"Paul Remde" wrote:
I think it is very difficult to come to any conclusions about the
climb rate from looking at the video. I have towed behind many
towpilots that fly low (perhaps in ground effect) while gaining a bit
of excess airspeed and then eventually starting their climb. From the
video it is tough to tell whether that is what is happening or not.
They may have started climbing nicely a few seconds later... but we
don't know.

Agreed. My recollection is that we used much steeper climbouts from the
grass airstrip - probably because the shorter strip sort of demanded it.
But since I had not gotten around to resuming glider lessons this year at
the new field I can't offer any first-hand comparisons. :-(