This was my first time aerotowing the Piuma but also my first time aerotowing at all for nearly 2 years! The Piuma behaved impeccably on tow and the whole tow was an anticlimax.
Off tow I managed to climb in weak lift (1m/s plus or minus) to extend the flight to 20mins despite the overcast.
I completely screwed up my landing approach by turning in what I thought was lift (legend low save story already being written in my head) only to find it wasn’t anything workable and then I was low, in the wrong place pointing the way and having to improvise. You wouldn’t normally come in over those tall trees like that and land nowhere near the rigging area!
I over compensated from my last light-wind landing on the Piuma where I flared a smidge early and this time I flared a smidge late. Perfection is somewhere between the two. I will get it!
For anyone else looking to aerotow a Piuma, I set the upper anchor about 35cm forward of the hang strap (this is a size M) and that seemed about perfect and gave really good pitch control and feedback with not too light and not too heavy bar pressure at all speeds on this tow.
If you are in the UK and want to take up this amazing sport check out www.hanggliding.co.uk
For all your HG gear - check us out at www.flypureair.co.uk
Site: Malvern Aerotow Club (UK)
Glider: Icaro2000 Piuma M (clip-in was 85kg)
Harness: Wills Wing Flylite3
Helmet: Icaro2000 Nerv
Variometer: Stodeus UltraBip
Speed-Sleeves: Ellipse
Tow-plane: Flylight FoxTug (Rotax 582)