• Re: US Winching Sites As a former member of the Mohawk Soaring Club I d

    From THEODORE HALLER@21:1/5 to All on Thu Jul 28 13:54:21 2022
    On Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 1:13:50 PM UTC-4, johngf...@gmail.com wrote:
    As a former member of the Mohawk Soaring Club I don't think there is a winch operation at North Adams MA. We did have a winch operation at the Saratoga NY airport in the 70's but liability insurance required by the county priced it out of business.
    On Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 9:26:43 AM UTC-6, p...@pietbarber.com wrote:
    On Wednesday, July 27, 2022 at 10:58:19 PM UTC-4, lall...@gmail.com wrote:

    Eastern Soaring Center operates out of Petersburg WV (Grant Count Airport W99). The geography of the region makes wave lift very common at this particular location. The winch routinely gets 2000 feet of altitude with each launch, and when there is a
    westerly wind, you can go back to Charlie's Knob and use ridge lift. That can be used to connect to the secondary wave.
    Greg Mecklenburg has a winch at the Flying Y airport in Pray, MT, just north of Yellowstone National Park. There is also the occasional power traffic in an out of that airport, but it is mostly a glider operation.
    as

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  • From Frank Whiteley@21:1/5 to THEODORE HALLER on Thu Jul 28 16:26:13 2022
    On Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 2:54:23 PM UTC-6, THEODORE HALLER wrote:
    On Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 1:13:50 PM UTC-4, johngf...@gmail.com wrote: As a former member of the Mohawk Soaring Club I don't think there is a winch operation at North Adams MA. We did have a winch operation at the Saratoga NY airport in the 70's but liability insurance required by the county priced it out of business.
    On Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 9:26:43 AM UTC-6, p...@pietbarber.com wrote:
    On Wednesday, July 27, 2022 at 10:58:19 PM UTC-4, lall...@gmail.com wrote:

    Eastern Soaring Center operates out of Petersburg WV (Grant Count Airport W99). The geography of the region makes wave lift very common at this particular location. The winch routinely gets 2000 feet of altitude with each launch, and when there is
    a westerly wind, you can go back to Charlie's Knob and use ridge lift. That can be used to connect to the secondary wave.
    Greg Mecklenburg has a winch at the Flying Y airport in Pray, MT, just north of Yellowstone National Park. There is also the occasional power traffic in an out of that airport, but it is mostly a glider operation.
    as
    There was talk of making the winch at Dansville, NY, active again, but I've not heard anything in the past year.

    Frank Whiteley

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  • From john firth@21:1/5 to Frank Whiteley on Fri Jul 29 12:23:42 2022
    On Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 7:26:14 PM UTC-4, Frank Whiteley wrote:
    On Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 2:54:23 PM UTC-6, THEODORE HALLER wrote:
    On Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 1:13:50 PM UTC-4, johngf...@gmail.com wrote: As a former member of the Mohawk Soaring Club I don't think there is a winch operation at North Adams MA. We did have a winch operation at the Saratoga NY airport in the 70's but liability insurance required by the county priced it out of business.
    On Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 9:26:43 AM UTC-6, p...@pietbarber.com wrote:
    On Wednesday, July 27, 2022 at 10:58:19 PM UTC-4, lall...@gmail.com wrote:

    Eastern Soaring Center operates out of Petersburg WV (Grant Count Airport W99). The geography of the region makes wave lift very common at this particular location. The winch routinely gets 2000 feet of altitude with each launch, and when there
    is a westerly wind, you can go back to Charlie's Knob and use ridge lift. That can be used to connect to the secondary wave.
    Greg Mecklenburg has a winch at the Flying Y airport in Pray, MT, just north of Yellowstone National Park. There is also the occasional power traffic in an out of that airport, but it is mostly a glider operation.
    as
    There was talk of making the winch at Dansville, NY, active again, but I've not heard anything in the past year.

    Frank Whiteley

    Given a runway of at least 3000ft, how about a tow with vehicle carrying a a drum which can
    wind the cable after the launch; nothing left on the runway to be snagged. Vehicle drives back to start and if a glider is ready, unrolls the cable by driving back to the starting
    point.
    Anybody heard of this?
    John F

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  • From AS@21:1/5 to john firth on Fri Jul 29 15:37:37 2022
    On Friday, July 29, 2022 at 3:23:44 PM UTC-4, john firth wrote:
    On Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 7:26:14 PM UTC-4, Frank Whiteley wrote:
    On Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 2:54:23 PM UTC-6, THEODORE HALLER wrote:
    On Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 1:13:50 PM UTC-4, johngf...@gmail.com wrote:
    As a former member of the Mohawk Soaring Club I don't think there is a winch operation at North Adams MA. We did have a winch operation at the Saratoga NY airport in the 70's but liability insurance required by the county priced it out of business.
    On Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 9:26:43 AM UTC-6, p...@pietbarber.com wrote:
    On Wednesday, July 27, 2022 at 10:58:19 PM UTC-4, lall...@gmail.com wrote:

    Eastern Soaring Center operates out of Petersburg WV (Grant Count Airport W99). The geography of the region makes wave lift very common at this particular location. The winch routinely gets 2000 feet of altitude with each launch, and when there
    is a westerly wind, you can go back to Charlie's Knob and use ridge lift. That can be used to connect to the secondary wave.
    Greg Mecklenburg has a winch at the Flying Y airport in Pray, MT, just north of Yellowstone National Park. There is also the occasional power traffic in an out of that airport, but it is mostly a glider operation.
    as
    There was talk of making the winch at Dansville, NY, active again, but I've not heard anything in the past year.

    Frank Whiteley
    Given a runway of at least 3000ft, how about a tow with vehicle carrying a a drum which can
    wind the cable after the launch; nothing left on the runway to be snagged. Vehicle drives back to start and if a glider is ready, unrolls the cable by driving back to the starting
    point.
    Anybody heard of this?
    John F

    Yes - has been discussed in length in the winchdesign forum but it was found to be highly impractical having another heavy vehicle moving back and forth over the field. If there was any merit to it, the Europeans would have been practicing it for the
    last 5 decades already.
    .... nothing left on the runway to be snagged. << What do you mean? A good winch driver drops the tackle right in front of the winch where the retrieve car driver picks it up and takes it back to the launch point.

    Uli
    'AS'

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  • From john firth@21:1/5 to All on Fri Jul 29 17:22:35 2022
    On Friday, July 29, 2022 at 6:37:39 PM UTC-4, AS wrote:
    On Friday, July 29, 2022 at 3:23:44 PM UTC-4, john firth wrote:
    On Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 7:26:14 PM UTC-4, Frank Whiteley wrote:
    On Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 2:54:23 PM UTC-6, THEODORE HALLER wrote:
    On Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 1:13:50 PM UTC-4, johngf...@gmail.com wrote:
    As a former member of the Mohawk Soaring Club I don't think there is a winch operation at North Adams MA. We did have a winch operation at the Saratoga NY airport in the 70's but liability insurance required by the county priced it out of
    business.
    On Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 9:26:43 AM UTC-6, p...@pietbarber.com wrote:
    On Wednesday, July 27, 2022 at 10:58:19 PM UTC-4, lall...@gmail.com wrote:

    Eastern Soaring Center operates out of Petersburg WV (Grant Count Airport W99). The geography of the region makes wave lift very common at this particular location. The winch routinely gets 2000 feet of altitude with each launch, and when
    there is a westerly wind, you can go back to Charlie's Knob and use ridge lift. That can be used to connect to the secondary wave.
    Greg Mecklenburg has a winch at the Flying Y airport in Pray, MT, just north of Yellowstone National Park. There is also the occasional power traffic in an out of that airport, but it is mostly a glider operation.
    as
    There was talk of making the winch at Dansville, NY, active again, but I've not heard anything in the past year.

    Frank Whiteley
    Given a runway of at least 3000ft, how about a tow with vehicle carrying a a drum which can
    wind the cable after the launch; nothing left on the runway to be snagged. Vehicle drives back to start and if a glider is ready, unrolls the cable by driving back to the starting
    point.
    Anybody heard of this?
    John F
    Yes - has been discussed in length in the winchdesign forum but it was found to be highly impractical having another heavy vehicle moving back and forth over the field. If there was any merit to it, the Europeans would have been practicing it for the
    last 5 decades already.
    .... nothing left on the runway to be snagged. << What do you mean? A good winch driver drops the tackle right in front of the winch where the retrieve car driver picks it up and takes it back to the launch point.

    Uli
    'AS'
    Simply making the suggestion that auto tow on a paved runway requires less capital investment
    than a winch and one less operator.
    JMF

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  • From AS@21:1/5 to john firth on Fri Jul 29 18:54:01 2022
    On Friday, July 29, 2022 at 8:22:37 PM UTC-4, john firth wrote:
    On Friday, July 29, 2022 at 6:37:39 PM UTC-4, AS wrote:
    On Friday, July 29, 2022 at 3:23:44 PM UTC-4, john firth wrote:
    On Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 7:26:14 PM UTC-4, Frank Whiteley wrote:
    On Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 2:54:23 PM UTC-6, THEODORE HALLER wrote:
    On Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 1:13:50 PM UTC-4, johngf...@gmail.com wrote:
    As a former member of the Mohawk Soaring Club I don't think there is a winch operation at North Adams MA. We did have a winch operation at the Saratoga NY airport in the 70's but liability insurance required by the county priced it out of
    business.
    On Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 9:26:43 AM UTC-6, p...@pietbarber.com wrote:
    On Wednesday, July 27, 2022 at 10:58:19 PM UTC-4, lall...@gmail.com wrote:

    Eastern Soaring Center operates out of Petersburg WV (Grant Count Airport W99). The geography of the region makes wave lift very common at this particular location. The winch routinely gets 2000 feet of altitude with each launch, and when
    there is a westerly wind, you can go back to Charlie's Knob and use ridge lift. That can be used to connect to the secondary wave.
    Greg Mecklenburg has a winch at the Flying Y airport in Pray, MT, just north of Yellowstone National Park. There is also the occasional power traffic in an out of that airport, but it is mostly a glider operation.
    as
    There was talk of making the winch at Dansville, NY, active again, but I've not heard anything in the past year.

    Frank Whiteley
    Given a runway of at least 3000ft, how about a tow with vehicle carrying a a drum which can
    wind the cable after the launch; nothing left on the runway to be snagged.
    Vehicle drives back to start and if a glider is ready, unrolls the cable by driving back to the starting
    point.
    Anybody heard of this?
    John F
    Yes - has been discussed in length in the winchdesign forum but it was found to be highly impractical having another heavy vehicle moving back and forth over the field. If there was any merit to it, the Europeans would have been practicing it for the
    last 5 decades already.
    .... nothing left on the runway to be snagged. << What do you mean? A good winch driver drops the tackle right in front of the winch where the retrieve car driver picks it up and takes it back to the launch point.

    Uli
    'AS'
    Simply making the suggestion that auto tow on a paved runway requires less capital investment
    than a winch and one less operator.
    JMF

    For auto-tow, your suggestion is correct. For winching, not so much. ;-)
    Uli
    'AS'

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  • From Frank Whiteley@21:1/5 to john firth on Fri Jul 29 23:55:22 2022
    On Friday, July 29, 2022 at 1:23:44 PM UTC-6, john firth wrote:
    On Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 7:26:14 PM UTC-4, Frank Whiteley wrote:
    On Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 2:54:23 PM UTC-6, THEODORE HALLER wrote:
    On Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 1:13:50 PM UTC-4, johngf...@gmail.com wrote:
    As a former member of the Mohawk Soaring Club I don't think there is a winch operation at North Adams MA. We did have a winch operation at the Saratoga NY airport in the 70's but liability insurance required by the county priced it out of business.
    On Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 9:26:43 AM UTC-6, p...@pietbarber.com wrote:
    On Wednesday, July 27, 2022 at 10:58:19 PM UTC-4, lall...@gmail.com wrote:

    Eastern Soaring Center operates out of Petersburg WV (Grant Count Airport W99). The geography of the region makes wave lift very common at this particular location. The winch routinely gets 2000 feet of altitude with each launch, and when there
    is a westerly wind, you can go back to Charlie's Knob and use ridge lift. That can be used to connect to the secondary wave.
    Greg Mecklenburg has a winch at the Flying Y airport in Pray, MT, just north of Yellowstone National Park. There is also the occasional power traffic in an out of that airport, but it is mostly a glider operation.
    as
    There was talk of making the winch at Dansville, NY, active again, but I've not heard anything in the past year.

    Frank Whiteley
    Given a runway of at least 3000ft, how about a tow with vehicle carrying a a drum which can
    wind the cable after the launch; nothing left on the runway to be snagged. Vehicle drives back to start and if a glider is ready, unrolls the cable by driving back to the starting
    point.
    Anybody heard of this?
    John F
    Gary Boggs has/had a payout winch, which allowed the rope to be paid out during the vehicle run and recovered after release. 3000ft length is a bit short for auto tow or winch launch. Gary's system worked pretty well on 5000ft runways. 2500ft launches
    at the Alvord Desert. To use the payout and retrieve, someone operated the winch from the truck bed, so two persons required.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMWTJgWhWHA
    Frank Whiteley

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  • From ASM@21:1/5 to All on Thu Aug 4 19:19:40 2022
    Last year I went to Hawaii’s Dillingham Field at Oahu with couple guys who bought the Roman winch and brought it to Washington state. So, one winch is here I just don’t know the present status. Jacek

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