Aero Towing Update

[Paul Tjaden]

Well.....tonight, I believe that I was the "dope on the rope" only I was at the front end. I asked Peter Kane from Richmond to be my second victim and he stupidly agreed. A decision was made to once again use the "Falcon on wheels" that Rhett had flown the previous night. I assumed that Peter would use a V bridle to keep the bar pressure light but when I went out to hook on he said he wanted to use a pro tow bridle and that he felt confident that bar pressure would not be an issue. I decided to go ahead but was inwardly concerned that I needed to really keep the speed slow so as not to risk forcing Peter too high above me at low altitude on initial launch. Because of this, I hauled the tug off the ground before it was really ready to fly and I got behind the power curve. I heard the prop stall and felt the plane wallow as I clawed a few feet skyward. Lowering the nose a bit, I was able to get the wing flying again but the huge trees at the south end of the runway were fast approaching and I appeared to be just about level with their tops. I judged that Peter still had room to land straight ahead so I gave him the rope and then easily climbed out while watching Peter, indeed, stop well short of the trees.
I discussed my screw up with Jim Prahl although I already knew what I had done wrong. Peter was really growing some big ones and said he'd try it again so I hooked on, let the plane fly when it was ready, got nice positive rate of climb and completed an uneventful tow. Peter said that bar pressure was fine so I hadn't needed to try so hard to keep the speed low.
Bottom line, no bent metal, no broken bones so I was very lucky to get a cheap lesson that should stick with me a long time. Thanks again to Peter for being such a good sport.

Paul

[mcelrah]

Thanks for sharing the lesson-learned - I prefer to stand on the shoulders of giants than to learn by the Braille method... - Hugh

[Danny Brotto]

Hmm, Falcon pressures okay w/ protow? I've always wondered that... need to try that sometime.

Thanks for the insight and glad the treeline didn't claim you.

Danny Brotto

[Flying Lobster]

I've pro-towed a falcon. Mixed results. If the plane goes slow enough and you don't mind muscling the basetube in it can be done. I've also rocketed straight up into the air off the cart totally unable to keep the pitch forces down and blown the weaklink on the other end of a turbo'd d'fly.

marc

[Paul Tjaden]

The Falcon was quite small (a 170) for Peter and was extra heavy due to the permanently affixed, tandem type landing gear. That may have had some bearing on why Peter could deal with the bar pressure.

Paul

[jimrooney]

Glad you're ok Paul.
There's a saying with tug pilots... the first 500ft are MINE. Please please please do not change the way you fly the first 500ft for anything (or anyone). You will be asked many times to do so, always with good intentions. Don't do it. If they can't hang (and they can, even if they don't realize it), then that's their problem, not yours.

Protowing Falcons. I find it to be a technique thing, and not a flying technique thing (though there is a good bit of that too), but a body position technique. It has to do with using major muscle groups and leverage to your advantage. Keeping yourself in good position is essential as well because if you blow that, no body position will help. Anyway, it's not horrible unless you're doing pushups on the bar (if you raise your shoulders, you're done for).

Jim

[Paul Tjaden]

Thanks, Jim

Good advice that I already got from Rhett.

Paul

[heaviek]

If you are used to protowing, then it is not bad on any glider. The bar pressure is much easier to compensate for if control and placement is second nature. Its even easier on the newer falcons. If your arms aren't long enough, just ball up

Kev