Landing Glider under Tow

Practice landings of a glider while still under tow. Knowing how to do this is useful if the tow rope release fails. Filmed at Hollister, CA on 9/5/2006, with various pilots at the controls.

Glider rides:
http://www.bayareagliderrides.com
Flight instruction:
http://www.soarhollister.com
FWIW: I have no commercial affiliation with either organization.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Glider
• Sailplane
• Landing
• Practice

[Strftw]

I've heard of this being done before, but... honestly, risking the very much needed tow plane to attempt a one in a billion failure seems a bit over the top... Does anyone know if this has ever occured? (not a purpose practice)

[kurtlimejello]

Don't know, but it it was an interesting exercise in learning how to control the glider while descending under tow--and not overrunning the tug. You don't normally get practice with that.

[gogge]

Nice! Our procedures is to cut the rope from the twoplane, if the normal release fails. How long runway did you use to stop?

[kurtlimejello]

I estimate that we used about 1400 feet for the full-stop.

FYI: Standard procedure here is to cut the rope from the towplane if normal release fails. The landing-under-tow exercise came about after a discussion about what would happen if the mechanism to cut the rope failed too.

[localhangar]

As a Tow Pilot & Glider pilot, this was the First time I've ever actually seen this done - Good Job guys and thanks for posting!!

[kurtlimejello]

I've heard that from everyone I've told about the exercise. :-)

I felt it looked harder to do than it actually was.

One note from my experience: particularly behind the Pawnee, you really need to make sure you don't drag his tail down when he gets into ground effect, and to follow him back up if he floats away from the runway.

[webkinzgirlzpower]

wow im SOOO SCARED OF UNDER TOWS THERES PEOPLE THAT DIED FROM UNDER TOWS

[truxibk]

it's standard training for towing here in austria.. advantage is that you can get the required number of tow-starts in a relatively short time, and also learn how to descent in tow.

also i wittnesed a release failure once when tow landing was nescesary. i persoanlly would always chose to land in tow, rather than to land with 60m rope on my glider.. imagine what happens if the rope gets stuck on a runway light or the like.. pilots should avoid just any risk they possibly could avoid ,-)

[0565zephirn]

superbe, rien a dire

[hadesbearer]

I spose it's good to practice but the chances of this particular failure happening are pretty slim. I'd go with breaking the weak link on the rope personally. Think about it your nice and high to start, if you don't manage to break it first time you can try again and if you get in any trouble trying it will break anyway!

[POOPCABOB]

I was allways taught in the event that neither aircraft can release...just break the rope. Very simple;pick up a little speed behind the towplane, then make a hard right turn.  If the rope you are using is of the right strength, it should break when you need it to.

[Rickenbacker69]

Nicely done. I've thought about this, but we never practice it here in Sweden, since it would involve at least two independent mechanisms failing, and is thus pretty unlikely. Still, can't hurt.

[keefer1234]

This isn't something we ever practice here in the UK. If I ever find myself in the USA again I'll have to have a go at this. I believe that they do it in Australia too? Mind you, most of our airfields are probably too short and you'd end up in a ditch.

[hubhubhurra]

Well, here in Germany I don´t know anybody who haven´t done this before. It is a regular part of your practical training while getting your pilot license....

By the way, for becoming a pilots instructor I´ve done 15 touch-and-goes with a glider in one flight...