Skip to main content

Questions tagged [towing]

Questions about towing aircraft, usually on the ground (although some kinds of aircraft - for instance, most gliders - can also be towed into the air).

Filter by
Sorted by
Tagged with
0 votes
0 answers
120 views

Tecnam twin p2006t electrical master switch when towing

Does anyone know why the electrical master switch must be on before towing the p2006t? Seems odd to me; there is a reason, I just can't find it. Who knows this answer? Peter.
pkofman's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
133 views

How much force do you need to tow a P68 Vulcanair?

I found an old thread discussing the force required to pull an airliner, which was far less than I thought it would be. I wanted to compare this to a smaller aircraft (approximately 2000kg) but couldn'...
Gorzas's user avatar
  • 61
21 votes
3 answers
7k views

Would it be possible for one airliner to tow another?

Comedian/podcaster/QI elf Dan Schreiber asked on Twitter, as proxy for his 4-year old if it would ever be possible to hook a plane (like a 737) onto the back of another plane, like a train carriage, ...
Erin Anne's user avatar
  • 837
8 votes
4 answers
2k views

What effect does towing a glider have on the stall speed of the tow plane?

I can see that if the tow is perfectly aligned with the axis of the engine thrust, that it is equivalent to pure parasitic drag and similar to some reduction of thrust. However, in the real world the ...
GJ.'s user avatar
  • 512
8 votes
2 answers
1k views

Where must the glider tow line connection be?

I have styrofoam glider and I want to pull it with a rope, to fly with me when driving a bike. Where do I need to connect the attachment point, if I want the glider to fly stable above me? I think, to ...
22flower's user avatar
  • 1,998
34 votes
1 answer
4k views

How does a towed banner maintain a steady tilt?

Today a small airplane is towing an advertising banner, about 20 by 30 feet, in a circular path around my town's university campus. The banner stays tilted about 45 degrees to make it easier to read ...
Camille Goudeseune's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
407 views

Is it possible to tow a smaller aircraft (like a LSA with a non-functioning engine) with a more powerful towplane?

The idea is to move an otherwise flyable aircraft with a bad engine from an airstrip with no facilities, to an FBO with a AP mechanic available for an engine swap. Let's say perhaps 100-200 miles, VFR ...
Tailwind Charlie's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
884 views

Which pilot license is required in the US to engage in glider towing?

As a former member of a US glider club (I live in Europe now, and it's all winch launches), I always thought being a tow pilot was a good way to build time. Can a private pilot tow gliders in exchange ...
Juan Jimenez's user avatar
  • 13.2k
22 votes
3 answers
7k views

Why does the headset man not get on the tractor?

As far as I can see, the pushback operation of a passenger aircraft is carried out by a similar application at many airports. It's a towbarless tractor and driver who pushes the aircraft together with ...
GolfCharlie's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
2k views

What is the material of this tow bar?

What are the materials used in a tow bar of the pictured design? I am interested in the materials use for the tube (which aluminium alloy?) and the materials of the lunette mount flat and inside ...
user35367's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
978 views

Why is this unit attached to the main landing gear not a common unit for towing or pushback?

Less loading is applied to the fuselage with this method compared to towing or the towbarless way. Why is it not really common? I'd like to detail this. There's my point, wouldn't it reduce cycles of ...
user35367's user avatar
7 votes
3 answers
3k views

Why not tow aircraft instead of single-engine taxi?

To save costs, budget airlines could potentially eliminate the single-engine taxi that is standard. Companies are looking into things like electric motors on the wheels of airliners for taxi, which ...
Cloud's user avatar
  • 14.5k
9 votes
1 answer
423 views

Airbus towing: is it necessary to switch on the Y HYD pump?

So, somehow our operations came up with a new requirement: if one of our A320 or A340 is being towed, we are supposed to switch on the Y ELEC pump (if the engines are off). This shall prevent ...
Ulu83's user avatar
  • 763
25 votes
5 answers
3k views

Does it make sense towing airplanes to the head of airstrip by external (eg electric) means?

Does it make sense towing airplanes to the head of airstrip by electric means, whether internal or external? Taxiing from the gate to the runway on jet power seems like a waste of fuel. Is it ...
Urquiola's user avatar
38 votes
12 answers
18k views

Can a passenger jet be towed to safety if it breaks down in midair?

A car can be towed by a tow truck to the repair shop when it breaks down on the highway. Is it possible for a passenger plane to be towed by an emergency tow plane along the air corridor to the next ...
Question Overflow's user avatar