In article ,
says...

The bottom line for contest organizers is allowing MGs into their
contests increase or decrease the number of competitors.

For the Ephrata (Region 8), allowing motorgliders to self-launch has
additional value beyond just another glider in field. It means they
can do all the contest towing with "local" towplanes, instead of
having to contract with a towplane from somewhere else. This reduces
costs and makes planning easier.

I will
continue to enter only those contests that allow me to use my MG to
its fullest capability.

For me, it's the additional cost: I've already paid for my "towplane",
so I'm inclined to use it rather than pay for contest tows. Frankly,
taking tows at a contest is easier and advantageous, compared to self-
launching. The main reason for this is I and the glider are
immediately ready to soar after releasing, whereas with a self-launch,
I must stop the engine, partially retract the propeller, then spend 3
to 5 minutes thermalling this way while the engine bay cools before I
can fully retract it. The procedure is distracting and inefficient
compared to simply releasing from tow.

This isn't a complaint: it's an observation. Also, I follow the
towplane route, and do not wander around looking for a thermal.
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Eric Greenwell
Richland, WA (USA)