Sunday after the storm ride!

The day after a front goes through usually gives us some nice flying conditions.  Carol and Spencer were there to experience that beautiful visibility in the crisp air.

Monterey peninsula, Castroville in the center, and some of Elkhorn Slough, lower right:

On tow towards their home in Capitola on the coast between Santa Cruz in the distance and the Watsonville airport down to the right:

rides on 2/5/11

Patrick takes Pamela's pic after our landing back at Hollister on our return from the Monterey Bay:

They were a cozy couple:

A view of the snow-topped Sierras over the Tule fog in the San Joaquin Valley on the other side of the Diablo range:

Monterey peninsula in the distance with Elhorn Slough and Moss Landing below from 8k:

Ike enjoyed the view from the front seat on his half-hour ride to 4700 feet above sea level.
I put a "joy" stick in the rear cockpit and flew most of the flight while letting Ike experience flying the glider too!

misc pics to update blog!

The weather has been challenging to our schedule and the economy doesn't help.  Life goes on at the airport while we await the arrival of the spring soaring season.  Here are two Mustangs giving rides:

This is the view from the front seat of a glider on tow behind our Pawnee on a day with beautiful clouds and visibility:

After release the towplane came around to fly some formation:

Don, on the left, had a nice flight in a single place glider while the couple in the middle flew in the two-place sailplane, now covered, for 2.5 hours on a gorgeous day.  Our instructor, Charlie, on the right, flew with his student, a 13 year-old, for a looooong lesson as well!  Note the snow on the higher ground behind the female US Navy carrier-pilot.  It was her second glider flight and we hope she's hooked on slow and luxurious flying.

Making of a Boeing air plane

Loading Paul Bikle's altitude record-setting glider on trailer for trip to Edwards AFB

Yesterday I was lucky to have been in the crew helping to load Paul Bikle's Schweizer
1-23E onto a trailer borrowed from two friendly glider pilots, Herb and Dave.  First we had to unload their glider:

Here is Paul's son, Hugh, with Herb and Dave who supplied the trailer used to haul their
SGS 1-23H-15 #73:

Hugh's hangar had his dad's glider suspended from the ceiling:   http://www.aerosente.com/2009/09/n91893-paul-bickles-123e-located.html

Some of his beautiful flyable planes had to be moved out of the way:

Here we have two thirds of the glider loaded:

Here's Paul's youngest son, Hugh's brother, Alan with museum curator Dick after the loading has been completed:

There is a wonderful write-up which accompanies the display but I don't have access to it here.  Maybe someone can email it to me and I can include it.  Meanwhile check this out:

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

Sven is still flying at 92!

My friend Sven has had some major changes in his living arrangements lately but still
found a way to get to the gliderport to fly in the DG-505 on a nice clear day.  Here he is with the parachute on sitting in the front seat and ready to go:

I'm using this old pic of a launch as I don't have one from yesterday!  Here Sven is in the front and Stan is in the rear being launched by wing-runner Quest.  

At 1000' after take-off Sven took the controls and flew smoothly just like always:

 We went east over the Diablos looking for that lift that Ken reported yesterday over the "tin roof".  After releasing at 6000' Sven flew all around over the Quen Sabe Valley seeking out that elusive lift.  The San Joaquin Valley was covered with Tule fog and the snow-covered Sierras were visible to the east:

It was very still air and dead-calm, a perfect day for gliding but we wanted to SOAR!  Alas, all we could find was some very weak "bumps" just above the ridges.  There were two golden eagles flying but we, being much heavier, couldn't exploit the meager lift like those pros could!  Sven flew us back into the Santa Clara Valley towards Hollister thinking we might get some lift over the big black fields but they weren't working either.  

We were too low for aerobatics so the loops and wing-overs will have to wait for a day with thermals! 

Even though we didn't have good soaring conditions we thoroughly enjoyed our hour peacefully and silently gliding over some beautiful scenery in the "Cadillac" of sailplanes.  Sven said he'll be watching the weather and will be back when the spring "thermal" season starts soon!

Saturday 1/22/11 rides

The first ride for Sophia accompanied by her father Jun.  The Tule fog and snow-capped Sierras were in view over the Diablos.

Michael sat in the front and flew back towards the airport after our release.  For his first flight, his control of the glider showed great hand-eye co-ordination and/or video-game experience!  He should consider taking lessons towards licensing and giving rides himself. 

Kathleen, who brought Michael in for a gift-ride, wanted to experience that type of ride for herself and she did:

Sue and Tom enjoyed their ride even though some high clouds had developed overhead:

Eric and Laura were so much fun in the air that I forgot to take their pic while aloft!  So here are their smiles after landing and a seating change!

Marilynn and Jay also distracted me from taking their pic at altitude so I got them just after our landing rollout and canopy opening: