Ground Launch Clinic, Day 1

WEATHER
Wind:           Calm
Altitudes:     Max 650'
Time Aloft:  Couple of minutes
Temperature: 81° high
Comment:      Auto Tow day.
Tow vehicle 'pilot':    Various

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Today was day one of the auto-tow clinic.  It started out with ground school on how to do it right and safely.  Break for lunch, with the tow vehicle going to the Gliderport to take get a rusted, locking hitch pin out, then fly in the afternoon.

 

Instructors Dan Gudgel and Kevin Shaw guided us all.  Kevin spent most of the afternoon in the tow vehicle coaching drivers, and Dan spent the afternoon in the back seat of 22S.

Students were Kyle Hyde, Zach Yamouchi, Eric Rinnell, Quinn Marsh, and Jim Rickey.

Alex Caldwell came out to watch and comment on the operation, it sure was good to see him!  Aleks Radco also flew out in his motorglider and watched for a while.

Launch sequence A (not the first launch):

The glider was always off the ground very quickly.

waiting for speed to increase before pitching up.

Pitch up to start the climb.  A surprising amount of rope is still dragging the ground.

Still a little bit of rope dragging the ground.

Getting towrd maximum climb angle.

Launch sequence B (not the second or last launch)

Note the small white tanks in the background, and how little apparent horizontal motion of the glider there is in relation to them.

A comment I have when I flew:  We always strated with somebody holding the tail down, to keep it from slamming down hard due to the pull down low and the CG up higher.  We started out with full forward stick, as instructed.  even with full forward stick, I could not prevent the glider from climbing until airspeed was enough that the elevator could overcome the pitching up force from the rope.

One more interesting note, when I was down at the launch end of the runway, the LONGEST ground roll I saw was under 100' before 22S was airborne.

Fun Day!