Soaring News - August 2019

Photo Credit; Tom Shipp

August was a great month for the Club, 113 flights compared to 99 last month and 406 total flight during the 2019 season, we are near the break-even number.

Mark Geudtner passed his Private Glider test with DPE Kerry Brown, Nate Kemppainen was approved to schedule his Private test with Kerry and Anik Ganguly was approved for Solo flight.

Most Wednesday Operations were canceled due to weather but we had one really good day with one private glider reaching Sandhill Soaring and one delayed about an hour due to a land out at hamrock. The Pawnee was called to action with a successful tow out and the glider (ASW15) flew the rest of the afternoon. Student training is progressing well, Deizel and Jacob Cook, Jared Staib and Ludwik Lembryk are flying tow and making takeoff and landings with some instructor tweaking. Jim Thompson, Anik Ganguly, Cameron Kemppainen and Bob Kuehne are solo students. Solo students require supervision from an instructor.

A former 1960’s ASC Member Tom Bajkieweiz visited the club and was given a ride in the K21 by Neal Miller, he still knows how to fly a glider (after tow). Tom did many hours towing and flying gliders during the 60’s and 70’s, completed a five hour duration flight in a 1-26 (former club glider) from a 2K tow release.

For those who have not seen Brandon Schultz lately, he has moved up to a Cessna Citation and instructing with Skywalker Flying between Citation flights, all while studying for a college degree in aviation. Way to go Brandon, your energy is about as high as a good soaring thermal.

Last month I made a note about maintaining the glider wings level until stopped or near so after landing, the process seems to be catching on, keep it up. Still a couple members like to turn off the runway after landing, most of the time this prevents a takeoff until the glider is retrieved. Turning off on crosswind days increase the chance of a ground loop or hitting a cone. If the tow plane is landing, move the glider off the main runway, the main runway is safer for the tow plane due to a trailing two hundred foot rope. Our club operations run fairly well but we need to ensure that someone is acting as Operation Officer for safe and efficient operation. If the acting operation officer decides to fly, hand off the responsibility to another member.

When turning from base to final keep your aim point on target, nose down and speed up. Outside rudder is OK but inside rudder is a control position for spin training.

Tom Shipp.