Avgas shortage, so much for gliders being immune

[mzaharis]

How about ground launching by towing with a car? Ive heard of that being used in Europe also but never seen it here. Anyone done it before?

I remember seeing Karl Striedieck being launched by Jeep tow before that world record setting out-and-back Appalachian ridge run he did back in the late '70s/early 80's. There was a picture of the launch in National Geographic, if you can find the issue.


EDIT: Here's a scan:

http://home.comcast.net/~johan.larson/soaring/thousand-mile-glide.html

 

[MJG]

Thanks for the link, love reading about these attempts.

 

[NuGuy]

Heyas,

FWIW, you can buy 100LL AVGAS from the Exxon station out in Weston in South Florida. It comes right out of a normal pump like the regular unleaded.

When I asked about it, it turns out that there are more than enough airboats (which use AC engines) to justify it.

The numbers on the Pawnee are just about right. About 15 tows per tank, and the thing pulls a ton. Ours had been refurbed, and never used as a spray plane since. Without all the spray gear, there was enough room for a retractable tow rope, which is the bees knees.

I think the local club, which ran a Supercub, was charging $12 for a 2000' tow, but you had to be a member. I forget what we charged, but the time between a 2000' and a 3000' tow in the Pawnee was not significant.

I loved the Pawnee. Lazy days flying tow, napping under the wing, and catching 1 hour Blanik flights at the peak of the thermals are some of my favorite GA memories.

Nu

 

[Goose Egg]

When I asked about it, it turns out that there are more than enough airboats (which use AC engines) to justify it.

I thought that engine looked familiar!!

-Goose

 

[tuna pimp]

They are very popular in Europe, and I think that's because AVGAS is so expensive over there. I've never seen one here in North America either, but I'm a big fan of them. I think a good winch could get you up to 2000', although I'd have to do a little more research. Maybe someone could invent a super winch that gets up to like 4000'. That would be sweet! But by then I bet the cable would be so heavy that it would be impractical. I think the thing is they need to find a lighter material for the cable to allow higher winch launches. Right now I think that the winch has to be right by some decent "house" lift in order to be really usable. Pretty much all my soaring experience is in the powered launch category.

Anyway, it's a thought for the future. I don't really ever see myself flying piston airplanes as a hobby, but soaring, on the other hand, is something that I'd like to see prosper. I guess I just feel that we need to break our addiction to the tow plane in order to do it.

-Goose

There was something in 'Soaring' magazine about a year or year and a half ago about some of the new winches. As I recall launches over 3000' is possible i think because they use some sort of different type of cable that doesn't break as much and the winches can sense when to speed up and slow down automatically (but don't quote me on that).

The purchase price of these new super winches is really high though, especially for your typical US based club operating 1-26's on a shoe string budget. Guess those Euro clubs that can afford new Schleichers are in better shape to buy these high end winches.

 

[Goose Egg]

There was something in 'Soaring' magazine about a year or year and a half ago about some of the new winches.

I think I saw the same article.

-Goose