Soaring News - May 2021

The club did 90 flights this month after cancelling 6 Op days; 3 Wednesdays 2 Saturdays and 1 Sunday due to weather. Total flights for this soaring season is 147. When you receive an invite showing favorable weather, click on Accept, Tentative, or Decline as soon as possible so other members know how many plans to fly. A Confirm Invite is sent after verifying good weather for glider operations and at least 3 members to move the gliders in and out of the hangar.

There were a few great days of soaring this month, on Saturday the 15th , Dave Huck reached 9100 feet altitude, that’s more than a Silver Altitude gain. Other gliders from the Sandhill Glider club reported 10K and heading North, that’s a final glide of about 60 miles for most high-performance gliders, further by slowing a little in thermals.

On Saturday the 8th, Tom Neese did 18 tows, Kerry Brown reached 7100 feet in the G103, Bob Kuehne completed an official Proving Grounds course in the G103, matching Kerry’s 7100 feet.

Some club documents are being added to the Club Web Site, the most recent is the Tow Pilot Record, Tow Pilot Sign Off Document and Pawnee Operating and Tow Procedure. These documents are located in the Members Section, you must be signed in to review Members Section documents.

We had an incident this month of a C172 landing on runway 29 while the tow plane was taking off with a glider on the Parallel Runway, there apparently was no radio communications from the C172 pilot. Wing runner tip; when checking traffic besides looking, you may also hear the traffic and stop operations.

When retrieving a glider, exit the runway as quickly as possible if the tow plane or other traffic are in the pattern to land. This also applies to a retrieve near the end of the runway, make a turn off the runway. Glider pilots landing on runway 29 when operations are conducted from Runway 11 are requested not to turn towards the tent at the end of your

roll out. It may demonstrate your superior glider skill but it's not a safe thing to do, stop straight on the runway.

When turning from base to final keep your aim point on target, nose down and speed up. Outside rudder is OK but inside rudder is a control position for spin training. Pay attention to speed, the SSA accident reporting shows most accidents are during the landing phase.

Tom Shipp.

Photo Credit: Bob Kuehne flight profile