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:

Massive cloud day!

Ceron and Coral wanted a Monterey Bay Adventure and they got one!  The clouds were impressive and the power of mother nature was evident.

on tow behind Pawnee at 7k with Monterey peninsula in the distance

My passengers were a little apprehensive but enjoyed the movements of the glider and took many pictures with their film cameras!