HIGHLIGHTS:
 

1. It wasn't a particularly busy day at Avenal. But the weather was great, the hills all green with eye candy, and on hand were a few members whose company we enjoyed. This is one of the best times of the year for photography of the hills and mountains in and around Avenal. Even though the lift isn't great, one can stay up fairly long with 1-2 knots of up-stuff. And the scenery is worth the trouble of struggling with meager lift.

2. Hanna, Jack and I drove out to Avenal because the winds blowing at Fresno Chandler were up to 25 knots and forecast to be that throughout the Central Valley. So the training each would have received had we flown would have been difficult at best. But with the two of them in the car, there was never a dull moment during the one hour drive from Fresno Chandler Airport.

3. Peter Sahlberg needed a refresher flight for renewal of his solo privileges so we went aloft in the Orange Crush. He liked the first well enough to want a second flight to get all the rust out of his skill set. With a little studying, Peter could earn his add-on rating in a shot time. His flying is fine, but he needs some concentrated ground time to be ready for the oral exam portion of the flight check.

4. Jack and Hanna didn't fly today but they helped out around the gliderport. Jack particularly worked hard mowing the lawn that was high enough to qualify for Steven Spielberg's next Jurassic Park movie. Mowed, it looks great and a nice place to sit and watch the glider operations, or sleep on the hammock. Of course they both had time to play hat-catch but that's what young people do who have an excess of energy and time.

5. Steve Schery was here today and flew his Ventus up into the mountains for more than an hour. He worked the thermals well, even though there weren't many of them and most weren't too strong.

6. Paul Hanson drove in the night before and was looking over his new SZD-19. I don't think he flew, so perhaps it was just a chance to look it over after a long cross-country drive from back East where he purchased it.