AeroTow Retrieve Fees

[Piet Barber]

I'm curious about what other clubs do with regards to charging members for aerotow retrieve fees. 

Sometimes it's just easier to have the towplane come and get you, and aerotow you back to home base when you land at an airport. 

I was curious what the other clubs around here do, with regards to charging for this. 

Do you charge a rate on a per-mile basis? 

Do you charge for the gas? 

Do you charge Tach time for the tow plane? 

Do you charge a flat fee, (because it's unlikely a glider is going to get an aerotow retrieve after a 500 mile straight out flight). 

[Lawrence Spinetta]

Our club decided to develop and encourage cross-country flights for all our members so we now just charge a regular aerotw (3K) tow charge for a retrieve / re-launch from any airfield within 50 miles.  That has encouraged folks to spread their wings.  I think is a great policy so people make conservative safety decisions rather than try to force a bad day to get home.   

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[Dan Daly]

Club charges $CAD4.85/min tach time from home field departure until towplane is back home.  We tow from a known list of airports; no off-field tows. Priority is keeping the airfield operation going; we might wait a while. Many just arrange a retrieve-buddy and leave their trailer hooked up to their car. 

[Ryan Bluestein]

My club is just $110/tach hour for a retrieve. Has to be an airport on the sectional. I have heard that we used to do aero retrieves from fields until a tow pilot nosed over doing that. Not sure how true that is.

Longest retrieve I have heard of was about 80 miles each way. Normally, you have to wait until operations at home are done for the day.

I generally try to offer to buy the tow pilot dinner as thanks for the pickup but I have yet to be taken up on my offer.

Ryan

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[mike]

Our club charges $180.00 per hour based on the tach time.  No off airport retrieves unless checked out by Chief Tow Pilot first and only upon his approval, otherwise all listed airports are fine.  Both tow planes must be operational and retrieves only done after flying for the day ceases.  Often the glider pilot opts for the trailer retrieve and the customary steak dinner for his crew afterwards.