On 6 Jan 2004 20:01:17 -0700, (Mark James Boyd)
wrote:

OK, be prepared for me to completely change my tune. Are you guys
telling me the manual says that if it has only a CG hook, you can
aerotow with it, but if both hooks are present, the manual
prohibits aerotow on the CG hook for the ASW-27? And the
W&B limits and CG hook locations are identical for both
gliders?

Exactly.
The early 27's (as well as 24's, and probably all other glides that
are currently being produced in Germany) were only equipped with a CG
hook.
We retro-fitted one of our two DG-300's with a nose hook in order to
make it flyable for student pilots again who had been flying it safely
in aerotow the year before, but suddenly were forbidden to aerotow it
due to the new rules that demanded a nose hook for student pilots.


Sounds like removing the nose hook just to "legally" aerotow
off the CG hook is a ridiculous paper shuffle hassle...

More or less. If the nose hook was installed when the ship was
delivered, it must stay installed (yet some pilots seem to have found
an agreement with their inspector to remove the nose hook).

And yes, I did read the reasons why one might want to remove it.
Hmmm...so much for the manual, eh?

More or less.
The fact is undisputed that the nose hook indeed makes aerotows a
little easier and safer, therefore a nose hook definitely is an
improvement... but this does not mean that a CG hook per se is unsafe.

Bye
Andreas