Atlantic Tow??

"Ed Byars" wrote in
:

In the latest Fall edition of TO FLY, publication of the Sport Avia.
Assoc., I read a reprint of a July 1944 issue of SKYWAYS mag. about a
long tow! Across the Atlantic no less. I just can't believe it. Can
somebody help me verify it? No date of the flight was given. It was a
Waco CG-4A (named Voo-Doo) and was by the British from Montreal with
one stop on the "east coast"(?). The second leg was 28 hours with
landing in "Britain". They had a cargo load of 3000 pounds. Only pilot
(Seys, RAF) and copilot (Gobeil, RAF) aboard. Mention was made of
thunder, snow and ice. Quote: "....the snow and ice were so thick that
the towplane, for the most part, was invisible. Only fifteen feet or
so of the towrope could be seen." I have been involved in several long
cross country tows, one of which involved the towplane towing me into
a cloud. I lasted about 20 seconds before the rope broke. But that's
another story. If this story is true the details would really be
interesting and my hat's off. If it is untrue their must be some sort
of story behind it of interest.
Can anybody fill us in?
Ed Byars



I read somewhere, can't remember where, that CG-4 pilots would tie a red
rag on the tow rope some short distance from the cockpit, and early in the
flight would mark a circle on the windshield with a china marker to show
the position of the rag during normal tow. The red rag and china marker
circle on the windshield was apparently enough to stay behind the tug in
instrument condtions. Can anybody confirm this?
-Bob Korves

thunder, snow and ice. Quote: "....the snow and ice were so thick that
the towplane, for the most part, was invisible. Only fifteen feet or
so of the towrope could be seen." I have been involved in several long
cross country tows, one of which involved the towplane towing me into
a cloud. I lasted about 20 seconds before the rope broke. But that's
another story. If this story is true the details would really be

A former Me109 pilot of my club told me lots of stories about transport
gliders. Their glider pilots kept control in IFR by keeping position
behind the rudder. They didn't use ropes but metal tubes. So the
distance was only 5m.

Yes, I've read 1st hand descriptions that a mark on
the perspex lined up with a tag on the rope, was the
normal way of keeping position in cloud.

At 23:24 07 October 2005, Bob Korves wrote:
'Ed Byars' wrote in
:

In the latest Fall edition of TO FLY, publication
of the Sport Avia.
Assoc., I read a reprint of a July 1944 issue of SKYWAYS
mag. about a
long tow! Across the Atlantic no less. I just can't
believe it. Can
somebody help me verify it? No date of the flight
was given. It was a
Waco CG-4A (named Voo-Doo) and was by the British
from Montreal with
one stop on the 'east coast'(?). The second leg was
28 hours with
landing in 'Britain'. They had a cargo load of 3000
pounds. Only pilot
(Seys, RAF) and copilot (Gobeil, RAF) aboard. Mention
was made of
thunder, snow and ice. Quote: '....the snow and ice
were so thick that
the towplane, for the most part, was invisible. Only
fifteen feet or
so of the towrope could be seen.' I have been involved
in several long
cross country tows, one of which involved the towplane
towing me into
a cloud. I lasted about 20 seconds before the rope
broke. But that's
another story. If this story is true the details would
really be
interesting and my hat's off. If it is untrue their
must be some sort
of story behind it of interest.
Can anybody fill us in?
Ed Byars



I read somewhere, can't remember where, that CG-4 pilots
would tie a red
rag on the tow rope some short distance from the cockpit,
and early in the
flight would mark a circle on the windshield with a
china marker to show
the position of the rag during normal tow. The red
rag and china marker
circle on the windshield was apparently enough to stay
behind the tug in
instrument condtions. Can anybody confirm this?
-Bob Korves

For the transatlantic flight, the pilot Squadron leader
Richard Seys fitted the Waco glider, named Voo Doo
with an airliner type seat this jept his head in the
same position. During a practice flight he attached
a strip of coloured rag to the tow cable which was
attached to the roof of the glider.

By putting two marks with lipstick on the windscreen
he was able to determine high and low positions when
the tug was obscured by cloud.

Dave Martin
(No expert, I just happen to have a copy of Mike Cummings
book)



At 06:24 08 October 2005, Chris Rollings wrote:
Yes, I've read 1st hand descriptions that a mark on
the perspex lined up with a tag on the rope, was the
normal way of keeping position in cloud.

At 23:24 07 October 2005, Bob Korves wrote:
'Ed Byars' wrote in
:

In the latest Fall edition of TO FLY, publication
of the Sport Avia.
Assoc., I read a reprint of a July 1944 issue of SKYWAYS
mag. about a
long tow! Across the Atlantic no less. I just can't
believe it. Can
somebody help me verify it? No date of the flight
was given. It was a
Waco CG-4A (named Voo-Doo) and was by the British
from Montreal with
one stop on the 'east coast'(?). The second leg was
28 hours with
landing in 'Britain'. They had a cargo load of 3000
pounds. Only pilot
(Seys, RAF) and copilot (Gobeil, RAF) aboard. Mention
was made of
thunder, snow and ice. Quote: '....the snow and ice
were so thick that
the towplane, for the most part, was invisible. Only
fifteen feet or
so of the towrope could be seen.' I have been involved
in several long
cross country tows, one of which involved the towplane
towing me into
a cloud. I lasted about 20 seconds before the rope
broke. But that's
another story. If this story is true the details would
really be
interesting and my hat's off. If it is untrue their
must be some sort
of story behind it of interest.
Can anybody fill us in?
Ed Byars



I read somewhere, can't remember where, that CG-4 pilots
would tie a red
rag on the tow rope some short distance from the cockpit,
and early in the
flight would mark a circle on the windshield with a
china marker to show
the position of the rag during normal tow. The red
rag and china marker
circle on the windshield was apparently enough to stay
behind the tug in
instrument condtions. Can anybody confirm this?
-Bob Korves

I appreciate the replies to my original query.
I'm old enough to remember WWII and the myriad phenomenal exploits therein,
but my thousands of glider tows makes me humble to the bone thinking of
being on tow IFR over the Atlantic hours from shore. It's such a gross
understatement to just say that that takes guts (balls).
Yes...WWII was a trying time! Especially for our Brit friends.
Thanks again for educating me about what I consider to be more than just
"war trivia".
Ed Byars

"Dave Martin" wrote in message
...
For the transatlantic flight, the pilot Squadron leader
Richard Seys fitted the Waco glider, named Voo Doo
with an airliner type seat this jept his head in the
same position. During a practice flight he attached
a strip of coloured rag to the tow cable which was
attached to the roof of the glider.

By putting two marks with lipstick on the windscreen
he was able to determine high and low positions when
the tug was obscured by cloud.

Dave Martin
(No expert, I just happen to have a copy of Mike Cummings
book)



At 06:24 08 October 2005, Chris Rollings wrote:
Yes, I've read 1st hand descriptions that a mark on
the perspex lined up with a tag on the rope, was the
normal way of keeping position in cloud.

At 23:24 07 October 2005, Bob Korves wrote:
'Ed Byars' wrote in
:

In the latest Fall edition of TO FLY, publication
of the Sport Avia.
Assoc., I read a reprint of a July 1944 issue of SKYWAYS
mag. about a
long tow! Across the Atlantic no less. I just can't
believe it. Can
somebody help me verify it? No date of the flight
was given. It was a
Waco CG-4A (named Voo-Doo) and was by the British
from Montreal with
one stop on the 'east coast'(?). The second leg was
28 hours with
landing in 'Britain'. They had a cargo load of 3000
pounds. Only pilot
(Seys, RAF) and copilot (Gobeil, RAF) aboard. Mention
was made of
thunder, snow and ice. Quote: '....the snow and ice
were so thick that
the towplane, for the most part, was invisible. Only
fifteen feet or
so of the towrope could be seen.' I have been involved
in several long
cross country tows, one of which involved the towplane
towing me into
a cloud. I lasted about 20 seconds before the rope
broke. But that's
another story. If this story is true the details would
really be
interesting and my hat's off. If it is untrue their
must be some sort
of story behind it of interest.
Can anybody fill us in?
Ed Byars



I read somewhere, can't remember where, that CG-4 pilots
would tie a red
rag on the tow rope some short distance from the cockpit,
and early in the
flight would mark a circle on the windshield with a
china marker to show
the position of the rag during normal tow. The red
rag and china marker
circle on the windshield was apparently enough to stay
behind the tug in
instrument condtions. Can anybody confirm this?
-Bob Korves