At the 2001 Annual Meeting of the Club's membership, scheduled for January 27, 2001, the membership will elect two Directors for three-year terms. The current Board members, and the end of their current term, are: Joe Rees (ex-officio, 2001), Kevin Fleet (2001), Fred Mueller (2001), Dave Brunner (2002), Joe Parrish (2002), Malcolm Gardner (2003), and George Hazelrigg, Jr. (2003).

The Board is now accepting nominations, which should be received no later than January 10, 2001. All members nominated should have agreed to serve, if elected, BEFORE their nomination is submitted. Members may self-nominate. Members who may already have discussed with a Board member the possibility of their being nominated should re-state their self-nomination (or be nominated by a member) again. Please address nominations to the Board via e-mail at skyline-directors@www.ssl.umd.edu Nominees will be expected to present a brief summary of their qualifications and interests in serving (a "campaign speech") at the Annual Meeting.

In considering making a nomination, members (especially relatively new members) may benefit from a little background information. The Club's organization vests all significant decision-making authority in a six-member Board of Directors (former Club Presidents serve a one-year ex-officio Board membership in the year following their service if they are not otherwise elected as a member of the Board.) The Board elects the Club's President, Secretary, and Treasurer, and appoints various other officers as deemed necessary (e.g., Chief Flight Instructor, Chief Towpilot, etc.) Note that elected and/or appointed officers need not be members of the Board of Directors. This structure is very successful for volunteer organizations such as ours.

In the early years of the Club, e.g., when the membership was in the twenties and thirties, the Board was generally comprised of key founding members, and one of the major criteria for being elected was a willingness to accept the position. Over time the membership (and the resources) of the Club grew until the pool of talented members willing to serve has markedly increased. In 1999, the Board introduced term limits and "rolling" terms of office (requiring the election of two members each year) effective in 2000. The membership concurred at the 1999 Annual Meeting, and elected the first Board with staggered terms of office. These changes had the specific intention of maintaining management continuity and experience on the Board while encouraging a stream of newer members who would provide fresh energy and insights to the guidance of the Club. With approximately 70 members now, we are fortunate to be blessed with a large pool of talented candidates and the Board recognizes that the process for electing new members can and should be more formal and competitive.

In considering members for nomination, it is important to understand that the Board is not a parliamentary organization in that members are not intended to reflect any constituency within the Club (e.g., towpilots, students, instructors, etc.). Rather, Board members should have significant experience in management, including strategic planning, oversight of fiscal operations, liaison with political organizations, and personnel issues. They should understand organizational processes, be effective in working toward consensus in a group, and be sensitive to the need to bring a variety of viewpoints held by members to bear on the Board's decision making.

Exercising the election of Directors is arguably the most important responsibility each Member has. Please give the Club the benefit of your careful consideration in making nominations and in electing Board members.
-- Joe Parrish

The annual Skyline Soaring Club Christmas party this year is on December Sixteenth at Seven PM. It will be hosted by Tracy and Bob Collier, 358 Windsor Lane, Winchester.

As is the custom each of you is requested to bring a platter or dish of one of your favorite delectables, plain or as fancy as your taste dictates, for all to savor and enjoy. To limber our tongues at the outset (as if that were really necessary), the host will serve champagne punch. Please bring your preferences in beers and wines. Soft drinks, ice, cups, plates, utensils, napkins etc. will be on hand, courtesy of the club.

If the ground is firm, parking on lawn is OK; if not, there is probably room for about ten cars on turn-around in front of house. The rest will have to park along the road, not along the driveway. Sorry about that, but the driveway is not wide enough for cars to park and others to pass. Cars that do park close to house please try to maintain room on the turn-around for other cars to unload passengers before parking along, if soil condition dictates. It wouldn't hurt for those who might have to walk up the drive to have a flashlight to avoid fallen tree limbs, etc.

All who plan to attend, please RSVP (540-678-9011), E-mail: rcollier@visuallink.com Directions(this is a test to determine your crewing qualifications): Locate and go to the intersection of Va Routes 37(aka Winchester by-pass) and 622(aka Cedar Creek Grade) on a road map. Head SW on 622 THRU the yellow blinker light. After 0.3mi turn LEFT on to Rt 1300 (aka Windsor Lane). After another 0.3mi look for black mail box on right, #358. Turn RIGHT up black top drive just beyond mail box. Another 0.1mi and you're qualified for crewing.

It Was a Party!

For over a year, George, Geoff and I have enjoyed our weekends flying. It was time to give something back to the people we fly with. Besides, our home is made for parties, so a party was the natural thing. We had discussed the idea for several months among ourselves, and finally floated it with other SSC members in September. The reaction was overwhelming-party time! The next problem was picking a date. I wanted to make it possible for as many members to come as possible. But in the end, the three people who most had to fit it into their schedules were us. The Veterans' Day holiday was near perfect. George, Geoff and I would all be in town, and I had the day off to prepare.

The first problem in preparing for a party such as this is to determine how much food to cook. Think of the consequences. A small error on the short side would lead to hungry people. On the other side, it leads to enough food left over to keep me from ever seeing the inside of my refrigerator again (scary thought). We started with a turkey-the biggest available, 25 pounds. I ordered the turkey weeks in advance, knowing that it would be too big to put in my refrigerator. Then I panicked when I found that it would take 36 hours to defrost. Got the turkey Wednesday evening, and promptly began the defrost operation. Next came the ham, 10 pounds, spiral cut, honey baked. Finally, Greg Ellis donated about 6 pounds of fresh salmon (and a big birthday cake for Miriam's 50th, which was exactly November 10th). Thanks, Greg.

The next problem was to get all this stuff cooked. I made more stufffing than I thought possible (seven bags, only four of which fit in the turkey), 11 pounds of potatoes, bags of carrots and broccoli, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, and cranberry sauce. But it was all ready by the time people began to arrive. All this not to mention the piles of great goodies that others brought. We were not lacking in food. Nor libation, for that matter.

I invited a few neighbors and friends, just to round things out a bit. My neighbors included Bob Yahn, who flies U2s, and Doug and Kat Connell. Doug flew for the Navy for about 30 years and, I believe, was Air Commander of the Pacific Fleet (help, I'm sure I've got this title just a little wrong). I also invited Tami and Al Reitan. Al is the voice recorder expert for the NTSB (I'm sure he would host a tour of the NTSB if we ever get up enough interest) and, in his previous life, flew for Eastern until it went belly up. Now Al flies ultralights to train geese to migrate (ever see Flyaway Home?). It was a eclectic group.

By the time the food was ready to come out of the oven, about 50 people had arrived and begun libating. They all seemed to be crammedtightly into my kitchen, making it impossible to get to the oven (my kitchen is not small, but not that large). Some clearly spoken words by Greg helped move the party west a few feet, and the turkey emerged from the oven. Then, with great help from Susan Gogos and her crew, we got gravy made, the turkey carved, and everything ready to serve. Thanks to the women for the help. I don't think anyone went hungry and, luckily (for me, because otherwise George and Geoff would have disowned me) the food was nearly all consumed. There was about enough turkey left for a small sandwich, about a pound of ham, and not enough salmon for the cat to bother to lick the platter.

After dinner, we had a brief birthday ceremony for Miriam Ellis followed by an SSC jazz band recital. George and Geoff took up positions at the piano and bass respectively, and Shane and Rachel got out their guitars. Several selections from the Beetles followed. Shane's son plays a mean drum, so I got him a larger "instrument," and he kept the beat. George and Geoff did a couple pieces to round out the evening.

Following all this, lots of people pitched in to help in the cleanup. It was almost like putting Miss Daisy away at the end of the day. The house was all cleaned up by the time we went to bed.

George, Geoff and I had a great time hosting everyone, and we thank you all for coming and making it a great party. I especially want to thank everyone for the things they brought to the party, especially their party spirit, and for all the help I got throughout the evening. We had a great time, and wish that everyone could have been there. The memory of all the preparations is still to vivid in my mind to say it too loudly, but in eight or ten months or so, don't be surprised if we want to do it all over again.
-- George Hazelrigg, Jr

Several weeks ago, two F-16Cs were on an air-to-ground training mission in Florida, but exactly what happened next is still a bit unclear. According to the FAA's preliminary report, the F-16s were flying in 10 miles visibility and were "cleared into VR route" when the flight path of one of the jets intersected that of a Cessna 172.(A nice way of saying the Cessna was creamed!) Additionally, the FAA's preliminary report said the C-172 was receiving VFR advisory service from the Tampa TRACON. However, the Associated Press reported that the NTSB believes the F-16 flight was not communicating with ATC even though they may have descended through the Tampa Class B airspace. After the collision, the F-16 pilot ejected safely and walked to a local house to use the phone. The Cessna pilot was killed.
-- AVFlash

If you read the news, it's probably no surprise that in the last several years the aircraft accidents involving runway incursions have increased. Yes, that's not as big a deal for us as it is for airliners taxiing in the fog in Oriental airports, but it's still a good idea for us to take a quick look at how to prevent accidents in an area we don't talk much about.

Plus, our friends in the FAA, taking their responsibility very seriously, have "asked" all Flight Instructors and Designated Pilot Examiners to (and I quote):

"... assure that for every candidate for an airman certificate, during every flight review, and during every aircraft transition that you verify-absolutely and thoroughly-the candidate's knowledge about every facet of ground operations. Verify that these individuals can demonstrate orally and practically an understanding of airport signage, lighting, and taxiway and runway surface markings."

Should any DPE or CFI not understand the problem, the FAA has actually sent to them a list of ten "Best Practices" as guidance we are asked to urge our candidates to follow. Sadly, several items on the list are inappropriate for the machines we fly and the airports we normally fly from.

BUT... (there's always a But)...

First off, no DPE or CFI worth your attention is going to ignore the "guidance" from the Minions of theDark Side. So when you go for your next BFR or checkride or whatever, EXPECT to be quizzed on runway incursions and BE PREPARED. Now you know. No excuses.

Second off, and MUCH more important, the prevention of incidents/accidents on the ground is a critical area that I don't think we give the attention it deserves. Yes, I know it's in the Club's training syllabus, but how many of our members have reviewed this area in the last few years? And there are two VERY important reasons for us to be VERY sensitive to ground handling incidents:

1. We operate out of a public mixed use airport with airplanes, ultralights, and parasails. We must know very thoroughly the rules of the road, rights of way, and common sense courtesy to not only minimize the risk for accidents/incidents, but to function smoothly with our fellow aviators. 2. Anything we do to minimize the risk of "minor" dings SAVES US TONS OF MONEY! It is so easy to crack or bend or rip something on the ground it's scary. And NOTHING on an aircraft is cheap to repair!

So, here's the "Ten Best Practices" you're likely to be grilled on by some CFI/DPE. And I've added an interpretive version for each (as appropriate) to highlight an area that's germane to us at our airport.

1. Read back all runway crossing and/or hold short instructions. Interpretation: LISTEN on the unicom for comments from other traffic or from the FBO before moving.

2. Review airport layouts as part of preflight planning and before descending to land and while taxiing as needed. Interpretation: What they said. In our case, be sensitive to the existence of the "dirt" taxiway and don't block it if another airplane needs it.

3. Know airport signage. Interpretation: There isn't any to speak of. But you may well land at a "big" airport, and need to know what all the cryptic yellow and black and green and white signs mean! Visit a larger airport or talk with your instructor about how to recognize signs, particularly those that direct taxiing aircraft.

4. Review NOTAMs for information on runway/taxiway closures and construction areas. Interpretation: Well, why not? You may not think this applies, but there will come a day when you're planning XC tasks that include other airports as turnpoints and/or destinations. Learn how to find out if there's something weird there BEFORE you discover it on short final!

5. Do not hesitate to request progressive taxi instructions from ATC when unsure of the taxi route. Interpretation: Not sure what's going on regarding the active runway or with non-radio equipped machines? Talk to the FBO!

6. Check for traffic before crossing any runway or entering a taxiway. Interpretation: Duhh......

7. Turn on aircraft lights and rotating beacon or strobe lights while taxiing. Interpretation: That's why there's a beacon on the tow car!

8. When landing, clear the active runway as quickly as possible then wait for taxi instructions before further movement. Interpretation: Generally, we do NOT want to taxi a glider off the pavement at FRR. But that does not mean to sit there and contemplate your navel-GET OUT OF THE GLIDER AND PULL IT OFF THE RUNWAY! When you see a private ship (which needs a tail dolly to move once on the ground) land, coordinate with the DO, and (if the pilot doesn't have a crew already on top of things) hop to it, get the tow car AND DOLLY out to him quickly!! Pay attention-we don't need cars running willy-nilly over the alternate runway--this is an area where we are REALLY vulnerable!

9. Study and use proper radio phraseology as described in the AIM in order to respond to and understand ground control instructions. Interpretation: Don't chatter! Don't mumble. Be brief and accurate. Practice in the car while driving home. Use your hand-held to monitor approach or departure or ground frequencies around airports and listen to how they talk.

10. Write down complex taxi instructions at unfamiliar airports. Interpretation: Well, even I give up on this one. But I'll betcha someone will expect you to know this on a test!

Now, finally, I'd add an eleventh "Best Practice" to this list that is absolutely and thoroughly critical to our operations: The assembly, disassembly, and hangarage of gliders. This is a glider-unique "ground handling" area that no airplane pilot has to worry about nearly so much as we do! Know your procedures, use a WRITTEN checklist, and have an INDEPENDENT verification of critical assembly items! If the FAA won't grill you on this, for sure we will!

Fly Safe.
-- Jim Kellett

Word may have already spread that we had a marathon Board of Directors meeting Saturday the 16th. Several significant topics were on the agenda, but the one of greatest importance pertained to aircraft acquisition. I know that things may have seemed quiet recently, but there has been much activity behind the scenes.

Bill Vickland has been surveying the market for candidate towplanes. We have settled largely on the idea of a tricycle-gear airplane such as a C-182. It will be a long, long time before a pure towplane makes economic sense for the Club, so in the meantime we must augment the use of a second towplane with other revenue-producing activities. Therefore, flight training and cross-country capabilities are important. Bill has been able to find a number of candidate ships, and the cost to equip one for our purposes would bring the sale price up to approximately $40K. We have slightly less than this in pledges, not to mention the cushion we need for start-up expenses, etc. After extensive discussion, the board has decided to encourage the formation of a syndicate of Club members to purchase a suitable ship and offer it to the Club for occasional towing and other purposes. The syndicate should be formed of pilots who intend to use the ship for personal flying. Bill Vickland will be communicating with the membership on this point in a separate message.

Jim McCulley has performed a very, very detailed investigation of operational capacity for the towplane. I'm sure that Jim would be happy to share the information from his report; in summary, it is clear that we are very rarely in a situation where towplane capacity is the limiting factor in our operations. There are many things that we can do to increase our operational efficiency. The great thing is that these increases in operational efficiency are free. All you have to pledge is your diligence. More on this topic in the near future.

Jim Garrison has also been monitoring the market for two-seat gliders. There are some interesting possibilities here, including imported European club ships now that the European fleet is being upgraded to ships such as the Duo Discus. It is also possible that we could consider a new (or almost new) Blanik L-23.

We have been looking very hard at the economics of the Club aircraft fleet, and the statistics over several years show that our venerable 2-33 is not generating enough revenue to offset her expenses. (Hangar, insurance, etc.) After extensive consideration and discussion, we have decided to put Miss Daisy up for sale and apply the income toward a more modern two-seat training ship. I know that this news will come hard to a number of members, but it is for the best in terms of continued growth of the Club. Bill Vickland is in charge of the sale, and we expect to receive top dollar for the wonderful restoration that he led two winters ago. (Editor's comment: Sure sell an A M E R I C A N Classic to buy a P I N K O product probably made from recycled lend-lease P-39s by the same low bidder who likely designed and built the Florida ballot machine ?then duck out to Gomorrah-on-the-Don to show them how to hit Mars! But hey?wait?we're not bitter -- all things are impermanent.)

It is difficult to predict how fast the Miss Daisy sale will occur, and also when a suitable two-seater will become available. Obviously, we would like to be in a position to resume operations as early in the spring as possible, so there is strong motivation to execute the transactions over the winter. For those members who made pledges earlier this year, please consider your pledgein the context of a two-seat glider. Of course we will not apply any member's pledge if they are not in support of the acquisition, so please let me or Bob Collier know ASAP if you do not want your pledge to go toward a glider.

I'm sure that we will have a spirited discussion on the Skyline-members mailing list and elsewhere; please keep your ideas and suggestions coming.
-- Joe Parrish

Arrived at FRR at 10:30 to hear reports from Shane of "wave like" activity at 4500'-with Kit reporting lift all over the place-what more did I need! Thanks to Phil's generosity I had 081 for the day and decided to prepare for a wave flight... Oxygen, GPS, relief system, food and water. Prepped 081 and launched at 11:15, the tow toward Signal Knob was best described as sporty! Saw Kolie over the near ridge as we passed and it was apparent he had not made it to the ridge... odd but it later turned out he had released early and couldn't get to the ridge. Anyway, by the first ridge we had reached 3700' msl so I stayed on for a bit longer thinking that if we didn't get to SK soon, I'd be at 6000' by the time I got there! So at 4200' msl I released even though I was some distance from the knob-about half way between it and the fish ponds. This could have been the worst decision of the day, and like all good flights, it turned out to be one of the best! I had to penetrate at 60-65 mph to make any headway and watched the altimeter unwind like a top! I wasn't even sure I was going to make the knob with any altitude. Having released at 4200', I eventually arrived at under 3000' and then my hunch paid off-the giant's hand picked me up and from 1000 fpm down I had 500 fpm up! Back to 4000' I radio that I'm "Goin' South" to look for wave, and 5 minutes later I strike out from the ridge where I think the wave may be and sure enough 500fpm to 9000' whoo-hoo!

A radio back my ever increasing altitude-imagining the scurry of activity on the ground to get up and into the wave.

I watch as the ASK comes down the ridge, a tiny white speck to my North, and very soon, in the capable hands of Dave Weaver it is up with me. The sky is clear blue, visibility for hundreds of miles into the distant haze, and the temperature is a pleasant 60 degrees at this altitude.

The radio chatter from soaring sites north and south is of weak conditions and struggling to cross gaps... not so here! OK, time to work, I want to cross the valley over to the other side and look for the primary. Again this is a leap of faith as I head West, and 081 starts to sink like a stone, 65 mph and an indicated ground speed of 25 mph! I reason that between 8-10k the winds must be about 40mph. After what seems like ages, the altimeter starts to slow down at 6k! Back on the elevator again, some gentle turns and I'm going up at a steady 3knots indicated on the vario... sit back, and enjoy the ride, looking down I can see the mountains of WV and the GPS says Petersburg is 35 miles away. The wave is blowing me back now and at 12k Shane joins me in the Lak-man that bird is so pretty... we stay together until 13k (I put oxygen on at 12.5k) and I comment that we have both the highest and lowest performing ships in the club together. Alas, Shane left me on his way to 14k and my ceiling for the day was to be a touch over 13k. The wind at this altitude was 55mph from the North and I was continually fighting to stay in the wave, but at 55-60 indicated, my sink rate was way more than the lift the wave could provide, a limitation I had to accept.

The important thing to note here is that the wind was from the NORTH! I checked this a number of times and the only way I didn't drift E/W was on a heading of 355-005, this defies the usual wisdom, and another interesting observation was a 'tremor' in the wave lift, almost like a little burble-slight, but not something I'd experienced in wave before.

Still, I stayed up at 12k or higher for a couple of hours, just taking in the beauty and peace of it all.. listening to the radio chatter, fumbling to get the relief system sorted out... butahhh, what blessed relief it was. By now the radio had quit... but tha t didn't matter, it helped the sense of tranquility of the flight. That tranquility was broken only by a Lear Jet taking off from Winchester and climbing 500' in front of my nose at 40 degrees going up like a rocket, and close enough for me to hear the engines, he probably never even saw me.....

But eventually, I decided enough was enough and headed back toward FRR, 60 indicated 110 on the GPS! Got back to the airfield at 10k and burnt off the altitude by flying due west at 60mph... saw what I thought to be a Cessna in the valley of doom, turned out to be Bob Collier in the 2-33, I'll never know how he dug it out of there! Watched Shane land in the Lak, and encountered some amazing rotor at 5k just west of the field, I worked that partly for the exhilaration of flying in really, really turbulent air, and partly to get my legs back into the real world! The temperature had indicated 45 in the cockpit at 13k and it was nice to be comfortably warm again, especially as I knew the landing might be as sporty as the take off! As it turned out, it was not too bad and my 55mph was maybe too conservative, rather that way round! 4hours and 12 minutes later I was home... what a fantastic day!

Then, just for good measure I drilled and replaced the steel protection plate on the skid (it had finally worn through) and installed a new 7Ah battery in the seat back and upgraded charger to accommodate it, the next time I can listen to radio chatter all day long... hmm, maybe I should think again. A little later than the rest I went to the Mill where my Chef's Salad and SA were on the table waiting...

It doesn't get any better than that, and when I think of how 081 has performed for us all... I no longer worry that we couldn't reach 14k or higher with the big birds, for me the pleasure was there, just the same
-- Dave Brunner

Sunday, October 29-Dave Weaver offered to fly with some of my students so I could fly the LAK-12. Thank you Dave Weaver. Towed to 3200 msl just short of the knob then penetrating to the ridge, I caught what seemed to be the top of ridge lift. Kept on going up. Wave that is, all the way to 14000 feet. Left the O2 and warm clothes on the ground. That's the way to find wave. Don't go prepared.

Strange wave, it leaned forward with altitude between 4000' and 14000' about 3 miles NNW. That is, starting from the ridge at 4000' leaning forward with altitude to US 81 west of Strasburg at 14000'. The winds at 14000 were 035 degrees at 50 kts.

What a flight, 3.5 hours and above 10000 most of the time. It was the warmest wave day I have ever flown, wearing tennis shoes and a light jacket. No hat, no gloves. However, Malcolm noted I walked on the ground like "Frozen Man". My legs were a little stiff. Dave Brunner radioed that a Lear jet, pumping fossil fuel, pasted 500' over him. He called in an order for "Depends". For me, at 10200', a twin Cessna 410 passed under me at 10000. He came from my 5 o'clock with a roar. What a view, they needed "Depends". I needed to call Jim Kellett about those transponders.

I then contacted Dulles Approach on 124.65 requesting a good frequency for our position and altitude. They came back with 118.95 for Washington Departure. Alas, my radio was inadequate. I called Dulles again and requested they notify Washington of our position. They said, "Thank you for the heads up". Shortly after that I saw a 757 two miles east and about 3000' higher.

Final note to self; "When working wave and facing one direction for extended periods, do some S turns and look around. Especially at IFR cruising altitudes.

That's all I have to say about that
-- Shane Neitzey

It was brought to the attention of the Board yesterday, Nov 18, that some of you have not submitted your Daily Flight Operations Log Sheets along with the day's payment checks for several and even months after a given operations day!!! Failure to fulfill completely your responsibilities is simply not fair to your fellow club members who have placed their trust in you. The club needs to have an up to date accounting of its activities, to have funds in the bank in order to pay its bills, and members need to have their checks negotiated to rectify their statements(you'd be surprised how many people ask me when their check is going to clear). I'd think a week's time after your ops date ought to be plenty of time to get the flight log sheets into the mail. So, please finish the job with which we've entrusted you.

I'm going to be away on vacation until Wednesday, Nov 30. Hopefully I will find all the delinquent log sheets in my mailbox, when I get back. In the event that inclement weather preempted ops for your day, I'd appreciate your letting me know that too.

Thanks for help in this important matter.
-- Bob Collier

• Goodbye to Gary Shepherd who is returning to England mid-December. We'll all miss him.

• Please change my e-mail address, to: timklewis@erols.com
  -- Tim Lewis

• Beware the retiree with time on his hands!!- You'll find several updated pages on the Club's website. Some serious (e.g., the new "Training" page, an updated "Events" page) and some frivolous (e.g., the addition of hyperlinks to pictures on the member-list).
  -- Jim Kellett

• Have suggestions for additions or improvements?? Want to provide a biosketch for YOUR listing? Want to add a picture (or submit a better one than's there!)? Send them to me! (SIMPLE additions, new links, and editorial changes only! If you have suggestions for new services or other stuff requiring real programming, you'll have to talk to Piet!)
  -- Jim Kellett

• Looking for a few Good Persons-Test Prep Course from Joe Parrish -I do not currently have a course scheduled. I want a minimum of three committed students before committing myself to the course; If there are any candidates among our new (or old) members, then I will be happy to set the wheels in motion.

  If this doesn't work out, I do recommend John Sharp's web-based course at http://www.sharpnet.com/glider/
  -- Joe Parrish

• To all Duty Officers: Richard Freytag informs me that we now have a laptop computer at the field in which there exists a spread sheet program designed especially to replicate our daily flight ops log sheet. I'd be very grateful, if everyone would begin to get used to using it in addition to recording data in the usual way, and submitting both a floppy and the usual log sheet until we're satisfied and confident that submitting only the floppy will do. I'll need to OK each of you on an individual basis before you can operate without a net (i.e. submit just a floppy without a hand-written log sheet as backup). It may take a while to eliminate completely the old log sheets, but better safe than sorry. Hope everyone appreciates the need to go slowly. Thanks
  -- Bob Collier

• Transponder, Latest Update: I'm sure many of you already know what follows, but bear with me while I "level the information field" on the subject of what transponders do and don't do for us....This information came from a meeting we had with the Operations Manager at the Dulles Tower. Here's some factoids from that session:

  1. Current ATC radar detects NO passive targets. None. Zip. Nada. Nothing to do with gliders-don't pick up passive airplanes, either.

  2. A transponder equipped STATIONARY (both vertically and horizontally) target loses its "data block" on the ATC screen. (That means they don't see altitude, just a dot). We don't know right now what minimum velocity of the target is required to avoid this, but we're working on finding out.

  3. While ATC will provide advisories of 1200 code targets to aircraft under their control, they do NOT provide advisories to the VFR target itself, nor does that mean the controlled aircraft will respond appropriately (e.g., avoid).

  4. If an uncontrolled VFR aircraft calls Dulles Approach, it is almost certain that they will be ignored. The workload is way too high. 5. Dulles radar cannot see a transponder below about 2500' in our normal flying area.

  Here's the latest news from one of my Canadian contacts: The Transponder will not be available before February 2001. Recommended retail is 1200.-US. I'll keep you posted " Stay tuned.
  -- Jim Kellett

• "Honey, I bought a new glider!"-Looking back, it's amazing I didn't get more of a reaction when I told my wife I'd committed to buy a Schweizer 2-33 and I didn't have a way to get it back home, at least not at first. After 6 months or so of low level searching for a good 2-33 at a good price, I'd stumbled across one in Vermont which met all my needs... except for a trailer. That started a big search for a trailer to use for a one time trip back to Maryland which led me through a dozen people and three soaring clubs before I got in touch with Skyline.

  Jan Scott recommended I contact Jim Kellett and the club to explain my predicament and ask for help. In the process I found out that a long time acquaintance from work, Dick Otis, was a member of the club and with his endorsement and the approval of the Board of Directors, I arranged to pick up the club trailer on a Thursday morning enroute to Stowe Soaring in Vermont with a commitment to have the trailer back by Sunday and not to break it. Happily, I accomplished both tasks and am pleased to report that my newly purchased 2-33 rode back in style without a shake or a weave the entire return trip. The trailer even earned a compliment from the Vermont crowd as the best Schweizer trailer they'd seen (thanks to Shane Neitzey's and Kevin Fleet's restoration job and hangar storage).

  The bottom line was that thanks to the generosity and support from Skyline I was able to get my 2-33 down to Maryland before the bad weather set in and can look forward to some springtime soaring. The attitude of all of the club members I spoke with was tremendous and I truly am in debt to the club for helping me out. I hope to see more of you at Front Royal to say thank you in person.-Rusty Lowry, St. Mary's City, MD (Editor's note: Rusty, bring your 2-33 when you come!)
  -- Rusty Lowry, St. Mary's City, MD