EARNING YOUR TOW PILOT ADD-ON
Towing sailplanes is a unique flying experience. You rarely get to fly a high-performance tug (an aircraft towing a glider- generally a crop duster in a former life) while attached to another aircraft by a 200' rope. If you join the "tow pilots" ranks, you belong to a small group of pilots who have an "endorsement to aero tow gliders" signed off in their log books. Towing is challenging and requires precision flying skills. It is also great fun!
Getting your tow pilot training is a great bargain with lots of free-flying and training! It is not easy, and it is not for everyone. But if you have the skills and determination, you will be successful. Here is what you need to get started:
- Minimum 200 hours PIC in powered aircraft of any type, with 100 hours PIC in ASEL
- Minimum 25 hours PIC in single-engine tail wheel aircraft
- High-performance signoff (more than 200 HP)
- At least a Private Pilot, 3rd Class Medical, and flight review
Tow-pilot-only membership to WVSC is only $200 with $50 dues per year. You will get well over $1,000 in flying and training, including flight and ground training in gliders. New tow pilots must deposit $200.00, which is refundable after 100 tows.
Naturally, it is in our best interest (and responsibility) to have you become an excellent tow pilot. Our job is not to teach you to fly, but rather, it is to help you become competent and safe while you perform an often challenging role in a complex flying environment. Our standards are high. But you will become a more competent pilot if you qualify and tow gliders.
Want to get going? First, meet the minimum requirements above and join WVSC. Then, meet with one of our two pilot instructors (you can find them on our members' website). Download information on towing and our tow planes and study the information. You can take a short online study course on towing at SSA.com. They even give you an online test and program certificate. You may have to review all your flying skills.
You can expect to fly with one of our tow pilot instructors (CFI's) for several hours in a rented two-place conventional-gear aircraft and make several simulated tows under his supervision. You will also have at least three instructional flights in a glider with a CFI-Glider, so you know what everything looks like from the glider pilot's perspective. Expect several hours of ground instruction in gliders and tugs. Then, you will make at least ten takeoffs and landings in one of our tugs before you do an actual tow.
You will find that the sport of soaring is very labor-intensive. It takes several people to operate and launch gliders, so things often move slower than expected. Your training may take several days, and you must "push" it by setting up times to fly, calling your instructors, etc. You need to be proactive. Try to come out on Wednesdays or mornings when operations are typically slower. Demonstrate that you are interested in learning about soaring and towing. Plan to "hang" out at the glider port, make friends, and learn how to stage gliders and how to make the operation safe. We have many outstanding pilots and instructors in WVSC. Get to know them, fly with them, and learn all you can. Remember, we are a club dedicated to flying; we are not a "business." If you are willing to "put in," you will "get out" far more than you can imagine.
TOW PILOT CHECKOUT
A current Tow Pilot and CFI-G perform all training. An hour or two of the ground review covers aircraft systems, performance, emergencies, and towing parameters. Flight training is structured for the particular applicant; most tail-wheel pilot participants can demonstrate satisfactory competency in a couple of hours of dual instruction. Our initial Tow Pilot training and recurrency is accomplished using your airplane or a rental. The training is completed by doing a minimum of three actual tows in one of the Club tow planes with a CFIG flying the glider. Contact chief.tow-pilot@wvsc.org for more information.