TECHNIQUE BY IAN J. TWOMBLY ILLUSTRATION BY CHARLES FLOYD HEAVE-HO HOW TO TOW AN AIRPLANE WE CAN HEAR THE GROANS FROM HERE. Really? Learning to use an aircraft towbar? How hard can it be? Harder than one might expect. Generally attaching a towbar to the nose gear of an airplane is easy. It's the rest of it that's challenging. Here are some potential pitfalls. Most airplane wing tips are plastic or fiberglass, so even a light touch on a wall or door of a hangar can result in a $200 or $300 repair. Whenever possible, use three people-one to push and pull, and two to spot the wings and tail. Most light airplanes move easily on flat ground, but a helping hand is great to get over a hangar lip. Cessnas are great training airplanes in part because they're durable, and that goes for ground handling as well. You can attach a towbar to a 152 or 172 and turn as far as you like without hurting anything. Do that on a Bonanza or a Mooney and you'll be making a very expensive trip to the shop. Because of the linkage to the rudder and other systems, many aircraft have discrete tow limits. Sometimes they're marked with red lines as a reference on the nose gear. Sometimes not. Ask the owner or check the pilot's operating handbook if you've never steered that particular aircraft model before. Before you push or pull your steed out of its hangar, ensure the magnetos are off and move the propeller level by pushing in the direction of travel. This will ensure you don't whack it with the towbar. Now, the debate. Can you push or pull on the propeller hub? The propeller manufacturers say no. The expert mechanics on AOPA's Ask the A&Ps podcast say yes. As Mike Busch points out, the propeller is subject to much more intense forces in flight than your hands could ever hope to generate. 30 FLIGHT TRAINING JULY 2022