Monterey Bay Ride with no fog! 9/28/11

Wisal brought his son, Rehan, down from Sunnyvale for a Monterey Bay Adventure Ride.  They picked one of our first fall days where the fog over the bay was not in evidence as it is normally in the summer.

Here we are still on tow behind the Pawnee with the Monterey peninsula in the distance:

After we released over Moss Landing this was the view of Watsonville in the foreground and Santa Cruz to the northwest:

Moss Landing after release:

Rehan & Wisal enjoyed the views and some maneuvers:

Saturday 9/24/11 rides

First ride of the day was with Max, a tall 14 year-old.  The short Hollister Hop ride and the traffic around the airport limited his "stick time" but he did get to operate the controls and "feel" their effects.  I didn't get a picture of him in the front seat as it was a busy time in the air and when back on the ground we became involved in switching out passengers and launching other gliders.  Sorry there is no glamour shot for you Max, you'll just have to come back!

Ed and Marie sat in the rear seat of our Schweizer 2-32 for a tow to 8000' over the fog-covered Pajaro River Valley into the Santa Cruz Mtns.  We crossed over the Santa Clara Valley to the Pacheco Pass and then over the Diablos before returning to the Hollister airport to look at Swank's Corn maze.

Some clearing over Watsonville area looking towards Santa Cruz:

Swank's Corn Maze:

While switching passengers, the local club's high-perfomance two-place sailplane landed while being used in a new member's checkout.  Rajat received his training and license in the same glider-type we use for the rides and is transitioning to different gliders.  Jonathan is a Certified Flight Instructor-Glider and does the honors.  Club-provided parachutes are worn for most flights as some acro might be enjoyed and/or racing performed both requiring that equipment.

  

Rachel and Ryan enjoyed their Hollister Hop:

Hillary and Alex had an hour in the air for a Monterey Bay Adventure ride.  The fog was still covering the coast and had started to come inland so we went to the Diablos.  As we got lower Hillary pointed out her school and her home below as we circled lazily above. We did a few "roller-coaster" maneuvers for fun.

 

After landing Hillary got in the front seat while we towed the glider back to its tie-down on the ramp.  If either one had training and a license they could have flown as they are sitting!

Friday 9/16/11 rides

Two sisters arrived for individual Hollister Hops.  First to ride was Eileen.  After the overcast began to break up we followed the towplane up through the clearing clouds for a nice view on top.

Here is Janice with a smile and wave after our landing:

Is this the meaning of the expression, "Two girls out for a good time"?

Thursday 9/15/11 rides

Dirk and Duane came in together for Hollister Hop rides.  Dirk looks very comfortable here in the front seat in the air:

For some reason I don't have a pic of Duane, sorry about that.

However here are some scenic pics of the summer fog line:

west of Hollister over the Flint Hills and on up to Loma Prieta in the Santa Cruz Mtns.

San Juan Valley with Fremont Peak on the left and the wing pointing towards San Juan Bautista just under the fog and the Monterey peninsula 30 miles distant:

Sumit and his son Vishrut posed with wife/mother and younger son/brother before taking their Hollister Hop:

We got him up on enough cushions so he could see as well as his father:

Saturday rides 9/10/11

My first ride of the day was with Dan, a big man of 280 lbs!  He sat in the rear seat closer to the center of gravity as we can accommodate up to 350 lbs, usually two people there.  I left the control stick attached so he could fly a little on our Hollister Hop but I had forgotten my camera and don't have a picture.  He was very enthused and said this would give him impetus to loose weight so he could take lessons!

Sebastian had his wife and two children to cheer him on for a Silver Hawk gift ride:

Nice view from 4500' over the hills:

Pete took a Hollister Hop and then walked through Bikel's Museum to see the Stearman, New Standard, Beechy, "Little Looper", P-51 Mustang and hanging from the overhead, Paul Bikel's record-setting Schweizer glider. 

[two world soaring records on February 25, 1961 while flying his Schweizer SGS 1-23E^[1] near Lancaster, California, achieving an altitude of 46,267 feet and a total-altitude-gained mark of 42,300 feet.]

The first record has recently been broken but the second record still stands!

Nancy and Mary Jo went for a Hollister Hop.  Mary Jo said she had been a Stewardess(before flight attendant) on a DC-3&4, Viscount and Constellation.  Her husband, Lee, had been a USMC fighter pilot and retired from UAL.  That is a lot of aviation!

You can tell we all enjoyed the ride!

Here Lee has the ceremonial scarf of his father's "Flying Tigers" 75th Fighter Squadron around his shoulders: 

Teresa and Ricky took a late Monterey Bay scenic ride and saw that our area is much different from their homestate of Mississippi:

 Swank Farm's corn maze is growing:

 Fog finally cleared over the Monterey peninsula:

Friday 9/9/11 rides

A party of three arrived for rides.  I took Eva and Denise for a Monterey Bay Adventure ride,

while our owner/instructor Quest gave Art an introductory lesson ride:

Mary took a Monterey Bay ride in the front seat which gives a passenger a much nicer view with the opportunity to fly the glider:

Lolita conversed with Pedro in their common language while Pedro and his son were preparing to launch in their side-by-side Caproni glider:

Lolita and her son Will had a nice Silver Hawk ride:

Their husband/father Sam sat in the front seat for a Hollister Hop:

Dan and I donned parachutes, a requirement and sensible, for a Mile High Acro ride over the Diablos off to the east.  After a spin, loop, hammerhead, wingovers and some steep turns, Dan flew around getting the feel of it saying, "Just what I need, another hobby".  Sorry to tell you, Dan, but you have the "Right Stuff" and should consider formal flying lessons and certification!

Labor Day rides

Louis took daughter Jasmine for her first ride, a Silver Hawk, 4500' over Hollister and its surroundings:

Robert and son Aaron also took a Silver Hawk ride to 4500'.  After the flight Aaron tried out the front seat:

Kosin and Kelvin chose the Mile High Ride:

Dee brought her two daughters in for Hollister Hop rides, first with Brooke:

And then with Sierra:

Ananya and her mother Niyati flew with me for a Silver Hawk while her little sister and father flew in our other 3-place glider with our owner/instructor pilot Quest.  Ananya might be learning to fly soon if she acts on the interest she showed during and after her flight! 

 

The corn maze is growing:

Saturday 9/3/11 rides

James flew in the front seat on a Silver Hawk ride to 4500' above Hollister:

On the way back to the airport we watched our other 2-32, 87R, being towed out for a lesson behind our Pawnee towplane:

Bill was lucky to experience a nice thermal over Henrietta on his Silver Hawk ride and we climbed 1000' after releasing from the towplane.  Bill's experience as a "power" pilot allowed him to handle the controls of the glider as he flew most of the flight himself!

Three Hollister Hops for two allowed the whole family to enjoy flying:

Beth and Austin were first:

 Chad flew with his big brother Connor:

And Blake flew with his father Craig: