by Henryk Kobylanski and Neil Spencer –
Aerotowing is the process of using a powered aircraft to tow a sailplane into the air. As with the full size, aero modelers also use the same system to launch their scale sailplanes and release them at heights that allow thermal flight when conditions are right.
Over the past 10 years aerotowing has been growing in popularity in the scale soaring community due to the following factors:
- It is usually safer for maiden flights than the slope and is generally less hazardous for the models when landing
- It generally allows for less traveling time as most model airfields can be utilized
- Less weather dependence compared to slope flying
- When organized correctly, more people can be flying at the same time than on a slope
With this growth in popularity, there also comes the inevitable need for better management of aerotowing events. In this article, we try and cover the main areas that influence an aerotow event and in doing so hopefully make it a fun and safe affair.
If anyone has comments or suggestions for additions to this article, feel free to email us here
Basic Requirements
Club affiliation and insurance
With
