Tow Rope Freindly Fences

Tow rope friendly fences

We have a fence at the end of our runway that keeps our neighbors (Riding
School) horses out of the airfield. Occasionally the tow plane pilot snags
the fence with the rope, which winds round at least one, and sometimes more
strands of barbed wire- resulting in a broken rope and fence and a nervous
pilot.

After some discussion at the club the following fence has been mooted -
Wire strands supporting small aperture mesh sized to exclude the passage of
the ring on the end of the rope. (Chicken wire) tightly tensioned with a
split plastic pipe over the top - the whole aligned at 45 degrees. The idea
being that the plastic pipe will prevent the fence damaging the rope while
it is passing over it, and the mesh will prevent the rope from turning round
any strand.


Anyone solved a similar problem ? If so please let us have details


John Spargo

Cape Gliding Club

Buy a tow rope winch! Good for the safety.

Robert

John Spargo wrote:
Tow rope friendly fences

We have a fence at the end of our runway that keeps our neighbors (Riding
School) horses out of the airfield. Occasionally the tow plane pilot snags
the fence with the rope, which winds round at least one, and sometimes more
strands of barbed wire- resulting in a broken rope and fence and a nervous
pilot.

After some discussion at the club the following fence has been mooted -
Wire strands supporting small aperture mesh sized to exclude the passage of
the ring on the end of the rope. (Chicken wire) tightly tensioned with a
split plastic pipe over the top - the whole aligned at 45 degrees. The idea
being that the plastic pipe will prevent the fence damaging the rope while
it is passing over it, and the mesh will prevent the rope from turning round
any strand.


Anyone solved a similar problem ? If so please let us have details


John Spargo

Cape Gliding Club

We have been known to have the tow pilots tie the broken weak link around
their necks.

John,

Robert's suggestion of a winch is the best solution assuming you don't have
certification problems and the tug is physically capable of having one
fitted.

Failing that, how about putting a prominant marker about one and a half
ropes' length into the runway and having your tow pilots land beyond that?
That should allow enough length to allow for the rope to dangle and still
clear the fence.

I think your fence design underestimates the effect of a pair of metal rings
travelling at 60-70 knots. I've seen chunks of hedges ripped out by tow
ropes and I doubt if any wire fence (however well designed) would withstand
repeated attacks by the tow rope, let alone the lethal effect on any horses
that may be nearby. Avoiding hitting the fence altogether could be a much
better way of keeping good relations with your neigh-bours ('scuse the pun -
couldn't resist it!).

David Starer


"John Spargo" wrote in message
...
Tow rope friendly fences

We have a fence at the end of our runway that keeps our neighbors (Riding
School) horses out of the airfield. Occasionally the tow plane pilot snags
the fence with the rope, which winds round at least one, and sometimes
more
strands of barbed wire- resulting in a broken rope and fence and a nervous
pilot.

After some discussion at the club the following fence has been mooted -
Wire strands supporting small aperture mesh sized to exclude the passage
of
the ring on the end of the rope. (Chicken wire) tightly tensioned with a
split plastic pipe over the top - the whole aligned at 45 degrees. The
idea
being that the plastic pipe will prevent the fence damaging the rope while
it is passing over it, and the mesh will prevent the rope from turning
round
any strand.


Anyone solved a similar problem ? If so please let us have details


John Spargo

Cape Gliding Club

fly higher approaches.. estimate a touch down point and descent rate to that
point that clears the rope over the fence.. and do not land early..

hate to be a horse along that fence.. checking out the new gizmo.. when the
rope comes along..

BT

"John Spargo" wrote in message
...
Tow rope friendly fences

We have a fence at the end of our runway that keeps our neighbors (Riding
School) horses out of the airfield. Occasionally the tow plane pilot snags
the fence with the rope, which winds round at least one, and sometimes
more
strands of barbed wire- resulting in a broken rope and fence and a nervous
pilot.

After some discussion at the club the following fence has been mooted -
Wire strands supporting small aperture mesh sized to exclude the passage
of
the ring on the end of the rope. (Chicken wire) tightly tensioned with a
split plastic pipe over the top - the whole aligned at 45 degrees. The
idea
being that the plastic pipe will prevent the fence damaging the rope while
it is passing over it, and the mesh will prevent the rope from turning
round
any strand.


Anyone solved a similar problem ? If so please let us have details


John Spargo

Cape Gliding Club

didn't they have a similar problem at the Vacaville glider operation?
wasn't it called the 'Nut Tree rope trick'?

Ken

John Spargo wrote:
Tow rope friendly fences

We have a fence at the end of our runway that keeps our neighbors (Riding
School) horses out of the airfield. Occasionally the tow plane pilot snags
the fence with the rope, which winds round at least one, and sometimes more
strands of barbed wire- resulting in a broken rope and fence and a nervous
pilot.

After some discussion at the club the following fence has been mooted -
Wire strands supporting small aperture mesh sized to exclude the passage of
the ring on the end of the rope. (Chicken wire) tightly tensioned with a
split plastic pipe over the top - the whole aligned at 45 degrees. The idea
being that the plastic pipe will prevent the fence damaging the rope while
it is passing over it, and the mesh will prevent the rope from turning round
any strand.


Anyone solved a similar problem ? If so please let us have details


John Spargo

Cape Gliding Club

In article , John Spargo
writes
Tow rope friendly fences

We have a fence at the end of our runway that keeps our neighbors (Riding
School) horses out of the airfield. Occasionally the tow plane pilot snags
the fence with the rope, which winds round at least one, and sometimes more
strands of barbed wire- resulting in a broken rope and fence and a nervous
pilot.

After some discussion at the club the following fence has been mooted -
Wire strands supporting small aperture mesh sized to exclude the passage of
the ring on the end of the rope. (Chicken wire) tightly tensioned with a
split plastic pipe over the top - the whole aligned at 45 degrees. The idea
being that the plastic pipe will prevent the fence damaging the rope while
it is passing over it, and the mesh will prevent the rope from turning round
any strand.


Anyone solved a similar problem ? If so please let us have details


John Spargo

Cape Gliding Club


At two sites I know of the SOP is for the tuggies to overfly the
downwind end of the field, drop the rope near the launch point, do a
smart 180 and land.

--
Mike Lindsay

"John Spargo" wrote in message
...
Tow rope friendly fences


You really need to avoid hitting them to begin with. Consider building an
approach slope indicator, you can construct one out of plywood and some
paint. See the AIM 2-1-2 (e)

Ivan

most ropes are 200ft or so.. so even 100yrds farther down should clear the
fence..

BT

"Tom Seim" wrote in message
om...
Correct me if I'm wrong (as if you won't!), but you can avoid the
whole problem by having the tow pilots land a little farther down the
runway (a couple of hundred yards will do). Hasn't this ocurred to you
before?