What is a tow plane?
Definition of towplane : an airplane that tows gliders.
How long can a glider plane fly?
Gliders can remain flying as long as there is lift available. Using thermals, this is about 8 hours. By using prevailing winds blowing up a slope, a glider can be flown for as long as the wind is blowing.
How fast can gliders fly?
Amazingly, gliders. The non-powered planes can, in skilled hands, whip up a speed of over 300 mph from a relatively slow wind. That’s a velocity of around 8x the speed of the air driving it. It’s called Dynamic Soaring, or DS, and it requires some specific land and weather […]
How much does a glider plane cost?
New, factory-built sailplanes may cost $50,000 to over $300,000 or more depending on performance, construction, and equipment.
Can an airplane tow a glider?
If there is an STC for installation of a tow hitch for the airplane, it can probably tow gliders. For a private pilot trained in contemporary spam cans, getting to fly an interesting tailwheel airplane with lots of power, even without getting paid for it, is a pretty good thing.
How do gliders obtain altitude?
Tow planes are the most common way that a glider obtains altitude. [Figure 12-1] Winch or automobile tows are being used less and less as they require more crew, are more difficult to set up, and the altitude gain for the glider is just a fraction of what a tow plane can offer.
Do you need a tailwheel endorsement to tow a glider?
A pilot has to have at least a private ticket, a hundred hours of flying time, receive a checkout and get an endorsement for glider towing. Most tow planes have tailwheels, requiring a tailwheel endorsement, and many have enough power to require a high-performance endorsement.
Where can I find a good book on glider tow?
Burt Compton, of the Soaring Society of America and one of the sharpest guys in the soaring world, has published a very good handbook on glider tow that can be purchased — along with other manuals on soaring — at his Web site. Some truly fascinating airplanes have been pressed into service to tow gliders.