Winching / Towing
with Air Adventure

At Air Adventure our students have the best of both worlds.  We not only have some of the best hill training sites on the South Downs, but we also have the perfect tow-site based directly behind Devil’s Dyke.  In conjunction with Apex Paragliding, using our Koch static winch we can tow in any wind direction and we have the necessary Civil Aviation Authority permits to tow you up to 2000 ft above launch, and considering the highest hill in the area is aprox 700ft you will almost certainly double your air time.

What’s the difference between hill launch and tow launch?

Hill
The most common way to get airborne is to foot launch from the top of a hill.  First you inflate your canopy and then you run down the slope until the wing reaches sufficient air speed, a little bit of brake and you’re off.  Providing you stay in the lifting air on the slope and there is sufficient wind, you will stay up soaring like a bird.  From there you can hitch a ride on a thermal, a warm column of rising air that can take you to heights in excess of 5000ft, then off you go cross country (XC) where distances of over 200 miles have been achieved.  The good thing is that if you fail to stay up the first time and end up at the bottom of the hill, after a few minutes walk up you can try again.

Tow
Another way to launch is using a static winch to tow you up.  This normally takes place on a flat field with the winch at one end of the field and you attached to the tow line at the other end of the field.  Once all the safety checks are done, you give the command to take up slack on the line you, inflate your canopy and, if everything looks OK, give the all-out command.  This is relayed to the winch operator by the launch marshal using visual and radio commands, power on the winch is then increased and you are towed into the air.  At a given height you give the signal to release by opening your legs, the winch operator backs off the power, you pull the special release attachment and check that you are no-longer attached to the line and you are then free to go and search for those elusive thermals.  The worse that can happen is you land back at the take-off area to try again.

Tow Conversion Courses

Minimum requirements CP + ten hours
A two-day course covering theory and a minimum of ten flights.  For more details contact us.
Book now.

Operators License

We will be running courses for operator’s licenses throughout the year.  Contact us for details and prices.

If you want more details on any of the above, please contact Nigel at Air Adventure.