Relative to many others, our soaring club is a young one. In less than ten years, though, we have managed to build quite a reputation. It is very rare for an issue of Soaring magazine to come out without some mention of our club. We are also prominent on Internet discussion groups and other word-of-mouth mechanisms.

It's hard to say for what we are best known. Clearly, we are proud of the friendly environment we have created. We also have a commitment to training that is very evident to member prospects. I'm not sure if this is quite as publicly evident, but our safety record is another aspect that carries much weight and pride amongst our members.

We had an interesting event at the field the other day. A group of highly experienced cross-country pilots arrived at the field, wanting a tow as they made their way to the contest at New Castle. We were happy to oblige, but Club rules require a field orientation flight with an instructor before towing any new pilot behind the Pawnee. Yes, even World Champions. This rule has been one of the more controversial ones that the board has enacted, and we continue to discuss the best balance of protection for Club members and assets versus freedom for all pilots. No doubt the debate will continue.

We have two major factors at play. On one hand, our relative youth means that we have no "old traditions" to anchor our policies. I view this as a good thing, as we can continue to discuss and adjust these policies to meet member needs and desires. On the other hand, though, our safety record is second to none and therefore we have no other organization to hold up as a better model. The best we can do is observe other operations and extract the best features. And keep the discussion going.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

Speaking of discussions, we have had some chest-thumpers on the issue of adding safety-related equipment such as parachutes and transponders to the club aircraft. It is very difficult to balance our strong commitment to improving our safety with a recognition of fiscal realities, i.e., that we cannot currently afford all of this equipment for all of our aircraft. There must be some happy medium; if you have a philosophy to share, please don't be shy.

One final note-thanks to everyone for the kind words and gestures regarding my wedding. Stephanie and I are lucky to have such wonderful friends. See you at the airport.
-- Joe Parrish

Not only did Bob Collier surrender his Roster duties to Fred Mueller only to assume the Treasurer's role, he has now volunteered to host the Skyline Christmas Party. Talk about devotion to duty! (He's actually cleared this with his better half!) The Christmas party at Bob's Place is December 16, 2000. Details to follow.

Another Offer We Can't Refuse

This is a test--of your interest. George, Geoffrey and I would like to host a Washington-Area dinner party for Skyline Soaring members and their significant others. Two dates seem feasible: Saturday, November 4, or Friday, November 10. We would start around 7 pm, or when people arrive from FRR after flying. Note that Nov. 10 is Veteran's Day, and that is a holiday for some of us. This is after the time change, so flying should have ended by about 5 pm, allowing plenty of time to get to our place. We live in Vienna, VA, mid-way between Route 66 and Tysons Corner, about a mile west of I-495, and just about an hour from FRR. Detailed instructions will follow when we have a date. I realize that this location favors a certain segment of SSCers but, hey, that's where my house is. I have room for a few people to stay overnight if that would be convenient, although it will be first-come, first-served, and the facilities degrade rapidly as the number increases (hey, there's plenty of floor space).

The plan is to have a good meal, lots of friendship, soaring videos and a musical interlude. I encourage all you would-be musicians to bring your instruments. We can supply a few instruments for those of you who don't want to bring your piano or tuba. We have: grand piano, harpsichord, reed pedal organ, assorted electronic keyboards, collection of violins and bass, dulcimer, bass guitars, clarinet, sax, recorders, accordion, assorted other instruments, and amplification. Come and expose your non-flying skills.

I will pick a date, pending your response, in order to maximize attendance. Please let me know your date preference and whether you will come--(a) definitely will come, (b) we're thinking about it, or (c) forget it. ghazelri@nsf.gov
-- George Hazelrigg, Jr

In the last several months, there's been more than a little negative commentary on the humorous titles we've bestowed upon ourselves, and several recommendations that we go back to more "serious" titles. The Club's website has been changed to reflect the following titles:

Joe Parrish, President
Bob Collier, Treasurer
Jim Kellett, Secretary and Chief Flight Instructor
Bill Bentley, Chief Towpilot
Dave Brunner, Chief Duty Officer
Glen Baumgartner, Battery Maintenance Manager
John Lewis, Member Relations Manager
Bill Vickland, Chief Maintenance Officer
Fred Mueller, Chief Roster Manager
Phil Jordan, Newsletter Editor
Piet Barber, Website Manager
Richard Freytag, Social Events Manager
Kolie Lombard, Chief Weatherman
Shane Neitzey, Designated Pilot Examiner, Wave Camp Manager

While we're being serious

Check out these actual news headlines:

Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says
Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers,
Iraqi Head Seeks Arms
Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over
Plane Too Close to Ground, Crash Probe Told
War Dims Hope for Peace,
Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures
Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft
Chef Throws His Heart into Helping Feed Needy

K Note

As Jim Garrison points out, the K is not a boat, and should not get wet and get left out. If it MUST be left out during a rainstorm, lock the spoilers, and put tape over the static ports (on each side, near the total energy probe). The proper way to tape the statics is to apply the tape so there is a small air gap ( a "wrinkle") at the bottom, to allow any atmospheric pressure change to equalize. These steps apply when washing the bird also. It seems that tying the spoilers open during storms will help keep the plane on the ground, but putting enough weight in the front seat to put the front wheel on the ground is better. Once water gets into the spoiler boxes, it can get into the wing, where only God or Gherlein can get it out.
-- Fred Winter

I just found out that I have been selected as a Program Executive for NASA's reformulated Mars exploration program, to be the HQ person responsible for a mission demonstrating precision entry, descent, and landing (EDL). The mission will be executed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and launch in either 2005 or 2007, with a landing (hopefully not an impact) from six months to a year later.

Apparently this is an important thing for future Mars missions. One of the possible failure scenarios for the Mars Polar Lander was that everything worked correctly, but the lander simply came down on top of a big rock. Precision EDL would permit a specific landing site to be targeted, and the lander would have the ability to sense the terrain below and adjust the touchdown point to avoid obstacles. Sorta like Neil Armstrong guiding the Apollo 11 Lunar Module past the rocky area to a clear site. Except without Neil.

So, I'll have to ask you to be careful about your remarks with regard to Martian landers. I might start taking them personally!
-- Joe Parrish

The Board approved new glider rental fees at its meeting on September 16, and modified SLIGHTLY the new tow fees that went into effect the first of September. The new fees are:

TOW FEES:
500'-$10; 1000 ft-$15.00; 1500'-$17.50; 2000 ft-$20.00; 2500 ft-$22.50; 3000 ft-$25.00, etc, and $2.50 per 500' to higher altitudes.

GLIDER RENTAL FEES:
K-21-$36.00/hr ($0.60/min); 2-33- $24.00/hr ($0.40/min); 1-36-$21.00/hr ($0.35/min)

Weekday Procedures

Two things: First, if you EVER want to fly on the weekdays, it's prudent to ask Joe Parrish to put you on the special weekday flyers mailing list. We maintain that list because there's a LOT of e-mail traffic having to do with scheduling, and by not sending it to the entire membership it keeps the already large Club-related e-mail burden down. Be forewarned, however, that there IS a lot of traffic on that site.

Second, CHECK THE ROSTER ON THE WEBSITE (http://skylinesoaring.org/ROSTER/)! (You can bookmark that URL directly and be able to check it without having to go through the Club's home page.) You can tell by the header to the page when it was last updated. That'll also be a major clue as to when a day is cancelled or even MOVED (there is one weekday in September that has been moved from a Thursday to a Friday already!).

Of course, it should go without saying that if you don't read the e-mail that's sent to you, you're gonna miss some important information.

Finally, (this is aimed at non-student pilot full members), remember that any full member of the Club can organize a flying day. All you have to do is make your own arrangements for a towpilot, and arrange for and/or accept full responsibility for managing the equipment ALL DAY and provide to the Club's treasurer an ACCURATE and timely logsheet with the money. Ain't rocket science, but it is a bit of work.

Fly safely!
-- Jim Kellett

I have no prior flight ratings (as of September, 2000). I found out about Skyline Soaring by driving out to Warrenton airport, which I think I read about in the Washington Post, and being told that the glider club was now in Front Royal.

I am a former USAFA cadet, class of 1967, who never got to fly. I lived ten years in Nepal (1971-82) where I helped build Shangboche airstrip for the Hotel Everest View at 12,300' near the base of Everest. I was the first flight-in-charge there and have many stories of rides in the Pilatus Porter around Everest. I also made a relief map of the Everest region for the hotel. In 1975 I was contracted by the Nepal National Planning Commission to construct a relief map of Nepal (7'x 21') for an exhibition accompanying the coronation of King Birendra. I later worked as a building contractor for UNDP/FAO, with a crew of Sherpa carpenters, building Warden's Quarters, Guards Quarters and a Tourist Lodge at Rara National Park (10,000'), 2 Tourist Lodges at Langtang National Park (12,700')and an Agricultural Research Station at Jumla, Karnali. In 1982 I studied Chinese at the University of Inner Mongolia and then traveled to Tibet. 1983-84 I studied Tibetan history and politics at Dharamsala, India. I returned to the US in 1985 and received a Masters (1989) and PhD (1995) in international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University. In 1996 my dissertation was published by Westview Press as Tibetan Nation: A History of Tibetan Nationalism and Sino-Tibetan Relations. I currently work with the Tibetan Service of Radio Free Asia.
-- Warren Smith

This is to explain, in part, why there is only one wing on #470. The 1-26 Regional Competition at Caesar Creek, OH over Labor day started on the hottest, most humid day of their summer. While assembling #470 Saturday morning, the perspiration ran off my hat, between my glasses and the orange clip-on sunglasses, making my world look like a scene from "The Abyss". Once out on the lush green runway and away from the blocking trees, a light breeze made it merely hot.

Being the last to get ready, I was at the front of the grid, so as soon as our "sniffer" (Bill Vickland) found enough lift to start the task, I was off to try and stay airborne at least until all 9 of the 1-26s got launched. The conditions were pronounced "weak", so our task was to fly 17 miles west to the airport at Middletown,OH (between Cincinnati and Dayton), then back past Caesar Creek to another airport 10 miles East, then home. While waiting for the start gate to open, I got to look at the bottoms of the other brightly painted yellow gliders above me in the weak thermals. They weren't really all yellow, but just looked that way through my orange sunglasses.

Once through the start gate and out on course, the dark bottoms of the clouds marked weak lift for working my way to the west at about 2500 feet AGL with the other 1-26s. Approaching Middletown, my route was across a city where all the streets were tree lined and no open spaces showed, not even a ball diamond or large swimming pool. Taking a route south of town which had clouds offering lift with open spaces on the ground seemed the long, but healthiest choice. This was beginning to feel like a chess game. The south side of town was bordered by a giant steel mill with an expansive slag heap which looked landable. I could visualize myself landing there and rolling into the mouth of a blast furnace.

Further to the south was a prison with a farm inside the large fence, but THAT trick had already been played by one of our group last year at Elmira.

A little later, while thermalling in rain, I spotted an industrial complex with a long wide entry road that came off a divided highway; perfect for the retrieve! When the lift died, I returned to this road and did a 270 degree left pattern and landed. After touchdown, I had a long way down a gentle hill to the major road, so decided to hold the nose up and taxi as close to the intersection as possible. After rolling a hundred yards or so, I turned to roll over the rounded curb onto a grass border to park without having to drag the glider.

As I was about to cross the curb at an angle, I heard a sound like a 12 gauge shotgun going off behind my seat. After stopping, I thought "My God, there must be a steel post in the road that I didn't see". Upon exiting the cockpit, I saw a large yellow fire hydrant behind the right wing. This thing would make a St.Bernard think twice before lifting his leg. The underside of the right wing had a 2 inch wide strip of metal ripped out from leading edge to aileron.

How could I miss something like a large yellow hydrant, I wondered, until I noticed that the tall dried grass by the next field looked yellow through my orange sunglasses. Sitting in the cockpit while coasting down the road put the yellow hydrant in front of the "yellow" grass, rendering it invisible to my weak old eyes. Lesson #1: When you land in a strange site, no matter how long or smooth, stop as soon as possible and look things over. Our host for the contest, Pat DeNaples, told me of landing in a field and seeing a gate ahead. He held the nose up and rolled toward the gate until he saw the ditch. He said the retrieve crew easily found him because they could see the tail of his 1-26 sticking out of the field at a 45 degree angle. Lesson #2: I will never fly over a town that paints their fire hydrants yellow while wearing orange tinted sunglasses. Lesson #3: When going for a telephone, write down every detail (street names, numbers, landmarks) and don't count on the "locals" helping you. The only people home in the development near my landing site just got off the last sampan from Saigon, and I couldn't understand more than 3 words they said.
-- Bill Bentley

I usually try to stay out of most of the arguments about Club policies that get posted to the entire membership, but as Chief CFI Weenie, I feel I have to weigh in on the continuing simmering debate about our requirement for having EVERY visiting pilot-even "famous" ones-take a checkride before becoming Temporary Members and buying a tow from our field with our towplane and crew.....

(For those who have been electronically deprived or deaf for the last week or so, this issue was re-opened with the appearance, last Saturday, of four "famous" glider pilots who brought in their own towplane so as to not have to take the time for a checkride.)

As the Club's Chief Flight Instructor, I supported the Board's adoption of this rule (see postscript at end for complete text of current Manual Chapter rule*). And for good reason, since you'd be surprised at some of the curious performance of people whom some (many) of us would consider "famous". It's OUR equipment and OUR towpilot at risk when we operate, and therefore it's OUR responsibility to protect that.

I still do NOT like this rule! I felt then (and still prefer) that there should be some allowance for discretion to be made. For example, one of the pilots last Saturday was Roy McMasters. Roy gave me a checkride at Harris Hill some years back, and I'd just in July seen him fly there less than 60 days ago. I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever from watching his performance, on tow and on landing, that he could safely be launched at our airport by our towplane, even if he is not incompliance with our rule. If I were king, I'd have made an exception for him.

BUT (there's always a "but", ain't there??) I have NEVER seen John Seymour launch--and I haven't seen Karl launch (except on tape, and then it was an autotow!). So if I were king, I would NOT have launched them without a checkride. First big problem-WHO decides WHOM is "famous" or "competent"? Me? The CFI that day? The Duty Officer? The Towpilot? And be prepared for argument even between competent and experienced pilots as to just whom ELSE deserves an exception. There is NO agreement.

ANOTHER BUT (whoa-more than one?) Remember when I said I'd gotten a checkride from Roy? If you fly at Harris Hill, one of the most popular sites on the East Coast, you'll take a checkride if you haven't logged a flight there in the last two or three (I forget which) years. I had to take a checkride there in July before I could launch my Cirrus. The local instructor gave me useful hints about the local terrain, thermal sources, where there was "wiggle room" on the field (only 1700' long!) when it got crowded, etc. HHSC's rules are a little different than ours, but they're clear. The point is that checkride requirements are not unique to our field. I'll stick in a gratuitous comment here-I'll say they're not unique to fields with good management and relatively good safety records. Like ours. Any pilot-no matter how "famous"-who thinks himself/herself above the requirements of his hosts is displaying prima facie evidence of questionable judgment. There, I've said it.

But (you say) how can I favor a rule you don't like? Well, life's full of little complexities like that. When the board deliberated the wording of the Manual on this subject, I argued for a modification that would have permitted SOME discretion. But we could never agree on how to authorize just who had that discretion, nor could we agree on just what criteria should be considered by the approving member in deciding to make an exception for a visitor. What it boiled down to was that it was just plain impossible to make a credible rule that had built-in slop in it. Faced with the only realistic choices of a rule that, in RARE cases a bit onerous, or no rule at all, the final decision was a no-brainer. It's just not worth the risk. If we irritate someone with the rule, I can live with that even though I don't have to LIKE it. (After all, I'm NOT "king", and the Board MUST act responsibly on behalf of the entire membership.)

The Board worked hard on this. No one has since mentioned any issue or instance or reason that hadn't already been debated in agonizing detail. Nothing new has been added to the dialog with the recent events.

I don't like it, and I can live with it. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

*1.2.4 If a pilot does not meet both of the following requirements, that pilot shall receive a field check from a Skyline instructor before flying a Club glider, towing with a Club tow plane, or receiving a tow in any glider from a Club towplane:

(1) The pilot must have made three takeoffs and landings in the past 90 days in the applicable type (i.e, airplane or glider) of aircraft that they will be piloting.

(2) The pilot must have flown at the particular field of operation within the past two years.

Log This...

• Richard Freytag and I drove to Staunton, VA for dinner Saturday evening September 23rd-140 miles one way. It was worth it. Seeing members of the Waynesboro group and discussing soaring techniques with Karl Streideck while eating dinner. Karl's got it bad, the soaring bug.

  He lives on top of a ridge with an airport, uses auto tows for 150 to 300 foot launches and is planning a flight to Pensacola, FL. The man feels the need for speed. He's purchasing his 3rd ASW-27 so he can be fully ballasted without adding 50 lbs of lead. Hard to dump lead. I found Karl Streideck articulate and very easy to talk to. Later Karl gave a presentation, with a Q and A period, on his long distance soaring techniques and "dynamic soaring". I had some questions. Oh yeh, I saw some other famous people; Jim Garrison, Fred Bane, Jay Darmsteader, Frank Banas and Pete Brice
  -- Shane Neitzey

• Just wait til you see what Shane has done to Judah's donated car. You will laugh so hard it'll hurt. It's completely marked for airport duty. Emergency Access labels and all. Shane, you were inspired.
  -- Richard Freytag

• The Club's website now contains all the known articles in Soaring written by Club members. Dave Brunner's 8/99 article has been added). But wait!!-we another author who donated their talent towards the SSA magazine. Bill Bentley did a nice job on his aero tow write up in the September issue. Click on <http://skylinesoaring.org/authors/default.html> for access.

• Overlooked in the editor's flurry of e-mail: On June 23, Admiral William Herron presented our own Captain Richard A. Otis USNR a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal. Nice going, Dick.

• Be careful what you throw out! The Club uses a bank which does electronic bill-paying, and that means checks from the club come from a contracted check writing company-the return address on the envelope is not the bank and NOT the Club!!

• Please welcome our newest member, Warren Smith, and read his bio included in this issue. smithw@rfa.org

• The following is old news to many of you, but I'm late in announcing that Carlos Roberts joined the club in August. His vitals are ... carlos3@bellatlantic.net

  Carlos comes to us with no previous piloting experience, so he'll have few bad habits to get past. Please welcome Carlos when you meet him.

• For those who didn't get them, I'll be placing some paper copies of an updated membership roster in the duty officer box next time I'm out.
  -- John Lewis

• I found a certified parachute rigger by the name of Jim Wine. His basic price for a repack is $50 and may vary with type and kind. Mine was $50 for a Strong chair type. Let him know that you are from the Skyline Soaring Club and referred by Shane.

  Jim & Cathy Wine Haymarket, VA jimwine@parachuteservices.com

  
  -- Shane Neitzey

• 1. The tow car is parked where the old BMW used to be-next to the ASK. Be "careful" driving it in and out. You have to very firmly put the lever in "Park" to get it to start. 2. The personal hand held radios are "still" missing. If you've been to the field in the last two months, please check your cars and flight bags. 3. The DO instructions on the clipboard desperately need updating, to include reminders for oil, gas, and water checks for the tow car.
  -- Tony Bigbee

• The bells were ringing Saturday for Joe Parrish and Stephanie Wilsen, who were married in a storybook beautiful outdoor ceremony at a country inn in Virginia.

  Joe must be serious about this. It was a perfectly gorgeous soaring day! However, rumor has it that he's managed to arrange to fly a Stemme S-10 in New Zealand on his honeymoon later this year!

• As a result of increased interest we will be having a first ever Fall Wave Camp at Petersburg. It will start Friday October 6th and run through Sunday October 15th, as always we are here for tows if the weather looks good before or after these dates. There will be a Pig Roast Saturday the 7th, this promises to be a good time. Camping is encouraged on the field, and some electrical plug-ins are available for RVs. You may want to check the motels early, because this a busy season for them.

  Things will be about the same as the other camps. The prices are the same as this spring. Oxygen will be available (I hope we need it), as well as the L23 Blanik.
  -- Fred Bane (304) 257-4435

• Tim England <england@visuallink.com> has resigned from the club.

• Jim Little informs us that Matt is now married. He has added his instrument, commercial, twin and instructor's ratings and is now working on his A&P mechanic certificate. Jim says Matt has many fond memories of the club and hopes to drop in and fly sometime.

  The invitation is, of course, always out for Matt and we know he'll love Front Royal.

• Frank Banas slipped the surly bonds alone for the first time (and the second and the third and the fourth) on September 7th. Well done, Frank!