GROUND HANDLING
Moving and staging gliders:
1)Tow ropes must be of low breaking strength and over half the wing span in length. They should have a proper metal ring on end to attach to tow hook.
2)Instruct all new ground handlers / wing walkers as to what they will do. This includes how to steer the glider with the wing tip and to look out for traffic.
3)Use a person in the cockpit (or walking next to it with open canopy) when moving over hard top or sloping ground. Instruct this person on how to stop the glider and disconnect the tow rope.
4)Tow car operator must be in contact with wing-handler and monitor speed and glider attitude as well as terrain and traffic. Speed of travel is determined by the wing-handler and can be accurately monitored in the center rearview mirror. A glider drifting away from the handler position is cause to speed up. Glider moving toward that position means to slow down.
5)Avoid runways (grass or hard top) as much as possible. (At Ridgeland keep well to one side of the grass strip) and always watch for traffic
6)When crossing mid field at Ridgeland, use caution as the glider may pick up speed when coming down the crown of the paved runway, also the wing/ handler may not want to walk in a muddy ditch so plan ahead.
7)Do not leave a glider sitting on the runway (grass or hardtop). If you did not steer off of the runway on rollout, get out of the glider, turn it 90 degrees and pull it well clear of the runway immediately.
8)Do not park the gliders in front of therunway. (It intimidates high performance traffic and is subject to damage by the tow rope of landing tow planes.)
9)At Ridgeland, stage gliders to the east side, in front of the threshold and well clear of paved runway 21. On runway 03 Grass, stage to the west side and well clear.
10)Gliders should be chocked or breaks set for wind gusts. All unattended canopies must be closed.
Glider launch:
1)Ground handler (GH) along with the tow pilot and glider pilot are responsible for safe launch.
2)Do not connect the tow rope from the tow plane to a glider that does not have a pilot in it.
3)Assist the glider pilot with messages to the tow pilot.
4)Retrieve the tow rope and check for knots and damage.
5)If the tow plane taxies up to the glider in a looping pass to present the tow rope, the GH should use a metal hook if available to feed the tow line. If not available the GH can step inside of the line with their back to it and raise the rope to just below the belt line in order to keep from getting rope burns on the hands while taking up slack.
6)The signal to take up slack is an exaggerated under-arm left/right swing of the arm. The stop signal is the same arm held high in the air. The GH must position themselves so that they can be seen by the tow pilot in the aircraft’s mirrors or to the side of the tow plane that gives the tow pilot direct sight.
7)The GH should be standing near the glider and halt the tow plane after 2/3 of the line has passed. This will help avoid delays due to over-run by the tow plane resulting in a 2nd pass or having to drag the glider to the tow rope.
8)If hand gathering the line to the glider, avoid coiling the line on the ground or otherwise crossing the tow line on itself to avoid tangles.
9)The GH will present the tost ring end of the rope to the glider after choosing the proper ring if more than one is present. The glider pilot will instruct the GH to attach the line to the tow hook. The GH may signal the pilot to open the hook by showing an open raised hand. The signal to close the hook is by closing the hand to a fist. The GH then gives a firm tug to see if properly connected. The glider pilot may then request a test while GH pulls.
10)The GH signals the tow plane for the remainder of the slack to be taken up. This is best done at a position equal to or ahead of the glider pilot and standing outside of the wing tip in order not to be knocked to the ground in the event that the tow plane does not stop as expected. The GH will also check to see that air breaks have been closed and locked (unless an exception has been established) and that any tail or wing dollies are no longer attached as well as any control locks.
11)The GH raises a hand to stop when the line is taught and remains in this position until receiving a thumbs up from the glider pilot. (Until the pilot gives thumbs up the wing stays on the ground.)
12)With a thumbs up the GH still with hand in the air turns 360 degrees to check for landing traffic. If traffic is detected the GH must decide to hold or go. If the launch appears unsafe, the GH does not pick up the wing and continues the hold sign. If the launch is a go, the GH then lifts the wingand rotates the lifted arm in a circle to signal the tow plane to takeoff. The GH will attempt to run a few steps while supporting the wings in a level condition.