Setting up

Tow launched flight would have to be considered the biggest advantage that Discover Paragliding has over the rest of the paragliding schools in the Northwest. So many lesson and tandem days have been saved by the 'little mountain' we carry around in the back of our truck. When the winds are too light, the wrong direction, or we just want our students to get a bit more altitude, our pay-out winch has often come to the rescue. Even when the winds are 'just right', we will often forego the driving to, (and hiking up), a site that may only produce short flights, opting instead to spend the day on the beach enjoying leisurely tow launched flights up to 3000' or more above launch, then landing right back where you took off from.

For our tandem flight students, tow launching from a sandy beach has proven to be the easiest and safest way to first experience paragliding flight. Launching from the flat ground and gently ascending to altitude eliminates any nervousness associated with running down a hillside to become airborne. Also for those with a possible fear of heights, we can keep you at any elevation you feel comfortable with, climbing higher only after you give us the OK.

For our solo flight students, tow launched flight 'bridges the gap' between the typical training hill flight where you may only be 50-100' over the ground at any point, and those first mountain flights where you will likely be 1000' or more above the ground . By first towing up to lower elevations, then progressively to altitudes as high as 3000', our students gradually gain high altitude experience before launching from that first 'mountain' site.

XC Towing:

Another towing opportunity for more advanced pilots is XC towing. We occasionally venture out to the plains east of the Cascade range, where the object of your tow launched flight becomes not landing as close, but as far away from launch as possible! Using the thermal currents of the air, pilots can easily climb up over the flats, (often thousands of feet over). It is so simple to turn circles in the lift without having to worry about getting above or away from a mountain that cross country flight becomes almost 'easy'. So far, our site record for farthest flight from launch is almost 50 miles! Impressive as that sounds, we will continue to offer occasional Cross Country towing opportunities to the local flying community, and flights over 100 miles are clearly anticipated.

How it works:

A 'pay-out' style winch is typically mounted in either a truck or a boat, with the pilot setting up about 50' behind. To launch, the pilot waits as the truck begins driving away at about 15 to 25 mph. Once the vehicle reaches speed, the winch operator begins applying tension to the line. Feeling the pressure increase on the tow line, the pilot then inflates his/her glider. As the glider comes over the pilots head, the line tension is then further increased to a point where the pilot is lifted off the ground. The winch system is designed to pull the glider just a little faster than it wants to fly. It compensates for this extra speed by climbing up and into the sky. As the tow continues, the truck and pilot get farther and farther apart as the pilot climbs out. Eventually the pilot will reach the maximum available altitude and will release from the line. Up to this point, the whole operation looks very similar to Parasailing, but once the pilot releases from the towline, he/she is free to fly off in any direction he chooses, and the tow operator will reel the extended line back into the truck and return for the next pilot.

Although there are several different designs of pay-out style winches to choose from, the 'Super Tow Hydraulic Pay-out Winch' is the one we had to have. Designed for 'no surprises', it has proven to be the safest, most reliable, versatile, and durable winch available today for the purpose of paraglider towing. Visit the guys at TowMeUp for a more detailed description of this winch, (and to see a pic of our old truck!).

It's a truly remarkable machine, providing us with a truly remarkable tool to enhance the paragliding experience for all of our students and tandem flight passengers.