How to Tie the Airplane Hitch
Usage
The Airplane Hitch is an adjustable tie-down for anything that must stay tensioned through wind that won't quit — a light aircraft on the ramp, a tarp or awning line in a storm, or trailer equipment that vibrates loose over miles of road. Two friction stages tied one after another on the same standing part grip harder the harder they're pulled, and still slide to reset tension by hand — holding through the gusts, then coming off quickly once the wind settles.
Why Learn the Airplane Hitch?
A single friction hitch is fast, but gusting wind works it loose a little at a time. Doubling it fixes that: the second stage holds the tension the first set, catching creep before it adds up. Learn it with the Knot IQ app and you've got a tie-down that outlasts a storm without a ratchet.
Common Uses
Aviation Tie-Down
- Securing a light aircraft to a hangar or ground tie-down ring through gusting overnight wind.
Camping & Exposed Guylines
- Tensioning a guyline or awning in strong wind where a plain friction hitch keeps creeping loose.
Transport & Equipment
- Non-critical loads only: adjustable tie-downs for trailer cargo subject to vibration. Inspect and re-tension regularly — it isn't a substitute for rated cargo hardware.
Category
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Notable Features
- Dual Friction Stages: Two gripping sections increase holding reliability.
- Midshipman's Base: The first stage uses a Midshipman's Hitch structure, not a plain Taut-Line spiral.
- Quick-Release Finish: A slipped final wrap allows rapid cast-off once unloaded.
- Gust Resistant: Resists cyclic gusting better than a standard Taut-Line Hitch.
Similar Knots
Midshipman's Hitch vs. Airplane Hitch
The Airplane Hitch is two Midshipman's Hitches in series. A single Midshipman's is faster to tie, easier to inspect, and — tensioned correctly — grips nearly as well as a Bowline. The second stage adds redundancy, not breaking strength, catching the tension the first stage set before wind can creep it loose.
- Advantage: Better resistance to gust-driven creep, unattended, in high wind.
- Disadvantage: Slower to tie, bulkier, and uses more rope.
Taut-Line Hitch vs. Airplane Hitch
Both are adjustable friction hitches that slide to set tension. The Taut-Line Hitch uses a simple spiral wrap, quick for everyday guylines. The Airplane Hitch swaps that base for a stronger-gripping Midshipman's stage plus a second stage, trading speed for holding power in real wind.
- Advantage: Holds through gusting wind that would work a Taut-Line Hitch loose.
- Disadvantage: More complex to tie and dress than a single Taut-Line Hitch.
Security Level
Tensioned and dressed correctly, the Airplane Hitch grips close to a Bowline's hold and resists gusting better than a single friction hitch — but it is not inherently secure. It depends on maintained tension and a carefully laid second wrap; tied loose and slid to tension, it holds only about half as well, and it isn't rated for life-safety loads. Treat it as a strong tie-down for gear and aircraft, never for a person or a fall.
Downsides
- More Complex: Tying two hitches under tension takes longer than a single Midshipman's or Taut-Line Hitch.
- Dressing-Sensitive: Needs the second wrap of each stage laid carefully inside the first.
- Bulky: Uses noticeably more rope than a single friction hitch.
- Not Life-Safety Rated: Can slip if bumped, mis-dressed, or tied on slick rope — not for holding a person or a fall.
History
Pilots have long tied two Midshipman's-family hitches in series to keep light aircraft secure through gusty nights, documented as standard practice on flying-club sites like flybasa. The name "Airplane Hitch" is younger than the technique: its earliest attested use traces to a 2021 forum post on Van's Air Force, where a pilot argued the taut-line hitch "should be called the airplane hitch, it works like magic."
How to Tie the Airplane Hitch
Step 1
Run the line up through the aircraft tie-down ring (or over the anchor point) so you have a standing part coming back down toward you.
Step 2
Tie stage 1 close to the ring — within about six inches (15 cm): form a Midshipman's Hitch on the standing part, using a riding turn and a rolling-hitch-style lock that secures the tail to the standing part. Tie it while the line already carries tension — pull it taut first — the single biggest factor in how well it holds.
Step 3
Pull stage 1 snug so it grips and takes the strain.
Step 4
Tie stage 2 about 10-15 in (25-40 cm) further down the standing part: a second Midshipman's-family hitch that holds tension on the first.
Step 5
Finish stage 2 with a slipped final wrap — tuck a bight, not the end, through the last turn — so a pull on the drawloop releases it for a quick cast-off once the line is unloaded.
Step 6
Dress both stages so the second wrap of each lies neatly inside the first — a proud or loose second wrap is the documented gust-slip failure — then set by loading the standing part.
FAQ
Is the Airplane Hitch a real knot?
It's a real technique, not a separate knot: two Midshipman's Hitches tied in series, the second slipped for quick release, long used by pilots to tie down light aircraft. It has no catalog entry of its own — it's a double application of the older Midshipman's Hitch.
Why tie two hitches instead of one?
The second hitch holds the tension the first hitch set, so wind gusts can't gradually work it loose. It's a backup, not a way to raise the rope's breaking strength.
What rope works best?
Firm, textured rope — dacron double-braid or three-strand — grips best. Storm-tie-down testing from AVweb favors dacron or nylon over slick hollow-braid polypropylene, which a friction hitch can barely grip.
Midshipman's Hitch vs. Taut-Line Hitch — which should I use?
The Midshipman's Hitch bites harder and creeps less than a plain Taut-Line Hitch. Doubled into the Airplane Hitch, it holds gusting wind better still, at the cost of more rope and fussier dressing. For an everyday guyline, the Taut-Line Hitch is usually enough.
Important Notes on Safety
The Airplane Hitch holds by friction, only while the standing part stays tensioned:
- Not Life-Safety Rated: A friction hitch that can slip if bumped or mis-dressed. Do not use it to hold a person or a fall load.
- Tie It Under Tension: Must be tied while the line already carries tension. Tied loose then slid to tension, it holds only about half as well.
- Lay the Second Wrap In, Not Proud: The second wrap of each stage needs to sit inside the first — a wrap left riding proud is the most common way it slips in a gust.
- Never Add a Quick-Release Bow: Don't rig a quick-release bow into the loaded hitch — it comes unwound under tension instead of staying put.
- Slick Rope Defeats It: Slides loose on slick hollow-braid polypropylene and HMPE line. Use textured three-strand, dacron, or nylon instead.
Practice the double Midshipman's on scrap line before trusting it in a storm — a Bear Essentials Knot Tying Card is a handy way to drill it until it's automatic.
