an aircraft that is carrying passengers or property for
compensation or hire"...

The six exceptions to the rule are 1) a flight incidental to a
business or employment; 2) a shared expense flight; 3) a charitable
flight; 4) search and location operations; 5) sales demonstration; and
6) glider and ultralight towing.

So does that last bit mean we can have contest towpilots using their
private ticket?
I don't know how this issues was resolved otherwise but thought this
exception might have been overlooked by some contest organizers.

Also I don't know what the insurance companies require.

Chris

I specifically got my commercial single engine land so that I could
fly for free towing gliders for a commercial operator in the
operator's tow plane. No compensation to me. Later at our club
operation a couple of tow pilots were only private-rated even though
the club was charging members and guests for tows. Seems clear that a
friend towing up their buddy at no charge or gas only, such as as two
residents at a private strip not offering service to the public, could
be private rated. Seems to me that if a tow pilot is getting any
compensation for towing in their own aircraft or someone else's beyond
pro-rata gas money it is a commercial flight. That is my opinion based
on all the restrictive rulings I have seen on sharing expenses on
power flights and that even consider free use of an airplane to build
time as compensation. Private-rated pilots have been towing gliders
for a long time, but if there is an accident the private-rated tow
pilot may be in trouble. Not sure anybody really wants a definitive
FAA ruling. In my opinion, getting a commercial rating is not really
too hard if you are serious about doing tows.

Stuart