APRIL 2020 $6.

25
 Reach
New Heights
AT ARIZONA’S PREMIER
SOARING SCHOOL
Arizona’s amazingly reliable weather and breathtaking scenery,
combined with our unmatched safety record and experienced
instructors, examiners, and flight-line staff, give us the distinction of
being Arizona’s premier soaring school. From student through CFI-G
training, we offer it all. You can even learn glider aerobatics from five-
time national aerobatic champion Jason Stephens. Tailwheel airplane
and tow pilot training are also now available.

• Open every day, year-round

• Conveniently located 20 miles south of Phoenix

Arizona Soaring 520.568.2318

at Estrella Sailport www.azsoaring.com
 Departments
2 Flight Lines
by Eric Bick
and MOTORGLIDING MAGAZINE
The Journal of The Soaring Society of America, Inc.
Published Continuously Since 1937
3 Chairman’s Thoughts
by Rich Owen & Anne Mongiovi

6 Soaring Mail
APRIL 2020 Letters from the Soaring Community
VOLUME 84 • NUMBER 4 14
8 Soaring News
Information, Announcements,
and Events

10 2020 Safety Program

by SSF Trustees

26 Glider Aerodynamics Puzzler

by Steve Platt

32 Soaring Stories
by Dale Masters

34 Open Forum
by James Alaggio

38 CAP Corner
by Mark Grant

18 42 Club Corner
by Lee Murray

43 XC Tips
by Garret Willat
22
Features 44
45
Eagle Fund

Sky Writing
14 10th WWGC
by Will Moonan
by Jay Campbell

46 Soaring Calendar
18 Join the Pilgrimage to Harris Hill
by Jim Short
Contests and Special Events

50 Soaring Memories

22 Western USA Museums & Airshows

by Jack Wyman
by Ian McFall
51 Badges & Records
by Rollin Hasness

Front Cover: Sarah Arnold landing at Lake Keepit, Australia after a successful day soaring in the 52 Soaring Milestones
10th Women’s World Gliding Championships. Sarah won Gold, ending a 35 year U.S.A. drought Gliding Achievements and Final Glide
for achieving the title “World Champion.” See Feature article, p 14. (Photo by Michael Zupanc,
Peak Pictures – peakpictures.net.) 57 Soaring Classifieds
Centerfold: Dillingham Airfield, HI – Lift so consistent an MDM-1 Fox can stay up all day! Taken Sailplane and Equipment Listings
from “Open Forum” article on pending closure of Dillingham Airfield to public use. (Photo by
Jorge Atramiz, Courtesy of Citizen Watch Company.) 60 Index of Advertisers
www.ssa.org • April 2020 • Soaring 1

and MOTORGLIDING MAGAZINE
Soaring magazine is the official journal of the Soaring Society
of America. The Soaring Society of America (SSA) is a nonprofit
organization. The purpose of the Society is to foster and promote all
phases of soaring. The SSA is a division of the National Aeronautic
Association (NAA), the U.S. National Aero Club, which represents
the U.S. in the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI), the
world sport aviation body comprised of all national aero clubs. NAA
has delegated to the SSA the supervision of FAI related soaring
activities, as follows: Record attempts, competitions, FAI Badges,
and selection of the United States Team for the World Gliding
Championships.
PUBLICATIONS STAFF
Publisher, Denise Layton
Editor, Eric Bick
Advertising, Melinda Hughes
Art Director, Kevin D. O’Brien
Assistant Editor, Brienna Bick
Contributors: James Alaggio, Jay Campbell, Mark Grant, Rollin
Hasness, Melinda Hughes, Dale Masters, Anne Mongiovi, Will
Moonan, Lee Murray, Rich Owen, Steve Platt, SSF Trustees,
Garret Willat, Jack Wyman, Ian McFall, Jim Short.
Offices: SSA Business Office and Soaring magazine Business and
Editorial: P.O. Box 2100, Hobbs, NM 88241-2100. (575) 392-1177.
SSA Fax: (575) 392-8154. Soaring Advertising E-mail:
advertising@ssa.org, Soaring Editorial E-Mail: editor@ssa.org,
SSA Info: feedback@ssa.org. SSA internet address: www.ssa.org
CONTRIBUTION OF MATERIAL; COPYRIGHT;
LEGAL DISCLAIMER
Material published in Soaring magazine is contributed by individuals
for the enjoyment of soaring enthusiasts. Material expected to be
returned must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed return
envelope. Manuscripts accepted for publication are subject to edition
necessary to adapt the material to the space requirements and the
standards of the magazine. Soaring magazine is not responsible for
lost or damaged photographs, artwork or manuscripts. Cover and
full contents of Soaring magazine are fully protected by copyright,
©2019 The Soaring Society of America, Inc. (SSA). Nothing may
be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission of the
publisher. It is condition of submission to and acceptance by Soaring
magazine that all material submitted for consideration and/or
publication (including photographs and text), whether submitted as
a result of a request by the SSA or not, is submitted on the basis that
the SSA has the right, without payment or compensation, to repro-
duce and sell or distribute freely, and to authorize third parties who
are engaged in the dissemination of information relating to the sport
of soaring to reproduce and sell or distribute freely, such material. By
submitting such material to the SSA for consideration and/or publi-
cation the submitter represents that he holds the right to grant release
of copyright in respect of such material. If the submitted material
is clearly identified (in the case of material in electronic, Identified
in the filename) with the name of its creator suitable attribution
of its source will be given. The SSA and Soaring magazine assume
no responsibility for the opinions expressed or statements made in
articles published, which remain the responsibility of the contribut-
ing author and should be independently evaluated by the reader as the
accuracy and correctness.
MEMBERSHIP AND SUBSCRIPTIONS
Membership in the SSA is open to any person. Membership categories
are: FULL MEMBERS $75 per year, ASSOCIATE MEMBERS $62
per year, FAMILY MEMBERS $45 per year, YOUTH MEMBERS
$42 per year, and LIFE MEMBERS $1,875.00. Soaring subscrip-
tion price: U.S. only libraries and institutions $52 per year, Foreign
Subscriptions (Pay in U.S. funds only) $59 per year.
POSTAL INFORMATION
Soaring magazine (USPS #499-920) is published monthly by The
Soaring Society of America, Inc., 5425 W. Jack Gomez Blvd, Hobbs,
NM 88240. Periodicals Postage Paid at Hobbs, NM 88240-9998 and
at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes
to Soaring, c/o SSA, P.O. Box 2100, Hobbs, NM 88241-2100.
Paid circulation of the March issue was 9,311.
Copyright ©2020 The Soaring Society of America, Inc.
Printing by Ovid Bell Press – Fulton, MO
MADE IN THE U.S.A.
2 Soaring • April 2020 • www.ssa.org
FLIGHT LINES
BY ERIC BICK
EDITOR
T
he biennial SSA Soaring Convention is over. Note that the exhibit
floor was mainly motorgliders. In the next issue, we’ll cover this
and other convention topics in more detail. There were several high-
lights this year, and I’ll try to convey the atmosphere as I experienced it.
Take a look at the “Open Forum” article about Dillingham Airfield
in Hawaii maybe going back to the Army. The FAA is saying it has to
stay open to the public longer than the article says, since FAA funds
were provided for some upgrades. Well, I’ve seen local governments go
the opposite way from what the FAA says, so stay tuned. It would be a
shame to lose this location as a soaring site. The article includes points
of contact to provide input.
Our top feature covers the Women’s World Gliding Championship
at Lake Keepit, New South Wales, Australia. As everyone knows by
now, Sarah Arnold, Kathy Fosha, and Sylvia Grandstaff flew for the
U.S.A. team, and Sarah brought home the gold in Standard Class
ending a 35 year drought in U.S.A. World Championships. Our cover
features Sarah landing after a successful day soaring. The ladies gave a
great presentation at the SSA Awards Banquet, which will be covered
in the May issue.
In our features, we have an article about the upcoming ( July 2020)
International Vintage Soaring Meet in Harris Hill, NY by Jim Short.
Jim provided several photos of vintage sailplanes, and we fit as many in
as we could. These are beautiful gliders, and the event will present a lot
of eye candy, plus flying.
Our other feature this issue is a bit different. Ian McFall is providing
a series of articles on aviation-related museums around the world. Let
us know how you like them.
For those who’ve been following my motorglider saga, I recently
completed a nice wave flight out of Moriarty, NM. It took me about
a half hour to find the wave, running the motor until I connected. I’ve
now had three flights with the motor and it’s been performing flaw-
lessly – full RPM at takeoff, climbing to 10.5 kft and higher, air restarts,
cruising in level flight – the works. I’m really looking forward to the
new season.
I have a request. The Harris Hill Soaring Corporation selects, when
there are nominations, awardees for the Joseph C. Lincoln Memorial
Award. The criteria are:
• Must be interesting
• Should be in the style of Joe Lincoln’s writing
• Should encourage the reader to join in the sport of soaring
• Must be published in the English language.
It is awarded biennially, and the last award was in 2009, so 2011,
2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 went without awards. Information can be found
at http://harrishillsoaring.org/doc/lincoln.htm as to criteria and time
window.
One way (but not the only way) to earn this award is through articles
written in Soaring magazine. My request is for readers to either nomi-
nate candidates (per the website instructions), and/or to write articles
for Soaring magazine worthy of the award. For the latter, I will select a
handful to pass on in nomination before June 30, 2021. After that, you
can go flying. See you up there.
 THE SOARING SOCIETY OF AMERICA, INC.

CHaIrmaN’S THOUGHTS
The Soaring Society of America (SSA) is a nonprofit organization.
The purpose of the Society is to foster and promote all phases
of soaring. The SSA is a division of the National Aeronautic
Association (NAA), the U.S. National Aero Club, which represents
BY RICH OWEN & the U.S. in the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI), the
world sport aviation body comprising all national aero clubs. NAA
ANNE MONGIOVI has delegated to the SSA the supervision of FAI related soaring
activities, as follows: Record attempts, competitions, FAI badges,
and selection of the United States Team for the World Gliding
Let’s go to the air show! Championships. Soaring magazine is the official journal of the SSA.
For the pilots in the crowd, I would imagine most of us went to an air
SSA OFFICERS
show when we were little. From the days of barnstormers and air races, Chairman, Ann Lafford
these aviation experiences have been the breeding ground of young 1st Vice Chairman, Geoff Weck
Vice Chairman, Jim Garrison
pilots throughout the years. When manned exploration of space started Treasurer, Richard Maleady
with John Glenn’s flight in 1962, kids would line the shores of Jetty Secretary & Vice Chair, Cindy Brickner
Ad Hoc Member, Ken Sorenson and Frank Whitely
Park in Port Canaveral, Florida and watch the rockets fly.
We might not be able to expose the kids at the park to soaring, but we SOCIETY STAFF
Executive Director, Denise Layton
can certainly reach out to the youth at other aviation venues. The first Member Services, Alexa Owens
thing we should do is ask some pertinent questions. Accounting Manager, Kathey Pope
Convention Coordinator, Gaynell Williams
Editor, Soaring magazine, Eric Bick
Who’s your audience? Advertising/Member Services, Melinda Hughes
Merchandise, Lucy Herrera
Whether you are a commercial operation or a club sponsoring the
booth, your goal should be to expose as many aviation-interested people SOCIETY SERVICES
to soaring as you can. As you plan the event, it is important to under- Merchandise: merchandise@ssa.org
Membership: membership@ssa.org
stand who will be attending and then cater your display to their unique Advertising: advertising@ssa.org
interests. Clubs and Chapters: chapter@ssa.org
Sailplane Racing: contests@ssa.org
Sun ‘n’ Fun and Air Venture (Oshkosh) are shows which market Donations, Promotion: development@ssa.org
to pilots looking to see what’s new in the aviation community. Sure, Press Relations: media@ssa.org
Web site: webmaster@ssa.org
there are flight displays, but most of the crowd are already pilots. Power Or contact the Society by phone: 575-392-1177
pilots will be attracted to the simple way an add-on glider rating can
DIVISIONS
be accomplished. Pilots looking for more of a challenge in aviation will 1-26 Association
enjoy hearing about competitive soaring and OnLine Contest (OLC) www.126association.org
Vintage Sailplane Association
type flights. www.vintagesailplane.org
On the contrary, military and civilian air shows will have plenty of Experimental Soaring Association
www.esoaring.com
pilots in attendance, but will also draw a significant crowd of people Women Soaring Pilots Association
who are interested in aviation but are not pilots. For these individu- www.womensoaring.org
Auxiliary-powered Sailplane Association
als, the reduced cost of obtaining their first pilot’s certificate through http://sites.google.com/site/motorgliders/the-asa
a glider rating is a big plus. This is especially true for young, aspiring Freedom’s Wings, International
www.freedomswings.org
pilots trying to enter professional aviation, since glider time is a more World Class Soaring Association
cost-effective way to meet flight time requirements. www.wcsa.org
Flying at a club or commercial operation allows these young adults
AFFILIATES
National Soaring Museum
www.soaringmuseum.org
Collegiate Soaring Association
www.coloradosoaring.org/ssa/coll/home.htm
U.S. Southwest Soaring Museum
www.swsoaringmuseum.org
League of Silent Flight, Inc.
www.silentflight.org

REGIONAL DIRECTOR CONTACTS

SSAregion1-3@ssa.org
(ME, NH, VT, CT, MA, RI, Northern NY, Western PA)
SSAregion2-4@ssa.org
(NJ, Southern NY, Eastern PA, DE, DC, MD, VA, WV)
SSAregion5@ssa.org (AL, FL, GA, MS, NC, SC, TN, PR, VI)
SSAregion6@ssa.org (IN, KY, MI, OH)
SSAregion7@ssa.org (IL, IA, MN, Eastern MO, ND, SD, WI)
SSAregion8@ssa.org (AK, ID, MT, OR, WA)
SSAregion9@ssa.org (AZ, CO, NM, UT, WY)
SSAregion10@ssa.org (AR, KS, LA, Western MO, NE, OK, TX)
Stemme shared their space with the SSA booth. We wished we had their inflatable tent and SSAregion11@ssa.org (Northern CA, GU, HI, NV)
flags. SSAregion12@ssa.org (Southern CA)

www.ssa.org • April 2020 • Soaring 3

to build time, become CFI-Gs and
tow pilots, and enjoy the camaraderie
of being around fun pilots. The social
aspect of the soaring community is
another big plus.
How do you plan your display?
It is better to go bigger than small-
er at all but the smallest events. It is
hard to sell soaring without a glider on
display. It doesn’t have to be a racing
ship, but it should be clean and pre-
sentable. The SSA has received a pro-
posal to purchase an inflatable tent
that could be placed over a cockpit
of an assembled glider. Popup metal
frame awnings have been used in the
past, but high winds can sometimes
make these sun shades blow down
the ramp area, inflicting damage on
the sailplane. The proposed tent uses
a blower to get it inflated and it can
be rapidly deflated if winds come up
unexpectedly – the tent just lays on the
glider without causing any damage.
Booth location, signage, advertis-
ing in the show magazine, banners,
flags, and targeted brochures to your
audience all contribute to a success-
ful display. The SSA has produced an
excellent trifold pamphlet on soaring
that includes vintage gliders, state of
the art ships, old guys, and youngsters,
and provides superb explanations of
U.S.
SOUTHWEST SOARING MUSEUM...
YOU HAVE TO SEE IT
TO BELIEVE IT !
If you can’t visit us
then we invite your membership
505-832-9222
U.S. Southwest Soaring Museum
918 Old Highway 66, Moriarty, NM, USA
ussouthwestsoaringmuseum@gmail.com
www.swsoaringmuseum.org
4 Soaring • April 2020 • www.ssa.org
ASG 29Es on display with adjacent information booth.
the soaring experience. We put a num-
ber of these in the display glider’s map
pocket for easy access when talking to
visitors.
Having scholarship information
available is a great way to start a con-
versation with potential young avia-
tors and their parents.
A chart that shows where you can
fly gliders around the area or the coun-
try is helpful.
Of course, having printed infor-
mation tailored to your club or com-
mercial operation helps answer a lot
of questions when these people get
home. Don’t forget contact informa-
tion, websites, and a link to the SSA
website.
Depending on your booth and re-
sources, movies (if you are indoors or
in a fully enclosed tent) are a great
visual medium to see soaring.
If you have a Condor simulator set
up, do not be surprised if it is the hit of
the show. Nothing encourages a pilot
more than watching his son or daugh-
ter fly the wings off the simulator!
Who should staff the booth?
Depending on the size of the show
and your target audience, you should
have an instructor or experienced pi-
lot that can talk about the process and
requirements for obtaining a glider
rating. Having a tow pilot or a young
glider pilot available is another great
idea. Club members and other volun-
teers should be sufficiently staffed so
you do not wear them out during a hot
day in the sun. Ask your volunteers
to take the initiative and introduce
themselves. When visitors talk to a
friendly, knowledgeable, and motivat-
ed glider pilot, the end result is a posi-
tive experience. Providing them with
quality material to pass out to visitors
makes their job easier. Taking care of
your volunteers is also very important.
Availability of cold/hot drinks will
keep volunteers hydrated. Having a
shaded area to sit down so your volun-
teers can talk to visitors puts everyone
in a comfortable environment.
There are many ways to showcase
these graceful ships and draw more
people into the soaring community.
Pilots are naturally curious, and it is
an easy draw to have them come by
the display. At the end of the day we
positioned the ASG 29E behind its
trailer and asked folks as they walked
by, “How long does it take to get the
glider in the trailer?” We had many
answers from 2 hours to 30 minutes.
People hung around until Frank-
lin Burbank and I disassembled the
glider and closed the trailer in under
8 minutes. We did take the tape off
and unlocked the winglets before time
was started. Have fun at the air show,
but let’s go out and bring a glider with
us!
www.ssa.org • April 2020 • Soaring 5

SOarING maIL
LETTERS FROM THE
SOARING SOCIETY
I call
OK, I’ll call you on your February
2020 column (“Flight Lines,” Soar-
ing magazine, February 2020), in
which you invited emails concern-
ing magazine content. My only real
problem is the number of innovations
and acronyms noted in the magazine
that have come along over the years,
with no explanation of just what they
are, how they work, compatibility (or
lack thereof ) with other equipment,
learning curve, etc. An example men-
6 Soaring • April 2020 • www.ssa.org
tioned in just the February 2020 issue:
FLARM, which I understand is some
form of collision avoidance technol-
ogy. I’m also a power pilot, and I’m
quite familiar with the ADS-B OUT
requirements. How does this fit with
FLARM? Another: iGlide, men-
tioned in Mike Taylor’s article. (And
BTW, good article – much appreci-
ated, Mike.) Mike further provides a
good thumbnail sketch of how TCAS
works, but I don’t know of any glid-
ers that are equipped with TCAS.
Another example: The SeeYou USA
ad, lower right corner, p 23.  SeeYou
and Oudie-Mobile are noted in the
ad. I had to go to their website in order
to get some idea of what they are. As
nearly as I can tell, SeeYou is enhanced
moving map software and Oudie is the
hardware. I’ve seen them mentioned
in articles in the magazine, but I don’t
recall seeing a description or explana-
tion of what they do or how they work.
These “gadgetries,” and more, are also
presented in the Cumulus Soaring ad
on p 35. Would it kill you advertisers
to provide a brief description of what
these devices are, and what they do?
Contests: (I think) I know that a TAT
is a Turn Area Task, but I’m not clear
on what that is. MAT? Meteorologi-
cally Adverse Task? I have no idea.
And then there are turnpoint circles (I
vaguely recall an article about those).
And what about the OLC, or Online
Contest (I think). I don’t recall ever
seeing any explanation of how that
works.
Club Corner, p 43: What’s an
“OGN?”
Yes, I’m an ancient curmudgeon,
having not been in a glider for umpty-
ump years (that’s more than a single
digit and fewer than three digits of
years). Most all of the gliders that
I’ve flown have less electronics than
a pocket flashlight. I imagine that ex-
planations of each of the above “gad-
getries” have been printed in the mag-
azine in the past, but I don’t know of
an index for the contents of past issues
that would enable me to turn to a spe-
cific “gadget” and see what it’s all about.
Now, I realize that you can’t possibly
print details of all of these concerns in
60 pages in each issue. But if there is
a book or online site that explains all
this stuff, please let us Neanderthals
know. Let me point out that a major
concern in soaring is to attract new
members. When the magazine uses
such codes and acronyms as I have
noted above, with no explanation, how
likely do you think it is that newcom-
ers seeing the magazine will be at-
tracted to the sport?
— Jack McCombs, Life Member
Thank you for the input. This is an is-
sue – acronyms and soaring/aviation
jargon. We do try to spell out acronyms
first time of use in any article, but that
is not explaining. Further, it is tedious to
have to look up several items in the Soar-
ing archives or by internet search. But, for
reasons you mention, we simply have to
leave it to readers to do the research for
many of the items. Overall, our goal is to
at least define generally unfamiliar terms
and let the reader either search references,
or suggest an article (and an author).
I will note that some of our sport’s ven-
dors (Craggy Aero, Cumulus Soaring,
Wings & Wheels) do generally expound
and expand a bit on the latest gadgets. In
addition, Cumulus Soaring offers several
instructional videos on the latest gadgets.
However, readers do have to know that
and go their websites to find the relevant
materials. The SSA Store (on the SSA
website) does offer several books with rel-
evant information, although they tend
topically to be more in the glider flying
instruction genre.
In some cases, the topics do deserve
a separate article, such as your ques-
tion about how FLARM fits in with
ADS-B. I’m expecting to have an article
on this in a future issue – and, we do
welcome articles from members who are
knowledgeable in these matters.
Acronyms such as OLC (OnLine
Contest), TAT (Turn Area Task), MAT
(Modified Area Task), OGN (Open
Glider Network), ADS-B (Automated
Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast),
FLARM (FLight alARM), etc. can be
impediments to quick reads. For those
familiar with the terminology, it’s as
straightforward as AT&T, but for new-
bies, it will take a while to pick up on.
We do have a series of articles on OLC
(generally written by W. G. Hill), and
the “Contest Corner,” which has now
expanded in scope beyond articles solely
on contests, and does get into defining
and explaining jargon. The SSA website
also provides substantial information on
contest flying.
As a matter of fact, the SSA website
provides a plethora of information on
soaring, from safety to contests to the
Soaring magazine archives. This is one of
the benefits of being a member of the SSA.
A final note is your point on new mem-
bers. I’ve always found photos of gliders
in the sky or on the ground to be a big at-
traction to non-pilots. The sport is beauti-
ful; the gliders are beautiful. That is what
originally drew me to the sport and gave
me the incentive to study every aspect of
soaring from aerodynamics to weather to
gadgets. Those photos provided me an in-
centive to start learning about the sport.
Through our photos and articles, we hope
to provide all levels of soaring experi-
ence members with something of interest
to read in each issue – and to learn more
about our sport.
— Editor
www.ssa.org • April 2020 • Soaring 7

SOarING NEWS
INFORMATION,
ANNOUNCEMENTS, and EVENTS
SOAR THE WEST – New Glider
Operation
CFI-Gs Neita Montague and Rob
Stone are pleased to announce a new
glider operation, SOAR THE WEST,
at Air Sailing Gliderport, Reno, Ne-
vada. Their new-to-them and beauti-
fully maintained ASK 21 is equipped
and ready for all levels of training from
first lesson through CFI-G. Air Sail-
ing Gliderport is open year-round and
is an ideal location for learning and re-
fining your thermal and ridge soaring
skills. Also planned are  introductions
to cross-country soaring, transition to
gliders for power pilots, flight reviews,
orientation rides, and rental to quali-
fied pilots. Come get current and en-
joy flying in our wild and wooly West!
XXXV OSTIV Congress
The XXXV Congress of the In-
ternational Scientific and Techni-
cal  Organization for Gliding (OS-
TIV) will be held at the site of the
8 Soaring • April 2020 • www.ssa.org
• New developments in flight testing
• Airworthiness requirements
• Cockpit instruments, including
navigation instruments (GPS, etc.)
• Autonomous soaring.
Training and Safety Sessions
36th FAI World Gliding Champion- Training and Safety sessions will be
ships in the 18m-, 20m-, and Open held on subjects covering disciplines
Class, in  Stendal-Borstel, Germany, such as:
from July 19-24, 2020. The Congress  • Flight training, theory and analy-
addresses all scientific and techni- sis of techniques and results, psychol-
cal aspects of soaring flight  includ- ogy, objectives, training facilities and
ing motorgliding, hang gliding, para- material
gliding, ultralight  sailplanes, and • Human and medical factors in air-
aeromodeling. craft design and operation
Opportunity for presentation and • Piloting techniques
discussion of papers is given in the • Flight operation in controlled
following categories: airspace
• Safety devices.
Scientific Sessions
• Meteorology: Meteorological data Joint Sessions
acquisition and service for gliding op- Joint sessions cover topics of general
erations, weather forecasting for soar- interest in the field of gliding such as:
ing flight • Soaring history
• Climatology: Climates that sup- • General philosophy of competition
port soaring flight; climate change and classes
soaring • Documentation of badge and re-
• Atmospheric Physics: Period cord flights
cycles, turbulence, boundary layer in • Common interests with other air
complex terrain; analytical techniques sports like hang gliding, paragliding,
of delineating thermal and mesoscale microlights, and ultralights
structures from routine or experimen- • Human-powered flight; solar-
tal ground or flight data, or from re- powered flight.
mote sensors; modeling of thermals, Further information can be found
mesoscale or microscale structures. at: https://ostiv.org
While the call for papers is past due
Technical Sessions (February 2020), there can sometimes be
Technical sessions will cover all allowance for late submittals. — Editor
aspects of design, development, and
operation of sailplanes, motorgliders, FAI regretfully announces that the
ultralights and solar- or human-pow- 2022 FAI World Air Games, due
ered aircraft. Topics may include: to take place in Turkey, have been
• Airworthiness, structural concepts, cancelled
new materials, fatigue, crashworthi- The Turkish Aeronautical Associa-
ness, manufacturing processes tion (THK), which had been awarded
• Aerodynamics and flight the organization of the event, asked
mechanics the FAI to postpone the Games un-
• Trajectory optimization til 2025, due to the current difficult
• Stability and control economic situation in Turkey. Fol-
• Airframe vibration and flutter lowing this request, the FAI Execu-
• Propulsion systems tive Board, after consultation with the
• Design integration and Air Sports Commission Presidents,
optimization took the decision to cancel the 2022
Games rather than postponing them.
The Board further announced that the
Federation will undertake an overall
review of the FAI World Air Games
concept and format before deciding
on any future edition of the Games.
FAI President Bob Henderson said: This table lists the name and main
“This has not been an easy decision
to make. However it has been taken
with all interests at heart and with
a long-term and strategic view. The
FAI World Air Games is the flagship
event of the Federation and, as such,
we must make sure that it be held
in optimal conditions. The FAI will
take this opportunity to discuss inter-
nally the future of the Games taking
all FAI stakeholders’ best interests in
consideration.
“Since the start, the FAI, including
the FAI Office and the Sports Com-
missions, has been working hard on
the preparations for the event with
our esteemed Member THK. We are
grateful to our Turkish friends and
thank them for all their efforts.”
Information about the future FAI
World Air Games events will be com-
municated in due course. https://
www.fai.org/news/cancellation-2022-
fai-world-air-games-and-future-
overhaul-event-concept
Updated IGC-approval documents
for 35 types of Flight Recorders
Updated IGC-approval documents
for 35 types of Flight Recorders (FRs)
have been published on the IGC and
GFAC websites with a date of effect
on February 1, 2020. These documents
standardize references to webpages,
email addresses, and details of manu-
facturers, and there are no changes to
IGC-approval levels.
This follows 11 changes of IGC-
approval level that were published on
January 1.
As a result of the above, all current
IGC-approval documents now have
this year’s date.
Ian W Strachan
Chairman, IGC GNSS Flight Re-
corder Approval Committee (GFAC)
ian@ukiws.demon.co.uk
Notes:
1. For the GFAC website, see: www.
ukiws.demon.co.uk/GFAC
The complete table can be viewed
directly at: www.ukiws.demon.co.uk/
GFAC/igc_approved_frs.pdf
characteristics of individual IGC-
approvals, and in the last column, there
is a link to individual documents; click
the link to call up the document. The
table is followed by a list of individual
IGC-approval documents in alpha-
betical order of manufacturer’s name
from Aircotec to Zander. These can
be called up by clicking the document
name.
2. For the IGC website, go to: www.
fai.org/igc-documents
Scroll down and click “Flight Re-
corders,” look down and click on:
“IGC-approved Flight Recorders
– Approval Documents,” then click IGC file. The IGC file Validate check
on “IGC-approval Documents for ensures that the IGC file came from a
all IGC-approved Flight Record-
ers.” This will call up a list of docu-
ments, the first one being a table of all
IGC-approved FRs with links to
Approval documents, followed by a
Manufacturer table, List of updates,
and History of FRs in IGC.
If you own, or fly with, any IGC-
approved FR, it is recommended that
you download its latest IGC-approval
document from one of the websites
given below, and note any changes that
may affect how you operate it.
IGC-approval – GENERAL
IGC-approval follows test and eval-
uation by the IGC GNSS Flight Re-
corder Approval Committee (GFAC)
in accordance with Annex B to the
Sporting Code for gliding and the
Technical Specification for IGC-
approved GNSS Flight Recorders.
The Technical Specification is avail-
able through the IGC-documents
website above or directly from the
GFAC website: www.ukiws.demon.
co.uk/GFAC/documents/tech_spec_
gnss.pdf
Programs that have been notified to roy.mcmaster.1@gmail.com
IGC for the analysis of IGC files are
www.ssa.org • April 2020 • Soaring
listed on the GFAC website under:
“Analysis Programs for IGC Flight
DataFiles”
The Validation process checks that
an IGC file has the correct structure
and that the file is the same as ini-
tially downloaded from the FR. This
is achieved either through the IGC
Shell program, or through analysis
programs such as SeeYou that in-
clude IGC Shell within their overall
program.
IGC Shell may be downloaded here:
www.ukiws.demon.co.uk/GFAC/
downloads.htm
This downloads the file IGCDLL.
zip, which, when unzipped, gives the
IGC Shell program. This website also
contains the latest FR Manufacturers’
Data Link Library (DLL) files that
are used by IGC Shell and other pro-
grams to Validate the structure of an
serviceable and secure FR, and the file
is identical to when it was originally
downloaded. This check is required
before a flight performance recorded
in the IGC file can be approved to the
standards of IGC.
Finally, the Sporting Code for glid-
ing (SC3) and its annexes A-D may
be downloaded via:  www.fai.org/
igc-documents in which “Sporting
Code – Section 3: Gliding” is at the
top of the list.
SeeYou ©
SeeYou & Mobile...It’s all you need for soaring!
Windows PC Software:
OLC Auto Entry
Satellite/Sectional
MOBILE Wizard
Task Planning
Flight Statistics
Oudie-Mobile
Hardware/PDA-PNA
Software:
Inflight Moving Map
Task Statistics
Flight Computer
Task Management
Airspace Warnings
SeeYou USA ©
Roy McMaster • 265 Lew Storch Road
Elmira, NY 14903-9345 • 607-215-3447
Visa, Mc & AmEx • http://www.Naviter.com
9
 2020 SaFETY PrOGram
SSF TRUSTEES
2019 Soaring
Accident Summary
F or the twelve-month period end-
ing October 31, 2019, ten (10)
gliders, six (6) motorgliders, and one
(1) towplane were involved in seven-
Figure 1: Number of Accidents
Figure 2: Glider Accidents Rates
10 Soaring • April 2020 • www.ssa.org
teen (17) separate accidents meeting
the reporting requirements of NTSB
Part 830 of the Code of Federal
Regulation. This represents a 37.0%
decrease in the number of accidents
reported during the previous report-
ing period. The 5 year average for
the FY15 – FY19 reporting period is
21.0 accidents per year, representing a
10.2% decrease in the average number
of accidents from the previous 5 year
period.
While the average number of ac-
cidents per year has shown a steady
decline since 1981 (averaging 45.6/
year in the ’80s, 38.6/year in the ’90s,
33.5/year in the ’00s, and 24.8/year for
this decade), the number of accidents
each year remains too high. In addi-
tion, the average number of fatalities
has remained nearly constant, at just
under 6 per year since the mid-1990s
and is also considered too high. In the
FY19 reporting period, seven (7) acci-
dents resulted in fatal injuries to seven
(7) pilots and one (1) passenger. In ad-
dition, two (2) pilots and one (1) pas-
senger received serious injuries while
eight (8) pilots and one (1) passenger
received minor or no injuries.
While the number of accidents re-
ported to the NTSB is easy to track
(Figure 1), and that number has been
declining for both Gliders and Gener-
al Aviation as a whole, it is important
that this number must be combined
with flight hours or launches to deter-
mine the accident rate. Several years
ago, the SSF Trustees began asking all
soaring organizations (clubs, chapters,
commercial operators) to submit their
flight times/launches in a confidential
manner. This is done by mailing post-
cards to the organization representa-
tive listed in the SSA’s database. For
the past two (2) years, approximately
30% of the organizations have re-
turned these postcards. In February
2020, another mailing occurred; read-
ers of this article are encouraged ask
their organization to respond.
In addition to requesting data from
soaring organizations, the FAA sends
survey requests to some glider owners.
Those data are available via the FAA’s
website and currently used by the
SSF as a proxy to calculate accident
rates (Figure 2). The OnLine Contest
(OLC) also posts data on its website,
allowing the SSF to gain another proxy
for flight time/launch data. Finally, the
SSA Contest committee has indicated
that they will gather this type of data
during sanctioned contests. While the
SSF Trustees are not convinced that
the times/launches provided by any of
these proxies are accurate, the trends
from all of them show an alarming rise
in accident rates over the past 3 years.
Getting better data via soaring organi-
zations confidentially reporting these
data will help clarify this situation.
A review of the seven (7) fatal ac-
cidents showed that the ATP rated the historical trend, half (50%) of the
pilot of a DG-300 glider in WA was landing accidents occurred during off-
fatally injured while landing after
failing to make a low altitude save.
A commercial pilot of an LAK-17
motorglider in PA was fatally injured are given in the full report.
after impacting mountainous terrain
while ridge running. The pilot of a
JS1-C in TX was fatally injured after
impacting terrain in a nose low atti-
tude. The pilot of a Phoebus glider in mote that pilots and instructors adopt
OR was fatally injured after impact-
ing terrain during a failed auto tow
launch. The pilot of a Grob 103 in
MS was fatally injured after striking a
tree and coming to rest inverted dur-
ing an off-airport landing. The pilot
and passenger were both fatally in-
jured after their Arcus impacted the
side of a mountain in UT. The pilot of
an LS-4A made an off-airport land-
ing in heavy vegetation in NM and
was found dead in the cockpit with
minor external injuries. All fatal ac-
cidents are still under investigation by
the NTSB. More details may be given
in the full report available at http://
www.soaringsafety.org/accidentprev/
ssfreports.html.
Continuing a long historical trend,
the largest number of accidents oc-
curred during the landing phase of
flight during this reporting period. In
FY19, landing accidents represented
58.8% of all accidents. Continuing
airport landings, while the other half
(50%) occurred while landing at the
home field. Details of these accidents counted for 17.6% of the accidents.
Proper training and an operational
focus on safe arrivals can go a long way
toward addressing the landing accident
problem. The SSF continues to pro-
a goal-oriented approach to pattern
planning and execution. The goal is
to stop at a predetermined point. This
same procedure should be used during
every landing, either at an airport or
in a field. In addition, for off-airport
landings, it is important that the pilot
mentally transition from cruise flight
mode to landing mode with enough
altitude to examine the prospective
field to determine what obstacles the
pilot must deal with. A good rule of
thumb is 3-2-1. At 3,000 ft AGL, the
pilot should have at least one landable
field within gliding range. At 2,000 ft
AGL, the pilot should select a specific
field and examine it for obstacles and
obstructions. At 1,000 ft AGL, the pi-
lot is committed to an outlanding, and
mentally switches to landing mode.
Making last minute changes while on
short final to deal with obstructions is
a leading cause of off-airport landing
accidents.
Two (2) non-fatal and one (1) fatal
aborted launch accidents, called PT3
(premature termination of the tow)
events, which occurred in FY19 ac-
The fatal accident involving the Phoe-

“Attention to detail inside and out. Outstanding performance!“

Mike Solley, Shark owner

TWIN SHARK 304TS

• 20M Flapped Two Place Sailplane Arriving 2017
• Next competitor for Arcus and ASG 32
• VNE 148Kts • Best L/D 49:1 • MAUW 800Kg
• Self Launcher or Jet Turbo

wingsandwheels.com/hph-sailplanes ~ (909) 302-1811

www.ssa.org • April 2020 • Soaring 11

bus pilot was mentioned above. Other
accidents are: A commercial tow pilot
was not injured after the PA-18 Super tree after landing long and overrun-
Cub towplane landed hard, skidded
between 2 electric poles, and ended
up inverted in a ditch after the right
horizontal stabilizer attach fitting
failed. The private pilot of an SZD-
56-2 (Diana) was not injured after the of a Sinus was not injured after strik-
glider weathervaned off the runway
and impacted a sage brush during a
failed aerotow. See the full report for
more detail.
Pilots can, and should, mentally pre-
pare for a failed launch by developing a
specific set of action plans to deal with
several contingencies. This plan must
be day-specific, taking into account
the glider, tow vehicle, wind, density
altitude, runway heading and surface,
obstacles, and any other factors that
might come into play. This typically
requires multiple plans, or that the
pilot consider different factors at dif-
ferent points during the launch. The
task is then to execute the proper plan
at the proper time. Flight instructors
should continue to emphasize launch
emergencies during flight reviews,
check rides, and flight training.
There were six (6) motorgliders in-
volved in accidents during the FY19
reporting period. In addition to the
two (2) fatal accidents noted above,
the following accidents occurred. The
www.stemmeusa.co
12 Soaring • April 2020 • www.ssa.org
pilot of a Stemme S-10 received mi-
nor injuries when one wing struck a
ning the departure end of the runway.
The sport pilot received minor injuries
after the Silent 2 struck a tree and
house 2.7 miles NE of that runway
while under power. The private pilot
ing a fence 1.5 miles short of the ap-
proach end of the runway while under
power. The private pilot and passenger
in their DG-500M were seriously in-
jured after impacting trees and terrain
at the approach end of the runway. See
the full report for more details.
Flight instructors play an important
safety role during everyday glider op-
erations. They need to supervise fly-
ing activities and serve as critics to
any operation that is potentially un-
safe. Their main job is to provide the
foundation upon which a strong safety
culture can be built. Flight instructors
also need to emphasize aeronauti-
cal decision making (ADM) and risk tion as a part of our ongoing com-
management (RM) principles during
initial and recurrent training, includ-
ing flight reviews. The FAA WINGS
program provides an excellent recur-
rent training platform which also
meets the flight review requirements.
The emphasis on ADM and RM can on our website: http://www.soaring
be seen in the new Airman Certifi-
cation Standards (ACS). The FAA
803.726.8884
is currently revising all Practical Test
Standards (PTS) to this new standard,
which will eventually include glider
training and testing.
Other pilots and people involved
with the ground and flying activities
also need to be trained to recognize
and properly respond to any safety
issues during the daily activity. Ev-
eryone, students, pilots, ground op-
erations staff, and instructors, should
continuously evaluate both ground
and flight operations at U.S. chap-
ters, clubs, commercial operations, and
contests. An operations safety culture
should train everyone to raise safety
issues with fellow pilots, club officers,
and instructors. By addressing issues
before they become accidents, we can
improve soaring safety. Only by the
combined efforts of ALL pilots can
we reduce the number of accidents.
The Soaring Safety Foundation of-
fers both anonymous Site Surveys as
well as Safety Seminars at your loca-
mitment to safety. The SSF also offers
Flight Instructor Refresher Courses
for Flight Instructor recurrent train-
ing. More information on these and
our growing collection of online safety
and training programs can be found
safety.org.
contact@stemmeusa.info
 10th WWGC W ith the silver medalist taking
her place on the podium and
the din of applause still lingering in
the air, over the speakers came the
Ending a 35 year USA drought, call, “Sarah Arnold – Standard Class
World Champion.” Rising from her
Sarah Arnold wins Gold at 10th WWGC! seat to the deafening cheers of her
teammates and the enthusiastic ap-
plause of all those in attendance at
Will Moonan the 10th Women’s World Gliding
Championship closing ceremonies,
Sarah graciously shook the hands of
her fellow competitors and climbed to
the high center pillar of the winner’s
podium, adorned with the gold medal,
and hoisting the Standard Class tro-
phy. Behind her, the Stars and Stripes
were raised and “The Star Spangled
Banner” was played. Not since 1985
has an American taken home a gold,
when Doug Jacobs won in Rieti, Italy.
The closing ceremony, and Sarah’s
hard-fought win, was an emotional
and exciting conclusion to a chal-
lenging competition that started two
weeks earlier. 47 pilots from 10 coun-
tries and around a hundred support-
ing personnel descended on the Lake
Keepit Soaring Club in New South
Wales, Australia, to compete in the
10th WWGC between January 4 and
17, 2020. 9 scored tasks ended up de-
Above: Team U.S.A. is welcomed to Lake Keepit at the WWGC Opening Ceremony. L-R: John Good, termining the winners for the 3 glider
Jason Arnold, Sarah Arnold, Sylvia Grandstaff, Jim Staniforth, Kathy Fosha, Will Moonan. Below: classes – 18 Meter, Standard, and Club
The U.S. Soaring Team celebrates Sarah Arnold’s Standard Class win at the WWGC closing ceremonies.
L-R: Sylvia Grandstaff, Sarah Arnold, Kathy Fosha.
– in a contest that saw brutal tem-
peratures, gracious comradery, and an
exciting conclusion.
Amongst the gaggle of pilots and
crew were the U.S. Soaring Team
members: Sylvia Grandstaff, a U.S.
Army Experimental Test Pilot who
has been flying gliders since she was
13; Kathy Fosha, an aerospace en-
gineer and private pilot; and Sarah
Arnold, soaring instructor and co-
owner-operator of the Chilhowee
Gliderport in Benton, TN. Support-
ing the 3 competitors were Sylvia’s
husband, Hugh, and good friend, Will
Moonan; Kathy’s friend, Jim Stani-
forth; Sarah’s husband, Jason; and
team captain, John Good.
None of the 3 were new to compe-
All photos taken by members of the U.S. Women’s Soaring Team. tition, though for Sylvia and Kathy,
14 Soaring • April 2020 • www.ssa.org
this was their first Women’s World
Gliding Championship experience.
Sarah is a seasoned World Champi-
onship competitor, with bronze and
silver WWGC wins in 2013 and 2017,
respectively.
The U.S. Team’s gliders were all Aus-
tralian, having been rented from either
the Lake Keepit Soaring Club or from
private individuals. Sylvia flew an LS7
(contest ID XJY) and Kathy piloted
an LS1 (MF) in the Club Class, com-
peting against 15 other pilots vying
for the gold, while Sarah’s glider was
a Discus 2b (XBY) that she took up Above: Will (L), Sylvia (C), and Hugh (R)
against the 15 other Standard Class celebrating an Australian sunset during Inter-
competitors. Cost and complications national Night. Right: Kangaroos in flight at the
of shipping gliders meant that many end of a long soaring day.
of the teams rented their equipment as
well, with only a few teams bringing onics, to reconfiguring the seats and
aircraft from abroad. pedals to best fit the respective pilot.
For all 3 pilots, the week leading Sarah, Sylvia, and Kathy worked with
up to the competition required giv- their crewmembers to make the tem-
ing their loaner gliders some TLC – porary aircraft comfortable, familiar,
from learning the quirks of assembly and competitive.
and disassembly, to installation of avi- Having configured the gliders to

www.ssa.org • April 2020 • Soaring 15

their liking, it was finally time to get
off the ground and knock the prover-
bial cobwebs off prior to diving into
the competition. The WWGC com-
mittee held 3 official practice days pri-
or to the opening ceremonies, giving
all the competitors a chance to con-
duct dry runs of actual competition
days, practice tactics, and finish their
shakedowns of their gliders. Having
all flown shakedown flights in the
preceding days, it was time for Sarah,
Kathy, and Sylvia to fly some actual
tasks and start observing the strategies
of their rivals.
Being in the same class and hav-
ing flown together in the pre-Worlds
a year prior, Sylvia and Kathy quickly
developed a communication strat-
egy that they employed and evolved
throughout the competition. Knowing
that ground crew from other teams
would be monitoring all the team fre-
quencies, the 2 U.S. Club Class com-
petitors created code words they used
to share key tactical decisions while in
the air. In addition to the tactical code,
all 3 U.S. pilots used the team fre-
quency for humor and encouragement
throughout the race days. Whether
sharing jokes, venting frustrations
about the conditions, or simply re-
minding each other of how they were
doing, the content provided by Sylvia,
Kathy, and Sarah was welcomed by the
pilots and ground crew alike.
The weather throughout the com-
petition was generally favorable, if not
oppressively hot on the ground. The
first half of the competition saw tem-
peratures up to 108 °F, cooling off to
the high 90s for the second half. This
relentless heat did have the benefit of
producing many days with stellar soar-
ing conditions. Thermals exceeding
10,000 ft – and some even reported up
to 15,000 ft – were common through-
out the competition.
There were some hiccups in the
weather, however. Frequent gust fronts
blew the fine dust resulting from the
years-long drought onto every surface.
The horrific wildfires plaguing that
area resulted in smoky areas the pilots
16 Soaring • April 2020 • www.ssa.org
had to avoid, as well as diminished vis-
ibility on many occasions.
On one such occasion, early in the
competition, the task was canceled
over 3 hours into the flight due to de-
teriorating visibility. This decision by
the WWGC hit Kathy and Sylvia the
hardest, having started almost imme-
diately following the opening of the
start gate and having made it almost Above: Sylvia Grandstaff on a landout at the
all the way around the course. While Baan Baa Airstrip. Below: Kathy Fosha racing
her LS1, Mike Fox, affectionately nicknamed
the decision was based on safety – the “Millennium Falcon.”
ability to see the ground – it was still
frustrating for the 2 U.S. Club Class
pilots who had correctly read the day
and made sound tactical decisions to
have all those hours of effort result
in naught.
Deciding on when to start relative to
the rest of the pack turned out to be
one of the most critical decisions each
pilot made each race day. The hours
between the morning pilots’ meeting
and first launch were spent going over
weather predictions along the course.
Almost every race day showed a dra- Below: Sarah Arnold, WWGC 2019 Standard
Class Champion.
matic, steep end to soaring conditions
in the late afternoon, indicating that
an early start should have been a better
bet to be able to navigate the day’s task.
Through expert flying and sound
tactical decisions, Sarah secured the
overall lead with a solid Day 1 win,
and held it for the entire competi-
tion. The margin was tight, though,
and on the last day of competition,
Sarah, Sylvia, and Kathy waited on
the grid with bated breath under an
overcast sky, dark with storms on the
horizon. The weather was unpredict-
able, and in some areas, volatile with to Keepit and listened to the radio as
overdevelopment, so the launch was he reported weak conditions. Sudden-
delayed in 15 to 30 minute incre- ly, the day was cancelled, and over the
ments as competition officials assessed sound of wind and dust and a grid full
weather observations and forecasts. of competitors and crew, Sarah, Sylvia,
Would the day be cancelled, or would and Kathy could be heard in unison
Sarah spend one more day in a wild in a resounding, collective cheer. The
Australian sky defending her lead? win was hers! Not letting the rain get
Rain fell in the distance over fire- to her first, Jason doused Sarah in a
ravaged Mt. Kaputar, and in the spirit bucket of water in celebratory honor.
of the competition, a sniffer was still Soggy but overjoyed hugs followed,
launched to verify the soaring condi- with Sylvia, Kathy, and the rest of the
tions. With eyes skyward, pilots and U.S. Team eager to congratulate Sarah
crew watched his smooth glide back Arnold, the WWGC 2019 Standard
Class Champion and the first U.S.
World Champion in 35 years.
Reflecting on her strategy, Sarah
says:
“I spent the time between pilots’
meeting and launch relaxing and en-
joyed a couple of good books over
lunch. In the past I’ve lost a lot of
points trying to outsmart the gaggle,
so I made an effort to go with the pack,
or just a little behind. This paid off the
first day, when I found better climbs
from behind and was rewarded with a
big win. Being in the lead for the en-
tire contest was a new experience and
it was challenging to keep from being
distracted by that. From the first prac-
tice days, I knew I was flying well, and
felt like my skills had matured into a
place where winning was likely, if I
could only trust my instincts. To this
end, I promised myself I wouldn’t do
anything on the ground or in the air
that I didn’t feel like doing.”
The 10th WWGC wanted to make
tracking displays available to interested
spectators around the world. For this,
the WWGC committee chose to use
GFA trackers – self-contained, cell-
based trackers supported by the Glid-
ing Federation of Australia, and well
proven at many Australian contests.
With the exception of the occasional
battery failure, these trackers and the
online software that displays their
TREAT YOUR GLIDER TO A NEW COVER
Available online or call (909) 302-1811
wingsandwheels.com/brands/vertigo-covers
data did a beautiful
job, and the tracking
for this contest was
popular around the
world (most notably,
in the U.S.A.).
Fans around the
world tuned in to
watch the pilots fly
their tasks, rooting
in near-real time for
their nation’s team
to make a turn point,
find a thermal, or
achieve final glide.
Such a tracking as- Above: Team U.S.A. Club Class pilots and crew
set clearly benefits the sport, allowing prepare for launch. Jim Staniforth and Kathy
seasoned fans and new enthusiasts to Fosha in front, Sylvia and Hugh Grandstaff in
back. Below: Jason Arnold (L) and John Good
watch what is involved in competing (R).
at the international level. Sylvia, Kathy,
and Sarah are all supremely grateful to
the many folks who stayed up late into
the night to ensure they made it back
to Lake Keepit and to congratulate
them on their day’s efforts.
The 10th WWGC was an excep-
tionally well-executed competition,
with hard-fought finishes across all
classes. We congratulate Sarah Arnold
on taking home the gold in Standard
Class, and the excellent effort put forth
by Kathy Fosha and Sylvia Grandstaff
in their first Women’s World Champi-
onship.
www.ssa.org • April 2020 • Soaring 17
 What About Join the Pilgrimage
Vintage Sailplanes?
Jim Short to Harris Hill
www.vintagesailplane.org
The International Vintage Sailplane Meet for 2020
W hy do people go to antique car
or motorcycle shows? And,
why do some people even spend
Jim Short
time restoring antiques? Have you
(for The IVSM 2020 Team)
ever gone to an antique wooden boat
show? Do you like the antique air-
mira to optionally stop for a few days
plane section of AirVentureTM at Os-
to relax, polish their flying skills on
hkosh? What beauties abound! And
Massey’s 3,000 ft grass runway, and
the smell of wood and glue can be
then join up with others for the one-
incredible.
day scenic drive to Harris Hill. For the
Have you ever reveled at an an-
enthusiast, it is a unique way to extend
tique, or maybe even bid on one? Did
the vintage bliss.
you ever wonder about how gliding
Harris Hill, the Wasserkuppe of
got started? Did you ever wonder
America, and a landmark in the soar-
about that beautiful Ka-6 (or Libelle
ing world, is the longtime home of one
or 1-23 or 1-26) you saw a while
of the oldest soaring clubs in the U.S.,
back, or did you ever fly one? Do
the Harris Hill Soaring Corpora-
you have a “sort of ” warm spot for
tion (HHSC). “The Hill” is a treasure
that 2-22 or TG-3 you might have
to see and a fantastic place for sum-
trained in many moons ago? Did you
mertime soaring. This year is the first
ever think you might like to get one,
full year with the HHSC’s new flight
just for fun? Did you ever notice that
center built with a combination of do-
their prices are really low, in spite of
nations and volunteer effort. IVSM
the fact that they require extra main-
participants will be able to enjoy a lot
tenance and even restoration? Does
of time in and around this new facility
restoring an older glider sound like
that blends perfectly into the hilltop
fun? Do you somehow recall that
2020 IVSM Poster, by noted aviation artist
ambiance. Harris Hill has hosted all 7
those older gliders actually soared
Ted Williams, depicts the Midwest Utility of the IVSMs.
pretty well, unless you wanted to race
(MU-1), the meet’s featured glider. The National Soaring Museum
every day? Did you ever feel a little
(NSM) will again be the locus of the
nostalgia for some of the colorful old
IVSM functions and meetings. Its
gliders you have seen in pictures?
If there are some “yes” answers in
your head as you ponder these ques-
T he quadrennial vintage pilgrim-
age to Elmira and Harris Hill is
on tap again for July 4-11, 2020.
evolving and expanding exhibits and
constant improvements are worth the
trip whether one is a glider pilot or
tions, maybe you are a candidate for
Upstate New York’s Finger Lakes not. It is a world-class museum in an
visiting the International Vintage
have been beckoning soaring vaca- inspiring setting. Just the thought of
Sailplane Meet (IVSM2020) this
tioners (with or without gliders) for daily pilots’ meetings and educational
summer at Elmira starting July 4,
decades with scenic countryside, var- presentations held in the presence of
2020. Many of us fly at gliderports
ied activities, and aviation attractions. one of the world’s most unique aviation
where mostly modern fiberglass
Adding to the experience this year is collections excites the imagination.
sailplanes abound and where the
a “rendezvous,” in the European tradi- This year, the HHSC, the NSM,
concentration is on racing. Maybe
tion, to be held the weekend leading and the Vintage Sailplane Association
the IVSM would be an interesting
up to the IVSM at the Massey Aero- (VSA) will combine to make IVSM
change of pace.
drome in Massey, Maryland. Rusty 2020 a spectacular event with people,
Take a look at the accompanying
Lowry is planning hospitality and a activities, and planes seldom seen in
article.
chance for people on their way to El- the skies anywhere. The aim is to show
18 Soaring • April 2020 • www.ssa.org
the world’s iconic historic sailplanes
actually flying in their element so visi-
tors can observe firsthand how every
aspect of soaring developed from the
very beginning.
The symbol of this year’s meet
is Chad Wille’s completely rebuilt
Midwest MU-1 Utility glider, de-
signed by Arthur B. Schultz in the
late ’30s. This is the only Midwest fly-
ing in the world, and the plane is bet-
ter than new. It also soars remarkably
well for having a published glide ratio
of less than 20. Designed as a low-
cost glider trainer, it fulfilled its role
admirably, and it still handles beauti-
fully today, reminding us of the years
when the “baby boomers” hadn’t even
been born.
Jerry Wenger’s gullwing Minimoa,
restored by master craftsman Thomas
Evelo, will be another highlight. It is
the only airworthy Minimoa in North
America. Jerry’s 1938 Slingsby Petrel
(also gullwinged) rebuild project,
which visited the IVSM four years ago,
is now flying and will grace the skies of
Elmira for the first time. Rusty Lowry
will be bringing the world’s only flying
1938 Slingsby Gull I, formerly owned
by the late Dennis Barton. Rusty and
others of the VSA will be seeking dis-
cussion throughout the meet on how
to conserve rare antique gliders to fly
for the long run.
Ron Martin’s shiny natural alumi-
num 1943 Schweizer SGS 2-8 will
IVSM Reception: Time among the Ancestors (and the Bowlus duPont
Albatross). (Photo by Cam Martin.)
make its first eastern appearance, all
the way from Tehachapi, California.
Restored and researched meticulously
by Ron, this plane was determined to
be a WWII surplus Navy aircraft that
had never been flown by the military
forces. It flew for the first time ever
in 2018 and was subsequently cer-
tificated by the FAA as a brand-new
civilian Schweizer SGS 2-8. A con-
temporary Army Schweizer TG-2
will be brought by Jeff Byard, also
from CA. What a couple of two-seat-
ers these are! Extending the restored
and flying training sailplanes of the
WWII era will be Harry ten Cate’s
1943 Laister-Kauffmann LK-10A
(TG-4A) visiting from Toronto,
Canada. But these are not the only
planes to be at IVSM 2020. There will
be many more beautifully restored
vintage (pre-1958) and classic (pre-
1975) icons of the wood, metal, and
early fiberglass ages.
For SSA members (and other visi-
tors) who want to sample the unique
flying characteristics of vintage sail-
planes, many of the vintage two-seat-
ers will be available for familiariza-
tion flights. Organizers are working
to ensure that a significant number of
vintage two-seaters attend the IVSM
for this purpose.
Evening dinners at Harris Hill
and nearby at Elmira’s famous Hill-
top Inn will add to evening enjoy-
ment. Mary and Jim Stoia and crew
International Night is a social highlight at any IVSM. (Photo by Peter
Selinger.)
www.ssa.org • April 2020 • Soaring
from Wagener, South Carolina will
be presenting an authentic “Low-
Country Boil” of American south-
ern seafood cuisine. K&L Soaring
will host a tour and evening buffet
at their facility in Cayuta, New York,
just a short drive from the Hill.
Schweizer family hospitality (a tradi-
tion for many decades) is not to be
missed, and the production, mainte-
nance, and engineering capabilities at
K&L are astounding. The IVSM’s In-
ternational Night reception will offer
a sampling of hospitality and morsels
from countries, states, and regions, a
perfect place to congregate and social-
ize. Daily talks and featured sailplanes
are all part of IVSM as they have been
in the past. The NSM’s gift shop will
be stocked with books and memora-
bilia, and certain mornings will feature
a gliding flea market, antique gliding
books, and VSA’s newly reprinted vin-
tage glider classic, Workshop Practice.
This is one of the unique aviation and
soaring events in the United States,
and well worth the trip.
Registration is open at www.soaring
museum.org. Click on the IVSM
poster icon on the NSM homepage
or call the National Soaring Museum
at 607-734-3128. For information,
contact Chairman Bill Batesole at
IVSM2020@aol.com or by phone at
603-762-8137.
*
19
 Departing Harris Hill to the north,
an awesome view greets the pilot.
(Photo by Jocki Sellinger.)

Rigged and waiting for the day’s activity,

1-26’s serial numbers 2 and 3 from 1954. What you’ll
(Photo by Jocki Sellinger.)
National Soa
Harris H
July 4-1

Ready to hike to the staging grid. Gerry

Wild’s Hutter
¨ H-17 and Neal Pfeiffer’s
Ka-2b. (Photo by Jocki Sellinger.) Exciting takeoff. Jeff Byard drove his
Bowlus Baby Albatross from California.
(Photo by Peter Sellinger.)
 Valley and cu await Harry ten Cate
from Toronto as he departs in his
beautifully restored 1943 LK-10A.
(Photo by Peter Sellinger.)

see at IVSM Striking views abound at any IVSM.

Schleicher Ka-7 brought by the Western
aring Museum Antique Aeroplane and Automobile
Museum from Hood River, OR.
Hill, NY (Photo by Jocki Sellinger.)

11, 2020

Phil Westcott launches with his 1952

Schweizer 1-23B that was flown by
Dennis Barton’s 1938 Slingsby Gull 1,
Paul McCready in the 1952 World Gliding
the only one of its kind still flying.
Contest. (Photo by Peter Sellinger.)
(Photo by Wolf Elber.)
 Western USA
Museums & Airshows
A fter retiring from his position
with the Civil Air Patrol, Ian
has turned his attention to visiting
several aviation related sites that will
be of interest to aviation buffs. This is
the first in a series of articles on Air-
shows and Aviation Museums in the
western U.S.A. Ian has been to most
of them and they are definitely worth
a visit, especially on a day when the
soaring forecast doesn’t look good. Each
article contains information about the
The Focke Wulf FW190 formed a major part of Luftwaffe together with ME109, both a close match for the Spitfire.
22 Soaring • April 2020 • www.ssa.org
Ian McFall
Photos by author
museum or airshow. This includes lo-
cation, hours, admission price, and a
little bit about the exhibits. In the case
of the airshows, he’ll include dates for
2020 events. If you enjoy these articles,
please write a note to editor@ssa.org.
Include any suggestions for content and
let us know if you have a favorite mu-
seum that you would like to see covered
in Soaring magazine. Other museums
and airshows that Ian expects to cover
in 2020 include:
• Tillamook Air Museum, OR
• Evergreen Aviation and Space
Museum, OR
• Pima Air and Space Museum,
Tucson, AZ
• Stellenbosch Fly-in, South Africa
• Flying Heritage and Combat Ar-
mor Museum, WA
• IWM Duxford Museum, United
Kingdom
— Editor

Heritage Flight Museum
The Heritage Flight and Armor Museum is located north
of Seattle, Washington at Skagit Regional Airport (KBVS).
Glider Guiders visiting Arlington will be happy to know
that this really great museum is only 35 minutes away. Se-
WWII M5A! “Stuart” tank (USA), an improved version of the
M3 supplied to the British under the lease-lend program.
attle visitors can take Interstate I5 North for a pleasant
90 minute drive (not in rush hour). The address for your
GPS is 15053 Crosswind Drive, Burlington, WA 98233.
Call 360-424-5151 for info, or contact admin@hertitage
flight.com. *
www.ssa.org • April 2020 • Soaring 23
 The museum was founded in 1996
by William and Valerie Anders in
Bellingham, WA. William Anders
was a crew member on the historic
Apollo 8 mission. Both William An-
ders and HFM Executive Director
Greg Anders had long and distin-
guished careers in the U.S. Air Force,
spanning from the start of the Cold
War through more recent conflicts.
It is their strong connection to the
Air Force that guides the Museum’s
focus.
The Museum’s vintage aircraft
collection began with the P-51
Mustang Val-Halla and has grown
steadily. The museum was moved to
Skagit Regional Airport in 2014. It
currently houses 15 aircraft, several
antique military vehicles, a library, ME 163 Komet rocket-powered interceptor. Only 370 built and only one flying today. Top speed said to
and many other aviation related ar- be 1,000 kph.
tifacts. It’s very easy to spend an ab-
sorbing day at this place. If you don’t ing time before you’ve seen the ex- My personal favorites are the De-
plan your visit, you can find it’s clos- hibits at the top of your list. Haviland Mosquito, the Spitfire (of

B25J “Mitchell” Bomber similar to those flown off carriers to bomb Tokyo in the famous “Doolittle Raid.” The aircraft suspended above the B25J is Burt Rutan’s
GlobalFlyer which flew around the world non-stop on March 3, 2005.
24 Soaring • April 2020 • www.ssa.org
course), and the ME109 and FW190,
which are all restored to perfection.
They also have a working Link train-
er, which I “flew” in 1956 at Cosford
in the United Kingdom. The P-51 is
impressive, and the A-1 Skyraider is
outstanding. Its size alone takes your
breath away. The “Jolly Green Giant”
is a must for Vietnam vets to see.
But aircraft exhibits are just a part
of a vast collection of other wartime
artifacts which include tanks, tracked
vehicles, and a LOT of incredible
weapons used in WWII, Vietnam,
and more recent conflicts in the
Middle East. The photos accompany-
ing this article don’t do justice to this
fascinating museum. I would even
take a day off soaring to see this! The
museum is open Wednesday through
Saturday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm,
Monday and Tuesday by appointment
only, and is closed on Sunday. Admis-
sion is $10, less for seniors, children,
and veterans.
The museum has a number of “Fly-
Days” at which some of the aircraft
are flown and the armor is demon-
strated to the public. Watching a
tank moving at 25 mph is almost as
exciting as watching a low pass in the
P-51. Don’t miss these events, espe-
cially September 19, 2020.
Events planned for 2020 include
the following. They all start at 10:00
am – get there early to get a parking
spot.
Apr 18: Knock off the Moss
May 16: Training for War
Jun 20: Honoring Vets
Jul 18: Combat Search and Rescue
Aug 15: Victory in the Pacific
Sep 19: Warbird Weekend
Visit the museum website at
http://heritageflight.org/ for further
information.

ENJOY FLYING SAILPLANES?

JOIN THE SOARING SOCIETY
OF AMERICA, INC., TODAY!

For $72.00 Per Year

You Receive
• Soaring magazine monthly
• Government relations work
• Full-time SSA office staff
• SSA FAi Badge processing
• Safety programs
• Quality soaring merchandise

THE SOARING SOCIETY

OF AMERICA, INC.
P.O. Box 2100 • Hobbs, NM 88241-2100
Phone: 575-392-1177 • Fax: 575-392-8154
Email: feedback@ssa.org • Web site: www.ssa.org

www.ssa.org • April 2020 • Soaring 25


GLIDEr
aErODYNamICS PUZZLEr
BY STEVE PLATT
Turning Flight
Performance
T he Glider Aerodynamics Puz-
zler is intended to stimulate your
thinking about soaring and refresh
your understanding of glider aerody-
namics and soaring optimization. The
correct answers with detailed explana-
tions follow the questions. Have fun.
Optimizing glider flight involves
both optimizing level flight, i.e. maxi-
mizing time aloft, distance, or speed,
AND optimizing turning flight, i.e.
maximizing energy acquisition while
thermaling or conserving energy in
turning flight. Optimizing turning
flight is complex and generally less
well understood.
QUESTION 1:
Two identical gliders (same flight
polar and operating weight) enter a
coordinated 360° turn. Glider A uses
45° of bank and an airspeed of 70 kt.
Glider B uses 27° of bank and an air-
speed of 50 kt. Which glider has the
larger radius of turn?
A. The fast Glider A has a larger
radius of turn.
B. The slow Glider B has a larger
radius of turn.
C. Glider A and Glider B have the
same radius of turn.
QUESTION 2
In Question 1, which glider com-
pletes the 360° turn first?
A. The fast Glider A finishes the
turn first.
B. The slow Glider B finishes the
turn first.
C. Glider A and Glider B finish the
turn at the same time.
26 Soaring • April 2020 • www.ssa.org
EXPLANATION QUESTIONS 1
&2
Key to understanding Turning
Flight is understanding two relation-
ships. The first is radius of turn as a
function of airspeed and bank angle,
and the second is the impact of wing
loading on glider performance, i.e.
the effect of angle of bank in coor-
dinated turning flight on glider sink
rate. Let’s look at both. First, the ra-
dius of turn for ALL airplanes with
wings is given by a fundamental
equation of flight. The relationship is
identical whether flying a Schweizer
1-26, an F-16, or a Boeing 777. The
radius of turn is equal to the square of
airspeed divided by the product of the
acceleration of gravity (32.17 ft per
second squared) times the tangent of
the angle of bank.
Radius = V2 / (g * Tan(angle of
bank))
Figure 1
(Refer to the derivation of this
equation in the “Glider Aerodynamics
Puzzler,” Soaring magazine, November
2018, p 34.) There are two variables in
this equation: airspeed and angle of
bank. Both are important, but changes
in airspeed affect radius of turn “faster”
because of the square function in the
numerator. I like to use the follow-
ing example to portray the effect: Two
identical gliders enter a 30° banked
turn. The first is flying slowly at 45 kt.
The second is flying twice as fast at 90
kt. Which airplane reverses direction
first? The answer is: The slow glider
will complete the 180° turn while the
fast glider is only at HALF way around
at the 90° point. Why? Because the ra-
dius of turn of the fast glider is FOUR
times that of the slow glider, and while
the fast glider is flying twice as fast
as the slow glider, it has 4 times the
distance to travel. If you accidentally
fly into a boxed canyon with narrow
walls and you have to turn around to
escape – slow down! While thermal-
ing, achieving the optimum radius of
turn, with the appropriate airspeed
and bank angle, will maximize net
climb rates.
Now let’s look at the other key fac-
tor in turning flight: the effect of angle
of bank and wing loading on glider
sink rate. Figure 1 shows the effect on
the flight polar for a Libelle at vari-
ous angles of bank. (Reference: “The
Complete Soaring Pilot’s Handbook,”
by Welch and Irving, 1977, p 239,
ISBN: 0-679-50718-3.) As the bank
angle increases, the wing must “work
harder,” i.e. lift more, in order for the
vertical component of lift to remain
equal to the weight of the glider plus
the tail down force, and for the hori-
zontal component of lift to remain
equal to centripetal force. As the bank
angle increases, so does the angle of
attack. As the angle of attack increases,
lift increases and so does drag. As drag
increases, the sink rate of the glider
increases. As in Figure 1, the entire
flight polar for all gliders moves down
and to the right with increasing bank
angle. In fact, the percentage increase
in minimum sink speed and minimum
sink rate (little circles) over the level
flight minimum sink speed and mini-
mum sink rate, IS IDENTICAL for
all gliders. The percentage increase in
minimum sink speed and minimum
sink rate over the level flight param-
eters is shown in Table 1. Together,
The 1-26 Association
and the Kansas Soaring
Association are
co-sponsoring the 2020
1-26 Championships in Yoder, KS,
June 18-26, 2020. Special entry fee
sponsorships for pilots 30 years of
age and younger who qualify.
Contact Tony Condon at (515) 291-0089 or
abcondon@gmail.com for more details.
Table 1: Percentage increase in minimum sink speed and sink rate.
these two factors, radius of turn and
sink rate versus bank angle, are the
reason why, for every thermal profile,
there is an optimum angle of bank and
airspeed to maximize net climb rates.
For a given thermal profile, flying
too fast and with too shallow an angle
of bank, the radius of turn is large,
and the glider either circles the ther-
mal or operates in a weaker portion of
the thermal. On the other hand, fly-
ing too steep and too slow, the radius
of turn may be narrow, but sink rate
of the glider (per Table 1) increases
rapidly, more than offsetting the ben-
efit of operating closer to the core of
the thermal. As a general rule, for the
idealized Standard British Thermal,
with 4.2 kt of air mass lift at the core
decreasing parabolically to zero at a
radius of 1,000 ft, the optimum angle
www.ssa.org • April 2020 • Soaring
of bank varies from about 25° of bank
for the very slow aircraft (like the Sch-
weizer 1-26) to 40° of bank for very
high performance gliders with con-
siderably higher level flight minimum
sinks speeds.
In Figure 2, the net climb rates of
a Schweizer 1-26, Schweizer 2-33,
PW-6, and DG-1000 are shown as a
function of radius of turn for a Stan-
dard British Thermal. In each case, the
glider is flown at the optimum mini-
mum sink speed for the angle of bank.
Notice that, for the Schweizer 1-26,
the peak net climb occurs at a radius
of 250 ft resulting from a bank angle
of 23° and the minimum sink speed
for a 23° bank of 34.4 kt (40.6 mph).
However, for the DG-1000, the peak
net climb rate occurs at a radius of 430
ft, resulting from a bank angle of 37°
27
and the minimum sink speed for a 37°
bank of 60.4 kt. As an aside, notice that
the SGS 1-26 can outclimb all of the
ships, including the DG-1000, if flown
optimally. Radius of turn matters.
As for the answer to Question 1,
entering the airspeed and bank angle
for both Glider A and Glider B into
the radius of turn equation results in a
radius of turn of 433 ft for Glider A,
and 433 ft for Glider B. The answer is
C. The radius is the same. For Ques-
tion 2, since the radius and therefore
the distance traveled is the same, the
faster glider, A, will finish first.

LESSONS LEARNED
The relationship between radius of
turn, driven by bank angle and air-
speed, and increasing sink rate, driven
by wing loading (bank angle), are the
two parameters that must be selected
properly in order to optimize turning
flight. When thermaling, the width
and profile of the thermal is a prime
factor in deciding what angle of bank
and airspeed to deploy. The narrower
the thermal, the steeper the bank re-
quired to reach maximum net climb
rate. However, just as using too shal-
low a bank angle yields circling in a
weaker part of the thermal, using too
steep an angle of bank is also coun-
terproductive. Remember from Table
1, for a 45° bank coordinated turn for
ALL gliders, the minimum sink rate
increases by 68% over the level flight
minimum sink rate – and that is if the
45° banked turn is flown at the mini-
mum sink speed for a 45° bank (which
is 18.9% above the level flight mini-
mum sink speed). Any other speed, the
glider sink rate will be even greater!
For example, for a glider with a level
flight, minimum sink rate of 125 fpm
at 40 kt, in a 45° coordinated banked
turn, the minimum sink rate would
increase to 210 fpm at 48 kt. For a
Schweizer 2-33 in a 45° banked turn,
the glider sink rate increases to over 3
kt! It had better be a fairly narrow and
strong thermal to justify banking 45°
in a 2-33! Lastly, knowing the percent
increase in minimum sink speed for
various angles of bank (Table 1) is key
to optimizing net climb rates while
thermaling. Glider aerodynamics are
complex but incredibly fascinating.
Have fun. Fly safe. SP.
About the author: Steve is a com-
mercial pilot in single engine airplanes,
single engine seaplanes, and gliders. He
holds an instrument
rating and is a Certifi-
cated Flight Instructor
for airplanes, instru-
ments, and gliders. He
has logged over 4,000
flight hr including
over 2,000 hr as a flight instructor. He
is a retired IBM Engineering Manager
and a Flight Instructor at Sugarbush
Soaring, Warren, VT.

28 Soaring • April 2020 • www.ssa.org

1500 E. Iron Eagle Dr., Suite 101 • Eagle, ID 83616
sales@wingsandwheels.com
 Dillingham Airfield, HI – Lift so consistent
an MDM-1 Fox can stay up all day! (Photo by Jorge Atramiz,
Courtesy of Citizen Watch Company.)
 at this end of the runway, where ris-
SOarING STOrIES ing ground just before the threshold
guarantees sink exactly when you need
it least. Heavy as we were, it was not
BY DALE MASTERS quite slow enough.
We took that length of grass on the
side of course, landing simultaneously,

Doubled away and at half our height. That other super short and right abreast of our
pilot had been practicing very slow compadre just as he powered up for
approaches and very short landings another takeoff. He confirmed later

Down into a steady wind for the past hour, that he never saw us. 
In hindsight, obviously I should
round and round, entirely predictable.
have exercised my right-of-way long
Given our separation, a casual ob-
minutes earlier by diving in front, and
It is circumstance and timing that give server might not have recognized any
to heck with appearances! No doubt
an action its character and make it either potential conflict, but the moment I
mister slow flight would have en-
good or bad.  saw his position a flashing alarm went
joyed it as an entertaining break from
— Agesilaus 400 B.C. off in my head. Despite appearances,
monotony. Not something anyone’s
it  felt  like we were on a weird kind
apt to go out and practice, though. It’s
W e were coming in to land at
a field where standard glider
traffic included four legs, from a uni-
of circular collision course, intersect-
ing at the threshold. Fortunately, that
runway has ample grass off to one side,
one of those instances where you have
to decide which rule to  disobey and
prepare to accept the consequences.
versal entry point, across the runway often used for short glider landings.
Or as I always say, make decisions you
to downwind either direction. Soon Even so, I considered dashing down
can live with even if they’re wrong.
as we arrived, I saw a STOL aircraft ahead to avoid a formation landing,
To wit: A third option we haven’t
crawling around its wide base turn, but declined because of how it could mentioned is loitering at the top and
kitty-corner across our pattern, a mile look to the other pilot, or to others entering your pattern later. Yeah, you
who wouldn’t understand. Besides, it’s can do that, and it’s usually the best
awfully spooky when a whirling meat solution – when it works. But there
cutter’s on your six and you can no
The Kolstad award is longer turn ....
may be no better way to invite bad
luck than coming down to a thou-
now $5000 toward Having dismissed that option, the
next choice was to fly as slow a circuit
sand AGL and then deciding to not
go lower. This logical fallacy can be all
your college expenses! as possible waiting for our compadre it takes to conjure insidious sink of the
to eventually clear the way. But he widespread variety. I know whereof I
Application deadline is Sept 30 couldn’t cooperate because he didn’t blather. Best not volunteer for such a
know we were there, three full-size play before acknowledging the silent
adults in a Schweizer 2-32 at maxi- peril that’s never certain, but is always
Contact mum weight with a high stall speed, in
SSA.org/ real! Caveat actor. 
Youth & effect stalking him.
Scholarships The subsequent pattern seemed to
Or call: last forever. On crosswind and down-
575- wind legs, the bogey was probably fly-
392-1177 ing faster, but our ground speed was
about double due to the tailwind. As we “Soaring Stories” is excerpted from the
quartered into it on base, he seemed to Southern California Soaring Academy
hang motionless, slowly pivoting in his weekly e-letter written by Dale Masters.
turn to final. By the time we reached Dale is a retired CFI-G who’s spent years
that point and turned fully into the soaring in the SoCal area out of Crys-
wind, he was still only halfway down, talaire, as well as Sunriver, OR, and
and then we really began to overtake northern VT. Dale is author of “Soaring:
SUPPORT him. I flew slowly as I dared all the way Beyond the Basics.”
YOUTH IN 100km, 200km, Century
300km, 500km, but had to keep something in reserve
100,200,300km Award
SOARING or 1,000km Century Award
for wind gradient, doubly important
32 Soaring • April 2020 • www.ssa.org
 The GP 15 E/SE JETA is the most sophisticated, multitask 15m,
electric self-launching GP GLIDER to date.
FEATURES
• L/D: 51 to 1
• Aspect ratio: 29
• Wing Area: 83.74 sq ft
• Wing loading: 7.58 - 12.3 lbs/sq ft.
• Vne: 162 knots
• Empty weight: 485 lbs.
• Gross weight: 1,036 lbs.
• Removable battery packs in the wings, not the fuselage
• Automatic hookups
• Optional Steerable tail wheel
• Hydraulic disc brakes
• Carbon/Kevlar/Vectran cockpit safety shell construction
• Cloth interior upholstry
• Removable winglets
• Basic flight instruments std. (ASI, ALT, Compass - WINTER™)
• Slim and standard fuselage sizes available
• Clear canopy with sliding window and air scoop
• RESLS - retractable electric self-launcher system standard
• Ballistic parachute BRS rescue system standard
• Dedicated GPT 3 trailer
• Optional solar charging panels built in for glider battery
• Independence from electrical service requirements
• Standard Battery Self-Launching Performance
• 5x take-off and climb to 1,640 ft. altitude or
• 1x take-off and climb to 1,640 ft. altitude + 62 miles cruise
• 1x take-off and total climb to 8,858 ft.
• Climb rate: 925 fpm (GP 15)
• Large Battery Self-Launching Performance
• 5x take-off and climb to 2,625 ft. altitude
• 1x take-off and climb to 2,625 ft. altitude + 93 miles cruise
• 1x take-off and total climb to 14,763 ft.
• Climb rate: 730 fpm (GP 15)
Special Promotional Discounts:
Please contact U.S. Dealer for details

Contact U.S. Dealer:

GP GLIDERS US
Tom Holloran
E-mail: gpglidersus@gmail.com
Web: www.gpglidersus.com
Phone: 855-GPG-SOAR
Demise of
Another Gliderport?
OPEN FOrUm
BY JAMES ALAGGIO
D illingham Airfield on Oahu,
Hawaii’s North Shore, is cur-
rently the most active, and one of
the most beautiful, soaring sites in
America. With over 300 soarable days
a year and nearly daily ride and in-
structional glider operations over the
past half century, Dillingham Airfield
has become a critical infrastructure to
our soaring sport and education here
in the United States. We are an active
EAA Young Eagles center for kids’
first flights in gliders, and a very active
Aviation Explorers Post with young
certificated glider pilots. Many hun-
dreds of glider pilots learned to fly at
34 Soaring • April 2020 • www.ssa.org
Dillingham, and we continue to edu-
cate many more through today. With
over 9 million visitors every year in
“
Sadly, glider
operations at Dillingham
…will likely come to a
permanent end … as soon
“
as June 30, 2020.
Hawaii, Dillingham’s Glider opera-
tions benefit from the substantial flow
of tourists who seek adventure over
Above: James Alaggio on a full day flight in his
Schempp-Hirth Discus B near the majestic Mt.
Kaala, the highest mountain on Oahu.
our breathtaking tropical paradise.
A quick winch launch, aerotow, or
self-launch into the airfield’s adjacent
orographic lift allows us to quickly
and consistently find ourselves soar-
ing among the tropical birds and
beautiful clouds. We have almost daily
thermic and convergence conditions,
and sometimes wave flights which
have exceeded 20,000 ft on Oahu
and 38,000 ft on the other islands.
There is nothing quite like the amaz-
ing tropical convergence and stun-
ning cloud formations seen over Dill-
ingham. Soaring conditions existing
from sunrise until sunset is common
due to the island’s unique location
and shape. After a long, blissful day
of soaring, one only has to walk across
the street to enjoy a refreshing swim
in the warm, crystal blue ocean water.

Lt. William Cocke standing by the Nighthawk,

about to launch into the world record books!

Instructor James Alaggio analyzing the likelihood of a sunset landing.

hawk towards the 30 nautical mile Dillingham Airfield, formerly

Cocke’s record flight plaque.
Since 1931, Oahu has been the
home of multiple sailplane world re-
cords due to its consistent trade wind
driven soaring conditions, throughout
the night as well! On December 18,
1931, William A. Cocke Jr. launched
from Oahu in a glider called Night-
long, 3,000 ft high, near-vertical rain-
forest cliff face otherwise known as
“The Green Wall.” Illuminating the
path for Cocke and his Nighthawk
along the cliff face during the night
was the U.S. Army’s 64th Coast Artil-
lery Battery. Powered by the constant
laminar trade winds, he soared the
primitive Nighthawk into the history
books! His flight spanned 21 hr, 34
minutes, setting a World Endurance
Record for motorless flight.
known as Mokuleia Airstrip, was
used in 1941 by U.S. Army Air Corps
Curtiss P-40 fighters. After the Pearl
Harbor Attacks on December 7, 1941,
a 9,000 ft runway was paved to al-
low Consolidated B-24 Bombers to
be based on the airfield. In 1962, the
State of Hawaii leased Dillingham
from the U.S. Army for general avia-
tion use. The 9,000 ft runway exists to-
day in excellent condition and is home
to the world’s most active skydiving

Behold the new generation of variometers.

Eos 57 Era 57
Era 80 Eos 80
Discover more at https://wingsandwheels.com/brands/lxnavigation.html
Copyright © 2018, LX navigation d.o.o., all rights reserved.

www.ssa.org • April 2020 • Soaring 35

centers, fixed wing, rotor, weight-shift,
and gyrocopter flight instruction, and
daily sailplane ride and educational
operations on the northwest side.
Dillingham Airfield has the abil-
ity to become the ultimate soaring
education center of the world and an
even more profitable ride operation
due to the substantial tourism traf-
fic. Sadly, glider operations at Dill-
ingham, and likely Oahu, will likely
come to a permanent end if we do not
come together to invest our efforts in
the future of this magical and historic
place. We are learning that the State
of Hawaii does not intend to renew
the lease for public use, which would
lead to the cessation of all public gen-
eral aviation operations at Dilling-
ham Airfield as soon as June 30, 2020.
The hundreds of aviators and employ-

MH
ees at Dillingham Airfield are putting
forth a unified effort to convince the
state of Dillingham’s critical impor-
tance to the future of general aviation.
Once lost, public general aviation op- Aviation Oxygen Systems
erations here will likely never resume. MOUNTAIN HIGH
Along with unified effort to convince Equipment & Supply Company

the state of Hawaii of the importance 2244 SE Airport Way

of general aviation at Dillingham Air- Redmond OR 97756-7537
Contact: Robert Jamieson
T: 541-389-9851
Fly Higher with MH, E: rj1818@gmail.com
Your Oxygen Source
Made in the USA

800-468-8185 • 541-923-4100

The MH EDS-O2D1-2G Pulse-DemandTM delivers an
exact oxygen pulse at the start of each inhalation, with
the cannula or face mask and automatic altitude com-
pensation. Complete EDS systems start at $875.
field, our gliding community has the
opportunity to create the ultimate
soaring education and experience cen-
ter on earth. The current glider opera-
tors are nearing retirement and will
likely soon require new leadership
James Alaggio and Paul Remde whale watching,
Hawaiian Style. 
to the future of our beloved sport.
I wish I could share this magnificent
American tropical soaring experience

MH
Aviation Oxygen Systems
• Cumulus Soaring: (952) 445-9033
• Craggy Aero: (530) 905-0062
• Wings & Wheels: 909-302-1811
MOUNTAIN HIGH • Jonkers Sailplanes: (931) 455-5994
and investment of resources and (wo)
man power. The opportunity to cre-
ate a beautiful soaring center with the
with you all. Once you soar over the
North Shore, in the dependable lami-
nar lift next to Oahu’s highest peaks,
world’s most consistent soaring condi- you will understand what a tremen-
Equipment & Supply Company
Since 1985
www.MHoxygen.com• Sales@MHoxygen.com
tions would be a tremendous benefit dous opportunity we have ahead of us
36 Soaring • April 2020 • www.ssa.org
if we save Dillingham Airfield’s pub-
lic use rights. You can see many more
pictures on Instagram @soar_hawaii.
Dream big, fly free! Aloha!
About the author: James has been
a glider pilot since the age of 13 from
Somerset Airport, NJ. Over his two
decades of flying, he has served as an
Dillingham Airfield – home of dreams.
experimental aircraft test pilot, chief
pilot, helicopter flight instructor, and
corporate pilot,  and now currently flies
an Airbus A330 around the world for
Hawaiian Airlines. He is an active CFI-
G and is a proud member of the United
States Glider Aerobatic Team.
www.ssa.org • April 2020 • Soaring
The DOT [has said] that operat-
ing Dillingham Airfield “is not
in the best interest of the state of
Hawaii,” and is transferring it
back to the Army effective
July 1. Star Advertiser,
“Hawaii News,” William Cole.
To express your concerns and
help in our effort to help save
Dillingham for public use,
please contact:
Governor Ige at: https://
governor.hawaii.gov/contact-us/
contact-the-governor/
SDOT Director Jade Butay
at: jade.butay@hawaii.gov
Congressman Ed Case:
808-650-6688
Senator Riviere: 808-586-7330
senriviere@capitol.hawaii.gov
37
 Barry Dunning & David Ayre
CaP COrNEr
In 2020, Civil Air Patrol (CAP) will
BY MARK GRANT, be conducting National Glider Flight
MAJOR, CAP Academies in Illinois, Minnesota, New
Mexico, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas,
Vermont, and Washington. The purpose

CAP National Glider of the academies is to give cadets flight

and ground instruction toward achiev­
ing a glider rating. The following account

Flight Academies of the 2019 CAP Texas Glider Academy

(South), by David Ayre, Maj, CAP, and
Barry Dunning, Capt, CAP, is represen­
tative of what nearly 200 CAP cadets
will experience this summer.
— Mark Grant

T he Academy was hosted by

the Soaring Club of Houston
(SCOH) at their gliderport north of
Waller, Texas from Saturday to Sat-
urday, July 6-13, 2019. The event was
attended by an impressive group of 20
cadets ranging in age from 14 to 19.
The cadets came from Texas, Colo-
rado, Oklahoma, Florida, Tennessee,
and even 2 from Hawaii! They were se-
lected from over 210 applicants, testa-
ment to the interest in gliding among
CAP cadets. The weather gods were
kind with seasonable temperatures
in the low 90s and no rain, enabling

Left: Preparing to assemble the CAP ASK 21.

38 Soaring • April 2020 • www.ssa.org

more than 400 flights to be conducted
during 5 flying days and permitting
cadets to experience, firsthand, the
joys of soaring.
A fleet of 6 gliders was employed.
From Civil Air Patrol, a venerable yel-
low 2-33 with eagle artwork on the
nose, retired from the U.S. Air Force
Academy, and 2 ASK-21s, one from
San Antonio, the other from Colo-
rado. SCOH provided two 2-33s and
a Blanik L-23. Tows were provided
by the club’s 3 Pawnees. The cadets
were housed in log cabins at nearby
Camp Allen, which provided excel-
lent facilities for cooking and outdoor
recreational activities like swimming.
The event was organized by a long-
time member of SCOH, David Ayre,
Maj, CAP, who assembled a volunteer Above: Checking the towrope. Right: A clean
glider performs better.
army of more than 20 ground staff,
flight instructors, and tow pilots from
both SCOH and CAP to ensure that ing. The Texas Air Force Association
operations ran safely and smoothly. (AFA) and its various branches were
Ground personnel were a critical very active supporters and provided
part of operations, coordinating and partial or full scholarships (50%-
supervising glider retrievals, logging 100%) to the Texas cadets. Cadets
and entering flights and flight times, from other states were able to find
organizing food, snacks, and essential similar support from their local CAP
laundry, and generally looking out for units or AFA branches.
the wellbeing of the cadets. Upon arrival, the cadets were pro-
vided with a briefcase containing a
The Academy typically costs a cadet
complete Private Ground School organizations. Saturday and Sunday
$800, with CAP covering the costs for
Training package, the FAA Glider were then spent getting the cadets and
interstate cadet travel, food, and lodg-
Flying Handbook, and a glider log- staff settled in and holding ground in-
book, courtesy of CAP’s sponsoring struction on safety, aircraft handling,

Year-Round
Soaring Instruction

Glider instruction, glider rides, glider

rentals, and gift certificates available.
www.soarfl.com • soarfl@aol.com • (352) 394-5450

www.ssa.org • April 2020 • Soaring 39

and SCOH operational practices, as
well as assembling the two ASK-21s.
On a typical flying day, cadets, mi-
nus cell phones to avoid distractions,
and staff volunteers would arrive at the
field after breakfast at about 7:30 am.
The first task was to position the glid-
ers on the flight line under the watch-
ful eye of the experienced staff cadets.
A safety briefing then followed at 8:00 Above: The CAP Schweizer 2-33. Below: Post-solo celebration.
am to review the prior day’s opera-
tions and to reemphasize the impor-
tant role played by safety and safety
awareness. Daily, a preselected group
of cadets was tasked with obtaining
and presenting a detailed weather
briefing. The cadets then broke into 3
groups that rotated between ground
school, including Condor simulator
instruction (in the air-conditioned
SCOH clubhouse), flight instruction,
and assisting in ground operations,
i.e., launching and retrieving gliders.
The ground school curriculum was
organized by Ed VanJura, 1st Lt, CAP,
and was supplemented by presenta-
tions by guest speakers from Houston
TRACON, on the Air Traffic Control
environment.
Once the gliders had been preflight-
ed, flight operations would begin and
continue, with a break for lunch, until was in charge of the food, which was One staff cadet, a SCOH Flight
the gliders were washed and put away excellent and much enjoyed by all, Training Scholarship recipient, was
at the end of the day. Next, logbook especially the rich desserts which were also able to solo during the week. All
entries were made prior to dinner in also a great morale booster. No one the remaining cadets earned Civil Air
the clubhouse. Luz, David Ayre’s wife, went hungry, and snacks and drinks Patrol pre-solo awards for completing
were always available. a flight in which the entire flight was
Evening activities included a talk flown without any input from the on-
by Ken Sorenson, who introduced board instructor.
the cadets to cross-country soaring The final awards ceremony on Sat-
and amazed them by explaining how urday morning highlighted the many
far and fast a modern sailplane can fly achievements of the cadets, including
cross-country in the hands of an ex- the award of 16 pre-solo wings and
pert pilot. Other evening activities in- certificates and 4 sets of CAP Solo
cluded swimming and, after return of Glider Pilot Wings. Several cadets
cell phones, catching up on activities were recognized for their outstand-
at home or telling friends about the ing leadership and their contributions
day’s highlights. to the academy. Staff Cadets were
During the course of the week, 3 awarded bursaries for their hard work
returning cadets soloed. Their solo and participation, to offset their future
flights were rewarded with the tradi- glider training costs.
Chief Flight Instructor Barry Dunning briefs tional buckets of water, welcome relief The growth of the cadets during
the tow pilot prior to Noah Shepson’s first solo. in the heat, and awards of A badges. the week was a joy to watch – they
40 Soaring • April 2020 • www.ssa.org
matured, gained self-confidence, and
showed they have the right stuff to be-
come pilots. All agreed it was a most
enjoyable experience. The favorite
quote of the week came from a cadet
who commented, “I’m hot, I’m tired,
and I’m ready for more!”
Planning is already underway for
the 2020 Academy.
Thank you to David Ayre and Barry
Dunning for authoring this timely ar­
ticle. Any Civil Air Patrol member in­
terested in submitting a future article
or an idea for an article should con­
Awards being presented at the final graduation
ceremony.
tact Interim Glider Program Man­
ager, Mark Grant, Maj, CAP, at
MarkGrantCAP@gmail.com.

www.ssa.org • April 2020 • Soaring 41


CLUB COrNEr
BY LEE MURRAY
(All photos by author.)
A rather remarkable event hap-
pened on Saturday, January 25,
2020. It demonstrates that the SSA’s
presence at EAA has an impact in
supplying new glider pilots. Two indi-
viduals showed up at Arizona Soaring,
Inc., a.k.a. Estrella Sailport, who had
stopped at EAA AirVenture™ last
Above: Ashli Blain getting ready to take a launch in an SGS 2-33 with instructor Bruce Waddell. Below:
Dave Nelson poses by Marin Meyer and her cousin Ashli Blain of Billings, MT at EAA AirVenture™.
42 Soaring • April 2020 • www.ssa.org
summer and inquired about training.
Ashli Blain and her younger cousin,
Marin Meyer, came by the SSA booth,
where we discovered their interest in
soaring. They were encouraged to es-
cape the harsh Montana winter and
come to the southwest for training,
which Ashli did. Ashli just complet-
ed her training for her commercial –
glider rating and is also getting her
instructor rating for gliders. She al-
ready has her commercial fixed and
rotary wing ratings at the age of 18.
When I posted this on Facebook,
Robert Van Treese commented that
“there was a Blain family in Montana
where the whole family were pilots.
Floris Blain flew for us at Continental
Express in Denver in the early ’90s. She
couldn’t upgrade to captain because she
was too young to get her ATP.” Ashli
then responded that her cousin was
Floris’s daughter. What a small world,
and thank heavens for the families who
stay engaged with aviation.
The second person who was at
Estrella that day was David Gustaf-
son. He stopped by because he was
interested in his glider add-on to
his fixed wing rating he earned over
20 years ago. David offered to help
Bill Sneed who was working on his
LS-8, searching for the reason the
radio speaker wasn’t working. David is
the project planner for Able Aerospace
Services in Mesa. David and his son
were visitors at EAA AirVenture™
this past summer. Dave already is be-
coming involved in the soaring com-
munity in Arizona.
About the author: Lee Murray is the
current president of Arizona Soaring As­
sociation and flies an HpH 304C. He
also lives in Maricopa, AZ, where he
lives only six miles from Estrella Sail­
port in the winter months. In the sum­
mer, he resides in Appleton, WI and is a
member of the Wisconsin Soaring Society
and supports the SSA booth at EAA Air­
Venture™.
David Gustafson sitting in Bill Snead’s LS-8 to
see how he fit in the high performance glider.

XC TIPS
BY GARRET WILLAT
Landout Planning
M ost training manuals cover how
to select a suitable field, and
the checklists used. The one I use is
Wind, Wires, Surface, Slope. If you
have been doing this long enough,
you come across a good story of mid-
night retrievals, lost on a dirt road, not
too happy farmers, beautiful farmers’
daughters – wait, those last two might
correlate. But how about a lack of
planning, leading to a great adventure?
When I went to Finland for the
WGC to practice before I flew the
Finnish nationals, it seemed like a
great way to prepare. The biggest les-
son I learned the first week is do not
trust the sun to figure out what time of
day or night it was. Many of those first
nights were spent staying up way too
late, waiting for it to get dark. But that
was after a fantastic landout.
The landout itself was textbook per-
fect. Large field, minimal crop, smooth,
near a road, light headwind, no wires,
no slope, first flight in the glider, no
clue where I was, no radio communi-
cation, no working cell phone. I had
arrived in Finland late, and the contest
had already gridded, but the Contest
Director said, “No problem,” and Ant-
ti Letto rushed over to help me rig.
Adam Wooley handed me his thumb
drive with the turnpoints. I wrote the
task on my hand and was in the air.
I joined with the other English-
speaking pilots, and we headed off on
course. We later separated (there was
no reason to because the contest was
for practice), since that desire to win
persevered, and off I went. However,
the clouds got lower and farther apart.
Still not familiar with the terrain, or
the weather forecast, the next thing
I knew was I was heading for good
fields because the sky collapsed. The
other guys were not doing any better,
but they deviated back towards the
airfield and landed there. But I was
in a beautiful field, without a work-
ing cell phone and no idea of anyone’s
phone numbers at the airport.
I had my InReach that has the mes-
saging feature. So with a little hope,
I messaged Adam’s email from my
InReach, which would get him my co-
ordinates. I just had to wait for him to
get back to WiFi to receive his emails.
Honestly had no idea how long I
waited; it felt like many hours, but it
never got dark, and I landed out pretty
early. I have never been sooo excited
to see Adam as he pulled into the field
with my trailer.
Before Spot and InReach existed, I
landed out somewhere in Nevada; it
was very remote, wild horses and all.
There was a shed, but honestly, at 20
years old, it didn’t seem like the place
to go knocking on the door about 8
www.ssa.org • April 2020 • Soaring
miles down a dirt road. Because I was
one of 11 to attempt the task, most
were on the ground, and the box can-
yon I had landed in did not do well for
radio transmission back to anyone. So I
tried 121.5 anyway. A very enthusiastic
Hawker pilot replied, and we switched
to 123.3, and he relayed my informa-
tion back to the contest officials.
The rusty, white and blue, Econo-
line van never looked sooo good flying
down that dirt road.
All of our local pilots that fly cross-
country at Sky Sailing carry a Spot or
InReach that will message the office
email and my cell. If it doesn’t give the
glider pilot peace of mind, it at least
gives us some on the ground in case we
have to start a search and rescue.
Garret Willat holds a flight instructor
rating with over 8,000 hr in sailplanes. His
parents have owned Sky Sailing Inc. since
1979. He
started in­
structing the
day after his
18th birthday.
Since then,
Garret has
represented
the U.S. Junior team in 2003 and 2005.
He graduated from Embry­Riddle with a
bachelor’s degree in Professional Aeronau­
tics. Garret represented the U.S. Open Class
team in 2008 and 2010 and the Club Class
team in 2014, and has won 3 U.S. National
Championships.
Sundance Aviation
is for sale!
43
 The SSA greatly appreciates the support of its members
through both major gifts and our annual Eagle Fund Drive

SOCIETY OF EAGLES
Recognizing those who have made or declared intent to make major gifts
BALD EAGLES have made lifetime aggregate donations over $50,000
Clifford P. Robertson III Robert L. Robertson Conrad Hilton Foundation
Anonymous Burke Family Trust Bill and Becky Ivans Estate
Rudy Kunda Mozer Family Trust George Moffat
Ben Green Estate Page Family Trust The Ittner Family fund
Lawrence Wood Pat Costello

SOLITARY EAGLES have made lifetime aggregate donations over $10,000

David Robertson Lea County Silicon Valley John H. Weber
Phil Umphres State Bank Community Bank John Stoffel
Dianne Black-Nixon Doug Jacobs G. Tim Welles Barry Stott
AIG Insurance Alice Johnson Sam Zimmerman
Leon Brashkamp Karl Striedieck Kenneth G. Sorenson

GOLDEN EAGLES have declared their (non-binding) intent to make a gift from
their estate of over $50,000
Carol Ann Garratt SSA Foundation Trustee Kenneth & Michelle Sorenson
Christopher Woods Beth Ann & Paul R. Schneider
Fernando Silva Anonymous SSA Member

TAWNY EAGLES have declared their (non-binding) intent to make a gift from
their estate of over $10,000
Phil Umphres Anonymous Region 11 member Karl Striedieck
SSA Director Larry Tuohino Doug Jacobs
MEMBER:
David Britton
2020 EAGLE FUND DRIVE
This month’s donors: DIAMOND – $2,000 or greater GOLD – $500-$1,999
David L. Robertson Fred Huenl Robert Ware
SILVER – $100-$499
John W. Bovee Honolulu Soaring Club Inc. Erik Nels Nelson
Robert Davenport Mathew Hutchings Frank Whiteley
Robert W. Green Douglas M. Joyce Chris Woods
J. Norman Grim Rick and Ann Lafford

BRONZE – $10-$99

Robert Bell Sonja Flesberg Nelson B. Howe Michael Merkler

Charles Dutch Paul Hambleton William La Follette Robert J. Sherwood
Allan J. Flesberg Francis P. Hareslak Denise Layton Michael Volkert

If you would like more information on the Society of Eagles, or giving to the Eagle Fund drive,
please e-mail us at mylegacy@ssa.org.
 SKY WrITING
EDITED BY
JAY CAMPBELL “56”
Greater Boston Soaring Club Goes Limerick Crazy I was working a magnificent thermal.
Last season, a limerick appeared in the Greater Boston It was persistent, seemingly eternal.
Soaring Club’s weekly newsletter, “Towlines.” Soon the po-   But Earth more rotated.
ems were flying fast and furious. Here are a few, curated   The sunshine migrated.
and edited. These were contributed by Zac Cloud, Tim Soaring timescales, they max-out at diurnal.
Gillette, Ravi Gondhalekar, Cathy Keller, Lew Klunk, — Ravi Gondhalekar
Wayne Knapp, and Tom Witkin.
Winter’s approach is in sight.
You got into a right-handed spin! Shorter, cold days with less light.
Ease off stick, push the left rudder in.   The leaves are fallin’
  As you quickly unwind,   The skies are callin’
  Control speed, pitch refined, So go sneak in one last flight.
Wings level, and you’re safe once again. — Zac Cloud
— Lew Klunk
We are very depressed, downright blue.
The K-21 for the ride was glossy. The soaring season is almost through.
But the flying made the passenger tossy.   But let’s continue to get kicks:
  So she levelled her flight,   Winter-fly the 1-26!
  Now, no vomiting plight. Staying local with no one to crew.
And her fine landing was made softly mossy. — Cathy Keller
— Tom Witkin
About the editors: Tom instructs with the Greater Boston
The pilot of a 2-33 Soaring Club, serves as the club Safety Officer, and is the club’s
Was in desperate need of a pee. limericker­in­chief . Cathy is a Private Pilot – Glider, who re­
  Not able to penetrate, turned to flying two years ago after a 25­year layoff. She owns
  He chose to defenestrate, an LS8­18 with her husband, Shaun. She is editor of the club’s
Delighting the underlying tree. weekly newsletter, “Towlines” – or sometimes “Towrhymes.”
— Ravi Gondhalekar
a-B-C Badges ... made Easy
There once was a pilot from France #909908 • $7.95
Who flew by the seat of his pants. *
  A hard landing out,
  Put mud on his snout.
He should not have left it to chance. Silver
— Tim Gillette Badge ...
made
There once was a glider pilot, a nice fellow. Easy
He liked to soar in the glider that was yellow. #909910
  He really thought he had it nailed; $9.95
  His Silver Distance attempt failed. *
Since in thermals he did turns that were quite shallow.
— Wayne Knapp

Send your poetry, Burma Soar, and limerick submis-

sions directly to campbelljd56@gmail.com with a subject *
line of “Poem.” Send in plain text or as a .doc only. No Bronze Badge ... made Easy
PDFs, please. #909909 • $9.95

www.ssa.org • April 2020 • Soaring 45


SOarING CaLENDar
CONTESTS and SPECIAL EVENTS
Event sponsors are requested to submit
details of their events for the calendar.
The submission deadline is the 15th of
the month, at least two months prior to
the cover date (e.g. February 15 for the
April issue). Email calendar listings to:
feedback@ssa.org
April 20-25, 2020, Region 5 North
Contest – Perry, SC – Hosted by
Rhonda and Allison Tyler, Jr. Prac-
tice days April 18-19, 2020. Contact:
Rhonda Tyler at 803-564-5226 or
rtylersc@yahoo.com.
May 5-14, 2020, Club Class Na-
tionals – Benton, TN – Hosted by
Chilhowee Soaring Association, Inc.
Practice days May 3 and 4, 2020.
Contact: Sarah Arnold at 423-506-
9015 or info@chilhowee.com.
May 10-16, 2020, FAI Sailplane
Grand Prix USA 2020 – Jefferson, SC
– Hosted by Bermuda High Soaring.
Practice days May 8 and 9, 2020. This
FAI SGP will be held in 15 m class
sailplanes. Standard 15 m sailplanes
are welcome. The 2020 FAI SGP or-
United States Soaring Hall of Fame
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
Nominations for election to the United States Soaring Hall of Fame are currently being accepted.
The deadline for current year consideration is June 30, 2020.
Any member of the Soaring Society of America may submit an individual’s name for consideration
as a Hall of Fame candidate. Each nomination must be accompanied by a detailed statement setting
out the achievements or contributions of the nominee justifying consideration for election to the
Hall of Fame.
Please send nominating letters and support material to:
Trafford L. Doherty, Director
National Soaring Museum
51 Soaring Hill Drive
Elmira, NY 14903-9204
Questions? Please call (607) 734-3128.
Email: director@soaringmuseum.org
46 Soaring • April 2020 • www.ssa.org
ganizers are interested in hosting sev-
eral unofficial “fun” classes for groups
of pilots interested in experiencing
the SGP competition format, but per-
haps do not fly 15m gliders, or do not
want to fly the official event. Contact:
Franklin Burbank at 352-223-2883 or
franklinburbank@aol.com.
May 17-23, 2020, Region 2 Con-
test – Reedsville, PA – Hosted by
Mifflin Soaring Association. Prac-
tice day May 16, 2020. Contact: Karl
Striedieck at 814-237-7996 or http://
mifflinsoaring.org/index.php/contest/
general-info/.
May 18-23, 2020, Region 7 Con-
test – Albert Lea, MN – Hosted by
Leon Zeug. Practice day May 17,
2020. Contact: Leon Zeug at 612-
590-7157 or region7sc@gmail.com.
May 22-25, 2020 (Memorial Day
Weekend), Western Vintage/Classic
Regatta – Tehachapi, CA – Mountain
Valley Airport (L94) Tehachapi, CA.
Tows, flying operations, and camping
facility provided by Skylark North,
Nominations must be received by June 30, 2020.
661-822-5267. Information: Jeff
Byard at 661-609-4848 or jgbyard@
gmail.com.
May 31-June 8, 2020, 2020 Open
Class/15M National Contest – Min-
den, NV – Hosted by Minden Tahoe
Airport. Practice days May 29-30,
2020. Contact: Reba Coombs at 775-
230-1278 or reebs7@sbcglobal.net.
June 1-6, 2020, Region 5 South
Contest – Cordele, GA – Hosted by
Cordele Racing, LLC. Practice days
May 30-31, 2020. Contact: Chris
Carter or Lyn Forbes at 770-843-
4099 or flycordele@yahoo.com.
June 1-5, 2020, 26th Annual Ther-
mal Camp – Reno, NV – Spend a 5
day week at Air Sailing Gliderport
improving your thermaling skills.
Classroom instruction in the morn-
ing and soaring in the afternoon. Air
Sailing offers excellent classroom ac-
commodations and exceptional soar-
ing conditions. This camp is offered
every year and is always very popu-
lar. Information and signup: www.
airsailing.org.
June 7-12, 2020, 34th Annual Cross
Country Camp – Reno, NV – Devote
a 6 day week at Air Sailing Gliderport
to develop and sharpen your cross-
country soaring skills. The camp in-
cludes comprehensive lectures, practi-
cal demonstrations, and daily practice
of the basic and intermediate concepts
and skills involved in conservative,
recreational cross-country flying. You
will be supported by experienced
cross-country pilot mentors flying the
daily tasks with you. Information and
signup: www.airsailing.org.
June 11-14, 2020, Hood River 2nd
Saturday Glider Weekend – Ken
Jernstedt Airport (4S2), Western
Antique Automobile and Aeroplane
Museum (WAAAM), Hood River,
OR. Setup and derig on June 10 and
15. Tows available. Camping on re-
quest. Beautiful summer scenery. In-
formation: Judy Newman at 541-308-
1600 or info@waaamuseum.org.
June 15-21, 2020 (Father’s Day
Weekend), Midwest Vintage/Clas-
sic Regatta – Lawrenceville, IL –
Wabash Valley Soaring Association at
the Lawrenceville-Vincennes Airport
(LWV), Lawrenceville, IL. Camping
on field, motels and lodging nearby,
hangars available by prior arrange-
ment. Bring your own vintage glider
or join the WVSA and fly their ASK
13, Ka-8, Ka-6E, or Astir CS. Insur-
ance requirements stipulate that tows
are available only to members of an
SSA chapter, or WVSA, unless prior
arrangements have been agreed upon.
Information: Jim Croce at 270-823-
3394 or b407flyer@yahoo.com.
June 15-21 2020, 20 Meter and
Standard Class Nationals – Mon-
tague, CA – Hosted by Williams Soar-
ing Center. Practice day June 14, 2020.
Contact: Noelle Mayes at 530-473-
5600 or noelle@williamssoaring.com.
June 18-26, 2020, 1-26 Champi-
onships – Yoder, KS – Hosted by
Kansas Soaring Association. Practice
days June 16 and 17, 2020. Contact:
Tony Condon at 515-291-0089 or
abcondon@gmail.com.
June 18-26, 2020, Low Perfor-
mance Contest – Yoder, KS – Host-
ed by Kansas Soaring Association.
Practice days June 16 and 17, 2020.
Contact: Tony Condon at 515-291-
0089 or abcondon@gmail.com.
June 20, 2020, VSA Annual Meet-
ing – Mid-American Air Center,
Lawrenceville-Vincennes Airport
(LWV), Lawrenceville, IL. Informa-
www.ssa.org • April 2020 • Soaring
tion: Jim Short at 708-624-3576 or
simajim121@gmail.com.
June 26-29, 2020, IVSM Vintage
Rendezvous – Massey, MD – Stop-
over and warmup fun prior to IVSM
2020. Join up and trailer to IVSM, only
a day’s drive away. Massey Aerodrome
(MD1), 1.5 miles east of Massey, MD.
Airport information: 410-928-5270
or masseyaero.org. Information: Rusty
Lowry at 240-925-5683 or lowry94@
verizon.net.
June 27-July 5, 2020, Region 1
Sports Class – Springfield, VT –
Hosted by New England Soaring As-
sociation, Inc. Practice day June 26,
2020. Contact: I. Alasdair Crawford at
603-667-5358 or alasdair@tds.net.
June 30-July 5, 2020, 2020 Region 9
Sports Class Contest – Nephi, UT –
47
Hosted by Utah Soaring Association.
Practice days June 28 and 29, 2020.
Contact: Bruno Vassel at 801-652-
6631 or brunovassel@gmail.com.
June 30-July 9, 2020, 2020 18 Me-
ter Nationals – Nephi, UT – Hosted
by Utah Soaring Association. Practice
days June 28 and 29, 2020. Contact:
Bruno Vassel at 801-652-6631, or vis-
it https://sites.google.com/site/nephi
soaring/.
July 4-11, 2020, International Vin-
tage Sailplane Meet 2020 – Elmira,
NY – Harris Hill Soaring Corpora-
tion, National Soaring Museum, and
VSA welcome you to Harris Hill and
the scenic New York Finger Lakes.
A weeklong gathering of some of
the world’s significant and beautiful
vintage and classic gliders. Informa-
tion: NSM at 607-734-3128, www.
soaringmuseum.org, or info@soaring
museum.org.
The 1-26 Association and
the Kansas Soaring
Association are co-sponsoring
a Low Performance Contest in
Yoder, KS, June 18-26, 2020,
in conjunction with the
1-26 Championships.
Contact Tony Condon at (515) 291-0089
or abcondon@gmail.com for more details.
48 Soaring • April 2020 • www.ssa.org
July 13-17, 2020, Air Sailing Sports
Class Contest – Reno, NV – Hosted
by Air Sailing, Inc. Practice day July 12,
2020. Contact: Terry Duncan at 408-
446-0847 or tduncan11@comcast.net.
July 16-26, 2020, Mackay, Idaho
Regatta – Mackay, ID – For tows,
mountain, valley soaring. Wave win-
dow is in place. Flying from the
Mackay, ID airport – U62. Local
option for RVs and motels limited and
fill fast so early reservations strongly
suggested. On non-flying days, try
fishing, biking, hiking, and just enjoy-
ing the area. O2, Spot, or equivalent
required, FLARM STRONGLY sug-
gested. Group meals each night. Lots
of social activity. Contact: Tom Dixon
at tfdixon@msn.com.
July 20-25, 2020, Region 11 Com-
bined FAI – Truckee, CA – Hosted by
Truckee Tahoe Soaring Association.
Practice days July 18-19, 2020. Con-
tact: Tony Gaechter at 408-621-3140
or tgaechter@gmail.com.
July 25-August 9, 2020, Vintage
Glider Club (VGC) Rendezvous
and Rally – Join European vintage
glider pilots for the VGC Rendez-
vous at Nordhorn-Lingen, Germany
( July 25-30) followed by the 48th
VGC Rally at Achmer, Germany
(August 1-9). Information: www.
vgc2020.de.
August 2-8, 2020, Sports Class
Nationals – Waller, TX – Hosted by
Soaring Club of Houston. Practice
days July 31 and August 1, 2020. Con-
tact: Michelle Sorenson at 832-492-
5501 or kmcrew@hotmail.com.
August 3-7, 2020, Caesar Creek
Soaring Club 2020 Cross Coun-
try Camp – Waynesville, OH. At the
camp, experienced pilots will take small
groups of gliders out on course. Typical
groups may include medium perfor-
mance gliders like ASW 15, LS4, Li-
belle, and LS1 going to Clinton, Green
County, Dayton Wright, Lebanon,
and back home. Another lower perfor-
mance group might include 1-26, K6,
or AC-4 Russian following the leader to
Red Stewart Airfield 3 miles away and
then on to Lebanon 6 miles more and
then 8 miles back to CCSC. Contact:
Steve Statkus at 513-576-9080 or steve
statkus@gmail.com, or Chuck Lohre at
513-260-9025 or chuck@lohre.com.
August 16-22, 2020, Region 3
Contest – Dansville, NY – Sponsored
by Finger Lakes Soaring Club. Prac-
tice day August 15, 2020. Contact:
Ann Lafford at 585-444-6213 or ann
lafford@gmail.com.
August 24-28, 2020, Women’s
Soaring Pilot Association Seminar
– Springfield, VT – Hosted by New
England Soaring Association. WSPA
seminars offer soaring for all experi-
ence levels. Information and registra-
tion: www.womensoaring.org.
September 4-7, 2020 (Labor Day
Weekend), Experimental Soaring
Association Western Workshop/
Vintage Sailplane Regatta – Moun-
tain Valley Airport (L94), Teha-
chapi, CA. Tows, flying operations, and
camping facility provided by Skylark
North, 661-822-5267. Information:
Jeff Byard at 661-609-4848 or
jgbyard@gmail.com.
September 17-20, 2020, Great
Plains Vintage/ Classic Regatta –
Wichita, KS – Wichita Gliderport, 2
miles east of Jabara Airport in Wich-
ita, KS. Hotels and restaurants nearby.
Saturday features vintage glider topics
www.ssa.org • April 2020 • Soaring
colloquium. Information: Neal Pfeiffer
at nealpfeiffer@sbcglobal.net, or Tony
Condon at abcondon@gmail.com.
October 4-10, 2020, Region 4
North Contest – Fairfield, PA –
Sponsored by Mid-Atlantic Soaring
Association, Inc. Practice day Octo-
ber 3, 2020. Contact: Daniele Brotto
at 717-462-7210 or region4n@gmail.
com.
October 9-12, 2020, Eastern Vin-
tage/Classic Regatta – Benton, TN
– Chilhowee Gliderport, Benton, TN.
Tows and flying operation provided
by Chilhowee Soaring Association,
Inc. Participants may arrive Thurs-
day, October 8, but please arrange for
tows with Chilhowee Soaring in ad-
vance. Information: Chilhowee.com,
or Sarah Arnold at 423-338-2000 or
423-506-9015.
49
 SOarING mEmOrIES
REMEMBERING THE PAST By JACk WyMAN

Seventy years ago: March / April 1950

B efore leading the Sierra Wave Project in the early 1950s, Joachim Kuettner (Hall of Fame 1981)
wrote Soaring in Updraft Streets, describing the “meteorological conditions in which long cross-
country flights are possible. Many sailplanists [sic!] have spiraled when they could have simply glided downwind in an
updraft street.” He also noted the “possibility of breaking the international distance record in the northern latitudes … where
the day is long in summer and where long updraft streets often occur.” Indeed! The North Pole provides 6 months between
sunrise and sunset, so even poking along at, say, 23 mph, that’s over 100,000 miles!
A jet-powered motorglider 70 years ago? Alexis Dawydoff (HoF 1967) extolled Fouga’s wooden Cyclone: “Its V-tail
permits unimpeded passage of exhaust gases. A metal plate protects the rear deck from charring. Unfortunately, unavail-
ability is a serious stumbling block.” Pity.
Professor August Raspet (HoF 1956) mentored Dick Johnson (HoF 1956) on his 40:1 glider, but even Gus called it the
“RJ-5”! In November, I told everyone: it’s R-J-5! TWO hyphens! Sheesh! Didn’t anyone read ahead in 1950?

Fifty years ago: April 1970

T
his issue, the second half of the U.S. Sailplane Directory, focused on foreign sailplanes, many
with intriguing names. BIRDS: Glasflügel’s Kestrel; Slingsby’s Skylark, Kirby Kite, and Kirby
Gull; Schmetz’s Condor; Scheibe’s Bergfalke (mountain falcon); Scheibe’s Zugvögel (migratory bird);
Breguet’s Fauvette (nightingale or warbler); and the Polish Orlik (eagle pigeon). Bonus fact: John
Robinson (HoF 1954) named his Orlik Zanonia, after a gliding SEED. The BBC’s David Atten-
borough explains: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rX--Y5gCnE. WEAPONS: Schneider’s
Arrow; the Dutch Sagitta and Finnish Vasama (both also arrows); Slingsby’s Dart; and Schneider’s
Boomerang (designed specifically for O&Rs). MAMMALS: the Polish Foka (seal); the German Wolf (for Canis lupus
Wolf Hirth). Sky STUFF: Wolf Hirth’s Minimoa (from Moazagotl, German for lenticular clouds); SZD’s Zefir (west
wind); Bolkow’s Phoebus (from Greek and Latin: the sun god Apollo); and Schempp-Hirth’s Cirrus (Cirrus? That shuts
off thermals?? Cirrusly???). INSECTS (sorted from ridiculous to sublime): Polish Mucha (housefly); and the runaway
winner of SSA’s 1969 reader poll for the Most Beautiful Sailplane, Glasflügel’s Libelle (dragonfly), with obvious overtones
of La Belle, French for “the beautiful.”

Twenty-five years ago: April 1955

S teve du Pont (HoF 1987) ranted to Soaring’s Editor about the chaotic “apples and oranges” specs
of an [unnamed] glider: “Span in meters, area in decimal square feet, length in feet/inches, sink in
meters/second, speeds in knots.” Wow! Talk about LAK of consistency! He added, “Years ago, English
pilot Nick Goodhart told us [if the ASI and vario are in knots], you divide in your head, and presto,
you have your present glide ratio. After he became Admiral Goodhart, I suspected [his promotion]
was for [this] wise revelation.”
A calmer Steve praised the new Genesis. It “won’t spin, so doesn’t need to be recovered.” Yet for-
mer NASA Flight Research Engineer Einar Enevoldsen (HoF 2010), already “well-known for his work in spin analysis
of [military jets] and of Grob’s [high-altitude] Egrett, was participating in refinement of the Genesis, including its spin
dynamics”!?! A 2020 salute to Einar E: For his moxie, in decades. For Perlan 2 (N901EE), in $pon$or$ and teamwork. For
HiStart, in towing by EgrEtt. In toto, the World Altitude Record of 115.3 – in furlongs.
Exploring the Archives
l Shelly Charles (HoF 1960) donated his Olympia to Mississippi State College. Professor Gus Raspet (HoF) decided to add “bodies of revolution similar to tip
fuel tanks.” To what end? What might those new tips have portended? Mar/Apr 1950, p. 15.
l A giant of a glider took 3 of the top 6 positions in the 1968 Standard Class World Championships, with A.J. Smith (HoF 1968) the champion. Yet the glider’s
name couldn’t have been less fitting. What was it? April 1970, p. 18.
l In 1995, SSA took a huge step into the future. “Members are invited to communicate with SSA via CompuServe E-Mail.” What was SSA’s initial email address?
Hint: no initials included. See p. 21 of April 1995 Soaring.
 UTAH STATE RECORDS

BaDGES & rECOrDS 07/03/2019

Raily Blankley; Discus 2b; Nephi
JUNIOR/STANDARD/15M
SSA & FAI AWARDS Free Triangle Distance; 154.2 sm
FEMALE/STANDARD/15M/OPEN
Free Triangle Distance; 154.2 sm
SILVER BADGE JUNIOR/FEMALE/SPORTS
Approved or Recorded through
February 15, 2020 • Rollin Hasness Free Triangle Distance; 141 hmi
7135; Jared Granzow
FEMALE/STANDARD/15M/OPEN
7136; Josef Bostik
For badge and record information, Free Out and Return Distance; 99 sm
contact Rollin Hasness at:
FEMALE/SPORTS
badgeandrecords@ssa.org DIAMOND GOAL
Free Out and Return Distance; 91 hmi
Jared Granzow; ASW 27; Marion, OH; 308.2 km
Questions?
Josef Bostik; Ventus 2a; Narromine, Australia; A BADGES
A, B, C and Bronze Badges – Melinda Hughes
(mhughes@ssa.org) 575-392-1177 755 km
Brandon Anderson; Houston, TX
All other Badges and Records – Rollin Hasness
Chris Behm; Harbor City, CA
(badgeandrecords@ssa.org) DIAMOND DISTANCE
Mark Brown; Tampa, FL
See Documentation on www.ssa.org – Soaring Josef Bostik; Ventus 2a; Narromine, Australia; Alexander Brown; Winter Haven, FL
Achievement > Forms 755 km
• Badge and Record information and applications Colten G. Coughlin; Wichita, KS
• FAI Forms Record Flights Edward G. Fleming; Aliso Viejo, CA
GOLD DISTANCE Greg Heinze; Little Rock, AR
Download your own current copy of the Sporting code
– at http://www.fai.org/igc-documents > Sporting
Jared Granzow; ASW 27; Marion, OH Matthew Laseter; Zephyrhills, FL
Code Josef Bostik; Ventus 2a; Narromine, Australia Daniel Miner; Columbus, OH
HOW TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION FOR BADGES: Brian Price; Denver, CO
SILVER/GOLD DURATION Jacob Pruitt; Roanoke, VA
Email applications are allowed if documents are
scanned as PDF files. Jared Granzow; ASW 27; Marion, OH David J. Pydenski; Wesley Chapel, FL
• Include the .igc Flight Reorder file with the email – Josef Bostik; Ventus 2a; Narromine, Australia Jon Stark; Castle Pines, CO
do not send separately.
• We cannot accept documents scanned as .jpg –
PDF only. SILVER ALTITUDE B BADGES
• We cannot accept ZIP files – PDF only. Jared Granzow; ASW 27; Marion, OH Mark Brown; Tampa, FL
OR
Mail the application and File (on stick or Disk) to: Josef Bostik; Ventus 2a; Narromine, Australia Colten G. Coughlin; Wichita, KS
SSA Edward G. Fleming; Aliso Viejo, CA
PO Box 2100
Hobbs, NM 88241-2100 SILVER DISTANCE Greg Heinze; Little Rock, AR
Jared Granzow; ASW 27; Marion, OH Matthew Laseter; Zephyrhills, FL
HOW TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION FOR RECORDS:
Josef Bostik; Ventus 2a; Narromine, Australia Daniel Miner; Columbus, OH
STATE RECORD FLIGHTS – Must notify the State
Record Keeper and SSA Badge and Record Adminis- Brian Price; Denver, CO
trator (badgeandrecords@ssa.org) within 10 days of WORLD DISTANCE AWARD Jacob Pruitt; Roanoke, VA
the flight. Documentation must be postmarked within
45 days of the flight and sent to your State Record Michael Solley; 10,000 km C BADGES
Keeper/Governor or, if not available, send to SSA.
Steven Waitekaitis; 30,000 km
US NATIONAL, CONTINENTAL, INTERNATIONAL 19501. Joshua Abbe; Colorado Springs, CO
RECORDS – Notification required to SSA, Badge
andrecords@ssa.org within 7 days of the flight to in- UTAH STATE RECORDS 19500. Matthew Laseter; Zephyrhills, FL
clude the following information:
Type of Claim 08/30/2019
Class, Subclass, Pilot category Steven Rathbun; LS-3a; Nephi
Record Task
Estimated Performance GENERAL/SPORTS
Takeoff Location 500 km Triangle Speed; 56.72 hmph
Date of Finish (UTC)
Name of Pilot, and Co-pilot if applicable
Glider make and model
• Mail Original Documentation and Flight Record File
to SSA
• Documentation should be mailed within 30 days of Tom Knauff is an internationally well-known and
the flight
• For those making US NATIONAL, CONTINENTAL
respected author of glider flight training manuals.
or INTERNATIONAL record applications, do not for- With his unique soaring abilities, and an equal desire
get your Required Sporting License:
• https://naa.aero
to share with others his profound knowledge of
• An FAI Sporting License is required for all record flying gliders, Tom has provided glider pilots with
attempts and all FAI sanctioned events and competi-
tions. Sporting License applicants must be a member
this new textbook of basic and advanced knowledge
of NAA and/or a current member of the appropriate of the sport of soaring flight. The foundation of a
NAA Air Sport Organization. NAA members partici-
pating in competitions and/or record setting activities remarkable flight safety record.
can receive a one-year FAI Sporting License at no
cost, but must complete and application for the sport-
ing license.
$39.95 Quantity discounts available.
• Due to FAI policy changes, you must apply for a
Sporting License at least 14 days prior to your record Order at www.eglider.org
attempt or competition. Applications submitted less
than 14 days prior to the event may not be processed
in time to allow you to participate.
or phone (814) 355-2483
www.ssa.org • April 2020 • Soaring 51
 SOarING mILESTONES
GLIDING ACHIEVEMENTS
and FINAL GLIDE
LAkE ELSINORE, CA – The
Lake Elsinore Soaring Club would
like to congratulate Greg Buckmaster
(L) for completing his first glider solo!
Greg soloed in a Schweizer 2-33A on
January 15, 2020 at Skylark Field in
Southern CA. Greg, shown here with
CFI-G Bob Bell (R), is a recently
retired airline pilot who has found a
new passion in soaring. Greg says that
he’s addicted to soaring and can’t wait
to fly all the club planes and do some
cross-country! Congratulations, Greg!
LAkE ELSINORE, CA – The
Lake Elsinore Soaring Club would
like to congratulate Dave Moynihan
for adding Commercial Glider to his
ASES, ASEL, and Rotorcraft Certifi-
cates. Dave completed his checkride
with DPE Mike Havener at the Lake
Elsinore Soaring Club on December
22, 2019. He initially soloed in 2013
at Sand Hill Soaring Club in Gregory,
MI with instruction from Safu Nana
52 Soaring • April 2020 • www.ssa.org
and John G. Harte. He also flew glid-
ers in Newcastle, VA at Blue Ridge
Soaring Society with instruction from
JP Stewart and Gary Naber. Dave
now flies helicopters for the Navy, and checkride on February 9, 2020 at the
while in flight school, he flew gliders Southern California Soaring Acad-
in Refugio, TX at Refugio Soaring emy, Inc. DPE Joe Scarcella is shown
Circle, and soloed in Pensacola, FL at congratulating Mike.
the Coastal Soaring Association with
instruction from Emmitt Moran and
Rus Howard. Dave is also one of our
highly valued tow pilots! Dave in-
tends to complete his Bronze badge in
preparation for cross-country flying.
Congratulations, Dave!
LLANO, CA – Frankie Fremont
(L) earned his Private – Glider cer-
tificate at the Southern California
Soaring Academy, Inc. on January 24,
2020, one day after his 16th birthday.
On his birthday, he soloed in two air-
craft categories, Helicopter and Air-
plane. Frankie is seen here with DPE
LAkE ELSINORE, CA – The Dan Gudgel (R). Frankie soloed with
Lake Elsinore Soaring Club would us when he was 14 years old, so he was
like to congratulate Chris Behm already experienced when he started
for completing his first glider solo! his helicopter and SEL training.
Chris soloed in a Schweizer 2-33A
on January 12, 2020 at Skylark Field
in Southern CA. Chris comes to full
scale soaring from an R/C thermal
and slope soaring background. Chris
represented the U.S. in the 2008 F3F
(R/C slope racing) world champion-
ship in Slovakia. Look for Chris on
the grid at future soaring contests!
Congratulations, Chris!
LLANO, CA – Michael Pattison LLANO, CA – 15-year-old Sean
(L) passed his Commercial – Glider Murphy (C) flew his first solo on
January 18, 2020 at the  Southern
California Soaring Academy, Inc. His
grandfather (L) and father (R) are also
glider pilots. Sean is working toward
getting his Private Pilot rating when
he turns 16.

CLERMONT, FL – Felix Gruosso

Houston Glider Club. Ken Sorensen
soloed him there.
earned his Private – Glider license on
February 8, 2020 at Seminole Lake
Gliderport. Felix lives in Fort Lau-
derdale, FL. Jan Driessen (R) was his
Instructor.

LLANO, CA – Walt Sweet (L)

flew his first glider solo on January
19, 2020 at the Southern California
Soaring Academy, Inc. CFI-G George
Govednik is shown congratulating
Walt after his landing.
CLERMONT, FL – Rob Suvak,
6 ft 7 inches tall, is getting the riot CLERMONT, FL – Bob Kronk
act treatment from his 84-year-old (L) is congratulated by Franklin
Instructor, Jan Driessen on Janu- Burbank, DPE (C), after earning his
ary 18, 2020 after getting his Private Private – Glider rating February 2,
add-on rating. “Now how many times 2020 at Seminole Lake Gliderport.
do I have to tell you to call out 200 Jan Driessen (R) was his Instructor.
ft on takeoff, BOY?!” Rob is an ATP,
flying for Southwest Airlines.

CLERMONT, FL – Arnold
Vaughan (C) from Ottawa, Ontario,
Canada  completed his  Private Pilot
– Glider rating on February 11, 2020
at the Seminole Lake Gliderport.
Arnold is a former Canadian mili-
tary and airline pilot. Congratulating
him are Instructor Steven Gibb (L)
and Examiner Kyle Pack (R).
CLERMONT, FL – Rob Suvak
(C) from Houston, TX, earned his
Commercial – Glider rating on Janu-
ary 18, 2020 at Seminole Lake Gli-
derport. Kyle Pack (L) was DPE, and
Jan Driessen (R) was his Instructor.
Rob flew with other instructors at the
CLERMONT, FL – Ethan Sim-
mons soloed the Blanik L-23 January
19, 2020 at Seminole Lake Glider-
port. He did great. Jan Driessen, his
CLERMONT, FL – Felix Gruosso Instructor, is kneeling next to him.
(R), Captain 767 UPS, from Fort Lau-
derdale, FL, soloed the Blanik L-23 CLERMONT, FL – Greg Heinze
on February 5, 2020 at Seminole Lake (L) from Little Rock, AR, soloed the
Gliderport. Of course, he did great. Blanik L-23 on January 15, 2020 at
Jan Driessen (L) was his Instructor.  Seminole Lake Gliderport. His In-
www.ssa.org • April 2020 • Soaring 53

structor, Jan Driessen, is kneeling next
to him.
CLERMONT, FL – Greg Heinze
from Little Rock, AR, earned his
Commercial – Glider rating on Janu-
ary 17, 2020 at Seminole Lake Gli-
derport. DPE Shawn Knickerbocker
(L) is congratulating Greg (C). Jan
Driessen (R) was his Instructor. Very
windy today, but Greg did great.
ZEPHYRHILLS, FL – All the
members of Tampa Bay Soaring
Society would like to congratulate
Steven Kiefer (in cockpit) on his solo
flight in a Grob G103 on January 29,
2020. TBSS has a specially modified
Grob G103 that allows handicapped
individuals to fly with us. Steven lost
the use of his legs 21 years ago in a
motorcycle accident. He has long
dreamed of being a glider pilot and on
Wednesday, he made it happen. He is
proof that anything is possible given
enough dedication and hard work.
54 Soaring • April 2020 • www.ssa.org
Steven is being congratulated by his
Instructor, John Kamis (R). Congratu-
lations, Stephen! Job well done.
ZEPHYRHILLS, FL – Con-
gratulations to Steven Tellmann, who
soloed January 25, 2020, on his 14th
birthday! He is a member of Tampa
Bay Soaring Society. Upon his land-
ing, Steven lost the back of his shirt
and was somehow doused with a
bucket of water on this cold 70° day
in FL. Later, all the TBSS members
enjoyed birthday cake with him at the
clubhouse. Steven is shown sitting in
the Blanik L-23, being congratulated
by his Instructor, John Kamis. Great
job, Steven!
ZEPHYRHILLS, FL – Congrat-
ulations to Aidan Sizler (L) for his
solo flight on June 23, 2019. Aidan
is a member of Tampa Bay Soaring
Society, and he soloed in a Blanik
L-23. Aidan is being congratulated by
his Instructor,  Larry Davenport (R).
Good job, Aidan!
JEAN, NV – Congratulations to
Dalton Stradtman (C) as the Las Ve-
gas Valley Soaring Association’s new-
est rated pilot. Dalton began his train-
ing in August 2018 and had to wait for
his 16th birthday to take his checkride
on January 25, 2020. Dalton complet-
ed his flight training thanks to the help
from the Stoffel Flight Scholarship.
Dalton is active with the local soar-
ing club, high school sports, and C/
CMSgt with the local Civil Air Patrol
Squadron, NV Wing. The checkride
also completes the CAP requirements
to earn his CAP Glider Wings and fly
CAP gliders. Congratulating Dalton
are Mark Montague (L), DPE, and
Bill Tisdale (R), Dalton’s Instructor.
DANSVILLE, NY – Congratula-
tions to our Junior member Ivan Mo-
fardin on his first solo flight in Finger
Lakes Soaring Club’s SGS 2-33 at
Dansville Airport (KDSV) on No-
vember 30, 2019. As you can tell by his
dress, it was seriously cold on the club’s
last flying day in 2019. Ivan’s recom-
mending Instructors were Jari Wallach
and Rick Lafford. Ivan is one of our
most active Junior members. His next
goal is to pass the written and flight
tests. Ivan’s long-term goal is to be-
come a professional pilot, a goal many
of the club’s Juniors have achieved.
DANSVILLE, NY – Congratula-
tions to David Van Der Linden (C) on
passing his Private – Glider checkride
in Finger Lakes Soaring Club’s SGS
2-33 at Dansville Airport (KDSV) on
October 10, 2019. DPE was Jim Mar-
tin (L), and David’s recommending

Instructor was Jari Wallach (R). David
has worked long and hard to achieve
his rating and is one of the club’s most
helpful members.
DANSVILLE, NY – Congratula-
tions to Joe Rizzo on becoming our
newest CFI-G. Joe passed his check-
ride in Finger Lakes Soaring Club’s
ASK-21 at Dansville Airport (KDSV)
on September 30, 2019. DPE was Jim
Martin who is also FLSC Chief In-
structor. Joe flies for a major cargo car-
rier and finally decided to try soaring,
and he’s going at it in a big way. Joe
is a tow pilot. Next goal for Joe is to
get some cross-country time in our
Pegasus!
DANSVILLE, NY – Congratu-
lations to Cy Kastner on passing his
Commercial – Glider checkride in
Finger Lakes Soaring Club’s ASK-
21 at Dansville Airport (KDSV) on
September 30, 2019. DPE was Jim
Martin, who is also FLSC Chief In-
structor. Cy finally decided to add his
Commercial certificate and is also on
our Board of Directors and a tow pilot.
Next goal for Cy is to earn his CFI-G!
Gliderport. Matt, whose occupation
is flying corporate aircraft, decided to
take up soaring to get back in touch
with those feelings which got him into
flying in the first place.
BUNN, NC – Jeffrey Stalk (R) suc-
cessfully completed his Private Pilot –
Glider checkride on January 23, 2020
at Crooked Creek Airport, the home
field of the North Carolina Soaring
Association (NCSA). Jeff is congratu-
lated by DPE Gary Garavaglia (L).
The cadre of CFI-Gs at NCSA heart-
ily congratulate Jeff on a job well done.
HOOD RIVER, OR – Congratu-
lations to Eric Hamada (C) on his
Private Pilot – Glider add-on in Hood
River Soaring’s ASK-21 on October
26, 2019! Mark Stanfield was CFI-G
(L), and “Towing Ty” Sibley (R) was
his tow pilot. Hood River Soaring
operates out of the gliderport at Ken
Jernstedt Airfield, 4S2.
HILLTOWN, PA – Congratula-
tions to Connor Quinn (R), shown
here with his first student after re-
ceiving his certification as a Glider
Instructor. Connor, who is a junior
at Embry-Riddle University, study-
ing Aeronautical Science, added the
CFI-G, on July 16, 2019, to his other
ratings, which are Commercial Air-
plane, multi with instrument, CFI-I,
and AGI. After graduation, Connor is HOOD RIVER, OR – Congratu-
looking forward to a long and reward- lations to Seth Gilchrist (R) on earn-
ing career in aviation. ing his Private Pilot – Glider add-on
in Hood River Soaring’s ASK-21 on
HILLTOWN, PA – Congratula- October 27, 2019. DPE was King
tions to Matt Dudlik, who added two Povenmire (L). Hood River Soaring
Glider ratings, Private on July 15, 2019 operates out of the gliderport at the
and  CFI-G later in the fall of 2019, end of Ken Jernstedt Airfield, 4S2.
at the Philadelphia Glider Council *
www.ssa.org • April 2020 • Soaring 55

BRIGGS, TX – On January 25,
2020, Instructor Bill Brinkman
completed his 6,000th Glider Flight!
Bill (C) is flanked by Mitch Lubars
(L) and Rythem Sharma (cockpit).
Bill had his first flight on July 16,
1971 in Franconia, NH. He took his
glider training at Berkshire Sailflights
in North Adams, MA and soloed on
November 20, 1971. Bill also joined
Mohawk Soaring Club in Schenecta-
dy, NY and took his flight test Febru-
ary 21, 1972 with Examiner Dr. Fran-
cis Bundy. In January 1979, Bill moved
to Round Rock, TX and joined Fault
Line Flyers (FLF) in Georgetown,
TX. In 1988, FLF moved to Briggs,
56 Soaring • April 2020 • www.ssa.org
TX. Bill became a glider instructor in
June 1980 and, in 1985, became FLF’s
Chief Instructor. Bill also was an ex-
aminer from 1985 to 1988, and issued
43 private and commercial glider li-
censes for aero and ground tows, and
self-launch. Bill has soloed 200 pilots
either as their first solo or checking
them out in single-place sailplanes.
But the most amazing statistic is that
Bill has flown with 1,169 different
people over these 48-plus years! So,
not only does Bill enjoy soaring, but
he really enjoys sharing the sport of
soaring with others.
MIDLOTHIAN, TX – Congrat-
ulations to Robin Jenkins (C), who
made his first solo flight in an ASK-21
glider on December 22, 2019, at Texas
Soaring Association (TSA) Glider-
port. Robin is flanked by TSA tow
pilot, Jim Bristol (R), and TSA Flight
Instructor, Eric Anderson (L). Great
job, Robin!
WALLER, TX – On February 2,
2020, Jacob Vanjura (L) is all smiles
holding his new Private Pilot – Glider
certificate. Here, Gregg Squires, DPE,
congratulates Jacob after his success-
ful checkride. Jacob is a member of the
Soaring Club of Houston. He was a
recipient of a Youth Scholarship award
from the Soaring Club of Houston.
Jacob is also a member of the Civil
Air Patrol. We congratulate Jacob on
this accomplishment and wish him a
happy future in soaring.
ARLINGTON, VA – Mahlon
Hull completed his first solo flight in
an L-23 with Evergreen Soaring Club
on February 10, 2020. Mahlon (L) is
being congratulated by his Instruc-
tor, Dave Reusch (R). Mahlon is a
seasoned pilot and is working to pick
up a Commercial Pilot – Glider add-
on with our club. Congratulations to
Mahlon on his accomplishment.
Final Glide
Harold R. Bruning –
Traverse City, MI
Stanley Hagstrom –
Bloomington, IN
Pierre Descamps –
Ancaster, Ontario, Canada
Robert E. Barber – Arvada, CO
Michael Stroukoff, Sr. –
Langhorne, PA
Wally Miller – Monument, CO
Peter Maynard – Berryville, VA
SEND US YOUR MILESTONE
Share your wonderful experience
with the ever growing soaring
community. Send your text and
photo to editor@ssa.org.
 Soaring Magazine – Milestones Guidelines
Please send all Milestones to editor@ssa.org.
Milestone entries are welcomed for soaring pilots who have soloed, received their
private pilot rating, added-on the glider rating to a current power rating, and any ad-
ditional ratings added to a current glider certificate. Due to the increasing number of
Milestone submissions being generated by the membership, the Soaring staff asks that
the following guidelines be followed:
Text: Individual entries are limited to a minimum of 50 words and a maximum
of 100 words per pilot. Entries with multiple persons being mentioned are allowed
the same minimum and maximum per person mentioned. Identify everyone shown in
photos. Insure that you the text includes; Who, What, When, and  Where. Text must be
written in the body of the email, no attached text files. Please include a headline.
Photos: Must be digital, high-resolution .JPG image files, submitted in the same Fly A
email as the text file (as a separate .JPG file, not embedded in a page of text). The small-
est image file size that we are generally able to reproduce in print is about 150 kb, at
SAilplAne TodAy
300 dpi. Entries with image files smaller than 100 dpi will be returned for correction The FAST Program gives you
and re-submission. Generally, the photo files directly from the camera works best. Do the opportunity to get a taste
not send links to online services such as Shutterfly, send the image file. of what soaring is all about. It
Date Format: September 10, 2018 – not 9/10/18, not Sept. 9, 2018. is a program that offers you
Changes or Re-Submissions: Re-submission or changes to an entry for any reason an introductory lesson in flying
require a new text file and a new photo file to be submitted via email. a glider, during which you will
The Soaring staff makes every effort to run all Milestones entries in as timely a man- handle the controls of the aircraft
under the guidance of an FAA
ner as possible. The very soonest to expect a Milestones entry to appear is 90 days after
certified glider flight instructor.
submission. Much longer delays can be expected after the end of the soaring season.
The FAST Program is geared
If you have any questions, please contact the editor via email: editor@ssa.org towards you! To buy a FAST Pro-
gram lesson voucher, visit the

SOarING CLaSSIFIEDS
SAILPLANE and
EQUIPMENT LISTINGS
SAILPLANES FOR SALE
SINGLE PLACE
SCHEMPP HIRTH CIRRUS
1972 Standard Cirrus 2347TT $18,000.
Eberle enclosed trailer, Cambridge M-Nav,
Dittle FSG-2T transceiver, water ballast
system, hydraulic TOST wheel brake, O2
system, Rumph one man rigging outfit. Al-
ways hangared. Flown regularly from 2002,
until last year. Max cockpit load, 242 pounds.
This ship has been professionally maintained
by Martin Eiler Aviation for the last ten years,
with no owner performed maintenance. Harry
Irvine 661-821-1589, hei321@att.net.
trailer, SN10, Dittel radio. NC, 703-203-1465,
robt.whitehead@gmail.com.
LS1-F NEO
SCHEMPP HIRTH DISCUS 2B
2000 Discus 2b, $55,000. TT618, Cobra
*
SSA web site at www.ssa.org.
Then call a participating soaring
operation to schedule your les-
son. FAST packages may be pur-
chased by calling (575) 392-1177
to receive your voucher by fax.
The FAST package is a great
value for $139. With your pur-
chase you will receive: An intro-
ductory lesson, a copy of the
Everybody’s First Glider Book, a
glider pilot logbook, and an in-
troductory 3 month membership
in the SSA, including one copy of
the monthly publication Soaring.
To find the nearest participat-
ing soaring operation, log onto:
http://www.ssa.org/sport/where
tofly.asp, or contact the SSA at
the address below. Get involved
and fly a sailplane FAST today!

NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS The Soaring Society

The deadline for Classified listings of America, Inc.
is the 15th of the month for two P.O. Box 2100
months in advance. Soaring Clas- Hobbs, NM 88241-2100
1977 LS1-F Neo, N272E, 1090 TT. Tran-
sifieds can also be found online at Phone: (575) 392 1177
sponder Trig21, vario LX Nav S80, radio www.ssa.org Fax: (575) 392-8154
FL760. Factory winglets. Cobra Trailer. DEADLINE FOR THE JUNE 2020 E-mail: feedback@ssa.org
$27,000. PA, 609-342-9515, alain_daumas@ ISSUE IS APRIL 15 Web site: www.ssa.org
hotmail.com.

www.ssa.org • April 2020 • Soaring 57

 GLASFLUGEL STANDARD LIBELLE
Standard Libelle N1971S. May Annual,
enclosed trailer, $12,000. Jim Lee, 678-491-
4683 or JimmyELee@aol.com.
SCHREDER HP-14
Schreder HP-14 V-tail. $10,500. Contact
661-252-3086.
TWO-PLACE FOR SALE
SCHWEIZER SGS 2-32
Schweizer 2-32 asking $30k needs work on
canopy. Great for sightseeing. Long Island,
NY, 631-664-5047, Tony.
BLANIK L-23
L-23 Super Blanik high time aerotow only,
basic instruments, $18,000, tfifly@aol.com,
cell 631- 664-5047.
SELF-LAUNCHING AND
MOTORGLIDER
SCHLEICHER ASH-26E
2006 ASH-26e 1150TT, NDH, https://
wingsandwheels.com/class/classified.
php?id=2999 photos, Cobra trailer. $155,000,
509-627-5532.
AMS CARATS
Carats for sale. AMS/USA 707-942-5727.
amsaero@aol.com. CA
PARACHUTES
Pennsylvania Parachute Company –
Parachute riggers. Your authorized Softie,
Strong, and National dealer. New and used.
www.pennsylvaniaparachute.com or phone
610-317-2536. PA
Strong, National Softie, Squadrons, best
prices 1-800-872-2488. www.parachuteshop.
com. NH
58 Soaring • April 2020 • www.ssa.org
Guaranteed lowest prices on Strong, Na-
tional, and Para-Phernalia parachutes. In
stock! New and used. Trade-ins accepted.
https://wingsandwheels.com/parachute.html.
909-302-1811. ID
SAILPLANE DEALERS
Alexander Schleicher Sailplanes – For
info, sales, support, & repairs, contact our ex-
clusive USA Agent – Williams Soaring Cen-
ter. 530-473-5600, info@williamssoaring.
com, www.williamssoaring.com.
DG & LS Sailplanes – Exclusive dealer for
DG Flugzeugbau for the U.S. and Canada.
New sailplanes and parts, DG-1001 Club
neo, DG-1001M, DG-1001T, DG-1001S,
DG-808C Competition, LS8-sc Neo,
Cumulus Soaring, Inc., cumulus-soaring.
com, 952-445-9033, paul@remde.us.
Blanik America, Inc. – Exclusive importer
of Blanik and Sportine Aviacija sailplanes,
LAK17B, LAK19, MINI self-launcher, FES.
Email: blanikam@nwi.net. Web: home.nwi.
net/~blanikam/ba. Tel. 509-884-8305. See
our display ad.
Pipistrel – Gulf Coast Dealer, Rand
Vollmer, 813-774-2127 or email: rand@
pipistrel-usa.com.
Stemme Gliders – Stemme USA is the
exclusive U.S. distributor. For further informa-
tion, contact 803-726-8884. www.stemme.
com.
Jonker Sailplanes – Factory autho-
rized North American sales and technical
support. Contact Leo Benetti-Longhini 931-
434-3434 or Jim Lee 352-250-5644. www.
JonkerSailplanes.com.
Alisport – Swiss manufacturer of the Silent
series of light sailplanes and self-launchers.
Contact Leo Benetti-Longhini, authorized
USA representative, at 931-434-3434. www.
alisport.com.
Ximango USA – North American Distribu-
tor for all Ximangos and parts. We have buy-
ers for your Ximango. 386-760-4072. Email:
XimangoUSA@aol.com. Website: www.
XimangoUSA.com. FL
SZD Gliders – Long tradition, built to last.
Authorized dealer North America. SZD Jezow
PW-6, PW-5. Avionic Diana Sailplanes, Avi-
onic Trailers. Email: info@windpath.ca Tel:
905-848-1250 CANADA. Website: www.
windpath.ca.
Diana Sailplanes is exclusive USA distrib-
utor for AVIONIC. Producer of 15m Diana 2,
Diana 2FES, and 18m Diana 3. Jerry Zieba.
847-370-8430. www.dianasailplanes.com.
HpH Sailplanes – New Twin Shark 20-me-
ter two-place sailplane & 304S 18-meter
sailplane both available as self-launch, jet, or
FES. See https://wingsandwheels.com/hph-
sailplanes/, 909-302-1811. ID
SAILPLANE REPAIRS
Mansberger Aircraft – Excellence in Com-
posites since 1985. Major structural repairs.
All makes & models. A&P, IA. Now centrally
located in Ft. Worth, TX. Call 817-439-5977.
www.MansbergerAircraft.com.
Composite Solutions has relocated to
northwest Arizona! 30 years experience of
structural repair and performance tuning of all
makes and models of composite sailplanes.
Visit our website at www.alphazulucompos-
ites.com or email: composites@mindspring.
com. Phone 928-757-8698. Kingman, AZ
Composite Aircraft Repair – Major and
minor repairs on all brands. Specializing in
Grob gliders and motorgliders for parts and
repairs. Over 40 years of composite manufac-
ture, and repair experience. Rotax 912/914
service. Robert Mudd A&P/I.A. Moriarty, NM.
Ph 505-269-8234, robertmudd1u@aol.com.
Eastern Sailplane – Fully FAA certified
composite repair station for 24 years, fiber-
glass repair major or minor on all makes of
sailplanes. John Murray – Eastern Sailplane
email: John@easternsailplane.com or 513-
897-5667.
Gehrlein Products – Quality fiberglass
and metal repairs. FAA certified repair station
GP1R174K. 9001 Hamot Road, 814-866-
1131. Waterford, PA 16441.
Yankee Composites – Inspection, main-
tenance, repair, & composite services, spe-
cializing in sailplanes & motorgliders. FAA
Blast from the Past
If you are not familiar with the phrase “Blast from the Past,” you
obviously do not subscribe to SSA’s eNEWS newsletter. For a niche
sport, soaring has a rich history that few outdoor activities can
match. In 1932, a diligent group of volunteers laid the groundwork
to achieve something very special. While other aviation groups
have long dissolved into memory, The Soaring Society of America
has endured, flourished and thrived. We are proud of our history
and love to feature it in eNEWS.
Each issue has photos of our re-
cord setters, pioneers and glider
enthusiasts that have made the
sport of soaring what it is today.
To start your free subscription,
contact Kayla Owens at the SSA
headquarters:
socialmedia@ssa.org
“If all you read is Soaring
Magazine, you’re only getting
half the story.”
Photography © Christian Mackin
THE SOARING SOCIETY OF AMERICA E-NEWSLETTER
certified repair station #Y8QR517Y. 760-782-
0404. Warner Springs, CA
SCHOOLS, CLUBS, AND
SOARING SITES
Sandhill Soaring Club is the largest soar-
ing club in Michigan. We offer a winter ground
school (and refresher course), as well as free
volunteer flight instruction for our members,
including youth and transition power pilots.
Our membership and rental rates are some
of the lowest in the country, and we’re making
upgrades to our fleet! Call: 248-755-7574 or
sandhillsoaring.org.
Auxiliary-Powered Sailplane Assn. –
Thinking about flying a motorglider? Join
ASA and get the details in our newsletters.
Contact Russ Owens, 858-566-7717 or email
Auxpoweredsailplanemembership@gmail.
com.
Sugarbush Soaring Association – Come
soar with us. Sugarbush Soaring offers in-
struction, rentals, introductory flights, scenic
rides, and a vibrant youth program includ-
ing summer camps. We are a premier gliding
site with ASK-21, PW-6, 2-33, and 1-26 glid-
ers available for rental, rides, and instruction.
Daily operation from mid-May through mid-
October. On airport restaurant, camping, and
free WiFi. P.O. Box 123, Warren, VT 05674,
802-496-2290, web: sugarbushsoaring.com,
Instagram: @soarsugarbush, email: soar@
sugarbushsoaring.com.
Sundance Aviation, Inc. – Incredible
year-round soaring conditions. Basic and ad-
vanced instruction all glider ratings. Examiner
on staff. 2 Grob 103s, LS-4a. PO Box 2066,
Moriarty, NM 87035-2066. Web: www.soar-
sundance.com or 505-832-2222. NM
MISCELLANEOUS
2-33 Interiors – Spruce up your old trainer
with a new interior! First class – satisfaction
guaranteed. Arizona Soaring, Inc. 520-568-
2318, fax 520-568-2602. AZ
Move to Soaring Paradise! Time to do it?
Call for info packs on area and homes, lots
or inv. property. Minden/Douglas Co/Lake
Tahoe! Sam Whiteside, CFI-G. Re/Max Re-
alty Affiliates. 800-814-8777. Email: sam@
carsonvalleyhomes.com. www.carsonvalley
homes.com.
PLANS & PUBLICATIONS
Hang Gliding & Paragliding Magazine –
Monthly magazine of the United States Hang 15" Laptop Backpack
Gliding Association, Inc. Covers all aspects Item #701553 • $40.00
of foot-launched flight for rigid and flex- Perfect for the traveling pilot; made of
ible wings. Full membership $59, subscrip- 300D heather polyester with a 210D poly-
tion $42. USHGA, PO Box 1330, Colorado ester lining, zippered main compartment
with a padded 15” laptop compartment.
Springs, CO 80901. www.ushga.org. 719-
632-8300. Fax 719-632-6417. CO
Ct, Meridian Business Park, Leicester, LE19
Australian Gliding – Monthly publication 1RJ, England.
of the Gliding Federation of Australia. Edi-
tor, Anne Elliott. Subscription by airmail AUS Gliding International – The world glid-
$102.00 (includes GST) by check on Aus- ing news publication edited by John Roake.
tralian bank. MasterCard, Visa card quoting Read worldwide. Printed version $68.00 U.S.
all card details or international money order. pa. Digital read only version $39.00 U.S. per
Email: Secretary@sec.gfa.org.au or Gliding annum. Personal check or credit cards ac-
Federation of Australia, 130 Wirraway Rd., cepted. Write Gliding International, 79 Fifth
Essendon Airport, Victoria, Australia 3041. Avenue, Tauranga, New Zealand. Email: of-
fice@glidinginternational.com or subscribe
Free Flight – Quarterly journal of the via our webpage: www.glidinginternational.
Soaring Association of Canada. A lively re- com.
cord of the Canadian soaring scene, includ-
ing relevant international news and articles.
U.S. $30/yr. U.S. $55/2 yrs., U.S. $65/3 yrs.
Soaring Assoc. of Canada, 71 Bank Street,
7th Floor, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1P5N2.
sac@sac.ca. Web www.sac.ca. CANADA

WANTED Sailplane and Gliding – The only authori-

Looking for used Oudie-2 in good condition.
Call 626-824-4349.
Motorglider CFI-G or Commercial pilot with
self-launch sign off. AZ. Fax resume to 480-
378-3852 or call Rick at 623-566-5960.
tative British magazine devoted solely to the
sport of gliding and soaring. 64 pages of
fascinating material and pictures. Published
every other month. Send $53 U.S. for de-
livery by surface mail. For airmail send $68
U.S. to: British Gliding Association 8 Merus
SSA PopSocket
Item #701555 • $10.00
Offers a secure grip so you can text with
one hand, snap better photos, and watch
gliding videos hands-free. Repositionable
and sticks to MOST devices and cases.

ALL CLASSIFED ADVERTISING MUST BE PREPAID

The rate for classified advertising is $1.00 per word or group of characters for magazine insertion only, or $1.25 per word or group of characters
for both magazine and web site listing (an area code and phone number are counted as one word). The 10-word minimum charge for ads is $10.00.
Insertions made by telephone are subject to a $1.00 service charge and must be charged against a VISA, MasterCard, American Express or Discover
account. A fee of $20.00 is charged for each photograph per insertion. These charges include sales tax.
Ads can run continuously until canceled but must be prepaid three months in advance. Ads can be canceled by the deadline date, in which case pre-
payments will be refunded for ads not run. Advertisements are accepted up to the 15th of the month for the second cover date following. Should the
15th occur on a weekend or holiday, the insertion deadline will be the last business day prior to the 15th. Thus the deadline would be January 15th for
the March issue. Ads may not be canceled or refunded after the deadline date, but a SOLD sign may be placed over an ad for a product that has been
sold if the request for a SOLD sign is made the last day of the deadline month.
Please send ad, photo (color if possible), and payment payable to the SSA to: Classified Advertising Dept., Soaring magazine, P.O. Box 2100, Hobbs,
NM 88241-2100 or by email to: advertising@ssa.org.
Advertising is published as a service to readers and the publisher reserves the right to accept, reject, discontinue or edit any advertising offered for
publication. Publication of advertising materials is not an endorsement, qualification, approval or guarantee of either the advertiser or product.
www.ssa.org • April 2020 • Soaring 59
 INDEX OF ADVERTISERS
Telephone: 575-392-1177 • Fax: 575-392-8154 • Email: advertising@ssa.org
ADVERTISER PAGE ONLINE PHONE
1-26 Association 27, 48 www.126association.org
Aircraft Spruce & Specialty 7 www.aircraftspruce.com 877-4SPRUCE
Arizona Soaring Inside Front Cover www.azsoaring.com 520-568-2318
Blanik America 28 home.nwi.net/~blanikam/ba 509-884-8305
Costello & Associates Back Cover www.gliderinsurance.com 800-528-6483
Craggy Aero, LLC 15 www.craggyaero.com 530-905-0062
Cumulus Soaring 13 www.cumulus-soaring.com 952-445-9033
Desser Tire Company 56 www.desser.com 800-247-8473
FAST Program 57 www.ssa.org 575-392-1177
GP Gliders 33 www.gpglidersus.com 855-GPG-SOAR
Knauff & Grove Soaring Supplies 51 www.eglider.org 814-355-2483
Kolstad Scholarship 32 www.ssa.org 575-392-1177
Lea County State Bank 47 www.onlinelcsb.com 575-397-6609
Mountain High Equipment 36 www.mhoxygen.com 800-468-8185
National Soaring Museum 46 www.soaringmuseum.org 607-734-2128
Para-Phernalia / Softie Parachutes 23 www.softieparachutes.com 800-877-9584
SeeYou Software 9 www.naviter.com 607-734-4307
Seminole Lake Gliderport 39 www.soarfl.com 352-394-5450
SSA Membership 25 www.ssa.org 575-392-1177
Soaring Safety Foundation 6, 37, 49 www.soaringsafety.org 575-392-1177
SSA Merchandise 45, 59, Inside Back Cover www.ssa.org 575-392-1177
Stemme USA 12 www.stemme.com 803-726-8884
Sundance Aviation 43 www.soarsundance.com 505-832-2222
U.S. Southwest Soaring Museum 4 www.swsoaringmuseum.org 505-832-9222
Williams Soaring Center 41 www.williamssoaring.com 530-473-5600
Wings and Wheels 11, 17, 29, 35 www.wingsandwheels.com 909-302-1811

SSA ADVERTISING POLICY

Prospective purchasers of products or plans mentioned or advertised in Soaring should realize that proof-testing by the makers of the product, or by
the designer of the plans, and/or it installation may have been accomplished according to standards acceptable to either government regulations or the
individual purchaser. The Society has made no tests nor checked the validity of compliance with any Society advertising policy criteria.
Before you buy, talk with someone who knows aircraft, products, and/or plans and who knows you. Some aircraft, products and/or plans may not be
appropriate to your level of construction or flying skills, nor may their present condition be the equal of that when originally produced.
If any advertisement does not specifically state “U.S.ATC’d,”TCO’d” or FCC approved, prospective buyers of aircraft, products, or plans for build-
ing which are offered for sale in Soaring may wish to ascertain whether the aircraft, product, or plan being considered has been awarded a government
approved Type Certificate, Technical Standard Order of FCC Approval. Otherwise, the aircraft may be licensable only in the Experimental Category
under F.A.R. 21 or the product may no comply with certain operation requirements and may even be illegal to be advertised.
SSA and its journal have neither, the facilities, staff, nor legal authority to investigate advertising claims, but readers are requested to notify Soaring
if misrepresentation occurs.

60 Soaring • April 2020 • www.ssa.org

 Coyote Long Sleeve
#385L • $30.00

Starter Bundle
#801009 • $75.00

Soar Bucket Hats “Head In The Clouds” Short Sleeve

Khaki and White Blue – #386S White – #387S • $24.00
#314K & #314W • $15.95

SSA Camo SSA Round Logo

Military Hat Bucket Hat Men’s Silk Polo
#407 • $25.00 #312K & #312W • $15.95 Gray & White • #3779 • $40.00

THE SOARING SOCIETY OF AMERICA, INC.

Phone: 575-392-1177 • Fax: 575-392-8154
Email: merchandise@ssa.org • Online Store: www.ssa.org
Photography
© Steve Hines

GROUP INSURANCE As the Soaring Society of America’s official

FOR...
• Individual Glider Owners broker we provide SSA members with
• Commercial Operators
• Tow Planes
a variety of glider related insurance
• Flying Clubs packages. Group discounts and
• Motorgliders / Sustainers
• Airport Premises Coverages benefits, courteous and ef-
POLICY FEATURES AND SPECIAL BENEFITS:
ficient service are the
• A15 rated insurance carrier, AIG Aerospace.
• Claims free credits.
trademarks of our
• Reducing deductibles for being claims free. organization.
• Winter storage credits for qualified aircraft.
• Trailer physical damage coverage.
• Group rates, coast-to-coast availability, and experienced staff.
• Midterm cancellations are prorated, not short rated.

Tempe, Arizona
Telephone: 480-968-7746 • Fax: 480-967-3828
National Toll Free Line: 1-800-528-6483
E-mail: insure@aviationi.com • Web: www.gliderinsurance.com