Our Tow Aircraft
Gliding Tasmania

Current tow aircraft

Eurofox 915iS

Our current tow aircraft is the Eurofox 915iS — a state-of-the-art lightweight tug in a nose-wheel configuration, registered under Recreational Aircraft Australia (RAAus). It replaced our long-serving Piper Pawnee in 2023.

The Eurofox is purpose-built for glider towing and brings significantly improved performance, reliability, and reduced fuel costs compared to older tug aircraft. Shorter tow times mean more flights can be completed on a busy day.

Engine
Rotax 915iS — 141 hp turbocharged, fuel-injected, water-cooled
Configuration
Nose-wheel, 2-seat, RAAus registered
Tow performance
Exceptional — significantly faster climb rates than the Pawnee
Regulations
Operated under the applicable RAAus regulatory framework
Eurofox towing a glider at Tunbridge Airfield

Why the Eurofox?

A Fundamental Upgrade

The decision to acquire the Eurofox represented a major step forward for our towing operations. Here's what it delivers for our members and visitors.

Superior Reliability

The Rotax 915iS uses modern fuel injection and redundant ignition systems, dramatically improving dispatch reliability over our vintage Pawnee.

High Performance

141 hp of turbocharged power means faster tow times to height — more flights per day and less waiting around for members and AEF passengers.

Reduced Fuel Costs

The modern turbocharged Rotax is more fuel-efficient than the vintage Lycoming O-320 in the Pawnee, helping keep tow costs manageable for members.

Greater Tug Availability

A modern, reliable aircraft means more tug pilots are willing and able to fly it, reducing the risk of flying days being cancelled due to tug unavailability.

Our heritage tug

The Pawnee — VH-SCL

Before the Eurofox, Gliding Tasmania used a Piper PA-25-150 Pawnee (VH-SCL) as its tow aircraft. The Pawnee served the club faithfully for over 14 years and is now retired from towing duties, but its story is worth telling.

A Life Well Lived

Serial number 25-438, VH-SCL was produced in the United States in 1960 and first registered on 4 March 1961. It uses a model O-320 Textron Lycoming engine with a fixed-pitch propeller. The Soaring Club of Tasmania became the certificate holder of VH-SCL on 10 January 2008.

VH-SCL started life as a crop duster operating in Albury, NSW. It was involved in a wire-strike accident on 4 January 1969 while cotton spraying near St George, Queensland — details of which are documented in the ATSB accident report. Prior to joining Gliding Tasmania, VH-SCL served at the Sunraysia Gliding Club at Koorlong, Victoria before making its way to Tasmania — where it towed thousands of gliders skyward over more than a decade.

1960
Built in the USA. First registered 4 March 1961.
1960s
Operated as a crop duster in Albury, NSW.
1969
Wire-strike accident near St George, QLD while cotton spraying.
1983
Tow aircraft at Sunraysia Gliding Club, Koorlong, Victoria.
2008
Soaring Club of Tasmania becomes certificate holder.
2023
Retired from towing duty following delivery of the Eurofox 915iS.