Double towing?
 

A question asked in another place:

"Is there a particular name or term for the practice of towing two or more gliders behind a single tug, using seperate tow cables?"

I have to say my initial though that that it was such a hazardous practice that we shouldn't allow it a name! Anyway, does anyone know if it currently has a specific name? The original questioner was thinking solely of sporting gliders, not multiple tow arrangements for military gliders.

TIA,

PDR

I've never heard of a specific name for it.

I've seen double/dual tows a few times at airshows; used to be a good German team who flew a pair of Lo 100s, starting with a double tow and winding up with an extremely low formation inverted pass.

And then there are these:

I’ve mostly heard them described as “dual” tows, although with a powerful enough tug and a long enough runway you can add quite a few more gliders until it becomes unwieldy. I think the record is around 7?

As far as the dual tows themselves, I’ve done a fair few, mostly when positioning gliders long distance or doing high tows into wave.

Full Wings the first YouTu be clip shows 9 gliders being towed aloft. It looks amazing as they all stream behind each other.

Used to be called 'dual tows'. Was done regularly at RAFGSA clubs in the 1960's behind Auster & Chipmunk tugs (not exactly overpowered) mostly for aerotow retrieving in the days when there were rather more straight line distance flights, or taking two gliders 50-100km into wind to do 300 km downwind before hitting the coastline. I haven't done one since 1972, but it was very trouble free then.

Farnborough Airshow 1974 featured a triple tow using a Wilga as the towplane; I think the gliders were a Jantar and a Cobra plus one other.(was going to say Ogar but that''s an SLMG which was in the same display.)

I remember watching the video of the 9 Blanik tow.

You will notice the wing runners most expeditiously getting out of the way of the gliders behind:p

I did some dual towing out of Husbands Bosworth in 1998, testing winglets (one glider with them, the other without) - seemed like a cheap way of getting both gliders to a decent height at the same time and place.

The first couple worked OK, but on the third the glider on the short rope dropped a wing and ground looped in front of me. I managed to avoid it, only just though. So, not without hazard.

I might add the the ground loop was made more likely by the length of H-B's grass. They never seem to keep it short, but it was particularly long that day.

OG

I did one a few years ago on an average winter day. Pawnee with 2x K13's.

Was fine. Not for the faint hearted or those of marginal aerotow currency. But not dangerous.

Generally there are two ropes - short and long to allow proper separation. If I remember rightly the short rope sits in normal tow, the long rope in Low Tow.

Quite fancy doing it again actually, might moot the idea next weekend.

Indeed there was: 'The Synchron Flyers'. I towed them from Lasham into Farnborough 1990. They were superb. Not sure if they're still displaying?:D

Thanks for the info, chaps. I'll pass it on.

Much appreciated,

PDR

I always thought it was called a "Dual Tow". You have two cables of different lengths. The deal was that the more experienced would, more often than not, be on the longer rope and fly in the low tow position. The other would fly in the normal, high tow position. On the ground run you treated the wingtip as the tug and only once the tug was well airborne did you assume your correct lateral position. We used to move the club gliders (K18's & K13's) from Dunstable to Shobdon for our annual wave expedition using this method. The tug? typically a 150 Super Cub but we also used a Chippy. In hindsight probably marginal but it beat driving.

PM

Double-tow formation flew in pairs of pairs (two tugs and four gliders)

C-47 Skytrains (Dakotas) towing Waco CG-4 gliders

The 'Synchron Flyers' at Farnborough nearly didn't! Some members of the Flying Control Committee were opposed to having 'gliders' in the show thinking there would be no control over where they landed; they would block the runway for ages etc.
In fact they happily operated onto the 'LALA' (Light Aircraft Landing Area) next to the 'old' control tower.
Unfortunately this is now obstructed by an anemometer mast and hence no longer available.
They then normally did a 'dual tow' to return to Lasham although I seem to remember on one day they were put into trailers for the return.