Tracy Tillman writes:

Greetings! This message to you is from Tracy Tillman, Region 7
Director and Chair the USHPA Towing Committee.



It is absolutely critical that providers and participants of aerotowing be aware
of the requirement for tugs, tug pilots, and aerotow operations to transition
and adhere to new FAA Sport Pilot regulations and other related FAA regulations
by January 31, 2008. Because most tugs used for aerotowing hang gliders in the
US are too heavy to be classified as true ultralights, and/or have two seats,
nearly all tugs in the US will have to be converted to N-numbered E-LSA aircraft
by January 31, 2008, and tug pilots will have to become licensed Private Pilots
with FAA Tow endorsements in order to continue to tow. To help tug pilots and
hang glider pilots understand the rules, regulations, and guidelines for
aerotowing of hang gliders in the United States, and in particular, to help them
with the transition to the new Sport Pilot regulations, Lisa Colletti and I have
written a series of "Towline" articles for USHPA's Hang Gliding and Paragliding
magazine on those topics.



The first four articles in that series, listed below, are now posted online on
USHPA's web site at:
http://www.ushpa.aero/info_sportpilot.asp



Dec. 06 issue - Part 103 Regulations: USHPA's Tandem and Towing Exemptions

Jan. 07 issue - Sport Pilot: An Overview

Mar. 07 issue - Conversion of Ultralight Tugs to N-numbered Experimental Light
Sport Aircraft

Apr. 07 issue - Tug Pilot Qualifications, Ratings, Endorsements

May 07 issue (coming) - LSA Tug Airworthiness and Maintenance



We are working on more Sport Pilot articles for our "Towline" column for future
issues of HG/PG magazine, which will be added to the series that are currently
posted on the Sport Pilot page of USHPA's web site.



Do not assume that your tug pilots know about this!! If you aerotow and want to
continue aerotowing next year, please help spread the word, and tell your
aerotow operators and tug pilots about these resources to help them understand
and make the transition before January 31, 2008, They (and you) must realize
that the FAA will not allow our heavy ultralight tugs to be converted to
N-numbered E-LSA aircraft after January 31, 2008. If not converted to an
N-numbered E-LSA by January 31, 2008, the FAA will consider the tug to be an
unregistered unairworthy aircraft that (a) can not be flown at all, (b) can not
be converted to an E-LSA in the future, and (c) can never be used for towing,
ever again.



While this is somewhat a message of gloom, please realize that Lisa Colletti and
I and the USHPA are trying to help prevent doom for your aerotowing activities.
We would love to get questions from pilots and aerotow operators about Sport
Pilot issues that we could answer by email and perhaps include in our "Towline"
column for the magazine. Please feel free to email your questions to us at
.