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!