Dedicated to soaring fun and safety, this manual is a compilation of aerotow procedures used in the USA. The information has been gathered through established towing methods and the author’s 30 years of experience as a towpilot. Burt Compton has flown more than 30 types of gliders on aerotow at more than 30 different soaring sites, including his own glider flight school. A wealth of knowledge to anyone preparing flight operation manuals or towing gliders. Black and white, approx. 45 pages, paperback.
Contents
2 The Gliding Mentor Series
3 Author's Notes
6 Aerotow Defined
7 Towplane Airworthiness
8 Towplane Preflight
9 Tow Rings
11 Towrope Maintenance
12 Towrope Length
12 Towrope Strength
14 Weak Links
14 Towrope Management
15 Dropping The Towrope
15 Flight Operations
16 Towpilot Aeromedical Considerations
16 The Towpilot-Glider Pilot Briefing
18 Towing Heavy Gliders
20 Before Takeoff
20 Takeoff With Glider In Tow
21 Departure Procedure
22 Release And Descent Procedures
23 Landing The Towplane With The Towrope Attached
23 Dropping The Towrope
23 Crosswind Operations
24 Go Arounds
24 After Landing
25 Aerotow Emergency Scenarios
26 Towpilot Recognition And Reaction To Kiting
28 Unanticipated Termination Of The Aerotow
30 Glider Towhook Release Failure
30 Glider And Towplane Release Failures
32 Cross-Country Aerotow
33 Aerotow Retrieves
33 Passengers In The Towplane
34 Federal Aviation Regulations Overview
36 Towplane Airworthiness & The FAR's
37 Excerpts From The Federal Aviation Regulations
40 Signals For Ground Operations
41 Airborne Aerotow Signals
42 SSA Soaring Flight Manual
42 End Of The Line: Glider Pilot Aerotow Manual
42 SSF Safety Videos
42 How To Contact Burt Compton
42 About The SSA
43 The Gliding . . . Made Easy! Book Series
BC About Burt Compton
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