Advertising for tow pilots

Originally Posted by Burt Compton - Marfa Gliders, west Texas

On Thursday, September 24, 2015 at 10:41:41 AM UTC-5, Tony wrote:
I'd suggest you sell the Pawnee and buy a nice clean 182.

In my soaring operation in west Texas I've used Cessna 182's for decades. I grew up towing with Cubs in Miami but I'm instructing in the sailplane most of the time so I wanted towplanes that most any proficient pilot could fly. (Even so, not all qualify when attempting my towpilot initial and recurrent endorsements.) The tricycle gear 1958 or 1959 "square tail" C-182 handles crosswinds and dust devils better than a tailwheel towplane for the obvious reasons and tows very well at our high elevation at Marfa (5,000' msl plus density altitude.) No cooling issues. My west Texas "winter towplane" is a tricycle gear Cessna 150 with a 180 HP Lycoming engine. Not your momma's 150 and fun to fly!

Towing is not for everybody. It can be dangerous flying mostly due to inattention of the sailplane pilot behind you, occasionally flying too high and kiting on tow. Ask me how I know.

While I'm at it . . . Diving the towplane after release is quite dangerous especially to sailplanes below release altitude. Lost a good friend in 1980 who was hit in his ASW-20 by a towplane diving down from above. Cut his elevator off with the towrope. Towpilot didn't see him against the ground clutter and was diving so fast he could not turn at the last moment. (It's a vector thing.) What's the rush, anyway? Are we flying the US Mail or on a military mission?

Most of the towplanes I launch behind in Europe are tricycle gear Robins & Rallyes.

"The Towpilot Manual" is concise booklet on towing available at www.bobwander.com
Inexpensive and now in the 7th printing.
Also refer to the 24 month re-currency requirements of FAR 61.69. Read it carefully!

Bless the towpilots. I feed, water and pay mine very well so they fly "my way." No rushing to tow, no fast taxiing, no diving. Safe and fun.

Burt, during "the season" it is not uncommon for me to have 15 or more gliders lined up waiting for a tow usually to 2K feet along with training gliders which get to go to the head of the line. THE RUSH is obvious but I will not sacrifice safety for speed. I did 48 tows in one day with another 12 or 15 being done by anothe tow pilot who jumped in to help.

The 182 is a good idea, gives you a much larger pool of pilots from which to choose and I'd love to fly that 150 with a 180.

Nice to hear someone is feeding, watering and paying their tow pilots very well.

Walt