Jim Logajan wrote:
"Larry Goddard" wrote:
In looking at a video shot earlier in the day of a glider launch, it
appeared to me that the pawnee was not climbing very well...
Creswell elevation is only 540 feet. And the temperature only got up
to the low 70's that day.
http://www.kval.com/news/local/54613062.html

Yes - the climb angle does appear low - at least compared to last year
when we launched off an 1890 foot grass airstrip (OG48) with the same
tow plane and glider (but different tow pilot.) The asphalt airfield
(77S) you see in that video is 3100 feet.

I need to correct myself: the tow plane that crashed is _not_ the same one
that was used to tow the glider last year. The tow plane that I flew behind
last year was a Lycoming O-540 (235 HP) powered Pawnee. The tow plane in
the video is a Lycoming O-320 (160 HP) powered Pawnee. That is why the
takeoff looked "anemic" to me. My perception was colored by only seeing
tows behind the higher powered Pawnee. The takeoff in the video is normal
for that Pawnee.

Since I never got around to seeing any of the takeoffs at the new runway,
and because I recalled Scott telling me last fall that he was interested in
possibly buying the 235 HP Pawnee, I incorrectly assumed that he had bought
that one. Obviously I hadn't kept up to date.