Saturday 1/28/12

A very nice-weather day with good visibility.  Deanna and James enjoyed a Silver Hawk ride to 4750' over Fremont Peak.  After our release we turned to see the Sierra covered with snow beyond the San Joaquin valley on the other side of the Diablos.

Celeste and Sidney wanted "higher" so we stayed on tow to 6250' over Prunedale for a Mile High ride.

My cousin Jeffrey sent a pic that he had "touched-up" from one sent to me by a passenger on one of the many rides I've given over the last ten years.  The wide-angle lens changes the perspective and makes one feel as if we'd never make it to the runway!

BUT we did and we continue to do!!!

Sat 1/14

Kris and his son Jackson went for a Hollister Hop on a very calm day:

After we landed Kris and Jackson looked over Kurt's Carat motorglider while listening to his plan for the day:  fly south 35 miles to Panoche Valley, shut engine down and look for thermals!

                                      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMS_Carat



Here's Kurt's short report to the local group on this mornings news feed:

Thermals to 5.5k at EL1 and 6k north of EL2. Three hours.

Only 6 of us soaring down there… myself and 5 vultures. (they flew with me for
about 10 minutes; quite a treat).

Also intercepted some friends flying a Husky and a Champ. Might upload some
video later.

- kurt

Saturday 1/7/12 rides & wave flights

Winds were calm for two brothers who came out to have individual Silver Hawk rides.

 Bill took some still pics over the Diablos while we investigated the north winds aloft.

Later he sent me a thank-you note and pic from his phone:

I think Bart had a video camera. He looks very relaxed here:

Two more brothers were visiting from NYC and chose to go together on a Mile High Mountain Ride.  It was a squeeze for these two healthy young men but they enjoyed our maneuvering as well as the sights.  We were so busy that I neglected to get their in-air pic, but they surely know they were there!

During the ride with Greg and Jonathan I talked with a private glider pilot who had launched while we were on tow.  He contacted wave-lift over the Santa Cruz Mtns. just north of Watsonville and was climbing slowly.  Three other gliders launched to the same area looking for that great "elevator in the sky".
Here's the flight trace of one of the BASA club's two-place hi-performance sailplanes, the DG-505:

Also in the air at the time was Ramy Yanetz who launched out of Byron:

His exploits and pictures have put our area at the top of the soaring list for amazing flights and scenery.

Friday 1/6/12 rides

My first ride of the new year was with Lisa on a Mile High Mountain Acro ride over the Quien Sabe Valley in the Diablos just east of Hollister.  Lisa had flown with her father, a TWA pilot, in his Piper Super Cub from South County airport so she was familiar with flying and the area.  She hadn't done a spin, loop, hammerhead or any other acro so that's what we did as well as just sightsee.  Her "hands-on" flying was excellent and she might have discovered a new sport!

After we landed, I took the stick out of the backseat and loaded Lisa's daughter Hayley and Gary for a Silver Hawk ride:

Here we are at 4500' over the southern end of "tiger country", the area south and east of Mt. Hamilton:

Last of 2011 rides!

Friday had been so overcast in the morning that all the day's rides were cancelled.  Of course it cleared up about 1pm and we could have flown at least 4 of them!

My friend Jay built and flys a high-performance Cozy which provides a very different aviation experience from that which my passengers get on one of our rides.  Just a glance at a picture of his plane tells a story:

  Jay's father Holger was visiting from his home in Denmark and Jay wanted him to experience a glider ride so off we went for the Silver Hawk ride after the obligatory family picture:

It was a very quiet ride as I didn't speak or understand even one word of Danish!
Holger is looking down on the San Justo reservoir and San Juan Oaks golf course with the city of Hollister and the Diablo range in the distance from a 4500' tow out over Fremont Peak:

Chris and his daughter Nicole enjoyed their Silver Hawk ride:

Oliver liked being in the front seat with the great view:

Pat's birthday ride was a success as she got to experience the view and some exciting maneuvering:

Caitlyn and her mother stand in front of the glider that Caitlyn flew for the first time.  She told me of her one powered-aircraft lesson and was excited about learning to fly.  After we released from the towplane on her Mile High Ride she flew most of the flight back to the airport and got better and more comfortable with each passing moment of operating the controls. A very quick study with "the right stuff"!  She can go anywhere in aviation with the attitude and skill she showed me.