Boat Towing in Texas!!

ChuckPyle · Post by **ChuckPyle** » Mon May 23, 2005 11:09 am

Wa-hoo!!! Finally got back in the air -- in the most unlikely way. Got a
tow from a boat on Lake Conroe, Tx (my back yard). Gregg Ludwig has a very
impressive tow system with LOTS of line. With the entire lake as a "runway"
it's more like aerotowing than truck towing. Connect a couple of pontoons
where the outrigger style wheels normally go; attach a boom and float to the
keel and voila -- you have an almost unlimited landing field in the form of
the lake!! Two long tows -- 1500 - 2000 ft altitude -- followed by two
extended sleds equals a bit more than 1.5 hrs airtime. Landing like a float
plane on those pontoons was unexpectedly easy -- and FUN!! Gregg provides
cocoon harness (with floatation) and helmet so I didn't have to baptize my
gear. I'd forgotten how sweet the Falcon flies .. on tow, virtually no bar
pressure .. off tow easy flat turns with surprisingly little flight
degradation resulting from the various floatation appendages. This is the
first time I've flown it since getting the Ultrasport. Hard to express how
good it felt to finally fly again. Kinda 'splains this feeling of intense
jealousy I get when I read of all of your flight experiences.
Chuck Pyle

Post by **Matthew** » Mon May 23, 2005 11:25 am

Hi Chuck,

BIG BIG CONGRATS!

Matthew

Post by **brianvh** » Mon May 23, 2005 11:31 am

I used to camp on lake Conroe as a boy scout. Beautiful location : now we
get to be jealous of you!

Brian Vant-Hull
301-646-1149

On Mon, 23 May 2005, Chuck Pyle wrote:

>
> Wa-hoo!!! Finally got back in the air -- in the most unlikely way. Got a
> tow from a boat on Lake Conroe, Tx (my back yard). Gregg Ludwig has a very
> impressive tow system with LOTS of line. With the entire lake as a "runway"
> it's more like aerotowing than truck towing. Connect a couple of pontoons
> where the outrigger style wheels normally go; attach a boom and float to the
> keel and voila -- you have an almost unlimited landing field in the form of
> the lake!! Two long tows -- 1500 - 2000 ft altitude -- followed by two
> extended sleds equals a bit more than 1.5 hrs airtime. Landing like a float
> plane on those pontoons was unexpectedly easy -- and FUN!! Gregg provides
> cocoon harness (with floatation) and helmet so I didn't have to baptize my
> gear. I'd forgotten how sweet the Falcon flies .. on tow, virtually no bar
> pressure .. off tow easy flat turns with surprisingly little flight
> degradation resulting from the various floatation appendages. This is the
> first time I've flown it since getting the Ultrasport. Hard to express how
> good it felt to finally fly again. Kinda 'splains this feeling of intense
> jealousy I get when I read of all of your flight experiences.
> Chuck Pyle
>
>
>
>

Scott · Post by **Scott** » Mon May 23, 2005 3:35 pm

I wanna do it! I wanna do it!

(I'll have to talk Steve Wendt into getting a boat and extend towing operations to Lake Anna, VA...)

Scott

Post by **silverwings** » Mon May 23, 2005 6:09 pm

Chuck, great to hear that you got flying again. Hoping to go to Hyner View for Memorial Day and I remember when you went there for the first time.