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On another censored commercial web forum we learn that the U$HPA has issued another edict that now all aero tow endorsements need a minumum of two commercial tandems before U$HPA certification.
$afety Fir$t!
Re: Request for Proposals for Solo-Only Aerotow Hang Gliding Instruction Fri, Feb 25 2011
http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php ... 6&start=20
Mgforbes:
I am not a tandem instructor, nor do I have deep and extensive knowledge of aerotowing such as you'd get from folks who do it all the time or teach it.
I said I'm not convinced that tandems are absolutely necessary.
But I realize that there are different situations around the country, and it *may* be possible to safely teach aerotowing without tandem flights.
I'm interested to see what non-tandem-training instructors around the country have to say, and what the flight park operators have to say about the quality of the pilots they see who have been trained that way.
Aaron Swepton:
You are one of our Regional Directors. How many tow operations in your region did you poll prior to voting for mandatory tandem requirements for tow ratings? You say that you are interested in knowing what non-tandem towing operations think. Did you ask the folks at the Wannabe Ranch what their opinion was before voting? They are within your region, you know who they are, and they teach towing solo only. It seems like it would have fulfilled your curiosity with that one phone call.
To say hat it *may* be possible to safely teach aerotow without tandems is ludicrous! I honestly cannot believe you even said that in public. Solo aerotowing has been going on for longer than you have been in he sport, has it not? Safely, at that. Longer than "tow parks" have been in existence, in fact. So to say it as if it is some unknown possibility shows either a complete lack of historical knowledge, or an extreme bias towards tandem towing instruction.
There are many, many pilots in this country, and throughout the world, that have learned to aerotow solo. Obviously it has an acceptable safety record, otherwise we'd have a pretty well established database against it since it has been going on for so many years, or decades.
Here's something that you may not have considered. By requiring a H2 or H3, or even a H4 free flying pilot to perform tandem aerotows prior to getting a tow rating on his own glider, you are now requiring this H2, or H3, or even H4 pilot to not only pilot an unfamiliar glider on tow, but to also become a tandem pilot on that unfamiliar glider, in an unfamiliar towing situation. This is crazy. I have a H3 buddy that is going to begin towing lessons soon. He will be far more capable of handling his own glider under tow, than subjecting him to a tandem piloting situation on a much larger tandem glider with a tandem passenger by his side or on his back. It's irresponsible to require accomplished solo pilots to become tandem pilots in order to get a simple tow rating.
It's also surprising that you did not conduct due diligence by contacting solo operators in your own region prior to voting in favor of regulations that will have a significantly negative impact on their operations. You don't live that far away to make a trip there, and inclement weather can be overcome with a simple phone call or e-mail inquiry.
And as far as taking FAA regulations into consideration, why do we want to beat the FAA to the punch and create restrictive regulations for ourselves that they are not requesting? Shoot ourselves before someone else does it?
