Aerotow by hand...

[Wally]

Hi everybody,

I saw these videos on YouTube...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCerZcIVlOk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRTa8z76OQ0

Imagine that you're flying in the vicinity of an airfield and you're quite low on altitude. But you just don't want to land and continue flying, this might be an option if you don't have a sustainer or self launcher "Can you send me a retow?" Imagine this incorporated into the sim (aerial refuel? or retow…)

Have a nice day!

Roy

[MrHerisson]

Apparently, you need strong hands!!

[EDB]

Extremely dangerous.

I ones saw a tow go wrong where the cable tangled around the wing and got stuck between the wing and the aileron resulting in blocking aileron control. Only by brute force (severely damaging the left aileron) the pilot could regain control and land at the last moment.

With his hand outside the cockpit he hasn't got quick spoiler control...

Don't do this..!

[Wally]

There is no standard procedure for something like this, that's true. Also mentioned in the video that the experiment has been considered closed due to obvious reasons. So many things can go wrong ofcoarse.

Sometimes new ideas are born and just need someone to prove the concept (in a safe, controlled manner). New technologies are sometimes born this way and need a bit of extra research and development to make it commercially available. Not that i'm saying this would be the future of gliding, because obviously... But I liked the video of this stunt anyway because you can discuss about safety and technical solutions to make the concept better (although it might never be implemented)

Other different stunts with gliders which were also dangerous to perform: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zok7LltWU0E or a bit like the blanik boogie stylish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddLMFf3L4Q4

have a nice day!

Roy