May 6, 2023 – Thank you for visiting!
Brand new site uploaded today.
Please advise if you find anything wrong.
email: peter@birrendesign.com
phone: 606-340-0023

Welcome

Welcome to the Reel Pilots' Site. While the club was active from about 1985 to 2006, a lot of what was learned about towing, site openings, airshows and more is now contained in this site. If you have something to add or a suggestion for improvement, please feel free to contact me (email at bottom). Fly safe!

Are you new to hang gliding? Please visit THIS PAGE for a rather irreverand look at the sport.
(Page is not ideal for use with cell phones.)

Your webmaster static tow launching at the Cullom IL site.
Jumping off perfectly good ground just to get in the air.
Photo by Marzena Fryk.

Towing Hang Gliders

Flying hang gliders is a GAS! But when there are no mountains to jump off, inventive minds find another way, and that's to tow our gliders much like a kid pulls up a kite, except we use a car or truck on long country roads or airports. We'll also use motorized ultralights in other areas.

It is NOT something a beginner should attempt. The history of towing is full of stories of those who would buy a cheap, used glider and try on their own (and get majorly hurt), or even some highly experienced pilots getting injured (or worse) when they tried to tow without expert supervision. There is no need to go through the pain and agony of trial and error when tandem instruction is readily available. There are instructors all over the world who will be glad to show you how to fly SAFELY. To find an instructor in the USA, visit the USHPA website. If you're a pilot with Hang 2 or better skills, then getting into towing requires a little coaching and some patience on your part and for the weather and conditions to be right.

Click to see a video of tow launch at Bong Park, Wisconsin, from the pilot's POV.

Learning to Tow the Reel Pilots' Way

Our style of introducing pilots safely and successfully to static line towing is usually a 2-day process.

Our ideal introduction starts on Day 1 when you show up at a site without your glider. You'll learn all the elements, including the teamwork necessary for a good towing system: the hardware, vehicle use and driving, radio usage on the ground as well as hearing pilots in flight, weaklinks, towline and other equipment du jour. This may seem elementary but we've found it the best way to start.

On Day 2, with all the above in your head, you'll set up early in the morning for your first tow. It'll be a smooth, light wind day with no thermals or turbulence to interfere with that first tow. After several successful tows in calm conditions, you may be allowed to tow in increasingly turbulent conditions. Some pilots whose skill and ability is known to the "coaches" have been allowed to tow on Day 1, but that is not the norm.

We've seen some pilots have problems that could have lead to disaster. Others have done just fine. And there is no way for us to know beforehand who can do what. Therefore, your patience is required while we get to know you and your ability.

Launching from a dolly in Hawaii

• • • • •

Basic Parts Checklist for a Static Towing System

• Non-stretch bridle
• 2-way radios with charged batteries at launch, the glider and the tow vehicle
• Effective release that works in any attitude and trigger direction (Linknife is one type)
• Release activation able to be used quickly by either hand
• Hook knife readily available, fully accessible by either hand
• Parachute
• Calibrated line tension gauge in the driver's line of sight
• Tested and functional weaklink at the pilot, rated approximately 1G
• Enough towing power at the vehicle
• Towline in good condition (our min: 1000', normally 3000' of 3/16" hollow braided poly)
• Effective towline retrieval method
• Windsock(s)
• Observers / Helpers at launch
• Suitable site and permission to use it, for both launching and landing

See Don Hewett's Skyting Criteria to learn many of the "why"s of this and all towing systems.

NEXT PAGES:
Parts of the system
Bridle info
Driver info
Towing criteria
Linknife Static Tow

DISCLAIMER: As with all aviation endeavors, your choice and use of equipment is totally up to you. It is assumed you are an experienced HG or PG tow pilot who is intimately familiar with the style of towing you will be doing. As such, YOU ASSUME ALL RISK AND LIABILITY in the use of the Linknife, as well as all other parts, functions and personnel involved in the towing and flight operations. If you do not have experience in towing, please contact an instructor for expert training. Trying to learn on your own can, and probably will, result in your injury and even death. Many pilots have paid the ultimate price so we may now tow as safely as never before possible. Please learn from their lessons.