There are two ways of launching gliders used at Currock Hill.

The first is to tow the glider behind a powered aircraft.

Pilot’s view on tow at Aboyne near Aberdeen in winter.

In this photograph, both the tug and the glider are making a gentle right turn. Note the Yaw String on the left hand side of the cockpit canopy - straight even though the glider is turning.

The tug has a mirror mounted on the left hand wing strut so that the tug pilot can keep an eye on the glider.

The advantage of the aerotow is that the glider can be taken wherever the pilot wishes and the glider can be towed to greater heights than can be achieved with a winch launch.

The winch is placed at one end of the field and two cables are pulled out to the launch point near the opposite end of the field - a distance between ½ and ¾ mile. The glider is attached to the end of the cable, and the winch driver winds the cable in fast. The glider flies under the control of the pilot in a manner very similar to a kite. Typically the glider will climb quite steeply at around 45 degrees and at almost 60 knotts. The acceleration in the early stage is quite dramatic and the climb feels very steep.

Our winch is very powerful and can launch a two seater glider in almost any conditions. Heights achieved on a winch launch are related to the wind speed. In high winds, extra height is gained. Winch launch heights may vary from around 1000 feet to almost 2000.