Originally published in magazine of the BMAA - Microlight Flyer Jan/Feb 2005

We've probably all seen sailplanes being tugged skyward by powerful ex-crop spraying aircraft such as the Piper Pawnee, but I'm sure that only a few have witnessed a microlight in the role of tug. With RMH's recent exploits involving aerotowing I thought the time was right for a brief overview of the microlight's role as tug, both in the UK and the rest of the world. For those who'd like to explore becoming a tug pilot themselves I've also included a list of contacts that will be able to help you.

In the majority of cases microlights are not used to tow conventional sailplanes but hang-gliders and ultralight sailplanes. Some brave souls are even making progress with the aerotowing of paragliders.

The French probably deserve the credit for pioneering aerotowing with trikes and in particular Gerard Thevenot. In the early 1980's Gerard, head of the La Mouette hang-gliding company, showed how aerotowing could be done safely. In 1984 a group of pilots headed by Dave Simpson started aerotowing in the UK, but they never got past the testing phase. In Europe the Hungarians in particular took to towing with relish and it was in 1989 at a competition in Hungary that a few British hang-glider pilots had their first experience of being aerotowed. So impressed were they that on their return they set out together with the BHGA (British Hang Gliding Association) on the road to getting aerotowing with microlights legalised in the UK.

  Four examples Hungarian trikes used for towing. Find more information on aerotowing and hang-gliding in Hungary visit www.cumulus.hu

In 1991 a "permit to test" was granted by the CAA to the Northampton hang-gliding club for them to tow using a French Cosmos tug. In 1992 further "testing" was done by Ben Ashman as part of the Dacron Eagles expedition to Kenya. In November 1992 with the help and support of Solar-Wings a second "permit to test" was granted to the Norfolk club to use a British XL 462 hp tug. This used an external frame as the towing point, as had many of the Hungarian trikes. Finally in 1994 aerotowing in the UK become fully legal using the XL 462 hp. Although the Cosmos tug was a great success it did not have "permit to fly" so tugging had to stop after the testing was complete.

The next tug to be permitted in 1995 was an Air Creation Fun 18s GTBis /503 imported from France by Ultraflight. This towed using the now more common method of locating the towing system through centre of the prop and gearbox. In 1997 Pegasus introduced the only 3-axis tug in the UK, the AX2000-582, followed a while later by the Quantum 912 tug. The Quantum was permitted to tow light sailplanes as well as hang-gliders.

Elsewhere in the world things were moving at a pace. Aerotowing in France had become commonplace with the two largest trike manufacturers, Cosmos and Air Creation offering trikes kitted out for aerotowing. Pilots in the flat lands of northern Germany, Eastern Europe, Australia and South Africa had also embraced aerotowing and were supported by their local manufacturers. But it was in the USA that aerotowing was to make the biggest impact, in the arena of hang-gliding training.

Learning to hang-glide from a hill is a very physical task. You can't just jump off the top, you have to start low and carry the glider back up for another go. For many this repeated carry was too much, and if you had no hills it was almost impossible to learn. Winch and static line towing offered some promise but what was really needed were nice long flights in smooth air with an instructor by your side, just like in other forms of aviation. Although dual/tandem hang-gliders had been around for a long while and had been used off winches and hills for training, most flights were either short or had long turn around times. Aerotowing offered the promise of dual training, with flights to around 3000' and a quick turn around.

One problem encountered was that the difference in flying speed between the tug and the training model hang-glider made things far from ideal for the student hang-glider pilot. Many trikes can tow in the thirties mph range, whilst some like the Quantum must fly in the mid 40's to have a comfortable level of roll control. A beginners hang-glider flies best at in the low 20's and can be very difficult to control/fly at speeds over 35, so what was needed was a tug that could operate close to these speeds. It was American Bobby Bailey together with Bill Moyes, Australian hang-gliding pioneer and owner of the renowned Moyes Hang-gliders, who set about developing a suitable tug in the USA.

The 3-axis

In Germany dual aerotow training is seen as vital for the survival of the sport of hang-gliding. Convinced of the importance of the Dragonfly in this survival the governing body of hang-gliding (the DHV) have financed the certification of a European version of the Dragonfly. Modifications required for German certification have since been incorporated in to all newly built models and certification has followed in other countries.

So what about old Blighty? Currently there are around 11 active aerotowing clubs in the UK and one school that is just beginning to teach hang-gliding via aerotowing. They operate from a mixture of established microlight bases, old airfields and farmers fields. Most like to operate on light wind thermic days at the warmer times of the year, but winter flying is not unknown. The tug pilots are often hang-glider pilots who take turns flying the tug, but there are also tugs pilots who have never flown a hang-glider. The old XL is still the most widely used tug due to its availability, though the 462 hp engine is somewhat under powered compared to tugs used elsewhere in the world that have almost double the climb rate.

To become a tug pilot a familiarity with the tug being used and 50 current flying hours would be a good base to start from. Also of great benefit would be an interest in thermals, how they work and where they are likely to be found. This is because the tug pilots job for the most part is to deliver the glider and it's pilot to a nice patch of rising air, a thermal, to enable them to stay aloft.

Tug pilot training consists of some ground school to help understand the dynamics of the tug-glider combination as well as ground based and airborne safety procedures. Then it's the flying practical where you start by tugging the towline around the sky. Once you have got used to the feel of launching and landing with the line, an experienced hang-glider pilot is attached and you do your first proper tow. Turns and emergency situations are practised on subsequent tows until your performance is satisfactory. A minimum of 10 tows is required to obtain your rating from a BHPA (British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association) accredited coach. Membership of the BHPA ensures that you are covered by third party insurance for up to 2 million pounds when you engage in aerotowing.

So what's it like. (Here is a link to a video of a competition held at long Martson in 2002. It is about 14 mb so is best suited to those with broadband access only!) The climb rate is similar to that experienced when carrying a passenger except that your passenger is located 70 metres behind you. The trick is to try and maintain a smooth constant climb. In an XL it's flat out all the way trying to maintain in the low to mid 30's mph. To keep the climb as flat as possible it's pull-in in lifting air and push-out in sinking air. A mirror is provided so that the position of the hang-glider behind is easy to monitor. It all sounds complicated but it is something that you learn to feel with little reference to any instruments, though a hang-gliding style vario (rate of climb) is always a great help. If done well the glider behind has only to make minimum pitch corrections. On a smooth day it's possible to climb without any pitch corrections at all.

Personally I love being the tug pilot. Getting my passenger to the release point, waving them off and watching them climb out in the thermal is always a great satisfaction. Often though the glider pilots will release of their own accord into rising air that I've not thought good enough or sometimes not even noticed. View this video for a tug's eye view of some aerotows (8 mb).

If you fancy becoming a tug pilot for the most part you'll need to be able to fly a trike as 3-axis tugs are rare in the UK.

The following clubs would welcome would-be "tuggies" into their club.

For contact details see BHPA web site

Cambridge Aerotow Club - Sutton Meadows - Charlie Richardson

Southern Club - Just north of Brighton - Will Greenwood

Midland Aerotow Group - Swinford - Kevin Casserley They have an AX2000 as well as a trike.

Scottish Airports Club - Thornhill, near Stirling - Allan Phillips. Have a Quantum 912 Tug.

 Chris Jones - 2005.

Many thanks to the following people for the photographs on this page: Angie Wier, Nev Almond, Charlie Richardson, Tony Moore, Ron Gleason, Timothy Ettridge, Dave Forty, Matt Taggart, Mark Taggart and Allan Philips.

Please feel free to contact me at chris-nospam-@hgpg.co.uk