1997 Richard C. duPont Regatta 
An Invitation to Soar Through History at the Richard C. duPont Commemorative Flight Regatta September 19, 20, 21, 1997. Hosted by the Skyline Soaring Club, in cooperation with the Vintage Soaring Association, Mid-Atlantic Soaring Association and The Shenandoah Valley Soaring Club  Now is the time to make your arrangements to soar in this historic annual celebration of Richard duPont's record setting 1933 flight at Skyline's beautiful Shenandoah Valley site.  Write, call or e-mail: Piet Barber  43192 Moshupe Way  South Riding, VA 20152  (703) 327-2514  pietb@erols.com 

Current and up-to-date information about the regatta is at our website at http://www.ssl.umd.edu/skyline/events/regatta.html 

The 1997 1-26 Championships  
Bill Vickland 
How many eastern glider pilots have the opportunity to fly from 90 to 140 miles every day for 12 days with ground speeds up to 45 miles per hours and with cloud bases from 5,000 to 7,000 feet above the ground. Prior to the contest, flights of over five hours were common, and it was possible to set out in any direction for up to 60 miles with the assurance that you could return. To accomplish this kind of flying in a 1-26 defies the imagination of most eastern glass pilots, even some 1-26 pilots. But if you want to soar, not glide, more hours in two weeks than you do for the rest of the year, and if you want to learn more about cross country flying than you can in two years of flying at home, then you need to buy a 1-26 and get into 1-26 Association competition. 

 The 1997 1-26 (World) Championships were held at the Texas Soaring Association field at Midlothian, 20 miles south of Dallas. I did fly for 12 days straight, two of which were unofficial practice days, two were official practice days and eight were contest days. On the first day of the contest the task was cancelled because of concern that thunderstorms were going to develop. They didn't, but we flew locally for several hours for the fun of it. On the seventh day everyone landed out, but under the rules, it was determined to be a contest day. In fact, all but the big landout day were days when you could go almost anywhere up to 60 miles from the field and return without difficulty. The home town glass bird pilots were amazed at the speeds (up to 45 mph), and distances (140 miles) as well as the ease with which 1-26 drivers handle their land-outs. Of course, most 1-26 pilots leave the field with the very likelihood of landing out. But that was not always the case at TSA. On task day one, only three of the 27 ships landed out. On day two, nine landed out. On day three, eight. Day four, only one. Day five, all 27 finished the task. Day six, everyone landed out. Day seven, only two landed out. 

 The weather was hot. Almost everyday the temperature on the ground was in the range of 96 to 100 degrees with a relative humidity of 45%. If you stayed in the shade, or above 3000 feet it wasn't too bad. Each day began with a 50 minute launch cycle in which all 1-26s were towed to 2,000 feet. The low level temperatures  encouraged one to find and hold the nearest thermal quickly at least until reaching 3,000 feet above the ground.  Fifteen minutes after the last 1-26 was launched, the task for the day was declared open and 27 pilots begin calling the start gate for permission to "proceed" through the gate and begin the task. Because the launch usually  takes place before maximum ground heating occurs, many of the experience pilots prefer to wait for up to an hour before going through the gate. On every day but one, this strategy worked well because it not only provided stronger thermals over the three hour task, it also provided the late starting pilot with thermal markers, courtesy of the early starters. 

 Thermal strengths were generally in the range of 200 to 300 fpm at lower altitudes, going to 350 to 500 at higher altitudes. Occasionally, pilots reported thermals in the range of 800 to 1,000 fpm. I usually discounted many of these as temporary (less than three turn) climbs by overly optomistic pilots rather than truly average climb rates.  I consistently stopped for 300 to 400 fpm thermals and consistently recorded speeds in the range of 30 to 38 mph as a result. 

 The top three pilots, Pat Tuckey, Mark Keene and Dan Mockler regularly reported thermals strengths of 600 to 800 fpm and speeds in the range of 45 mph. When asked how they do it, they respond that they would not stop for anything less than 400 fpm and often only more than 600 fpm. I don't know where they found thermals this strong. If I didn't stop for anything under 400 fpm, I would fly straight to the ground. I must admit that, as an eastern pilot, I tend to be more conservative than these guys, but I still can't see how they do it. I felt like Sundance Kid who, being relentlessly pursued by the Pinkerton posse, can only question, "who are those guys". Only this time it is me pursuing the posse. The performance of these three, and to a lesser degree, the performance of Kevin Ford and Bob Von Hellens, is a source of amazement, not only to me, but to the many members of the Texas Soaring Association who are glass bird pilots and who witnessed 1-26 speeds that are comparable to some glass bird pilots in regional FAI meets. 

 While most of the contest soaring was spectacular, a blow by blow  description cannot capture the fun and competitive spirit. Oddly, the one land-out day was the most memorable, and can provide some of the flavor or 1-26 flying. The start of the day was similar to those preceeding it except that the temperature was somewhat cooler. A front had passed through the area the night before, but the weatherman had not called for any rain. However, Charlie Spratt, the Competition Director was not convinced that the sky would not over develop and produce rain storms, so he launched us at 12:30, 30 minutes earlier than normal. Half way through the launch cycle, a cloud street formed in the direction of the first turnpoint, and as the gate opened, most of the pilots at maximum starting altitude opted for an immediate start. The street ran for about 15 miles into black nothingness. At altitude visibility was about five miles. 

Those pilots who were not at maximum altitude and were still climbing to gain advantage of the unlimited altitude start procedure, quickly found that the cloud street had turned into a continuous sink hole. The result was that early starters obtained a very signficant advantage. I was among the late launchers because I wanted to minimize my time in the air before the gate opended. After recording my "good start 238" in light rain, I was forced to fly 45 degrees off the course line for about five miles to get into sunlite ground. I had visions of half the fleet making the first turn point 40 miles away in less than 30 minutes.  After several minutes I escaped the rain and sink, and under the edge of what was the cloud street, now solid overcast, I was able to connect with two very strong thermals (600 fpm) to the cloud base of 7,000 feet. On climbing to cloud base in the second one, only ten miles on course, I was encouraged that I could increase my average speed, and the thought had not occurred that the overdevelopment was spreading. As it turned out, that was the last lift I would see. My glide toward the first turnpoint took me under a bank of clouds running  perpendicular to the course line and which contained numerous rain cells. 

Despite the poor visibility, I could barely see that there was sunlite gound about five miles ahead, beyond the cloud bank. I flew toward areas where there did not appear to be any rain cells trailing down to the ground, but in fact, light rain, and then heavier rain began. I watched the dust on the leading edge of my wing wash away as the rain pelted the canopy like a million little B-Bs from a pellet gun.  After about five miles of this, I broke out into a band of sunlight also running perpendicular to the course line which extended about five miles ahead where another dark band of clouds threatened more rain and sink. Rather than continuing on the course line and collecting points for a final glide, I opted to search the sunlite band for enough lift to go back to 7,000 feet one more time. 

 I was now down to 2000 feet making a zig zag track across the sunlit band. At 1500 feet I found a bubble that produced about 50 fpm. I was joined shortly by another ship and the two of us attempted to find a nonexistent core which would carry us aloft and onto our first turn point.  After several minutes it became obvious that it was not to be. 

 I turned again to fly parallel with the sunlit band now concerned that I was going to land out.  I decided to head toward signs of civilization along the band so as to not land out in the boondocks. I headed toward the town of Hillsboro, about 8 miles away, and I turned on the radio and called Joan the tell her to hook up the trailer. I left the radio on to provide her with more information and then heard the calls from numerous other pilots. It was clear that this was not going to be a day in which very many ships would finished the task, but it was still possible that some of the early starters might have escaped the bad weather, and it was still possible that enough ships could go far enough to determined it to be a contest day. A contest day requires that one third of the pilots complete an average of at least 30 miles. 

 Now I realized that my decision to search for lift had cost me dearly. If I had flow into the darkened sky on the course line with the 3000 feet of altitude that I had after emerging from the first one, I could have flown an additional ten miles. Had my search for lift been successful, I would have been able to fly an additional 20 to 25 miles before landing. 

  Down to 1000 feet, I called Joan to tell her that I was going to land and  to go to the control room and wait for my call. I scouted the area for the best landing site. That would be one near a highway, open farmland without crops or pastureland, and hopefully, easy access, that is, a gate into the field. I got almost everything I wanted. It was open pasture about two miles square, and while it had some cattle, they were way down at the other end. 

 I did a 360 overhead to check the land for rocks and picked an approach into the wind that would take me right up to the expensive looking brick house on the edge of the pasture. A car in the car port would seem to suggest that someone was home. Used ground effect to glide to the far side of the field so I could stop right next to the house. A quick check of my GPS indicated that I had flown about 26 miles. 

 It was immediately evident that this was not going to be an easy retrieve. I was in error on two counts. The cattle at the other end of the field joined me immediately, and while the cattle surrounded me and the ship, no one appeared from the house only 75 feet from my parked 1-26. No one was home. Leaving your glider in the company of even one cow is not a good idea. They love the dope and fabric and their rough tongues can peel it off very quickly. They also consider the down wing to be a ramp that they can walk on. 

 Alternately, I would shoo the cattle away and then try to call for help on the radio. I was unable to contact anyone one the radio and I could not leave the ship to find a telephone. Without calling by telephone there would be no way my crew could find me. My decision to land near the major highway was a blessing however. After about 30 minutes, the crew for the Air Force Academy 1-26 stopped and walked out to talk to me. I gave him my crew instructions and he agreed to call TSA to notify Joan where to find me. After another 30 minutes, the cattle became bored and moved back to the far side of the field. I walked to the house and around the yard to  determine that no one was home and that all of the gates around the field were locked. Then I was able to communicate by radio with one of the tow planes which had retrieved a 1-26 at a nearby airport. I sent instruction to have Joan bring some help because we were going to have to lift the 1-26 over the fence. 

 Meanwhile, trailered 1-26s were stopping along the highway, their crew  having seen me before they had retrieved their own pilot and 1-26 furtherdown the same highway. With the help of 8 or 10 pilots and crew members, we disassembled the 1-26 and lifted it over the fence. Just as we finished, Joan appeared with RV and trailer. In talking to the other pilots, it was clear that no one had finished the task but that it was a contest day. In this case, the value of each mile is determined by the pilot who makes the greatest distance. As it turned out, Pat DeNaples had gone 45 miles for first place, so each mile was worth 22 points (1000/45). My decision to search rather than glide cost me about 250 points, but that's what the competition is all about, flying well and making the right decisions. I finished sixth overall in this meet, and would have come home with the Old Goat Trophy (Best score for pilot over age 60) except that Pat Denaples of the Denaples/Holloran team had a higher average score for the days he flew. The land out day cost me more than I had realized. 

 This year, like many  others, I come away having learned at least one more technique or other factor that will improve my skill at flying faster and farther. That is really the great thing about 1-26 competition.  You don't need to be competitively oriented to have fun or to learn more about cross country flying for speed and distance. Within the 1-26 Association all pilots share in the comraderie regardless of skill. There are rank beginners at every meet and they are encouraged by all, including the top pilots. I encourage new 1-26 pilots to get active in the 1-26 Association and 1-26 competition, even if you are not competitively inclined. Several pilots at this event openly say that they come to learn not to compete. Whether they continue to build their skill to compete or not, they will learn how to fly the 1-26 farther and faster, and will enhance their ability to fly cross country. They will also continue to amaze the rest of the soaring community as to the capability, as well as the fun, of flying the 1-26. You don't need to be experienced to fly in a 1-26 meet. Of the 31 pilots, including 5 teams, about half have competed in more than five or six contests, and possibly six or eight had never competed before. 

 Not only will you learn more about  soaring for speed and distance in two weeks than you will in two years of flying at home, you will receive guidance and advise from some of the top soaring competitors. That's just the nature of the 1-26 Assciation competition pilots. And don't let it be said that this is some rinky dink competion. Many of the top pilots are owners or partners in glass birds and do equally well in regional FAI competition. Contest organizer Marvin Willis (097) has just sold his Janus and has returned full time to 1-26 flying because "he was bored" with flying around in his Janus. He finds far greater challenge in flying triangles with the potential for landing out. It was once said that there are two kinds of people; people who like to fly, and people who wonder why those people like to fly. The concept of 1-26 flying is similar. There are pilots who like to fly 1-26s and there are people who wonder why they like to fly 1-26s.  

The key contest trophies include the following:  
 

First Place Individual:	Pat Tuckey (459)
Second Place	Mark Keene (221)
Third Place	Dan Mockler (182)
First Place Team	Pat DeNaple  / Tom Holloran(190)

 This was the second year in which a "Spiffy" award was made for the best looking 1-26 in the fleet. The contest was established to provide a little incentive for pilots to improve the appearance of the fleet. The approach is clearly successful because each year from four to six recently rebuilt 1-26s are judged in a competition that could not be won with a brand new 1-26 coming straight from the factory. The paint schemes and attention to  detail makes the judging extremely difficult. However, as a strategy, the contest is achieving its goal. 

Safety Message 
I would rather choose to regale you with tales of fabulous exploits and steely eyed cunning exercised in the practice of soaring flight. But that's not what I have to share with you today...  I preflighted the 1-36 on this particular Spring day and was the first to fly it. I had about 3 hours in the airplane prior to this flight and only about 20 hours in gliders, I have 6000 hours total time. Weather conditions were gusty winds from the North, we would be using the Runway 6 grass. It was the the kind of conditions that makes for a turbulent tow, particularly at the point immediately off the end of the runway. I was mentally prepared for some good bumps on the tow out immediately following takeoff and expected it. Jim McCulley was towing and the ground roll and takeoff went normally and then we got our first good jolt that had me straining against the straps and I made a mental note to strap in even tighter next flight. We got a second good jolt and knew I would be plenty happy to be getting further away from the ground and towards some smoother air. I noted that Jim had seemingly leveled off, I presumed he was getting a little more airspeed as a buffer for the turbulent conditions or simply fighting some heavy sink. And then I saw him do a little fishtailing which I mistook for turbulence, then I saw a definite rudder wag. I thought my spoilers can't possibly be open and I stole a glance over my left shoulder to see those  very big boards were indeed open and sucking the climb out of our duo. I slammed them shut and immediately the situation improved and we began climbing, we couldn't have been more than 200-300 feet above the ground-unlandable ground. Jim would later tell me we were doing 300 down. We climbed out, I released at 2500 and promptly returned to the field. 

 Post flight analysis. I took off with the spoilers unlocked. I checked the spoilers during preflight, I opened them and eventually returned them to the position in which I had found them-which was unlocked. Spoilers must have opened during the first or second jolt of turbulence which also served to mask the snatch that occurs with rapid spoiler deployment. The rudder wag signal saved my skin, ironically if you had asked me what the spoiler  unlocked signal was before the flight I'm not sure I would have given you an immediate and unambiguous response but somehow I knew it in a pinch. Jim McCulley knew the spoiler unlocked signal, saw what the problem was and he stuck with me in a difficult and worsening situation, I figure I had at most, 20 more seconds to figure it out before getting released with no options. I am indebted to Jim for his high level of situational awareness and knowledge of the appropriate signals. 

 What lessons have I learned? Spoilers open is serious, I am going to crash  kinda, stuff. Pilots and tow-pilots alike need to know the signal. Instructors can play a major role in making sure this gets done. Maybe when you are new in type ask someone experienced in that type to watch over your shoulder as you preflight and get ready to launch. Remember my story and fly safe. 
-Fred Mueller  

How to Fly Cross Country - The Perspective From Close to the Ground  
One of the first (of several) partners I've had in various gliders was one  James E. Hard. Jim Hard's been flying gliders for more than three decades. He did his diamond goal back when you could fly to, and land at, a declared goal away from your launch site ... in a SGS 1-19 from a winch launch!! Over the decades, he's earned a well deserved reputation for flying 1-26s L O N G distances, most from his home gliderport near Minneapolils-St. Paul, MN. He holds many 1-26 records; his wife Kathleen recently completed her Gold badge in a 1-26, and holds many feminine records. By the way, they own "his and hers" 1-26s... now is that a soaring family, or what!?! (Editor's note: Lisa?)  

 I got my Silver C Distance flight in a 1-26 launched in Leesburg, VA back in the sixties, and never got very much higher than my release altitude. There was an overcast, very weak lift, but a stiff breeze so I just "thermalled" 50 km and landed!! But Jim Hard made a beautiful flight in early July that made that look like pattern practice - how about an "unsuccessful" attempt at a 1-26 Goal Record flight that spanned 225 miles, and the highest altitude attained was 3300' AGL??!!  I'm attaching a copy of Jim's barogram for this flight, made on July 9, 1997.  This year we've had some spectacular soaring conditions in the Shenandoah Valley. Best spring I've seen in the area in many, many years. Many days when one could cruise around at six or seven thousand feet all day. So: what're YOU doing with your life??-Jim Kellett 

Where's YOUR New Member??? 
At the 1997 Annual Meeting, we agreed that each member of the Club would recruit one new member to the club. Where's yours??? 

 Extensive research has established that it is "normal and healthy" for a gliding club to have a 20% turnover every year. Thus right now, we should expect to lose and gain about 7-9 members this year. Our continued success as a Club requires that our membership increase-so it's imperative that we gain 10 or more new members! This is not difficult. It can be a lot of fun! And a soaring Club membership comprises a real favor to the person who doesn't know about soaring but can come to love it like we do!   I've recruited mine this year - where's yours??-Jim Kellett 

A Few Notes for Duty officers: 
In the future, if you have to pay for something at the field (ie. gas for  the tow car) please do not use funds from the day's income. The bookkeeping  nightmares that stem from this action are enourmous!!! If you have to pay out of your own pocket for this type of purchase, please mark the outside of the envelope "REFUND DUE" in red and I will be sure to get a check out to you ASAP. And also-Duty Officers taking a free tow ticket write "0" under "COST" and be sure to include the altitude. Please no creative math with the day's receipts! Thanks!-Stacy Barber 

We have a mouse problem. We found a mouse in the Club's storage cabinet, but couldn't catch or kill it. Soon, he'd (she'd) managed to totally destroy several cubic inches of packing foam that was used to protect the new vario for the Sprite (fortunately, no damage to the instrument itself).   These suckers can do hundreds of dollars of damage in a matter of hours -  on packing materials, seat harnesses, cushions, and other stuff. Plus they'll build stinky nests in your airplane in places you can't reach.  Please preflight with extra care!! And the next one out should get a few mothballs (the old fashioned stinky kind) for the aircraft and some mouse poison (CAREFULLY PLACED!!) for the storage cabinet. (The napthalene mothballs will just keep the mice out of a plane, not kill them... and the smell dissipates in a few seconds when airborne.) -Jim Kellett 

How to Handle New Member Prospects 

Meet 'n' Greet 
 We've all had the semi-pleasant experience of meeting and greeting new member prospects at New Market. On one hand, it's wonderful to share the enthusiasm and interest in the sport we hold dear. On the other hand, though, it's not always clear what to do with these erstwhile eagles. 

Behind the Scenes 
  First, a bit of background on our new member recruitment process. We are  actively seeking new members for the club. This is done in a number of different ways. We have given contact information to FBOs at several local airports, and have asked them to refer interested soaring pilots and prospects. We have also distributed club brochures to persons and businesses that might encounter prospects. The club is mentioned regularly in Soaring magazine, and we are listed in the SSA's Directory of Soaring Sites. One of our best recruiting mechanisms is our presence on the Internet. Our web page is a terrific advertisement for the club, and I'd like to take this opportunity to once again thank our talented and tireless webmeisters for keeping us smashed like a bug on the leading edge of soaring web sites. We also maintain a presence on the newsgroup 'rec.aviation.soaring', answering questions about soaring in general and on local soaring in particular. 

Come on Down 
 When successful, these first steps in the new member recruitment process will result in a phone call or e-mail for more information, or the prospect will decide to just drop in and visit the operation at New Market. In the case of the former, please feel free to respond directly, but I'd appreciate being copied (or blind-copied) on the response. I do maintain a database of prospects, and send periodic "tickler" reminders to them. (I think I missed my true calling as a direct mail marketeer.) In the case of a visit to New Market, please be aware that the member's decision to join the club will most likely be based on their impression of the operation-and that impression begins to be formulated upon initial approach. Strangers should be greeted before they reach the sunshade. (The sunshade creates a subtle psychological barrier that some find difficult to penetrate.) Once the hand shakes and introductions are complete, the next step is the "qualify" the prospect and tailor your approach accordingly. 

Who Am I Talking To? 
 

 There are basically three types of prospects: 

1. the ab initio pilot, who has little or no experience in gliders or GA aircraft; 
2. the transition pilot, who holds a pilot certificate in aircraft other than gliders; and
3. the rated pilot, who already holds a glider rating. 

Paperwork, Paperwork 
 We have stocked information for prospects in the Duty Officer's box. At a minimum, every visitor should walk away with a Skyline club brochure. (We have hundreds more in a cardboard box in the utility cabinet in the hangar.) Write your name and phone number on the brochure so that they can call you with follow-up questions. If you sense any interest in the club, give the prospect a membership application, rate sheet, and the SSA "How to Become a Glider Pilot" brochure. If you sense serious interest, give them a copy of the SSA "Soaring in America" booklet. (This booklet is recently revised by the SSA and gives an excellent overview of soaring. They cost us $0.50 per copy, though.) You might also encourage the prospect to visit our web site at http://www.ssl.umd.edu/skyline. Finally, try to extract contact information from them-name, address, phone number, and e-mail address-so that we can keep them informed of significant events in the club. We now have a guest book in the DO box for recording this information. Card 'Em 

 Each visitor (other than guests of existing members-and maybe them, too)  should be encouraged to obtain a temporary membership. The membership costs only $20, and gives the member privileges for the club equipment for 10 calendar days, as well as providing them coverage under our insurance policy. We have made some recent improvements to our temporary membership procedures. We will soon have temporary membership cards that clearly identify the valid period of the temporary membership. In addition, we will be stocking the DO box with blank logbooks-each temporary member should receive one. (The cost of the logbook is included in the $20 fee.) There is ample evidence that sending temporary members away with a signed logbook will improve our chances of having the prospect return and continue their training as a new member. 

Hit Me! 
 Our current "hit rate" of converting prospects to new members is somewhere between that of a direct mail solicitation and a major league batting champion. It would be nice to improve on this percentage. We see a diverse group of visitors at the field-ranging from one-flight thrill seekers to highly experienced glider pilots. As the club membership weenie, I see each of them as a new member prospect. Thanks in advance for your assistance in recruiting new members to the club. 
-Joe Parrish 

(correct) DuPont Regatta Dates 
The correct dates for the DuPont Regatta are September 19, 20, 21st. Last month, the roster showed the wrong dates for the regatta. The DO/ADOs who volunteered to work the regatta have been rescheduled for the correct dates. My apologies for any problems this caused! -Lisa Sergent 

Your eagle-eyed editor also failed to pick up on this transposition. I received an e-mail from Jan Scott who said he also didn't see it. So for those of you do read this stuff and those who booked the Presidential Suite Honeymoon Special with Communal Hot Tub Priviledges at the Budget Inn based on the inappropriate dates-our sincerest apologies. 

Log This 
Please welcome "new" member Linn Buell, formerly an honorary member, to the club. As most of you know, Linn has been helping out on assorted Thursdays with towing duties. She is also a CFI-G. Now we can look forward to seeing her on the other side of the rope in her LS-4. Welcome, Linn! 

AV-ED Flight School, Inc. will be offering a Private Pilot-Glider ground school, beginning on September 22, 1997. The course is oriented toward preparing student pilots for the FAA Private Pilot-Glider Knowledge Exam, but will also address topics that will improve flight proficiency and safety for all glider pilots. 
 
 

Location	Falls Church, VA
Dates:	Mondays and Thursdays, September 22--October 16 (eight sessions total)
Time:	7-10 PM
Tuition:	$185, with a $20 discount for early registration  (Books and course materials are additional)
Contact:	AV-ED Flight School, Inc. at (703) 237-2565 or (703) 777-9252

 I will be teaching the course, so feel free to contact me if you have any questions about course content, etc. Registration should be handled directly with AV-ED at the numbers listed above. 
-Joe Parrish 

duPont Regatta: A Personal Viewpoint 
It must have been real exciting in those days to fly that old stuff under those conditions. For now, to me it's just another "excuse" for a group of glider pilots to get together and attempt to do something a little different. For today's gliders, the task is relatively easy on the right day. But because this time of year is hurricane season, the weather does not often cooperate. I see the event as a fun informal contest for everyone to participate in, whether they attempt the task or not. It's also a good reason to go somewhere else to fly, locally if not flying the task and to socialize with folks you may not see but once a year. Come on out and enjoy the fun! 
-Linn Buell