Ron and his PIK-20E

With that engine and propeller deployed, Ron doesn't need a towplane.  He can go find the thermals on his own, shut down and stow the eng/prop, play around and redeploy that "iron thermal" if he needs the altitude to get back to the airport!

Kim and Mike go east on a Mile High Mountain Ride

Kim and Mike had the opportunity to see the beautiful Diablo range, green with moisture, east of Hollister on clear day.  We worked some thermal activity over Henrietta and then returned to the airport.  They both enjoyed the energy in the air and the glider's movement in it!  At one point we were joined by an immature golden eagle.

I think Kim would like an acro ride in the front seat!

Lilly and George on a Monterey Bay Adventure Ride

Lilly and George had a nice flight to the coastline under and then over the clouds.  One of those friendly cloud days with tremendous visibility and the beauty of the clouds to fly among and around.

Looking at the Monterey peninsula from 8000' 

After landing Lilly tried out the front seat:

We fit quite nicely in the Schweizer 2-32

A nice Saturday at Hollister

Two friends in their ultralights ready to launch early before the thermals make it too bumpy for them!

The parachuters jump plane taking off as Dan's Mustang taxis in after giving a ride.

The BASA DG-1000 1CH returns with two happy glider pilots.

Pat and Joy load in a grandmother and her grandson while the "Greek" mother records the whole event.  She admonished Pat saying, "you have a precious load"!

Darryl flys the 2-32 on a beautiful spring day

We put on parachutes and towed to 8k for some acro.  Stall, spin, loop and relax.  Barrel roll, tight turns, hammerhead and relax.  Some wing-overs and then Darryl flew the rest of the flight until we were in the downwind for landing.  His R/C and hang-glider experience showed in his ability to fly, quite nicely, this new to him, larger "bird"!

nice 2 hr flight with Kris in the DG-1000

Kris picked a great day and we towed to 5k over the Diablos.  We worked some early spring thermals for an hour and a half.  After arriving back at the airport we worked some more staying up another half hour before landing.

after release the tow plane flies in formation

Steve came around and flew in beside us so we could get his picture.

Ray and Tasi get a mile high in the sky!

Ray had given Tasi for a ride in his powered airplane and wanted her to experience the difference in a glider!

Nice post-frontal day at Hollister

The private guys came out today and all the BASA ships flew as well.
  
                                                        Assembly

Tom looks happy!

two self launching gliders

        Ken and I flew the DG-505 for a few hours over the green hills east of the Hollister                                                        

The view from the rear cockpit

Emil Kissel and the B-314

My friend Emil, a long-time glider pilot and career PanAm Flight Engineering Officer gave a wonderful talk to an SRO gathering of interested aviation people at the Monterey airport a few weeks ago.  There is plenty of info on the "net".    e.g.  http://www.clipperflyingboats.com/pan-am/boeing-b314
But there is nothing like listening to someone who has lived it!

Even that young boy was paying close attention!

A good day, 2/28, brings out the private birds!

All those trailers have gliders in them that need to be assembled and exercised!

Eric is using a one-man-rigger to put together his beautiful new ship.

Just before the rain

Robin said she had done a tandem parachute jump so I asked if she wanted to wear one for our ride so we could do a loop, she was game!

As can be seen by her smile, she enjoyed the ride!

Feb happenings!

I've been remiss in my blog updating because of a trip to FL for my son's wedding and the change in my lifestyle now that my wife is away for six weeks to care for a sister.

We had a visit from Eb Lemke, a German born and trained glider pilot.  Eb is a retired civil engineer who built airports in the middle east.  He was an active member of our local soaring club and a private owner as well.

 Sven Ingalls, who still flies with me at 92, wanted to have his friend Ryan experience a glider flight in our club's high performance DG-1000 

Ryan took to it quite nicely and flew around while I took pictures.

Another "emeritus" glider club member Emil Kissel, a retired Pan Am Flight Engineering Officer on Boeing 314 "flying boats", 707s and 747s, gave an informative and inspiring talk about his career and aviation in general to a standing room only crowd at the Monterey Bay Aviation hangar:

Last Sunday Walter and his father Aaron came by for a glider ride:

After the ride we got Robin, Walter's mom to sit in the pilot's seat for a nice family picture: