A good bit of my flying has been as a tug pilot for a couple different glider clubs. As I'm in the US, I can't comment on what it takes in the UK, but some others already have. I do have some commentary on towing gliders in general.
I view towing as proficiency flying with a mission. Rather than boring holes around the pattern, the mission of launching gliders both sharpens the skills and makes you feel like you are doing something. You have to consider bringing them to good lift, keeping an eye out for traffic, keeping good situational awareness of the glider traffic already up or in the pattern, and of course the landings.
Originally Posted by ProfChrisReed
1. You will have some idea what is happening at the other end of the rope. Most glider pilots I know have no power experience, so at least one of you should have some idea what's going on.
Absolutely true that a glider pilot makes a better tow pilot all else being equal. We have had some non-glider tow pilots that were not so good. We have also had some glider rated tow pilots that didn't seem to get what was important even though they had the rating. Some, like myself, got into soaring as a result of towing first. It's like most things in aviation, you don't have to go into it knowing everything. It's best if you go into it realizing you don't know everything. But you do have to go into it with the right attitude, willing and interested to learn. You have to make a couple of mistakes along the way and learn from them.
Originally Posted by ProfChrisReed
3. Tugging is potentially quite dangerous for the tug pilot....
4. On the other hand, the tug pilot also needs balls of steel or the female equivalent....
There is some danger, accident reports bear this out. Most of your exposure is while you are low, because then you have the least amount of time/options on what to do. I find not many people get so out of shape on the end of the rope that I feel in danger. I am more worried about a midair on a busy day than somebody pulling me into the ground due to sheer incompetence. I don't know about the balls of steel, I certaintly don't qualify, especially as I sail headlong into middle age.
Originally Posted by squawking 7700
In addition to what's been said above, it's bloody hard work, I've got a foot in both camps (three if you count some earlier parachute experience) but I'm
not that keen or needing the hours for tugging and if you've seen the state of some tug pilots after doing 35+ launches in summer you'd know why......
they virtually fall out of the cockpit at the end of the day.
There is truth in this. In my old club, we were on the whole day. First ones there, last ones to leave. It was a lot better if there was another tug pilot to take an hour late in the afternoon, that break meant a lot. Since I've moved, my new club has 4 hour shifts. Much more fun, much safer. Too much of a good thing sometimes spoils the fun.
Originally Posted by G-EMMA
The picture I get is that if you join a gliding club, learn to fly a glider for the enjoyment of it, do a tail dragger conversion after your PPL, get your hours up on the PPL and do some training specifically for glider towing then you wouldn't be in a bad position to fly the tug for your gliding club a little way down the line. It isn't a walk in job from what I have found out and you would have to want to become part of the gliding scene to make it all worth it.
G-EMMA, you have got it. This is the way to do it. I would not recommend towing just as a way to build hours. It's another way to do some enjoyable flying, to improve some of your skills, and to be part of a social flying group. This is why I tow. It's good.
Originally Posted by IFollowRailways
My personal favorite is still the Pawnee.
The pawnee is a sweetheart of an airplane. Strong, climbs well, very forgiving both in manuvering and landing.
There are some downsides to towing, if that's all the flying you tend to do. My straight & level flying went unexercised for about 7 years. I'm getting a handle on that again. Not much cross country as a tow pilot. In several hundred hours of towing most of it has been within 2-3 miles of the field. I've done three off-site aero retrieves in about 14 years.
Ultimately, it's fun. One of the best jobs you can have at a glider club.
-- IFMU