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A knot in the towline reduces its strength by up to 50 percent, and causes a high spot in the rope that is more susceptible to wear. Pay particular attention to the ring area to which the glider attaches because this is also a high-wear area. 

The safety link is constructed of towline with a towring on one end and the other end spliced into a loop. The weak link at the glider attach end of the towline must be 80 to 200 percent of the maximum certificated operating weight of the glider. The safety link at the towplane attach end must be of greater strength than the safety link at the glider attach end of the towline, but not more than 25 percent greater, nor greater than 200 percent of the maximum certificated weight of the glider. Towlines and weak links are assembled using a towring that is appropriate for the operation. Lightweight balls are attached to the towline to help protect the towline, prevent line rash, and prevents the line from whipping. [Figure 6-10] 

The tow hooks on both the glider and the towplane need to be inspected. The two most common types of tow hook are an over-the-top design, such as a Schweizer hook, or a grasping style, such as a Tost hook. Any tow hook must be freely operating, and free from damage. [Figures 6-11 and  6-12] 

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## Glider Preflight Inspection 

A thorough inspection of the glider should be accomplished before launch. A preflight checklist for a glider should be in the GFM/POH. If not, develop a checklist using the guidelines contained in Figure 6-13 . 

