Soaring News - Season Highlights 2017
After looking at the weather forecast for the next 10 days, the weather for our normal fly days looked marginal, so the Boarddecided to close ops for the season starting November 17, 2017. Our last fly day was Saturday 11-11-17 with a total of 15 flights, 27 for the month due to an early close.
Glider seat pans were removed on 11-16-17 in preparation for annual inspections. Thanks Bill Lynch, Neal Miller and Brian Navarette. No date set for annual inspections, most likely February next year. Some work on the K7 radio, K13 skid and Pawnee seat will be done sooner.
The club completed 700 flights this season compared to 621 last year. A total of 23 normal ops days were canceled due to weather. Thanks much to our students and other club member support for a very successful and safe year.
Kerry Brown will be busy next year on Private Pilot check flights for at least 4 solo students; Jim Thompson, Jean-Marie Deschamps, Mark Geudtner and Yasuo Uehara. At least another 4 students will solo next year.
A Becker 4201 radio and new antenna was purchased for the K7 which will be installed this winter. All other gliders have Becker radio’s installed.
The club traded the Cirrus for an ASW15 which has about the same performance as the Cirrus but less PIO sensitivity on takeoff. Twelve members are checked out to fly the ASW15, Neal Miller has the longest 4 plus hour flight to Chelsea in a flight of 3 with Steve Rusinowski and Cal Kemppainen. Cal also owns an ASW15, a great flying glider.
Brandon Schultz completed a checkout in the club Pawnee and has done over 200 tows this season. He tows mostly on Sunday’s with his Dad Matt Instructing. After finishing High School this year, Brandon has enrolled at Washtenaw College and in his spare time, is working on an instrument rating. Hmm…. at 400 tows per year, Brandon can say he equaled Shipp’s tows in about 25 years.
The club is teaming with Sandhill Soaring to host a Juniors cross country contest during July next year. Just a few details need to be resolved but it looks positive so far. There could be as many as 40 gliders on grid at the Adrian Airport during the weeklong event. Both club members will be allowed to participate in the contest, for those interested in flying the ASW15 in the contest, sharpen your skills early in the 2018 season. It will be fun just being involved even though you don’t fly in the contest. We plan to have 4 tow planes launching the gliders to 2K altitude in about an hour. All ASC tow pilots may fly the club Pawnee. More details later.
Enjoy your winter, read only stuff related to flying and dress warm when outside shoveling the snow. It’s been a great 2017 soaring season!
Your Soaring News Reporter,
Tom Shipp
