This should make most power pilots have kittens...

On 2005-11-14, Jose wrote:
[Power pilots - whenever you see
the glider port symbol on your chart, remember that there may be a winch
there. They are less common in the US than over here, but they are used
in the US, and the 1/8th inch steel cable will not be kind to you if you
run into it. Never directly overfly gliderports below 3000' without
talking to their radio operator]

How is this cable used, and why would it extend up three thousand feet?

The video should explain quite nicely, the cable is very visible
on that. However, normally, without the sunset glinting off the steel,
it's quite invisible until it's too late. The glider pilot may have a
hard time spotting you during the middle stage of the launch since the
glider will be pitched 45 degrees or more nose up.

It's not that the cable will necessarily get to that altitude (but one club
in France has exceeded 3,000 feet on a winch launch, more normally, a
winch launch gets the glider up to between 1,000 and 1,600 feet,
although at our club we've managed a launch of 2,200 ft). Many clubs
also use tow planes, and the tow plane+glider combination (which is
fairly unmanoevrable) generally go up to about that height. Towplanes
may also be doing semi-aerobatic manoevres to get down quickly so they
can go get the next glider - it can be like flies around a cowturd at a
busy gliderport, especially if an event is going on (towplanes, gliders,
winch launches all going on simultaneously).

--
Dylan Smith, Port St Mary, Isle of Man
Flying: http://www.dylansmith.net
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