Towing to the airport

There used to be (and may still be) a guy named Hardy Prentice who
flat-towed his race-prepped Triumph TR-3 to Sports Car Club of America
races -- even from California to Georgia when the National
Championships were held there, as recently as 1992. (He towed it
behind an E-Type Jaguar; how's that for eccentricity tinged with
masochism?) There was no way that car was street-legal as a
self-propelled vehicle, but as a "trailer" all it needed was a trailer
license, an approved tow-bar and wiring from the Jag's taillights to
the TR's.

The only possible snags I can see in doing that with an airplane are
that an airplane's non-DOT tires may not be legal trailer tires in some
states and that some of the heavier airplanes, in some states, may
require brakes as "trailers". A solution to both problems would be a
DOT-tired, brake-equipped dolly with a long enough tongue -- shouldn't
cost an arm and a leg to cobble together.

quietguy wrote:
There used to be (and may still be) a guy named Hardy Prentice who
flat-towed his race-prepped Triumph TR-3 to Sports Car Club of America
races -- even from California to Georgia when the National
Championships were held there, as recently as 1992. (He towed it
behind an E-Type Jaguar; how's that for eccentricity tinged with
masochism?) There was no way that car was street-legal as a
self-propelled vehicle, but as a "trailer" all it needed was a trailer
license, an approved tow-bar and wiring from the Jag's taillights to
the TR's.

I think there is a possibility that he may not have been legal passing
through some particular state or county, and not been pulled over by
luck. A cop might glance at such a setup and assume it is an emergency,
not a cross-country tow, and not really give it a second thought.

In some areas, you more than occasionally see some pretty amazing things
on the road: cars pulling other cars, wooden bumpers, hand signals for
stopping and turning, pieces of paper with the handwritten words "tag
applied for" instead of a license plate... an E-Type pulling a TR-3
wouldn't raise too many cop eyebrows where I live... it would raise my
eyebrows though, 10 cylinders, 8 wheels, and 5 SU carburettors

Anything pulling an airplane is rare, which makes it sure to get attention.

Did the original poster contact the Maine DOT?

Last thought, if it was a one-time, one mile, Sunday morning, quiet road
tow, I'm not recommending anything

Small town? Do the political thing. Ask if there is an off duty officer who
would like to be the "chase" vehicle for $50.

It is truly amazing how many small town cop shops make their own rules if
their own can benefit.

Jim



"

RST Engineering wrote:
Small town? Do the political thing. Ask if there is an off duty officer who
would like to be the "chase" vehicle for $50.

It is truly amazing how many small town cop shops make their own rules if
their own can benefit.

Jim



"



Forget "CHASE" vehicle.. if yer gonna PAY him.. have him drive the TOW
vehicle. No cop will knowingly give another cop a ticket in the
situation described.

Thats essentially what we did pulling our plane to the airport. It was
on a trailer, but it was a wide load (velocity with strakes). Of course,
our cop was free.. he's a good friend of ours.

Dave

The "chase vehicle" was intended to be a cop chop with the bubble gum
machine brightly lit and flashing. Safety, y'know {;-)

Jim



"Dave S" wrote in message
ink.net...
RST Engineering wrote:
Small town? Do the political thing. Ask if there is an off duty officer
who would like to be the "chase" vehicle for $50.

It is truly amazing how many small town cop shops make their own rules if
their own can benefit.

Jim



"

Forget "CHASE" vehicle.. if yer gonna PAY him.. have him drive the TOW
vehicle. No cop will knowingly give another cop a ticket in the situation
described.

Thats essentially what we did pulling our plane to the airport. It was on
a trailer, but it was a wide load (velocity with strakes). Of course, our
cop was free.. he's a good friend of ours.

Dave

On Fri, 18 Aug 2006 21:24:57 -0400, "Dean A. Scott"
wrote:

... in Conneticut... Seems they don't allow trailers to have their own propulsion
system. YMMV.

I see a lot of the larger motor homes pulling a small car in trailer
fashion. I wonder how they'd view that?

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

... in Conneticut... Seems they don't allow trailers to have their own
propulsion
system. YMMV.

I see a lot of the larger motor homes pulling a small car in trailer
fashion. I wonder how they'd view that?

Very good point. He needs to check into, and point that out.

There has to be a way around this.

If nothing else, I picture a basic "T" with two dedicated wheels, like a tow
dolly for cars. Simple, light, and if used often, would save some wear and
tear on the aircraft wheels.
--
Jim in NC

Roger wrote:
On Fri, 18 Aug 2006 21:24:57 -0400, "Dean A. Scott"
wrote:


... in Conneticut... Seems they don't allow trailers to have their own propulsion
system. YMMV.


I see a lot of the larger motor homes pulling a small car in trailer
fashion. I wonder how they'd view that?

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

If he only has 1 mile to go I would just hook onto it and go. Just have
a car follow close enough to not let anyone else get behind him. I towed
my RV-6 to the airport about 4 miles by making hitch that hooked up to
the tailwheel spring. I used a pickup and a cross piece across the bed
so the tail would be higher than the pickup bed so it would turn corners
with the elevators installed. This actually put the fuselage in about
level flight attitude.

Jerry

"Jerry springer" wrote

If he only has 1 mile to go I would just hook onto it and go. Just have
a car follow close enough to not let anyone else get behind him. I towed
my RV-6 to the airport about 4 miles by making hitch that hooked up to
the tailwheel spring.

No doubt, if it is just one trip. If it were a regular happening, sooner of
later, he would wish he was legal! g
--
Jim in NC

"Morgans" wrote in message
...

"Jerry springer" wrote

If he only has 1 mile to go I would just hook onto it and go. Just have
a car follow close enough to not let anyone else get behind him. I towed
my RV-6 to the airport about 4 miles by making hitch that hooked up to
the tailwheel spring.

No doubt, if it is just one trip. If it were a regular happening, sooner
of
later, he would wish he was legal! g
--
Jim in NC

I could have sworn that someone already wrote this, but here goes:

Unless something has changed dramatically, every state has an approved
method to transport wheeled equipment that is only temporarily on the
roads--obviously intended for farm equipment. Call your friendly DMV and
ask.

Alternatively, call the local Cop Shop and ask about an escort. Whatever
they charge is probably less than the cost of an appropriate trailer for a
one-time use, or else you would have already borrowed a trailer, and an
escort should greatly reduce the risk of some idiot trying to cut through
between the clearance lights.

Just my $0.02
Peter in FL