Tow launching!?

[divadgagnon 0]

Hi, me and my friend where recently arguing about whether or not you could get a skydiving canopy to take off by towing it much like a winch launching for paragliding. I'm sceptical about if the canopy would generate enough lift to get airborn. I know it has been done with speed flying wings which the only reason that makes me think it **might** be possible. My friend thinks it would work for sure, but I'm not convinced what do you think?

[grimmie 186]

It has been done, using many types of canopies, not always with good results.

[IanHarrop 42]

It can and has killed people, one was a friend of mine

"Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" Dorothy

[jonstark 8]

We got a PC off the ground one day by tying it to a phone pole in a strong wind. The pilot got a compound fracture of his right femur for his efforts though and years later lost the leg entirely. The good thing was he lost 40 pounds and quit falling like a bowling ball.

jon

[pchapman 279]

Nothing wrong with doing it -- as long as you do it right.

The technique was even used for accuracy training a little bit in the 80s, such as in the UK, but never caught on. Para-ascending was then done with the earliest paragliders, which were basically the same as skydiving canopies of the time (mid 80s) as that's what they developed from. You don't need an efficient wing, after all, they tow parasails (aerodynamically like the ParaCommander rounds of the 60s) - but then you need a lot of power. Even regular skydiving canopies, with a worse glide ratio, will have much higher drag and thus power requirements than a paraglider.

Of course a small skydiving canopy with a high stall speed is going to need more airspeed to take off, making the whole proposition tougher.

The techniques of towing are specialized (attachment points, weak links, lockout prevention, tow pressure monitoring, etc). At least paraglider pilots involved with winch launching will know the techniques already.

[shah269 0]

Behind a wake board boat it would be fun

Life through good thoughts, good words, and good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay.

The only thing that falls from the sky is birdshit and fools!

[divadgagnon 0]

Ok thank you very for all of your answers! We were talking about trying it in the winter to get some landing practice and get better canopy control as well as having a bit of flying time during our long canadian winters but I guess it might not be worth the risk (at least not until we know the real and safe technique of doing it).

Thanks again for the replies!

[obelixtim 150]

Make sure you try it outside the nearest hospital, that way they can get you into the emergency room quicker.....

Ok with a round type of parachute, not so good with a ramair...

My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

[artard 0]

There is no "real & safe" way of tow launching a sport parachute. But if you go through with this try to top these guys for stupidity factor:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQrBcyQD3BE

http://www.mixcloud.com/prajna
http://vimeo.com/avidya

[julio_gyn 0]

holly jeeeeeeezzzzzzzz... that is really crazy

Julio Cesar
blue skies

[divadgagnon 0]

Holy crap.... How could you even think about doing this!?

[Amazon 7]

Quote

It has been done, using many types of canopies, not always with good results.

In my experience it is truly a shortcut to the incidents forum and I have a HELL of a lot of time being towed behind a 30' twin diesel engined Bertram under a parasail and all those fun fun water landings in Biscayne Bay pretty much without incident. Doing a launch like that over water where you can insure you are headed into the wind OVER WATER.where you can get a nice BIG SPLASH.. or on an airport that has limited options for where you can tow.. over WAY-TOO-TERRA-FIRMA where you land with a rather LOUD THUD.

[jakee 1,500]

Quote

There is no "real & safe" way of tow launching a sport parachute. But if you go through with this try to top these guys for stupidity factor:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQrBcyQD3BE

To be honest, tow launching the canopy in the first place is still the most dangerous and unpredictable part of that whole exercise, and by having a reliable cutaway set up for the cable they've actually put themselves ahead of a lot of other people who try it.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[NewGuy2005 53]

I've done it with paragliders. There are a number of hazards that you need to be aware of that can kill you.

Whatever you do, don't do it. You really can die. Lots of people have.

[dqpacker 7]

do it
video it
post ithttp://www.facebook.com/groups/sofpidarf/
simple shit dude

[VideoFly 0]

I've always heard that it shouldn't be done because it is too dangerous, but what else is there to do on a windy no-jump day with a 254 Sharpchuter and an old Wonderhog laying around?

[Morrison79 0]

If it's too windy to jump what makes this a good idea?

Also did you hook up the canopy backwards? Why?

[VideoFly 0]

It was an idea, but I never said it was a good idea. Also, The canopy was hooked up backwards so it was easier to keep an eye on what was going on above as it trailed above and behind us.

We did it and got the T-shirts and I would certainly recommend not to try it.

[sacex250 0]

Quote

There is no "real & safe" way of tow launching a sport parachute. But if you go through with this try to top these guys for stupidity factor:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQrBcyQD3BE

So, how does "P" get added to BASE for a BASE jump from a parachute? BAPSE?

A parasail or a paraglider could be used effectively as the towed ascent wing giving a BASE jumper a new dimension to the sport.

It's all been said before, no sense repeating it here.

[FrancoR 0]

Just don't do it, it is incredebly dangerous, especially if you don't have the right equipment and training.

If it does not cost anything you are the product.

[prada 0]

Quote

So, how does "P" get added to BASE for a BASE jump from a parachute? BAPSE?

You could always change the P into a C (for Canopy) and put it up first: "CBASE"

then it sounds either like a new programming language or the sound you make when you hit the ground trying the tow launching ...

[sacex250 0]

Quote

Quote

So, how does "P" get added to BASE for a BASE jump from a parachute? BAPSE?

You could always change the P into a C (for Canopy) and put it up first: "CBASE"

then it sounds either like a new programming language or the sound you make when you hit the ground trying the tow launching ...

Well in that case, you could call it BASEC but it would still sound like a programming language.

It's all been said before, no sense repeating it here.

[divadgagnon 0]

Yeah I guess I'll stick with the plane to get some flying time in summer and just look at the skies in he winter. Thanks for all of your replies!

[dninness 4]

Years ago I was in Circuit City and they had some video playing in a loop on the big screen TVs showing all these neato slow-motion shots, etc.

What caught my eye was what looked like Patrick de Gayardon (well, it *looked* like him.. at the time he was the likely guy to try some shit like this) being towed behind a boat with some little tiny pocket rocket canopy and he was carving these crazy hardcore turns and such, just above the water. Like "powered swooping"

It was cool, but at the time the discussion on rec.skydiving (and I bet here) was "you'll die if you do it."

Good to see the advice hasn't changed in the last 10-15 years. :)

NIN
D-19617, AFF-I '19

[obelixtim 150]

The advice has not changed simply because a flying wing is not a drag device.

Thats the difference between a ram air flying wing and a roundie like a PC.

A flying wing and a tow line are incompatible elemants.

End of story.

My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....