high tow vs low tow

On 2/24/2019 8:27 PM, Steve Koerner wrote:
As a US pilot, I've flown low tow a few times but mostly just high tow as
that is the convention here. I'm wondering what all of the trade-offs are
by the two methods? Might it be time to reconsider this?

As pointed out on another thread, low tow would seem to be safer against
the problem of glider kiting up to overpower the tugs up elevator. I'm
wondering if it's ever possible for a low tow glider to go too low and
overpower the tugs down elevator?

Having performed low tows only by way of demonstrating 'em during BFRs
(remember them?), the aerospace engineer in me has little doubt that 'all that
glider mass back there' *could* 'cause alarming things to happen to the tug'
if Joe Glider Pilot is either seriously asleep at the stick or intentionally
and unilaterally plays Joe Test Pilot.

That said, my visual take on low tow is that 'well before' a tug-upsetting low
tow position is likely to be reached, Joe Glider Pilot will almost certainly
find the visual picture so alarming that he'll take corrective action. Clearly
that's not the case with high tow...

So, OZ glider pilots, how do you folks manage to kill your tow pilots? Too
much beer?

Bob W.

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