Friday, September 28, 2012

Friday 9/28 at Hollister

James and Barbara took the Silver Hawk ride to Fremont Peak.  The Monterey Bay was again covered in fog but the air was more clear than Wednesday.  We cruised around, did a couple of wing-overs and just enjoyed being up there!


When we came back to the airport we flew around the Swank Farm corn maze for some pics:

After we landed we watched as Bryan was being towed out to the runway to fly the BASA Junior that he and fellow club member Jonathan put together after it had been trailered down from Truckee.


Thursday, September 27, 2012

Wednesday 9/26/12 rides

Millie's daughter and son-in-law had rides with our ride-pilot Ruth a few years ago and now brought their mother out for her ride, a Monterey Bay ride on a day when the bay was completely covered in fog.  And there was a lot of particulate matter, smoke, in the air from N. CA fires which made for a day of poor visibility.  But for a first ride, the air was calm and the ride was smooth.   However, Millie did experience some fun maneuvers after she answered my question, "Do you like roller-coaters?" with "Oh yes, I've enjoyed a few!".

Here's Millie and her supporting crew before taxiing to the runway for take-off:
 
Yup, that's Mother Nature's air-conditioner working full time today!  We looked down and Millie could read WATSONVILLE on the runway below:

After landing and the trip back to the office for "de-brief", Millie and her crew shared a bottle of Champagne and a picnic!

A couple on vacation from Dallas were next to ride.  David and Lisa got into the rear seat and we towed to 8000' over the Diablos to see if we could find some lift!  Well, it just wasn't our day for that but we enjoyed as much flying as we could, including some wing-overs and turns simulating soaring flight.  David was a power pilot and appreciated the difference just like that between a motorboat and sailboat.
They don't look to unhappy!

After landing Quest surprised them with something to help them celebrate their 30th anniversary:


Monday, September 24, 2012

Saturday 9/22/12 at Hollister

While the privately owned gliders where being prepared for the expected good cross-country flying conditions, I had the pleasure of "exposing to aviation" two very friendly neophytes!  Cindy and Peter had never flown in a glider and this was to be their first ride.  Here we are at 4500' over San Juan Bautista:


After viewing the sights, Fremont Peak, San Andreas fault line, and some exciting, as they were new to them, maneuvers we came back to the airport and looked down at the developing Swank Farms corn maze while in the pattern for landing.



After the roll-out to our parking spot off the runway, Cindy got in the front seat to feel what it would be like if she had a "solo" ride:

Meanwhile back at the ramp the X/C pilots were getting ready to launch:


ER launches for his 5.5 hour flight, with the rest of the fleet to follow, down the Diablo Range to Avenal and back:

Here is the flight info which he logs on his GPS recorder and submits to a glider club in Germany.  490 km(300 statute miles) without an engine!
Most of the other pilots also submit their flight traces so that glider pilots all over the planet can see what their contemporaries are doing.  Not only that but POINTS are awarded and it is a CONTEST that inspires continuing performance increases!
The following day BG had this flight down to the Grapevine and back:

While the X/C pilots were gone, Cindy, Peter and I, toured the airport visiting the hangar where Tim and his cockatoo, Tonto built an experimental airplane, an underwater propulsion device, an aluminum guitar, and now a motorized bicycle out of bike and motor salvaged from the dumpster!


In another hanger which is also a museum, Doug, a gifted airplane-wood-dope-fabric mechanic was rib-stiching the restored wings of "The Flying Lady", a 1930 biplane:
 
 http://www.vintagewingsandwheels.com/gallery/new-standard-restoration/index.html

That is the original wing covering on the wall.

BTW, notice the Link Trainer in the foreground, very cute!

Another full day of aviation at Hollister!

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Saturday 9/8/12 rides

Hanna and Ben chose to fly over Fremont Peak where Hanna had ridden horses on the fire trails and paths below.



After returning to the airport we looked at the Swank Farms Corn Maze just to the right of Runway 24 where we intend to land:

After landing Hanna got in the front seat for a photo op!

Kim and Don were next to ride and upgraded to a Monterey Bay Adventure Ride out to the coastline.  Here Don is taking pictures while we are on tow behind our Pawnee.

 The instruments show 75mph at 6700' with a climb rate of 300fpm over Prunedale while heading west:

Watsonville in the foreground and Santa Cruz in the distance at the north end of Monterey Bay:

After releasing from the towplane we slowed down to about 50mph and just cruised around enjoying the sights.  After a few maneuvers to experience the nice flying characteristics of the classic Schweizer 2-32,  we headed back.

One last look shows Elkhorn Slough/Moss Landing on the right and the Monterey Peninsula off in the distance with some left-over fog over it and a little patch over the Carmel Bay:

After landing they both add their comments!

Mile High Acrobatic Ride for Nichole

Nichole had purchased a gift certificate for Steven but it took them two years to redeem it!  While Charlie was giving Steven his Monterey Bay Adventure Ride to 8000' over the shoreline, Nichole put on the parachute, strapped herself into the front seat and was ready to go.
 We towed out towards the bay for her Mile High Acrobatic Ride to 6000' over the Aromas Quarry.  While on tow we saw Steven and Charlie in glider 87R below on their way back to the airport.  We circled on tow above them and then released for our acro ride.  After a spin, loop and some wing-overs her smile was even bigger!  She tried her hand at flying while we were sight-seeing and just enjoyed the whole experience.

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Caproni day 9/1/12 at Hollister

Today was the Caproni's day.  A very elegant, two-place side-by-side, 20m wing span, Italian designed all metal high performance(45:1) sailplane of which only 100 were built!  After the annual inspection it is always exciting to take the first flight.  The glider is owned and flown by Pedro de la Serna Sr, at the wing tip, and his son Pedro Jr. in the cockpit with Flight Instructor Charlie Hayes ready to be towed aloft:




Here is a nice sequence of pics showing the smooth landing!




After a series of flights we posed for pics:

Couldn't resist adding this one taken 3/11 of three generations with the Caproni:

Friday at Hollister

My ride for the day cancelled but BASA(Bay Area Soaring Associates) member Peter had two friends out for rides in the high-performance state-of-the-art sailplane, the DG-505.

Awnalee is in the front seat while Peter flies from the rear.  They are hooked up to the towrope, Peter's adjusting his glasses, Awnalee is closing her sliding side window and they are almost ready to launch!



 After landing Bob came out to trade places with Awnalee for his ride:

Here's a pic showing the wing-span of that sailplane with a glide ratio of 47 to 1:
The private club owns two two-place and three single-place sailplanes with some of them in Truckee during the summer soaring season.  Flights of 4 to 5 hours and 300 miles are made in the Sierra!