Using a Telsa or other power train to make the ultimate winch.

I've spent the first 6 months of my flying career in Hungary at a club that represented what a typical glider club looks like in central Europe.

The main difference is the use of dedicated, wide, grass glider fields, as opposed to the narrow, paved, general aviation runways that are typically used in the US.
The winch wire needs to be laid out on the field by a car, and no other aircraft (other than gliders) can use the runway as long as one or more wires are laid out. The field (or the area) has to be wide enough, should the winch wire fall to the side after release because of the crosswind. Of course, if the airfield is wide enough than other (e.g. powered) aircraft may operate (e.g. touch-and-go) simultaneously. Probably the asphalt would wear the winch wire out in no time, so grass airfields are preferred.

I would love to see more grass airfields with winch operations being established, it would definitely mean a new chapter in the sport of soaring in the US. No question it would be way more affordable.

Wider and longer fields without crosswinds are better for winch launching, but a lot can be done on a narrow short field with a lot of crosswind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbQtkLI24dA

On 6/15/2018 2:16 PM, Marton K-Sz wrote:
I would love to see more grass airfields with winch operations being established, it would definitely mean a new chapter in the sport of soaring in the US. No question it would be way more affordable.

....And all that would take is a LOT of money!

Back in the 90s a group secured a lease with the Bureau of Land
Management for a section (1 mile square) of land in Southpark,
Colorado.Â* That's a valley, not a cartoon town.Â* We brought our winch
from the Black Forest Soaring Society to the valley at 10,000' MSL.Â* It
was quite a lot of fun when the wind changed or when I glider landed at
an odd corner of the field.Â* We simply turned the winch to align with
the glider and launched him from there.

--
Dan, 5J