Paul Olson started his company Scooter Tow as a way to help budding flying enthusiasts learn to hang glide.
Typically, a small plane is used to pull the hang glider up to 2000 feet or so where the glider disconnects from the plane and flies slowly to the ground. This technique is best performed only after the flying student simulates the plane-pulling experience much closer to the ground and at a much safer altitude. And several times at that!
The Scooter in Scooter Tow is a tool to simulate the pulling of the plane. To setup the scooter tool, a cable whichs connected a modified scooter, is run out several thousand feet into the airport's field, threaded through a pulley system and and then returned to clip onto the student's flight harness. A quick release mechanism on the harness serves as a emergency release but also as a way to disconnect from the cable when one has achieved sufficient altitude.
When it's time to experience scooter assisted flight, an operator runs the scooter's engine, thereby pulling the cable and he student forward. It doesn't require a lot of speed to launch the hang glider at which point the student can release the cable to fly on his own.
Time for a flight!
It's a nice, quiet day at the Twin Oaks airport in Whitewater, WI. The airport is used by smaller aircraft but today few planes are using it making it perfect for my first flight.
I'm excited about my first lesson. A few clouds in the sky indicate some possible sprinkles, but that's not going to hamper my enthusiasm for getting up into the air.
Paul has several licensed flight instructors with whom he works and today's instructor is Stan Abromski. Stan is patient with me as I become familiar with the equipment and he works slowly so that I understand what's about to happen. He demonstrates the the system for me so I can see how he operates it, in preparation for me to take my own turn.
Since safety is paramount in this sport, much of the time involved is in hang glider setup and preparation.
The hang gliders break down into a compact and transportable package. In fact, a large hang glider can ride on top of a regular car for transport to and from the airport.
When it's time to fly, two people working together can assemble the craft in 20 minutes or so. Careful consideration of the wind speed and direction is important even during assembly because a sudden gust of wind can lift the partially assembled glider airborne before it's totally ready for flight. The hang glider weighs about 50 lbs but it feels lighter then a feather when directed into the wind.
This video is part 1. Part 2 will cover Paul's bivouac adventures that he plans to do with Lizz Fabel (Paul's wife) as the chef.
When it's time to experience scooter assisted flight, an operator runs the scooter's engine, thereby pulling the cable and he student forward. It doesn't require a lot of speed to launch the hang glider at which point the student can release the cable to fly on his own.