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An extraordinary gift-Gogos Scholars Carl Rohmann Lorne Welch The duPont Regatta Meet the Member-Ed Lehr SAFETY CORNER 1-26 for Sale Skyline Students The Firmament WILL rise up and smite thee... Log this... The Badge Board Starting Soaring - Back Issues: |
August, 1998 An extraordinary gift-Gogos Scholars This program exists because of the outstanding generosity of one extraordinary man, Bela Gogos, who learned to soar at age 15 and has seen the wisdom of mixing youth and soaring over fifty years. A retired Colonel of the Hungarian Air Force, Mr. Gogos is a WWII pilot who started life over in North America after ten years of Soviet imprisonment. Here in the USA, he avidly returned to soaring as a hobby but was surprised at its more leisurely status in our country. Back in wartime and then socialist Hungary, flight training was always began with gliders and was far more comprehensive than the USA standard. With the scope and size of this grant program, CSA hopes to add Hungarian style strength to USA youth soaring. The cadre of beneficiaries of the program, the "Gogos Scholars", should become important resources in the future of soaring. Mr. Gogos is a resident of Haymarket, VA, and currently is an active member of the Skyline Soaring Club (see http://www.ssl.umd.edu/Skyline/) which operates out of Valor Field, an airport in New Market, VA. He has over 2,000 hours in his ASW-20C sailplane alone, all his FAI Diamonds and one Lennie, many long cross country flights, and much club mentoring to his credit. CSA has already awarded four grants as a test of the process, and will award seven grants of $2,000 each in 1999, 2000, and 2001, at which point the funds will be exhausted. Grants will be targeted towards training in the following categories Primarily A (first flight to solo), but also C (solo to FAA private license), (Silver (SC to FAI badges), and Diamond (advanced badges, wave, racing). Of the seven yearly grants, two will be earmarked for college students active in CSA and two more may be offered through youth partners of the SSA such as Civil Air Patrol and Exploring. The rest will be open to the widest possible youth audience within these eligibility criteria:
Application is to be in the form of a nomination from an FAI soaring badge holder within a sponsoring Soaring Club or Operator, by April 30 of each year, on a form downloadable from the CSA web (http://www.win.net/~greeley/coll/gogos.htm). Principal judging criteria will be a strongly documented desire to soar, plans to help promote the amateur sport of soaring among young people in school, and financial need. In the case of the beginner "A" category, additional consideration will apply to candidates with career interests in aviation or aeronautical science, and with above average scholastic or extra curricular achievement. Previous grant winners may reapply for a future grant in any succeeding category. CSA has selected Soar Minden in Nevada to administer these grants. Soar Minden is an SSA business member that operates year round, every day of the week, and offers access to world famous ridge, thermal, and wave conditions. They operate a large modern fleet of sailplanes and are very experienced with supporting cross country flights for FAI badges. They have a tradition of incorporating young European pilots into their staff and already count one SSA Kolstad award winner, Paul Sabino, as a local product. This program has a limited life of three years, which can be considered a trial period. CSA hopes the example will inspire other donors and fostering organizations to continue similar efforts indefinitely. CSA will be more than pleased to advise on and coordinate such plans. [Official Application Form (in .PDF format)] [Download Acrobat Reader to read .PDF files (Free!)] Carl Rohmann Carl's deep love of soaring spanned more than five decades. As he often told the story, it started in World War II when, as a Navy pilot flying submarine patrols, he learned that he could get assisted lift by circling beneath cumulus clouds that occasionally dotted the skies over the Atlantic. This would confound the deck crews, because Carl's plane would take considerably less-than-expected quantities of fuel to refill when he returned from such sunny day missions. He was a charter member of the Ridge and Valley Soaring Club, from which SVS evolved, and he began his decades of soaring instruction with that club during the sixties. (Many Skyline members were instructed by, and flew with, Carl when he instructed at Warrenton Soaring Center. He certainly had a magic touch with soaring machines and soaring students.) Carl was featured in an article in Soaring, December 1995, titled "Soaring the Shenandoah Valley with Carl 'Red' Rohmann" by SVS member Frank Carver. He was a multi-dimensional individual-the tennis coach at the University of Virginia as well as a successful businessman, figure skater, skier and owner of a sporting goods store. But soaring was his passion. Carl's last flights, as a long illness began grounding him,
were in
September '96 with Jay Darmstadter and with Fred Winter during The duPont
Regatta. Lorne Welch You've probably heard of Lorne Welch without realizing it. A pilot (and glider pilot) before the war, he was shot down over Europe in a bomber where he remained a POW until 1945. His story of a planned escape from the German prison at Colditz by building a glider under the noses of the guards was the basis of the 1963 movie, "The Great Escape". He also was the first person to fly twice across the English Channel in a glider, and flew in four world gliding championships. Lorne's wife Ann was an extraordinary pilot in her own right, having ferried Spitfires and other warplanes during the war. She and Lorne (with Frank Irving) wrote "The Complete Soaring Pilot's Handbook" in 1978, a veritable bible of soaring techniques. This same trio wrote "New Soaring Pilot", and Lorne and Ann collaborated to write "The Story of Gliding". Ann was, in 1973, the first woman to receive the coveted Lillienthal Medal, awarded by the World Gliding Committee for a long record of soaring and literary accomplishments. Lorne Welch lived a long life full of dangerous adventures,
safely
endured. His survival-and his enjoyment of life-was due, I believe, in
substantial part because of his comprehensive technical skills and his
attitude about responsibility. Characteristics shared by his wife, who
wrote her own fascinating book "Accidents Happen" in 1978. This book
describes dozens of anecdotes of accidents in aviation, sailing, diving,
and mountain climbing and weaves in lessons on preparedness, skill, and
attitude to help make these dangerous activities safer. (If you can find a
copy, it's a great addition to any pilot's library and a helluva lot more
interesting than Knauff's "Judgement Training Manual" which covers the same
material.) In so doing, she notes ". . . [our] regulated and protected
world has resulted in a fairly massive loss of those qualities of
self-reliance, even of individual responsibility" The Welches obviously
believed in a life full of carefully considered risk-taking, coupled with a
healthy distrust of over regulation and over protection. An attitude
painfully absent from today's litigious American culture. The duPont Regatta The duPont Vintage Regatta will be held September 18, 19 and 20th at Eagles Nest Airport, Waynesboro, VA. The Shenandoah Valley Soaring Club has taken ownership of the event this year and is handling all of the affairs. That means that all we have to do is show up and have a good time. Well, that's not exactly the truth. Skyline Soaring will be participating in the event to the extent that the Pawnee will be in Waynesboro that weekend to help with the towing. The club gliders will also be taken to Eagles Nest, to give club members a chance to participate in the activities and fly at a new airport. For those not familiar with the event, it is an annual celebration of a flight taken by Richard duPont in 1933, from the Waynesboro area to Frederick, Maryland setting a distance record for gliders at that time. A historic plaque is on the Afton Mountain overlook of Rt 64 noting this flight. The event has been held many times at different locations sponsored by different organizations.For several years it was held at Waynesboro, and for the past couple of
years it has been held at the New Market Airport with organization by
Skyline Soaring and the Vintage Soaring Association. This year, it is back
at Waynesboro. The activities are centered around soaring and will include
several excellent examples of vintage gliders. Note that when gliders age,
they become vintage, not old. For historical reasons, seeing these early
gliders is a good reason to attend. The plans are for a dinner/dance
Friday night in one of the hangars at the airport. Eagles Nest has a
really nice hangar to hold this type of event and sounds like fun. As an
added kicker, SVS is hoping to have Tom Knauff speak to the attendees on
soaring and related topics. Tom is a well known soaring pilot,
instructor, racer and hearing him speak sounds like a great opportunity.
Saturday night, after the flying, a dinner is scheduled at the South River
Restaurant in Waynesboro. The organizers are hoping to have Karl Striedeck
speak at that dinner. The SSA Regional competition will be held the same
weekend at New Castle and they are hopeful that they can obtain his
services for the evening. Of course the focus of the event is flying. We
hope to have participation from MASA. They bring a towplane and have a
Schleicher K-7 that is in great shape. Jan Scott usually shows up with his
plane which has been pictured in the SSA calendar. Picture yourself flying
in Miss Daisy amongst this august crowd. The dates are September 18-20,
the location is Eagles Nest Airport, Waynesboro, VA, make plans to
attend. Meet the Member-Ed Lehr
SAFETY CORNER Did you know that the FAA actually requires that "pilot decision making and judgement" be taught?? (See CFR 61.105(b)(12)). Naturally, the FAA doesn't define "pilot decision making" or "judgement"--but then again, given the FAA's track record in being clear in its other documents, maybe we're better off if they don't define it!! Seriously, though, your skill in making judgement calls can mean the difference between life or death-or between being bored or scared-or even in being an accomplished soaring pilot or not! So whatever we do to improve our judgement and decision making will definitely be good for us, and for sure won't hurt us! Pilot decision making and judgement is what we use to balance any risks we take against any rewards we might gain for taking that risk. And let's be perfectly clear right now that, having chosen to be a pilot, you have already chosen to accept risks-so don't start talking about being risk-free unless you have abandoned flying. Having said that, let's consider how to know which risks to avoid because they have little or no reward. This is the real core of the pilot judgement issue, because what's a risk for pilot A may not be for pilot B; and pilot C may be seeking rewards that are uninteresting to pilot D. That's why it's only your judgement that bears on your flying. Let's illustrate. Pilot A has about 200 hours in gliders, and holds a private license, but no FAI badges. He's 19 years old and drives drag racers on weekends he's not flying. Pilot B is 50 years old. He's an ex-military helicopter pilot (Viet Nam vet) who got a glider rating (and his Bronze badge) in less than a year, and has also accumulated about 200 hours in gliders. The risk that pilot B takes, by flying ridge and thermal over 30 miles from the gliderport, is not nearly so great a risk as taken by pilot A on that same task! Pilot A knows that rules are for sissies, that he's invulnerable, and since the conditions are good he's going to go for it. Pilot B knows that he can get hurt if he's not prudent, that the knowledge he has about flying is valuable and useful to him, and that as long as he carefully manages his final glide calculations, he can safely enjoy a good day. Both pilots seek the same reward, but the risk to pilot A is much more than the risk to pilot B. Pilot C (let's just say Tom Knauff) seeks the rewards that accrue to a holder of world soaring records. That's fine for him. He takes great risks to achieve those rewards-flies in marginal weather, over dangerous terrain, and over long periods of time under unbelievably stressful physical conditions. He has practiced for years by flying tasks in small increments of increasing risk to develop skills that are rare among soaring pilots. Now let's take Pilot D-who shall remain unnamed-who holds a Diamond badge (so obviously has good soaring skills) but has no interest whatsoever in flying for records of any kind. The judgement that pilot D demonstrates on a typical cross-country flight for an FAI badge is very, very different from that which would be demonstrated by Tom Knauff. Note that this is not saying that Tom Knauff exercises poor judgement by flying under conditions that pilot D considers, correctly so, to be dangerous! What it does illustrate are two sets of rewards (cross country flying vs. world record flying) that are connected by a continuum along which the individual pilot's judgement (not an external framework of rules) defines what degree of risk is acceptable for the rewards being sought. These pilots seek different rewards, some of which are inherently more risky than others. Good judgement is hard to teach, but it can be learned. 1-26 for Sale "I wanted to let you know about my decision before I advertised my equipment for sale. As you know, I have the 1-26 and trailer as well as another open trailer built by Bob McNeil in Texas. It was designed specifically for 1-26's. I wanted to offer the equipment to the club first. I would give the club a great deal, my way of saying thanks for everything. If necessary, I could hold paper for awhile." We'll hope to have Tom back as soon as possible. In the meantime, this
is an excellent opportunity for a Skyline member(s) to get into private
ownership at a good price. Skyline Students The Firmament WILL rise up and smite thee... On June 21, 1998, at 1130 hours Pacific daylight time, a Glaser-Dirks DG-800B, N98NL, crashed short of the runway at the Jean, Nevada, airport. The glider sustained substantial damage. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, suffered serious injuries. The personal flight was originating at the time and no flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. Witness reported that the aircraft was very low on the final approach and was oscillating. The aircraft impacted the terrain short of the runway in a level attitude. The cockpit was crushed and the pilot was removed by paramedics. The pilot reported that he lost elevator control. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector from the Las Vegas, Nevada, Flight Standards District Office examined the aircraft. He reported that the bolt connecting the pushrod to the elevator was found in the fuselage, but the attaching nut was not found. The aircraft had a total time of approximately 4 hours. Check this out if you want to see how a truly honorable corporation handles itself: http://www.dg-flugzeugbau.de/Unfall-DN-e.html I checked out the URL [listed above], as Joe Parrish recommended. The
pilot who was seriously injured, David Noyes, was at Julian when I took
Tom Knauff's course. It was a shock to recognize his photo. He told me
that his son used to fly gliders, but was injured in a stall/spin crash,
making this recent accident especially tragic. David is one of many pilots
who have given me insights into soaring, and I hope his doctors are right
and that he makes a full recovery. Log this...
The Badge Board The Board is a large (ca. 4' square) magnetic board (donated by Shane Neitzey) which displays the SSA and FAI Badge status and the FAA License status of each actively flying Skyline Soaring Club member. In addition, there are posters provided by the SSA which describe the requirements for the various accomplishments. Milestones listed include the A, B, C, and Bronze badges; Silver C Altitude, Distance, and Duration; Gold C Distance and Altitude; Diamond C Goal, Distance, and Altitude; Lennie I, II, and III; and FAA ratings for Private and Commercial Glider, Flight Instructor, and Towpilot. (Did you know that Skyline boasts three Diamond pilots (Bill Vickland, Bela Gogos, and Shane Neitzey), and that one of them - Shane's - was earned entirely with flights out of New Market Airport?? The SSA and FAI Badges mark a progression of soaring skills that is rather more meaningful than the various licenses awarded by the FAA. They provide a clear series of steps of increasing challenges which accurately measure the soaring performance of a pilot. The early badges-A, B, C, and Bronze-comprise a perfect checklist for the pilot who aspires to do cross country soaring, since they take you through a series of skills essential for the first safe and successful flights "out of the nest". The A, B, C, and Bronze badges are administered by SSA Instructors, and can be issued "on the spot". The SSA in Hobbs administers the others, which have more complex requirements for documentation. All soaring pilots should get a copy of Jackie Payne's excellent "Badge and Record Book", available through the SSA for about $20, which describes in detail the requirements for all the badges, how to document them, and hints on successful flying to get them. (Suggestion: On your next Biennial Flight Review, talk to your instructor about reviewing one or more of the requirements for one of the badges!) The Badge Board is maintained by the Club's Loyal Scribe and Chief Weekday Weenie (Jim Kellett). Please tell him [<Jim@Kellett.com> or (540) 678-4798] when there's a change or addition to your soaring badge! Starting Soaring-Day 1 Flies, Flys, Pilots and Palm
Pilots First of all, how did I choose Skyline Soaring? Well, as a technologist that was easy, a quick search on AltaVista with +Virginia +Soaring +Club gave me what I wanted in just a few minutes, how did I choose? Pot luck really (along with seeing a very cool web site [Another victory for your fearless webmaster. :) -web ed]), a quick look at the map and I can see the club is about 20 minutes away in the car and decide to give it a try at the weekend. So, Saturday arrives, the weather is overcast but seems OK, a quick look on my map and its North on 81, West on 211 and follow the signs to the airfield, well at least that part was easy-even if I do have to remember to drive on the right (wrong for me) side of the road. Arriving at what appeared to be a deserted airfield, I asked the guy with the mower where I could find the gliding club-he gestured to a small pavilion (by pavilion I mean four vertical poles with a canopy) over the other side of the field. Having done this before I remembered an important fact... planes land at airfields (no... really) so check before you walk out across the landing strip. Fortunately, I did, and just as well as the tug (the plane that tows the glider up to release height) was coming into land and I would have been regarded as a total jerk had I just wandered across the strip at that time-quite rightly so! When I get there, I'm met by Dave and Joe-the greeting was warm and genuine, they asked about where I was from, what glider experience I had in the past, told me about the club, the planes, introduced me to the other members and made me feel very welcome and very much at home. Gliding conditions were good and Joe and Jim set off for a flight along the ridge of the Shenandoah mountains which took them about an hour, so I had time to complete the paperwork for temporary membership, be issued a log book, and prepare myself for my first flight! Joe talked me through the pre-flight checks, helped me adjust the harness and rudder controls and then-it was time for the take off. Nervous? Surprisingly not at all, some may just say that I'm just too dumb to have nerves, but I had complete faith in Joe and the glider. Well, lets just say that the tow was not typical! The air was very choppy, it seemed we were being buffeted left right and center, in fact we even released the tow early because of it. But, once the tow line was released, the feeling of freedom and exhilarationwas tremendous, just a gentle hiss of air passing the canopy and the patchwork of the fields below, mountains east and west and a breathtaking view of the valley-just amazing. Some people say its better than sex, but I make no comment! Now it was a case of learning to think in 3-dimensional space and control a craft that probably has at least 4 degrees of freedom of movement. Unlike the average automobile that has 4 wheels on the ground (usually) and goes in the direction in which you point the wheel (more or less) a glider does no such thing (for me at least). My recall of basic technique and mastery of the plane and elements were dubious at best! Sadly, the flight seemed to be over far too soon (ok, so it is like sex!) and there was not much to say in the de-brief except that it was not a typical flight. So, waiting for the weather to look less ominous, we chat about the club and the members-coming as they do from all walks of life. Time for my next flight, that is after I help retrieve the single seater that has just returned and after Joe gives me some basic instruction in the aerodynamics of a wing and the relationship between ailerons and the rudder. This time the flight was much smoother, I felt more at ease with myself and more 'in tune' with the glider itself. This time we concentrated on coordinating stick and rudder pedals, making turns and controlling the attitude of the craft. This time I actually felt that there may just be some hope that I may master this, a nice approach and a good landing-I felt much happier! When we returned I was given the opportunity for a third flight, I gulped thought about the damage to my already pathetic bank balance and said yes. Again a nice smooth flight and I was feeling OK, but then about 2/3 of the way through my brain and my feet lost contact! My control became very sloppy and Joe had to do more than he or I had hoped for-so a word of warning, don't underestimate how exhausting it can be! So, that was it, my day was over and it was time to get the craft into the hanger-this in itself is some sort of fiendish spatial awareness test with only inches of clearance from the doors! But, with plenty of help (yes-even new members are expected to stay around to help) it was quickly done. All in all, a rewarding day-what else do I recall? Pilots-they all seemed to have "Palm Pilots" but this is not as yet a club
requirement! Also, be prepared to help out, if you join you will be
expected to be there not just for the ride, but to be an active member and
as such I now have my log book and my first three flights logged. Be
prepared and even if you just have one or two flights and then decide its
not for you, I can still guarantee you a great day out-will I be back? Of
course. |