Flight Training - September 2019 - 49

ADVANCED PILOT CAREER SPOTLIGHT

BY JULIE SUMMERS WALKER

CHRIS ROSE

DIVE LEFT

GLIDER TOW PILOTS CARRY YOU
TO THE THERMALS

QUALIFICATIONS
Private pilot with ratings in aircraft flown.

"I REMEMBER SOMETHING MY OLD DAD TOLD ME WHEN I ASKED

BIGGEST DRAWBACK
Focus, focus, focus-"A tow pilot must be
vigilant," says Jim Hanson.

him why he chose to be catcher for his softball team, a position
that is usually very low profile," said Jim Hanson, airport manager
at Albert Lea Municipal Airport in Minnesota. "He replied that
from this position he was in on every pitch and every play in the
game-what could be better? Being a glider tow pilot is like that!"
Hanson should know. Many of his more than 30,000
flight hours were as a glider tow pilot. "A good
tow pilot is indispensable for every successful
glider club or commercial operation. Since
the tow pilot is the point of contact with
customers, they should have good
people skills. We call the towplane
the 'airline pilot's finishing school'
since the very things that the airlines are looking for are taught to
tow pilots," Hanson said.
Hanson compares the tow pilot
to the lead pilot in a formation
flight. He or she is responsible for
traffic avoidance, maintaining formation, smooth and predictable flying,
and guiding the glider pilot. "What we
are doing here is almost an airshow act-
flying formation tethered to a 200-foot rope,"
Hanson quotes glider tow pilot and author Bob
Wander as saying.
Glider tow pilots are regulated by FAR 61.69. Glider tow
pilots must be at least a private pilot, be rated in the category of

BEST ASPECT
No early mornings or late days-no lift.

PAY
In some clubs, the tow pilot receives no
pay; commercial operations pay by the tow.

aircraft being used, and have logged at least
100 hours as pilot in charge in the class and
category of aircraft. They must also have
a logbook endorsement from a pilot who
has already met FAR 61.69 and accompanied the pilot on three flights while
doing real or simulated tows. Tow pilots
must also log ground and flight training
in gliders.
"Every professional tow pilot I've
ever encountered says they do it because
they love being around gliders and glider
people. Gliding is a very social sport.
Since gliders rarely fly if there is no lift, the
equipment is put away before sundown and the
barbecue grills come out," Hanson said. "There's a
lesson in here for the rest of general aviation-unlike the
rest of GA, glider pilots are in it for life." FT
julie.walker@aopa.org
AOPA.ORG/FT  49



http://www.AOPA.ORG/FT

Flight Training - September 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - September 2019

Contents
Flight Training - September 2019 - Intro
Flight Training - September 2019 - Cover1
Flight Training - September 2019 - Cover2
Flight Training - September 2019 - Contents
Flight Training - September 2019 - 2
Flight Training - September 2019 - 3
Flight Training - September 2019 - 4
Flight Training - September 2019 - 5
Flight Training - September 2019 - 6
Flight Training - September 2019 - 7
Flight Training - September 2019 - 8
Flight Training - September 2019 - 9
Flight Training - September 2019 - 10
Flight Training - September 2019 - 11
Flight Training - September 2019 - 12
Flight Training - September 2019 - 13
Flight Training - September 2019 - 14
Flight Training - September 2019 - 15
Flight Training - September 2019 - 16
Flight Training - September 2019 - 17
Flight Training - September 2019 - 18
Flight Training - September 2019 - 19
Flight Training - September 2019 - 20
Flight Training - September 2019 - 21
Flight Training - September 2019 - 22
Flight Training - September 2019 - 23
Flight Training - September 2019 - 24
Flight Training - September 2019 - 25
Flight Training - September 2019 - 26
Flight Training - September 2019 - 27
Flight Training - September 2019 - 28
Flight Training - September 2019 - 29
Flight Training - September 2019 - 30
Flight Training - September 2019 - 31
Flight Training - September 2019 - 32
Flight Training - September 2019 - 33
Flight Training - September 2019 - 34
Flight Training - September 2019 - 35
Flight Training - September 2019 - 36
Flight Training - September 2019 - 37
Flight Training - September 2019 - 38
Flight Training - September 2019 - 39
Flight Training - September 2019 - 40
Flight Training - September 2019 - 41
Flight Training - September 2019 - 42
Flight Training - September 2019 - 43
Flight Training - September 2019 - 44
Flight Training - September 2019 - 45
Flight Training - September 2019 - 46
Flight Training - September 2019 - 47
Flight Training - September 2019 - 48
Flight Training - September 2019 - 49
Flight Training - September 2019 - 50
Flight Training - September 2019 - 51
Flight Training - September 2019 - 52
Flight Training - September 2019 - 53
Flight Training - September 2019 - 54
Flight Training - September 2019 - 55
Flight Training - September 2019 - 56
Flight Training - September 2019 - Cover3
Flight Training - September 2019 - Cover4
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