"Just Get the Wings Level"

When I try to teach aero-tow to students, I spend most of the time telling them to get the wings level. Most of the time they over control and try too quickly to get aligned. This results in going back and forth behind the towplane.

Most of the time, the student overshoots. I find it easier to teach them just to level off and get in control of the glider, even if that means you are out of position. Once their brain has caught up to where we are behind the towplane, then work on slowly moving back into position. How far out of position did you really get?

Let's say you have a 200ft rope and are out of position; let's say the towplane is 20 degrees off the nose. Which is not unheard of among students, but it is far out of position. That should put you less than 70 feet out of position; there is slack, a shorter rope, etc. But let's go with that for now. If you have to move the glider back over 70 feet, you would not use a 45-degree bank angle to realign. Imagine being 70ft off center-line of the runway, it would probably be a pretty subtle bank angle to move back over to align with the runway. Probably not much more than a 10-degree bank angle, if that. Use that thought when you are out of position behind the towplane.

However, when the student is behind the towplane, they want to use a huge bank angle to move as quickly as possible to get realigned with the towplane. This generally results in overshooting and the start of the oscillation back and forth behind the towplane. So, back to my saying, "Just get the wings level." Now that we are not oscillating back and forth, we can make a controlled input and head back into position.

This is best not done by diving back into position if you are high. Unless, of course, you want slack in the rope. I prefer a slip; you can see the rope, and I do not have to move my knee out of the way for the spoilers. In most cases, this works fine in a glass-ship. However, rotor or XC aerotow slip might not be enough, and spoilers are required.

Another issue is where to look. Imagine looking through a toilet paper roll with one eye closed, staring at the towplane. That is the problem with "Just get the wings level." You have to look around to see what level it is. Looking at the horizon is crucial at this point. Looking beyond the towplane at the horizon, looking at your wingtips to make sure they are where they are supposed to be. It is hard to determine if the wings are level if you never turn your head.

I have been working with a few CFI applicants lately, and without a lot of back-seat experience, it is hard to get used to looking around the front passenger without slowly progressing into a slip. After a while, you get used to seeing a wingtip protruding out of someone's head or being able to lean to the side without giving any control input.

Look around and remember you are in a separate aircraft, so that requires paying attention to your attitude and not staring at the towplane.

Banner photo by Sean Franke

 Garret Willat holds a flight instructor rating with over 8000 hours in sailplanes. His parents have owned Sky Sailing Inc. since 1979. He started instructing the day after his 18th birthday. Since then, Garret has represented the US Junior team in 2003 and 2005. He graduated from Embry-Riddle with a bachelor's degree in Professional Aeronautics. Garret represented the US Open Class team in 2008 and 2010 and the Club Class team in 2014. Garret has won 3 US National Championships.