A Wright-Pat on the Head...
 You may have noticed the stamp on your newsletter. It is one of 20 in a sheet of Classic American Aircraft that was introduced on July 19th at the Dayton Air Show. Ann and I attended the opening ceremonies as well as the two days of air show. The stamp ceremony was really upstaged by the appearance of the B-2. No one paid a bit of attention once that huge silent "Manta Ray" showed up. 

   Over a quarter million  people showed up also. Lots of huge airplanes that make almost as much noise as the heavy metal music the narrators played throughout the show, ad nauseum. BIG airplanes everywhere, belching almost as much hot air as the announcers.  If you haven't visited the Air Force Museum, don't miss it. Most impressive. I stood under a real CG-4A and marveled at how anyone could land one of these monsters at night, loaded with troops and volatile stuff, on a completely unknown field, while being shot at. Actually, I marveled at how anyone could fly the thing, period. Sitting right under this beast is a beautiful P-51D. I watched dozens of people wandering around and not one looked up. Ugly gliders, just like Infantrymen. 

 Number 3 on the most manufactured WWII U.S. aircraft list is the Waco CG-4A. (13,600-14,000 plus, depending on whose figures you use). If numbers were the only criteria, we would have a Classicly Ugly glider stamp. In fact, in 1994 we had an Airborne Commemorative that did feature a CG-4A glider-that was one ugly plane.  tnowak@mail.Imi.org to Joe Parrish ...I'm forwarding a news article that may be of interest to you and other members of the Skyline Soaring Club published by the AF regarding WWII gliders. I recv'd the article via a subscription service to AF News over the Web. I've been out to your operation in the past as an interested bystander which made me think of you when I saw the article. 

Silent aircraft found home on North Texas plains
by Senior Airman Matt Summers Sheppard Public Affairs

As the CG-4A Waco glider became a prominent player in the role of airpower in World War II, there was a reciprocal need for mechanics and maintainers. Army Air Forces' officials soon realized the best place to train these individuals was at the already established leader in aviation mechanics -Sheppard Field, Texas, according to Dr. Dwight Tuttle, 82nd Training Wing historian and co-author of Sheppard Air Force Base's history, Sustaining the Wings. 

 The training coincided with an increased interest by the air corps in the potential of gliders to deliver troops to war zones. The CG-4A standard glider was capable of transporting either 15 fully equipped soldiers or a quarter-ton jeep with crew.  The Army needed glider mechanics who could not only perform routine maintenance, but who could rebuild wrecked gliders in an emergency..  Lt. Wray Dudley, who had prior experience as an amateur builder of  gliders, was appointed as the first director of the glider mechanic school at Sheppard.

As there was no established glider mechanic school, Dudley drew a vast majority of his 90 enlisted and civilian instructors from Sheppard's aircraft mechanic courses. 

 In February 1943, the school acquired the first of its 25 CG-4A gliders. Instructors taught an average of 1,440 glider mechanic students each day.  With training underway for mechanics, officials then turned their training  attention towards glider pilots. 

 In September 1943, the Central Flying Command at Randolph Field, Texas,  directed Sheppard officials to establish an Army Air Forces Glider  Classification School for training glider pilots, according to Tuttle. By 1944, the school had 90 officer and 167 enlisted members.  One former glider pilot recalled a night training flight in Sustaining the Wings: "Most ex-glider pilots will remember ... the night flights to Petrolia, where we landed those trainers on a pasture slip lit by smudge pots. Some will recall that a few of their buddies lost their lives when attempting those precarious, poorly-lit landings." 

 Despite many setbacks, glider pilots and mechanics who trained at Sheppard saw action in Burma, Holland, Sicily and during D-Day landings in Normandy.  In addition to the CG-4A on display at the U.S. Air Force Museum in Ohio, a nonprofit organization has brought the Waco back to life in the Lone Star state. A fully restored CG-4A is the centerpiece of a memorial to airborne personnel of World War II at the Silent Wings Museum in Terrell, Texas, just  east of Dallas.  (Courtesy of AETC News Service)  Editor's Footnote: In addition to the operations listed by Airman Summers, there were U.S. glider combat operations in Germany, the Philippines, Southern France and Belgium. (Most historians are oblivious to the 60 plus glider sorties flown in support of the 101st at Bastogne. These gliders brought in medical personnel and supplies as well as gasoline and artillery rounds. The officer who delivered General McAuliffe's famous "Nuts" answer to the Germans demand for surrender was Col. [later Major General] Joseph Harper, Commander of the 327th Glider Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division.)

 Two excellent books on the Army glider program can be found in the A&S Museum's bookstore: Silent Wings, by Gerard M. Devlin and History of the World's Glider Forces, by Alan Wood. There are others as well, but naturally they aren't exactly on your best seller lists. 

Roster Open Season
As you may or may not know, the roster for the entire year was built back in February based on everyone's input after the annual meeting. Recognizing that a lot may have changed since then, please let me know if there are any particular dates for the months of October, November and December that you cannot work. I'll change the roster as needed. I would appreciate receiving your input no later than 20 August 1997. (Sorry, this offer doesn't count for the August/September roster published in this newsletter. Please make your own trades for those months if you need to.) Send your input any way you'd like: e-mail: LCSergent@aol.com, fax: 703-379-9372 or phone: 703-379-4721 (H), 301-731-0900, ext. 101 (W).  I'd like to personally thank all of you for being so conscientious about trading your duty days when you need to, and for keeping me informed of changes. It really helps a lot!  Special Thanks  A number of the tow pilots and instructors in our club have been doing duty "above and beyond" to make Thursday and weekend operations possible, and to ensure adequate instructional opportunities for the student pilots. You know who you are. THANK YOU!!!!-Lisa Sergent 

BYOP (Bring Your Own Popcorn) 
You are cordially invited to a Soaring Video Party at my home on the evening of Friday, August 22. We will be screening the videos "Champions of the Wave" and "The Sunship Game". The curtain goes up at 7:30 pm, and we will wrap it up by 10:00 pm to permit sufficient beauty rest (oxymoron?) for Saturday operations. 

 "Champions" is the story of the 1995 World Championships in Omarama, New Zealand.  It contains some terrific footage of competition soaring in wave, ridge, and thermal conditions, and the Open Class duel between Kiwi pilot Ray Lynnsky and German pilot Uli Schempff is quite exciting.  "Sunship" is a somewhat older film, focusing on competition flying at the 1968 Worlds in Marfa, TX. U.S. pilot George Moffat is featured. Many thanks to Jim Kellett for providing "Sunship".  Beer and wine will be available, but you won't hurt my feelings if you decide to BYOB. Same goes for munchies.  Please let me know if you plan to attend. There is plenty of room for viewers and non-viewers alike.  See you at the Parrish Bijou.- Joe Parrish    (Contact Joe Parrish for Directions.)

From Gary Rubus, Skyline South
Have my Ventus parked at Marianna airport, about fifty miles north of here.(Tyndall AFB, Florida) Found an ex-cropduster with an L-19 who has towed me twice since we linked up. Not much of an area for soaring (at least during this time of year), but lots of places to land when I decide to venture out. The job keeps me busy, though, so I'm not sure what I'll be able to do. 

Went out today and got qualified in the Hobie Cat, at least the 16 foot version, with the rest of the family. My house is right on the beach (as one of my predecessors said, it's a $20,000 house on a $4,000,000 lot) and I can park a Hobie on the back yard if we decide to get one. No threat to trade the Ventus, but do want to learn sailing while we're here.  Hope you're staying airborne. Please keep me posted periodically on the health and location of the club. I will undoubtedly end up back in the Pentagon after this tour, and wouldn't be at all disappointed if you guys moved over to Front Royal. Got a little tired of the drive to New Market, but still want to fly. If that $75 I paid for the "privilege" of towing was for an indefinite period, please ask the club to keep me on the rolls so I don't have to pay it again.  I own an altitude chamber now. Don't recall what progress you were making toward the class at Langley, and know that I am a 15-18 hour drive away. Having said that, while I'm the commander I suspect I could get you guys into the chamber here without too much effort. If that's attractive, let me know. 

 I'm going to try to get up the the New Castle contest in September (good intentions, anyway--see what the USAF says about that), might see you  there.

 Miss the good fellowship already.
-Gary Rubus to Jim Kellett 

When the Student is ready, the Teacher Appears
Has everyone had a chance to read Joe Parrish's article "Confessions of a Cross Country Neophyte", published in the July issue of Skylines? If not, give a shot. It talks about almost everything that we have covered in Jim Garrison's class on Cross Country Soaring.  Recently, I too, had a chance to use almost all of the techniques we covered in this class  On Sunday, June 29th, I made a flight of 1:33, and covered a straight-line distance of 28 miles out and back for a total of 56 miles. My inter thermal distance was about 61 miles. During this flight I used the lessons we learned about speeds-to-fly, inter-thermal speeds, usable lift bands in thermals, when to leave-when to get more, selecting out-landing spots, etc., etc. I was just amazed when I got back - how much of this class info I used in just this one flight.  As Joe P. mentioned in his article-for those who were not able to attend, send Jim Garrison some money for his course materials--better yet, I'd get another group together and beg, plead, bribe, coerce Jim Garrison to hold another of these classes. Soar Hi!
-Kevin Fleet 

First Things Last 
Well, it took a while to get around to it, but I have finally acquired my Private Glider (aero) addition to my Private SEL ticket. Working between the awesome amounts rain, tornadoes and generally bad weather generated by hurricane Danny, I managed to convince Frank Reid, of Bermuda High Soaring, that I can fly a glider. So...at 2:05 p.m. Sunday 7-27-97, after landing the sweetest* flying 2-33, he said, "Well done-you passed."  'Bout time, after 3 years, huh??? 

-Kevin Fleet

* Old beast must of landed out in sugar cane-Editor

Log This...
Our condolences to Shane Neitzey. Shane's father passed away on July 4th. Burt Schmutzhart (hey, WSC types - remember Burt and the "BS-1"??) called from Hartwood. A friend of his as what Burt describes as a "very clean" 1-26(B) in his hangar there and has finally decided to sell it since it's become a hangar queen. Don't know any of the lurid details, but if anyone's interested, call the owner Bob Dorminey at (540) 752-1969. No e-mail, unfortunately
.-Jim Kellett 

Piet Barber was awarded the Bronze badge on June 28. He used the Biennial Flight Review to cover the last requirements for the badge, killing two birds with one stone. (Note to PETA members: figuratively speaking.) 

New e-mail address for Bob Collier-rcollier@visuallink.com and Dave Nichols has a new e-mail address:-nichols@mitre.org and new phone numbers: home (703) 620-5038, work (703) 883-6987, fax (703) 883-6143. Curtiss Phillips e-mail address for the summer is cphill2710@aol.com and change his phone number to (540) 785-8106. New address for Richard Freytag: 3834 Jay Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22302-1813. New phone numbers: (703) 379-1707, (703) 379-1708. E-mail remains the same. 

Some of the "old guys" from Warrenton Soaring Center days may remember one Marine pilot, now retired, named Bill Jones. Bill was one of our "switch hitters", e.g., towpilot and instructor, and his son Matt also flew with us. 

 Well, Bill's now on the staff at the University of Illinois, and flies with the Illini Glider Club. And he's written several aviation books, the most recent of which is an fictional "adventure novel" called Silent Rescue. It was reviewed on page 14 of the June issue of SOARING Magazine. It can be purchased from Eastern Dakota Publishers at (701) 780-8912 or through http://www.edpublish.com. Bill will also be at Oshkosh this year selling his book.  Bill wrote, in a recent note to Skyliner Kit Carson: "Just a note to let you know about my new aviation adventure novel, Silent Rescue. ... I'm the main character of the book under the name of Matt Taft. I wove a lot of personal history into the fictional story and the old Warrenton Soaring Center is mentioned a few times. ... Matthew is doing real good with Continential Express Airlines. Right now he's the youngest Captain in the company! 

 Editorial note: Further proof that soaring is a great foundation of which to build an aviation career!!
-Jim Kellett 

Here are some actual maintenance complaints submitted by US Air Force pilots and the replies from the maintenance crews. "Squawks" are problem listings that pilots generally leave for maintenance crews. 
 
 

Problem:	Solution:
"Left inside main tire almost needs replacement."	"Almost replaced left inside main tire."
"Test flight OK, except autoland very rough."	"Autoland not installed on this aircraft."
"IFF Inoperative"	"IFF Inoperative in 'Off' Mode"
"Something loose in cockpit"	"Something tightened in cockpit"
"Engine 3 missing"	"After a brief search, engine 3 found on right wing"