1. One of the big objectives of the day for Joe Anastasio and Richard Walker was to get the wind-destroyed superstructure down from its precarious position half-way up in the air. They finally accomplished the task with help from Loyal's tractor and heavy chains hooked a portion of the steel. Richard also brought his torch to cut some of the steel beams in order to disassemble it for moving it out of the area. Thanks, guys, for all that help.

2. Jeff Lowe was out again today and is on his way to a license. He's a very determined fellow and I'm sure will be a solo pilot in no time. His rate of progress is excellent and he really understands the maneuver stuff. It's a pleasure teaching him and for the CCSC he'll make a very good club member. We flew twice and he took most of the tow, doing markedly better on tow the second time even though by that time, the bumps had become more numerous.

3. Once Jeff's training ended, we all had lunch at the King's Video store because Debbie's was closed for the weekend. Seems that Avenal was celebrating Old Timers Day and had a parade in the morning. So some of the stores closed because folks couldn't get to their stores until after the parade.

4. After lunch most of the pilots launched. There were no gliders left on the ground, except for the deteriorating Lark. Jerry Badal used the Orange Crush while Carl Kunz used the 1-26. Joe Anastasio and Alex Caldwell used the Blanik, and Richard Walker launched in his Schweizer 1-35.

5. Just about 30 minutes after Jerry Badal launched in the Orange Crush, Andrea and Jennifer Mersino arrived. You may recall that Mother and Daughter soloed together on the same day back on February 24th, 2007. They haven't been out very much since then, but today they arrived and wanted to go flying to renew their solo privileges. Trouble is, the Orange Crush is the only 2-33 we have and it departed shortly before they arrived with Jerry Badal piloting and thinking there was no one behind him waiting for the glider. At first the girls didn't mind waiting but after the HOURS rolled by it was clear that Jerry was having an excellent flight. So, three and one-half hours later Jerry landed and we only had time for Andrea's flight because they had to get back to Fresno. Maybe next time we'll organize a bit better.

6. Next weekend the club needs to take a vote and decide on how to mover forward with the tow plane issue. We need to do something because Loyal plans to move to Hawaii sometime in the next year, according to him. We used to think it was imminent but the last conversation with him led us to believe it may not be so imminent after all. Time will tell.   more info

1. The Board of CCSC met today to discuss some important issues. One is the idea that we may, after all, conduct a "contest" of sorts this year, but call it a Camp instead. It might be too late for any large scale attendance but let's hope we get a few interested pilots. Mario will be conducting the Camp but not flying because his foot is still healing. Those attending the meeting today were Richard Walker, Joe Anastasio, Loyal Savaria, Dave Martin, Paul Hanson, Jerry Smeltzer, Mario Crosina, and Don Van Wyk.

2. Carl Kunz joined the club today and he's a really great guy to have on board. CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR NEWEST MEMBER, CARL KUNZ !! Carl is a United Pilot on the Boeing 777 based out of San Francisco. He's been a glider pilot for many years, early on up at Sky Sailing in Fremont, CA. While his CFIG has expired we may be able to convince him to reinstate it and become part of our Flight Instructor group. We need CFIG's less in name only and more in being onsite to help with building the club.

3. William "Bill" Deviny came out again today and went for his first glider ride. He said he really liked the feeling of soaring and might just become a member and learn to fly. He works on the North Slope in Alaska two weeks on and two weeks off so his training will be in two-week spurts. He's another good guy we'd like to have onboard and hope he makes that decision. He's promised to fly again when his next two-weeks off occurs.

4. Jack Wiegand and I flew out to Avenal in the Cherokee 140 and spent the day mostly helping others. Near the end of the day, Jack and I flew in the Orange Crush but got off early, then fought the turbulent wind all the way back to the field. It wasn't one of Avenal's better days for smooth and high-lift flying.

5. Steve Schery flew today and was up a fairly long time. While he didn't get too far cross country he did manage to remain aloft for as long as he wanted.

6. Carl Kunz had fun flying the 1-26 for the first time in many years. He did well, no PIO's on takeoff, and managed to find enough thermals to have fun and some good time aloft.

7. Bruce Patton assembled his HP-18 and also went flying up into the mountains both north and south. But he's an experienced soaring pilot, especially here at Avenal and knows the terrain quite well. So we would expect him to be more successful than others today.
8. Surprise, surprise. Jerry Badal came out again to Avenal. This is truly amazing since his work often keeps him occupied even on the weekends. This time I think he is really serious about earning his license. He's studying and he's flying far more than I have ever seen him fly in the past. And by the way, he's doing very well, with high flights to altitude, and long flights in the area. He's really getting the hang of thermaling and each week seems to do better than the previous week. One of these days soon Jerry Badal will be our newest licensed pilot.   more info

1. Indeed it was a fun day for all who managed to get out here. You know the old cliché, "You shoulda' been here today". Well, that was true in all respects today since anyone who wanted to get high or go far could have done so. In fact, three pilots actually achieved Silver Badge altitude, getting up to 8400 msl after starting low. Silver gain is 3281 feet above your lowest altitude. But to claim the badge they needed to have either a data logger or a barograph trace, neither of which they carried with them. But that's OK since the achievement is what counts. The Badge comes later.

2. Jerry Badal and Cliff Stone both hit 8400 msl. It was the highest Jerry has ever soared in a glider and it was the highest Cliff has been in a glider in over 25 years. So CONGRATULATIONS TO JERRY AND CLIFF !!!

3. Steve Schery also hit 8400 msl but I believe he has been doing that any time the conditions are right. He flies often at Avenal, and during the week, so he can take advantage of the great lift conditions when they occur. Still, a gain of that magnitude isn't to be made light of. Nice going, Steve.

4. Richard Walker soared a long time and gained to 6300 msl. Depending on how low he got before he arrived at that altitude, he also might have gained Silver Badge altitude. It would seem that way if he just got lower than 3000 msl. before climbing to 6300 msl.

5. Rich Miller in his LP-49 had a wonderful flight. He got to 7200 msl, a sure Silver Badge gain, then flew 75 nm and was up for 2.5 hours. He headed north to Harris Ranch, then along the Kettleman Hills, then south to the intersection of 41 and 33, then back north again, just flying around with all that nice altitude to spare.

6. Meanwhile, Jeff Lowe started his flight training in earnest today. We took a high tow, then started doing basic maneuvers. When we got low, we'd thermal back up again to around 4500 msl, then do more maneuvers. Then after another loss of altitude, we'd thermal up again, and kept that going for a nice long training session. He's coming along fine and is more than dedicated to getting his license. Stay tuned for Jeff because his first solo won't be too far in the future.

7. Kathleen Morse was here today training in the 1-26 in preparation for her eventual flight in her recently purchased ASW-19. She's gong about it in the right way, getting solo time in both the 1-26 and the Blanik and gaining the right kind of experience for her ASW-19 solo day. Keep up the good work, Kathleen.

8. Joe Anastasio and JB Jones were out today and both just enjoying the beautiful weather and quiet of our wonderful gliderport.

9. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HANNA !!! Yes, it is Hanna's birthday today and for her birthday, her parents bought her a chance to defy gravity. But gravity won and she came back down to earth, most of the time at terminal velocity. A skydiving trip to Taft, CA, with Mom and friends, and would you believe it? Her Mom jumped out of a perfectly good airplane as did Hanna. Hmmmm. Not sure of the genetics there, they both used to seem like normal humans, not mental patients, but after Saturday morning at Taft, I'm no longer sure about their mental stability. Nice to see they survived and showed up at Avenal in the afternoon just to let us enjoy a MOST DELICIOUS chocolate cake baked my Hanna's Mom, Toy Marlette. Wow, was it GOOD !!! Later on, early evening, we stopped at Harris Ranch for a celebration dinner and then headed home in the dark. It certainly was a long day for the two of them but they held up under the strain quite well.

10. Loyal is still towing and may be doing that for the rest of this year since he has no imminent plans to move to Hawaii. Durval showed up in his Cessna 140, helped out for a time, then headed home mid-afternoon.   more info

1. Cliff Stone, one of our power instructors who meet on Friday mornings, came out to Avenal for the second time and was greeted by an old friend he had flown with out of San Francisco, Karl Kunz. Both of them are Captains for United Air Lines, based at SFO. Karl flies the Boeing 777 and Cliff flies the Airbus A320. Turns out that Karl is an experienced glider pilot as is Cliff and meeting one another at Avenal was quite a coincidence. We're happy they did and hope that meeting will cement Karl's intentions to join our club and start showing us less-experienced guys how it's done. Welcome you two !!! CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR NEWEST CLUB MEMBER, CLIFF STONE!!

2. Karl and friend, John Craver, flew to Avenal in John's beautiful, shiny Cessna 170. But that won't be for long since John has already committed to selling the Cessna. Seems Karl also flies his own 170 and perhaps that will bring them both back to Avenal for fun and soaring.

3. Frank Owen brought two friends with him, Chuck Jennings and David Shelton. They went flying with Frank a bit and later on Chuck flew with me as his first official flight instruction. I hope he continues towards his rating since he did well on our flight. We were up quite a long time and he got all the thermalling he wanted.

4. Jack Wiegand and Hanna Marlette flew out in the Cherokee 140 with me and they each took turns flying different segments. At Avenal both flew but Jack did more flying, thermalling in 10 knot lift up above 7000. Hanna flew with me but this time in the back seat and did the photography while I flew from the front, an unusual position for me.

5. Cliff Stone and I flew in the Orange Crush, and while I sat in the back and did nothing, Cliff thermalled us up just beyond 6600 msl. A very nice flight and demonstration of how little skill Cliff lost during the past 25 years since he flew gliders regularly. Nice flight, Cliff.

6. Karl Kunz and I also flew together. As with Cliff, I sat in the back and watched the show while Karl displayed his glider flying talents. He did so well that if he decides to join the club, he'll be on his own immediately.

7. John Craver and I flew a demo flight but didn't stay up very long. I just picked the wrong areas to look for lift and although we did do some thermalling, most of the flight was either zero or sink. I had hoped to get John back in the air for a longer flight but he and Karl had to get back to Monterey early. Perhaps another day and I'll get John aloft for more of a flight.

8. Alex Caldwell was flying the Boy Scouts all morning in the Blanik. He does this nice community service several times a year and I'm sure they all appreciate his contribution. And for us, it exposes more of our central valley residents to the fun at Avenal.

9.  More of our club members were out today. Richard Walker flew his Schweizer 1-35, Jerry Smeltzer flew the 1-26 (I think), Don Van Wyk feeling much better these days and coming out to Avenal more after his recovery. Paul Hanson flying his SZD-59. We appreciate all our members and hope to see many more of them as the weather warms up and the thermals get much higher.   more info

1. "The Gang" came out for demo flights, organized by their leader, Jeff Lowe. They had flown gliders previously, at Santa Ynez and decided to try Avenal's soaring conditions. None are gilder pilots but Jeff is determined to become one. They were a fun group, and gave is all reason to smile. That, combined with the surprise party for Hanna, made for an enjoyable afternoon for everyone. Jeff and Margo Lowe, Bettye and Mike Landino, and Kristin Brown, 17 years old, all from Los Osos except for Kristi who will soon reside there. The lift was good enough to keep all of them up for nearly an hour each flight.

2. Even before "The Gang" came out to fly, Ron Marlette wanted to surprise Hanna with a party on the CCSC Patio in honor of her acceptance into the Air Force Academy. But we were having a difficult time trying to figure out how to get Hanna in the air in order for Ron and family to arrive and get the party set up. Finally we decided that Alex Caldwell would take Hanna for a glider ride as congratulations from him for her achievement. But before we could get that one figured out, Ron and crew arrived in the town of Avenal and called me about Hanna. We gave him a 15 minute delay, then got Hanna into the air, and Ron descended on the patio. When Hanna got back on the ground, she noticed nothing at first. Then remarked that there seemed to be an unusual number of people at Avenal for a Saturday. At this point she was out at the launch line having just arrived there. And the crowd was beginning to walk out to her glider. Then she recognized one of the group, then slowly another one, then finally realized she knew the entire crowd. Even then it didn't seem to dawn on her what the group was all about. But that didn't take long to sink in. She says she was completely surprised by the party, had no idea, and was quite pleased. All of her family were there, and they set about cooking a barbeque of hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, chips, etc. Good fun and a great congratulations party for Hanna. Unfortunately I missed it all, being in the air for about 3.5 hours with demo rides. And they were fun, too.

3. Joe Anastasio needed a BFR so Alex Caldwell obliged with three flights and the ground session. They used the Orange Crush later in the afternoon when all other flights had been accomplished.

4. An historic event took place today. Hanna Marlette, a licensed pilot at 17 years young, took Jack Wiegand, a solo pilot at 15 years young, for a glider ride. They are very good friends and have talked about flying together for many months. Finally, there they were ready to launch on a flight no one could have foreseen two years ago. Naturally Hanna and Jack flew exceedingly well, stayed up for a nice flight and landed quite well all the way back to the launch area. Great going, you two!!!

5. Royson Parsons and his daughter Erin, arrived at Avenal so that Erin could begin her flight training. She had her first lesson March 27, but that was primarily to see if she wanted to continue her training. She decided to go forward and get the license and we're happy to have her as out new Club member and newest training pilot. She did very well on both flights, has a nice touch on the controls, listens to directions carefully, follows them faithfully, and I expect her to solo long before she thinks she is ready. Keep up the good work, Erin, and thanks go to her Dad, a power Pilot, for supporting her great interest in aviation.

6. Steve Schery in his Discus, had a nice four-hour flight today. It was just one of those days for lift in a wide area. Fun for all, and staying up wasn't a problem for anyone.   more info

1. As you can see, it didn't take Jerry Badal long to experience the feeling of helplessness when one realizes that after turning final, you won't make it over the fence and onto the airport grounds. He made a good decision and landed safely in the field with both pilot and glider undamaged, except perhaps for some ego bruising. It was a windy day at Avenal and good for student training. Jerry did well on his first flight with me, then did quite well on his second by himself. But Jerry's third flight proved to be the one where more learning took place. It's actually good to have a student landout safely in order to break the ice of not landing back at Avenal. As he begins to go cross country he is not likely to do so with as much trepidation as if he hadn't landed out. So, it was a good flight and a learning experience.

2. The retrieval of the glider wasn't a learning experience, however. We've done that sort of thing before and it doesn't get any more interesting. Just a week prior, the farmer had plowed the once hard field into a soft, loamy sort of dirt pile that made walking and pulling the glider a real chore. We got it through the fence out at the boundary of the fence line and Highway 33, then wondered how we were going to get it back on the airport proper. Towing it along Highway didn't seem like the best option since we'd have to get the Sheriff's department to halt traffic for 20 minutes or so. But the other route had a drainage ditch that we didn't think we could navigate. But that was our only real option so we proceeded on blind faith. Finally after finding an old rug and putting it in the bottom of the ditch we were able to pull the glider safely across with no damage to the underside.

3. Jerry and I had traveled to Avenal on Friday assuming we'd be the only ones at the field. But surprisingly enough, there were others on hand, including Roy Norman, Steve Schery, Kathleen Morse and her new husband, Jeremy Zawodny. The lift was OK, not great, but those who did fly at least had a good time.

4. Kathleen and Jeremy had about four flights in the Blanik with Kathleen doing most of the flying. She has purchased an ASW-19 and was going to fly a few higher performance gliders before trying her first flight in the -19.

5. Steve Schery was here today and assembled his Discus. He took off and was gone for several hours up and down the mountains to the northwest and southeast along the Kettleman Hills. He had an excellent flight in time but not too high in altitude.

6. On Saturday the wind was still blowing but not as much as Friday. Richard Walker showed up to help out around the Club and ultimately fly his Schweizer 1-35. He managed to stay aloft a fair amount of time but the thermals today weren't very good and not very prevalent. Most of those here today had trouble finding the lift and staying up. The thermals were in evidence because of the dust devils, but finding them and remaining inside them proved to be elusive for most today.

7. Jerry Smeltzer and Roy Norman both tried flights during the day and were not successful in remaining aloft much time at all. It was a bit frustrating because the conditions seemed just right for good soaring, but it wasn't. Steve Schery seemed to think it was because of an inversion layer not too high above the valley. Perhaps that's the reason, but most didn't find good lift.

8. Curtis Modin came out to fly and after going aloft with me and doing well he tried a few solo flights. The last flight proved to be a bit more difficult since he carried too much speed and altitude on final to runway 13. His first touchdown was a bit hard and he bounced back up airborne again. Then he got into a PIO (Pilot Induced Oscillation) several times, and finally came to rest with plenty of runway left before the fence. It was rough for him because up to that time his judgment about altitude and airspeed was very good. I guess he was as surprised as anyone when he arrived down on the runway with so much energy left over. Then, trying to dissipate that energy resulted in an inelegant landing. But it was an important learning experience since at one time or another everyone has to recognize that energy management in a glider is far more important than the same energy management in a powered aircraft.

9. We had a visit from Kevin Rose? and his daughters. Kevin works and lives on the base at Vandenberg commanding a section there that I didn't get too clearly at the time I talked to him. He has been at Vandenberg for several years and didn't know there was a glider port at Avenal. But he's due to be transferred soon and won't get the chance to come out and go soaring.

10. It wasn't a great weekend at Avenal but the warmth, clear skies, good friends, and good food at Debbie's makes for an enjoyable day. Come on out and see for yourself why Avenal is the best place to be on any weekend.   more info

1. Well, what can one say about lift at and above 1200 feet per minute? It was just a whole lot of fun all day long. Fortunately the rain didn't hit us much at all. A few brief showers but they barely dampened the runway. Then they'd leave and we go booming again in and around the weather. It was that much fun and that much lift. There were enough of us at Avenal today to enjoy the soaring and the camaraderie, including a trip to Debbie's for The World's Greatest Hamburgers.

2. Phil Decker, FA-18 Super Hornet Pilot based at Lemoore NAS, was awarded his Commercial Add-On rating by Dan Gudgel. Phil and I flew three flights early, then he and Dan began the oral portion. Worrying about the possibility of being rained out, they interrupted the oral to do the flight portion of the test, then went back for the remaining oral exam.

CONGRATULATIONS PHIL. NOW WORK ON YOUR CFIG !!

3. Jerry Badal hasn't been to Avenal since July, 2005, when he soloed. He says life has been quite busy for him over the past 30 months but now he's determined to get the license non-stop. We're glad to see him devoted to going forward for his Private License since he was an excellent pilot when he came here to solo. Now he just needs to keep after himself until the License is awarded. We'll help him do that.

4. Jerry and I flew four flights, the first and last we took the time to thermal and had a lot of fun. The first flight produced ONLY 8 knot thermals. We soared to just short of 5000 msl, then had to descend in order for Dan and Phil to use the Orange Crush for Phil's checkride. It was tough to give up that altitude because not only was the lift strong but we had not gotten even close to the lift weakening. It was 8 knots right up until we opened the dive brakes and pushed the nose down to descend. Later, after two pattern tows, he was ready to solo once again, but couldn't because he didn't have his license with him. So, we took another tow to pattern altitude, snagged a booming thermal of 1200+ feet per minute, and went back up to 4000 msl. We played around the weather for awhile, then descended so that others could use the 2-33. That's the only problem with having only one 2-33. On great days, it gets heavily scheduled.

5. Steve Schery was out here today, and took his turn flying the 1-26. He had plenty of time aloft and smiled a lot when back on the ground.

6. Jerry Smeltzer also flew the 1-26 and reported an altitude of 6200 msl, mostly restrained by the cloud base.

7. Richard Walker couldn't resist and later in the afternoon decided to fly his Schweizer 1-35. He, too, had fun with the lift and flew mostly below cloud base since the weather tended to overdevelop on a cyclic basis.

8. Richard Miller, a new member who intends to fly at Avenal until summer when he then travels to Minden or Truckee. Today, he assembled his LP-49 and although I didn't see him flying it, he might have sometime after I left. He had planned on staying at the gliderport over the weekend, and I know he flew the next day, Sunday.

9. Paul Hanson arrived Friday night and Saturday morning early was out with his weedwacker cutting down all the overgrowth around the area. As you can see from the accompanying photos, he mowed every area down to a nice level. It looks just great and it took him nearly five hours to get the job done. Thanks, Paul, for moving forward with that effort without anyone pushing you. That's the mark of a club member who believes in contributing his time and effort.

10. Late in the afternoon, the clouds kept beckoning us aloft, so giving in reluctantly, Alex Caldwell, Hanna Marlette, and I went soaring. Alex promised to sniff for us although that really wasn't necessary since one could blunder into strong lift without looking. We got off tow on the edge of some rain, and found lift enough to get us higher. We were thermaling for awhile and then spotted Alex ahead. We joined his thermal and stayed there until Alex decided to head east towards I-5. Not sure what he had in mind, we followed him and he took us all over the Kettleman Hills. Finally we decided to break away and find our own thermals. In the air at the same time was Richard Walker and after soaring for some time, we and he headed for the pattern at the same time. He turned on final for runway 31 just ahead of us, so we lingered until he was safely ahead, then we turned and landed. And with that, our soaring day ended.

11. Allen White was here today, helping out, and just visiting with friends. On his day off from towing for Tehachapi and Hollister where does he go?? To a gliderport, of course, wouldn't we do the same thing?? You betcha'.

SUNDAY, MARCH 16, 2008

1. Today, there were a few members present. Mike McClellan arrived with three friends who all wanted to go for a glider ride. Alycia probably was the best sport since she was a bit terrified of flying but went anyway. Once back on the ground she kissed the earth in gratitude for having returned her safely. Justin Maher and Brendan Ford both took their turns flying with Mike. And all had fun in the Blanik, Mike's favorite glider.

2. Rich Miller stayed overnight, then using an auto, towed down the runway to test rudder work he had been doing on his LP-49.

3. Paul Hanson flew his SZD 59 for three hours using mostly ridge lift.

4. Roy Norman and Rich Miller flew the Orange Crush and had what they reported as being a "decent flight".

5. It sure was a more beautiful day, Sunday, but apparently the lift wasn't quite as good as Saturday. And the cloud markers weren't as prevalent as the day before, but any day at Avenal is a good day.

6. Paul Hanson and Rich Miller, as good members, went out and fixed our wind sock that had been damaged earlier from high winds. Thanks, guys.   more info

1. Hanna Marlette and Jack Wiegand flew the Cherokee to and from Avenal today. It was such a beautiful Saturday with the hills all green and the weeds not yet too obnoxious. While the lift wasn't great, the sky was clear, and air mostly smooth. A good day for training and we did get a bit of that done.

2. Frank and Luke Owen also arrived via power plane and it was Luke's chance to continue his flight training started just three weeks ago. Since he did so well last two times, I wanted to stretch his skills and we did the flight with as much control as Luke wanted to exercise. He began by flying the tow, then we did more elaborate maneuvers aloft. Pushing him to do more, he then flew the pattern and landing. It was not a walk in the park for him because I wanted him to take on a lot of early responsibility for the flight. I trust he won't be too discouraged later, because, on tow, he struggled, as most students do. Once past the tow, all is usually well with the student and flight moves on easily.

3. Jack bought a kite at some gas station we stopped at and although it didn't look substantial enough, it actually flew quite well. Jack, Hanna, and Luke had the kite as high as the string would allow and it stayed there with surprising stability. That was probably the most exciting flight all day.

4. Frank Owen put in a lot of work fixing the tires on all the bicycles that had flats, and most had them. Now we have a fleet of bicycles to use running out and back to the launch area and other important destinations.

5. Jack and Hanna were distracted early in the day with the local farmer harvesting carrots in the field to the northwest of the gliderport. So they just had to go and see for themselves whether the harvesters got all the carrots out of the ground. They reported back that there were many carrots still imbedded in the soil and they brought back a dozen or so as proof. They were delicious.

6. With time out for lunch at Debbie's the afternoon was taken up with Jack and I flying a refresher flight.

7. Durval Freitas flew in, stayed awhile, then left for home. There weren't too many members here today so the towing was spotty.

8. Alex Caldwell decided to video his Nimbus 3 flight just to see whether his technology was sufficient. He added the video to You Tube and here is the link to that flight:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=N3vUNPfdAUU

He used a simple still camera with the video feature on it, strapped to the brim of his cap. It turned out pretty good. I think pilots would liked to have seen inside the cockpit more, showing the variometer and altimeter. But otherwise it should be enjoyable for most viewers.   more info

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.   more info

1. Our CCSC Annual Meeting was held today to elect new Board members and discuss several critical issues facing the club after our damaged gliders and facilities. It was quite well attended and there may have been more in attendance than we've seen in a few years.

2. Jack Wiegand and I went flying for his refresher flight. Nothing wrong with Jack's skill set for soaring. He just needs to begin flying more as the weather now starts to improve for soaring.

3. Hanna Marlette and Frank Owen went flying together and I'm not sure who did more of the flying, Frank or Hanna. But it seemed that she did the takeoff so at least Frank let ladies go first.

4. Anthony Squires visited Avenal for the first time in many months. He lives in San Diego and once in awhile gets up to Fresno for a few days and makes sure he gets to Avenal to maintain his glider skill set. He is a licensed glider pilot and has soloed in power planes enroute to his add-on rating in power one of these days.

5. Curtis Modin, our recent senior solo pilot, came out for two refresher flights so that he can begin to log solo flights enroute to his license. Curtis just needs to fly more often because his skill set is very good but rusts more easily than the younger generation.

6. The "Boot Caper" occupied Jack and Hanna for the better part of an hour. They were determined to unlace, then retie Harold's boot laces around both ankles without him waking up. A few times they got a scare when either Harold "snorted" loudly or Loyal walked up to the patio. But true to "Mission Impossible" they accomplished the feat (no pun intended) and when Harold woke up, his feet were tied together. Nice work you two. Just goes to show you what kinds of interesting and academic things young people occupy themselves with when they have too much free time.

7. Jack Wiegand played monkey a few times jumping from the trees next to the patio without breaking an ankle. Lucky or skilled???

8. We just found out that Jacob Mersino has been accepted to the Air Force Academy located in Colorado Springs, CO. He has been waiting for word about his acceptance for nearly a year and finally it came. We are thrilled as much as he is to see him progress in his flying career because it all began at Avenal with his early solo on August 23, 2003 at age 14 years, one month, then his license on his 16th birthday, then his power flying solo, and now this. WOW !! We will be seeing him fly the F-22 Raptor one of these days and we can say, "We remember him when he was too small to reach the rudder pedals". Great accomplishment, Jacob, now we'll have a reason to fly the Dakota to Colorado Springs a few times in the next four years.

9. Sherri Demsky visited us for a few minutes late in the day. She has been working in Fresno, and living on a farm in Lemoore. Busy is the word for her life. Matt Demsky has been traveling all over the U.S. while Jon Demsky still works on water projects for Granger Water Supplies. Welcome back, Sherri.   more info

1. It was a nice day for training. Frank Owen and son, Luke, flew out in Frank's Cessna 152 and spent the afternoon aloft. Luke apparently liked his flying enough to go for a second launch. His flying was very well done with unusually smooth control input throughout the two flights. Perhaps he might even continue his training and someday soon be sharing a thermal with his Dad over the mountains west of Avenal. Meanwhile, since Frank is already a licensed power and glider pilot, he just wanted a refresher flight before taking Luke aloft for a fun time between Father and Son.

2. Curtis Modin also came out for a refresher flight and accomplished two in mid-afternoon. He's already a solo glider pilot and continues to improve his skill set while looking ahead to getting his license. We'll help him do that.

3. Hanna and I flew out in the Cherokee 140 as she continues to learn power flying enroute to an add-on rating in powered aircraft. She was her helpful self all day long with everyone on the launch line and at the tie-down area.

4. Joe Anastasio was here today and paid most of his attention to inspecting the gliders for any hidden damage from the windstorm. He did some routine maintenance on the Orange Crush and the Blanik so that others could enjoy the sunny flying day. Thanks, Joe.

5. Alex Caldwell was present bringing his model glider with him. It is beautifully constructed, quite large and I would like to see it soar when the thermals start really popping in the next few weeks. He loaned it to me for use in my gallery show if I needed it but I was able to assemble my full-scale glider in the Art School courtyard so his model wasn't needed. Thanks anyway, Alex.

6. The hard-working member of our club, in addition to Joe Anastasio, is Richard Walker. Among other things, he added our shower for us and that alone will make him famous among especially visiting glider pilots. But he didn't wait for kudos on the shower and dove into the repair to the patio roof, fabricating a cross beam at home, then bringing it to Avenal to be fit in place. So next time you sit under the shade of the patio, thank Richard for his determination not to let any more time lapse between the damage and the repairs. Thanks, Richard, we all appreciate how much you have done for the Club.   more info

The following narrative was provided by Joe Anastasio who was one of the team of members to assist after the storm. Other team members included Mario Crosina, Peter and Jacob Mersino, Paul Hanson, Loyal Savaria, and Roy Norman.

  more info

1. CONGRATULATIONS, CURTIS !! This young (72) man was determined to solo and has promised to go on and get his Pilot's License. There was a few weeks lull while he went to the FAA and got his Student's License in order to solo. He might even have soloed in late November had I not forgotten to tell him about the need for a Student License. But now, the solo was a nice Christmas present and a great start for the New Year.

2. Curtis and I launched on four flights, the last three to pattern altitude in preparation for his solo. I wasn't sure all the cobwebs were going to be erased from his skill set since his last flight in November, but he quickly showed me his pre-solo skills were quite intact after all. It was an easy decision for me to get out of the glider since he did so well on the previous flights. Then, the three solo flights were very well done with not a glitch in any of the launches, releases, and patterns. His landings have always been nice and gentle, so he really deserved the accolades for his first three solo flights.

3. Perhaps if Curtis doesn't mind me telling his age of 72, it will inspire many more seniors over 60 to come out and enjoy the thrill of learning to fly. Gliders, of course, are not nearly as dangerous as powered aircraft in spite of the common belief that flight without an engine is seemingly impossible. And being aloft in the quiet and serenity of glider flight is an experience worth working for. So, for all those of you reading this story who have decided that you're too old for any such dangerous nonsense, just come out and try it once. You might even get hooked on this great way to fly. And then what a story you'd have to tell all the folks at the local nursing home !!

4. Joe Anastasio was out today as well, and flew once in the Blanik searching, in vain, for some reasonable lift. He found some zero sink, but that's not much to enjoy for any length of time. As usual, he then set to work on repairing and improving our glider fleet, for which all of us owe him huge thanks. Many of his projects go unnoticed because we have come to expect maintained and flight-ready gliders even though at various times, they are not so until Joe goes to work on them. Thanks again, Joe, for all your wonderful and unselfish contributions over the past years.

5. Durval flew out in his Cessna 140 and did a few tows for us. Other than that, he simply enjoyed being at Avenal and having the chance to fly as often as possible. As Loyal said, "I don't know of anyone happier to fly than Durval".

6. The bad news is that Loyal is thinking about moving to Hawaii. And the process is a lot farther along than I imagined. I don't blame him, the weather is nice and mild throughout the year, and he won't have to tow any more. But if it happens we'll miss him greatly while being happy for him that he is pursuing another of his goals. Stay tuned.  more info

1. Since I missed the two Saturdays at Avenal, December 8th and December 15th, because I went to Chicago to visit family, I thought you'd be interested in a side trip I took to the Air & Space Museum at the Dulles Airport in Washington, DC.

2. The building is so huge it is difficult to get a proper perspective. An Air France Concorde was turned sideways and still didn't take up much room. Inside are some very historic aircraft and you have to see it to appreciate its beauty and size.

3. If you go there, it is easy to take a shuttle bus (50 cents per person) from Dulles airport to the museum, a 10 minute ride. And there is no entry fee at the museum. Acres and acres of aircraft. In addition, there are four flight simulators, one of which is full motion, including inverted. The cost is reasonable. Three of the four are similar to the Back to the Future ride at Universal Studios.

4. You need more than a few hours to appreciate all that's there. Museum shop, restaurants, classrooms, and a control tower. But there is much more and you should access the Internet at http://www.nasm.si.edu/udvarhazy/ for information on what to see when you get there. It is magnificent and we should be proud as Americans that we have built this for all to see. When I was there, groups of Europeans were wandering around in amazement.

5. There won't be much reporting on Avenal activity for the month of December since most of us are spending time and money on other things. But we'll continue to keep you informed as activities develop.  more info

1. Joe Anastasio had told me via email that he would be unable to come out to Avenal today. So, with my Gallery Show looming in the not-enough-distant future I figured I'd stay home and work on my sculpture. But as luck would have it, the day opened bright and what looked like a great soaring day. I stayed home but Joe didn't. What follows is his summary of what took place at Avenal.

Joe's Stuff

3. Watching the clouds forming over the hills and the west side of the valley, we decided to forgo lunch and get into the air.  I launched first in the Blanik.  Towed to 2900 MSL and released over the power lines in what seemed like light lift.  After scratching for a few minutes the lift disappeared.  I began retracing the tow, since it had seemed that we had passed through several bumps on the way out to the power lines.  As I sank lower and lower, I was passed by Jerry and Loyal heading for the clouds.  No bumps.

6. So, maximum heights were on or just off tow.  The best lift was 0 to 0.5 knots.  The clouds were deceptive.  The flying  was a lot of fun.  I took a few pictures with my cell phone.

Happy Flying  Joe Anastasio  more info

1. We in the CCSC are thankful for:

A wonderful club of very nice members.

A great tow pilot who is always available.

A dedicated and safe gliderport to soar in comfort.

Members who care about the surroundings.

Members who contribute their time and money.

Laughter and camaraderie among us all.

Members who willingly retrieve us when we land out.

Shared stories of those who thermal higher than we do.

Barbeques and balloon-bombing contests.

Families who support the training of our student pilots.

The way Loyal maintains the runways for us.

The hangar that is going up and soon to be completed.

The continuing excellent maintenance on our gliders.

The wonderful weather at Avenal and the Central Valley.

Visitors who enjoy just being with us on the Patio.

Avenal city administrators who appreciate our presence.

Avenal residents who take pride in having us here.

A small but nice fleet of gliders.

Shirttails that tell their own story over the years.

And on, and on, ...

Thank you all for being a part of our Club.

2. Anthony Squires, Hanna Marlette and I traveled to Avenal this morning and were surprised to find no other members except Loyal and later on, Durval Freitas. We're not sure why the lack of interest because it was such a beautiful day, but perhaps the holiday weekend had folks doing other things. No, there wasn't much lift. I went up for about 40 minutes and worked a bit on staying aloft in 1-3 knot ragged lift. Otherwise it was an uneventful day of nearly gliding down after the tow. It was one of the clearest days we've seen in many weeks, however, so that balanced things a bit.

3. Durval, Anthony and I each took one flight in the 1-26. Anthony's was more productive since he hooked up the wireless video camera on the wingtip of the 1-26 and recorded his flight for later uses on DVD's he's planning to sell on Ebay.

4. Hanna Marlette did her homework, helped attach the video equipment, and ran a wing. Otherwise she was there for the beauty of the day, and the peaceful moments on the Patio.  more info

1. Well, it was a rather unusual day for mid-November. We had more visitors than even a few warm summer days thanks to both Lemoore NAS and Steve Schery. The NAS folks included Ashley Bower and Audrey Peterman, both FA-18 pilots stationed at Lemoore NAS. Audrey is already a licensed glider pilot and Ashley was experiencing his first glider flight. We have been fortunate to have had visits from quite a number of Navy personnel, including those who have joined our club. So perhaps Ashley and Audrey will join and become part of our fun times here at Avenal.

2. Steve Schery had a nice contingent come out for their glider flights. Those in attendance were Barb Milet, Jim Porzak, Simon Porzak, Wolfgang Weber, and Al Amsbaugh. Steve flew all the flights in the Blanik while we flew the Blue Whale. So it worked out well and Loyal had enough tows to make it worthwhile.

3. After towing all the gliders to the launch area, Jack Wiegand finally got to fly in late afternoon. We went aloft to refresh his procedures and make sure no bad habits had crept into his skill set. He did well, and although only a little lift was available he still managed to enjoy the air time.

4. Jerry Smeltzer flew the 1-26 and came back reporting no lift available. That was essentially true except for some weak lift over and around the newly planted fields northwest of the gliderport.

5. Joe Anastasio was around all day helping out, changing canopies, and repairing tail wheels. Thanks for that Joe because you keep the fleet available for training and demo flights.

6. Richard Walker was at the gliderport again today and once more took to the air in his lovely sailplane the 1-35. He also reported no lift but had a great time flying his glider. He is much more comfortable with each flight and will soon become the resident expert on Schweizer 1-35's.

7. This is the time of the year when training is best. Smooth air, clear skies, very little traffic, and beautiful sunsets. So for those of you who have been putting off your training, now is the time to begin again. Call, email, or just come out for some nice training times.  more info

1. Timothy Ables came out to Avenal last Tuesday just to look around and perhaps take a demo flight. He got hooked, not because glider flying is so great, which it is, but because in his short flight in the Blanik he really showed me a smooth hand on the stick, unusual for someone's first flight and even more so in the Blanik. That smoothness carried over into today's three training flights. Once in awhile he got carried away and tried too hard, over controlling the glider. But the majority of the time, his stick and rudder work was excellent. On the second flight he snagged a thermal and continued to work it and others he found for 48 minutes. Quite amazing considering it was his second flight in a glider. But he takes direction well and it paid off with altitude gained on an otherwise very light lift day. He joined the club and we're happy to have him aboard.

CONGRATULATIONS AND WELCOME, TIMOTHY!!

2. Phil Decker, a Super Hornet FA-18 pilot from Lemoore is back off sea duty and now will pursue once again his commercial glider add-on rating. Phil had soloed earlier and just one refresher flight proved his skill was still in evidence. Now that he's back the process of acquiring the rating should go smoothly and quickly.

3. Curtis Modin came out today prepared to solo the 2-33. When I asked to see his student license, a blank look overtook his normal smile. Seems as though he'd never heard of the student license even though he has flown at other gliderports in search of his Private Pilot's License. So, we couldn't let him go solo today and instead flew two flights to pattern altitude in preparation for next week when we know he'll be here with the student license.

4. Irene Wiegand brought her father, John Ruch, out to Avenal again along with Jack. Jack flew several flights but this time John rested and just watched the activity. You may recall from last week that John fell and bruised his left leg. So he just wanted to watch today and enjoyed the time at Avenal as we all do in such a peaceful surrounding.

5. Hanna Marlette drove out with me today and in late afternoon had a chance to fly a glider again. She hasn't lost her skill set and flew quite smoothly and confidently. It was nice to see her aloft again at Avenal because lately all her flying has been in preparation for her solo in power. That solo is only a week or so away. Stay tuned.

6. Last but not at all least is the great news that Richard Walker finally took his neat little Schweizer 1-35 aloft. He brought it out to Avenal on a trailer back in June of this year. And he hesitated to assemble it because he thought it would take too many people and when he's there, most members aren't. But some weeks ago we convinced him to put it together. So it was just a matter of timing to fly it, and this Saturday proved to be the day. He loved how it flew, had no trouble with the flap system, thought the whole issue was a non-issue regarding flap versus dive brake, and is hooked on his wonderful 1-35. Congratulations, Richard, on your purchase of the glider and your first flight. May it be one of many enjoyable flights over the years ahead.  more info

1. Irene Wiegand brought her father, John Ruch, out to Avenal today for his first glider flight. John and I went up over Black Mountain towing to 5300 msl and had a very nice, smooth flight over the mountains until it was time to head back to Avenal. Earlier in the day, John tripped over a concrete wheel stop at a local gas station and injured his leg. But that didn't stop him from climbing aboard the glider and having a nice ride.

2. Sean Smith brought his wife, Leda, and daughter out to Avenal today to give his wife a glider ride for her birthday. She easily boarded the glider and we had a nice time aloft where she photographed the surrounding area, and took time to be just a tourist viewing the beautiful countryside.

3. Curtis Modin worked hard on his four flights and is preparing for his solo flight which might take place next week. His final pattern flights were quite good and I suspect he may be ready for the big event next Saturday.

4. Joe Anastasio thankfully repaired the Blue Whale's canopy  that had cracked when the cable holding it tore away. Joe did a nice job and although the crack is all too evident, at least the repair is strong and safe. THANKS, JOE.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6th, 2007

5. Our good friend, Christoph Maurer and his lady, Ulla, flew to the United States from Munich, Germany last Saturday and had to at least fly once at Avenal while they were here. So they chose Tuesday and I met them there. We began with lunch at Debbie's and then headed back to the gliderport for Christoph's three flights in preparation to carry passengers. Once done, he and Ulla took a high tow and went over Black Mountain for some great views and a smooth flight. Ulla was impressed but I don't think too terribly excited about glider flying, at least for the moment.

6. During the day, a young man showed up from Lemoore and wanted a demo flight. Timothy Ables and I went aloft in the Blanik and I was quite surprised at how smooth he handled the controls. I was sure he had prior flight experience, but he assured me this was the first time he has ever tried to fly anything. By the end of the day, Timothy decided to join the Club and we welcome him to the CCSC. He should be an excellent student. CONGRATULATIONS, TIMOTHY!!

7. Because Richard Walker sometimes comes to Avenal on the weekdays, he was there today and it was a good chance for him to try and land the Blanik without using the dive brakes. His newly purchased glider is a Schweizer 1-35 that has very effective flaps, all the way to 90 degrees, but no dive brakes. And he plans on flying the 1-35 this coming weekend. So we tried three flights and couldn't get the Blanik down properly without using the dive brakes at the last minute. But since the flaps on the Blanik and the flaps on the 1-35 are different enough, it didn't seem to be any problem for his coming first flight in the 1-35.  more info

1. After eight years, one month and two days, finally someone hit the target with a water-filled balloon. And our long record of hitless scores comes to an end. Our new, and only, Champion is J. Sidney Lee from San Jose. Sidney joined the club this year and has taken a few soaring lessons in between his business trips to the Far East on behalf of his employer, Seagate Technologies of Scotts Valley, CA. In fact, the irony is that Sidney tried reaching me on my cell phone to tell me he probably wouldn't be coming to Avenal because of the uncertain weather. Since he couldn't reach me, he decided to come down after all. Good thing he did.

2. I was the lucky pilot when Sidney dropped his target busting balloon. The first two balloons were wide of the mark, and on the third, I actually cautioned him not to drop the balloon because I thought we were past the target and I was going to try for another pass at it. Good thing he ignored me. His prize money amounted to $40 and paid for his tosses from the glider. CONGRATULATIONS TO SIDNEY LEE FOR DOING WHAT NO ONE HAS EVER DONE SINCE BOMBING BEGAN IN 1999.

3. Because of the weather, we weren't sure if many people would show up. Finally, we did get a nice crowd with about half involved in bombing with balloons and the other half just enjoying the spectacle and the dinner afterwards.

4. Roy Norman worked hard to prepare the dinner and make sure all the fixings were there. The dessert offerings were outrageous and I know a few people who had more than one of the offerings. Maybe everyone had more than one. Linda Town's pumpkin squares topped by chopped pecans were a BIG HIT.

5. As dinner progressed the rain got heavier and after dinner we all moved into the clubhouse for a nice social gathering while listening to Mario's "Never Again" stories. The rain didn't damper anyone's spirit and right up until everyone left, there was laughter almost non-stop.

6. Sure, we wish more had shown up to enjoy the contest, the dinner and others who attended. But maybe next time we'll see more here. As you may know by now, the contest and dinner were fund raisers for our club. Every little bit helps us do things around Avenal that we might not be able to do without a bit of extra money in the kitty. So, THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE CONTEST OR DINNER OR BOTH FOR HELPING THE CLUB RAISE MUCH NEEDED FUNDS.

7. Andy Reistetter flew his Russia earlier in the day on several flights. In addition, Lance Edmisten came down from Modesto to continue his glider training and had at least one good flight before he then flew as a bombardier in the Blue Whale.

8. The contest teams included:

Harold Gallagher and Raphaela Cervantes

Harold Gallagher and Lance Edmisten

Harold Gallagher and Toy Marlette

Harold Gallagher and Sidney Lee.

Lionel and Julie Smith

Alex Caldwell and Dave Johnson

Joe and Becky Anastasio  more info

1. Not much story to tell. The wind was blowing quite strongly in the Central Valley as we left Fresno Chandler and had picked up there by the time we landed at Avenal. Loyal and his son, Michael, were there and tried to warn us about the gusting crosswind but there wasn't any need to do that and the landing was tricky but uneventful.

2. Since no one flew a glider, the only other thing we could do was convince Richard Walker to assemble his Schweizer 1-35. He purchased the glider in June but had been reluctant because he thought it would take 4 or 5 people to help. But after lifting a wing, I determined that his glider was much easier to assemble than my ASW 20 so we got to work. It was easy. In fact I was surprised at how easy it was to assemble. I think Richard was surprised and pleased since he may very well be landing out soon. :- )

3. The 1--35 has no spoilers or dive brakes but very effective flaps, all the way down to 90 degrees. So, learning to fly it is a matter of changing one's procedures to incorporate the flap descent angle instead of the spoiler angle. The big difference is that during a landing with dive brakes, the pitch angle varies hardly at all. All one is doing is spoiling the lift while keeping the airspeed (and thus pitch angle) the same. But with flaps, one must change the pitch angle as each additional position is increased. And being careful not to let the airspeed bleed off and have nothing left to round out with when about 3-4 feet above the runway. This technique can be practiced in the Blanik since the Blanik has both flaps and dive brakes and thus the landings can be made without using the dive brakes. In fact that should be the first attempt at landing with flaps only before one moves into the 1-35.

4. As you can see, the 1-35 is a beautiful glider, with graceful lines, and a whole lot of room in the cockpit. It should be a fun glider to fly and perhaps one day the Club will consider owning one of these nice Schweizer sailplanes.  more info

1. The day didn't look too good as we left for Avenal since we had fog in Fresno for the first time this year. And it was an early date for fog compared to our normal first fog day.

2. At Avenal there were few members, I guess because of the bleak look of the sky early on. Jerry Smeltzer, Joe Anastasio, Steve Schery, Hanna Marlette, and I constituted the total sum of members on hand.

3. The low overcast kept us grounded until mid-afternoon. Then, Jerry Smeltzer, Joe Anastasio, and I flipped coins to see who would be the sniffer. Joe lost but Jerry opted to go up in the 1-26 to check the conditions. He came back much too early and felt there was little in the way of lift to go after.

4. Finally, the wait got to Steve Schery and Hanna Marlette and they decided to see if the lift conditions had improved since Jerry's flight. Sure enough, they found something to work and we wondered at their tenacity in remaining aloft. Of course the overcast skies remained and they were working something like the earth giving off a little heat combined with the cold air aloft, and that translated into lift.

5. Later on, Joe and I went up in the Blanik and we, too, found enough lift to remain up there for nearly 40 minutes. We gained nearly 1000 feet from our lowest point up to about 3800 msl. While we were aloft, Alex Caldwell launched in his Nimbus 3 and although he seemed to be coming over into our thermal, he never made it and we lost sight of him in the haze.

6. Sure enough, as we prepared to depart Avenal in late afternoon, the sky amazingly cleared up completely as though there never were any clouds around earlier. And that clearing took only about 5-10 minutes in what might have been a very large and dry air mass replacing the moist air mass. Oh well, another day at Avenal but nice to get out and enjoy the scenery.  more info

1. Well, the fire's out, no harm done to persons or property other than a few hunter's shacks deep in the canyons. Now the forest can begin its own restoration. That won't take long, if the Mount St. Helen's experience is a guide. I would bet some small shoots are already pushing themselves up through the ash. And the ash itself will contribute fertilization to the land. Nature simply does a better job of managing the earth's resources than we ever could. At least that's how it has been for the last umpteen million years. Even though it seemed like a large fire last week, looking at the burned area this week showed it to be relatively small compared to the Temblors themselves. There are still huge areas of mountain along the West Ridge that weren't touched by the fire so the biking scenery will still be worthwhile. It was called the Tar fire but not a single spark hit Tar Peak, Tar Canyon, or Tar Creek. So much for relevant nomenclature.

2. There weren't too many people out today. I guess the last weekend of freedom for many middle school and high schoolers as well as fitting in the last weekend at the beach or in the mountains for families with kids in school kept most away. Regarding our young members, Hanna is busy with welcoming a Russian exchange student to America, Jack is busy getting ready for high school in Fresno, Dylan Boone hasn't been heard from for months, and Andrea Mersino is also starting high school this Fall. They certainly grow up fast, don't they?? And our young people from the coastal area where Frank Owen lives and contributes scholarship money, haven't been heard from in such a long time we might have forgotten their names. But Conner, Maya, and Chris come to mind. I think!

3. Loyal is still having some difficulty getting his Cessna 150, 31T to run smoothly. He's not sure what's happening, and it would appear neither is Mike Schoenau since the overhauled magneto still didn't seem to clear up the engine missing. They need to persevere since that's the only tow plane we have available. Good luck!

4. Ben Loper, an engineer with BAE Systems in Alabama is out here on the West Coast for at least a year working on projects in Santa Clara for his employer. Since he started working on his glider rating back at the Moontown (yep, that's the real name. Don't ask how it got named that, however), Alabama, airport, he is thinking about continuing his training here at Avenal. Ben and I went for one demo flight and since no one else was waiting for the glider, we snagged a few thermals and had a fun time. About 45 minutes aloft and Ben got more thermalling than he's ever had in the past. I think he would really enjoy being a club member and getting his add-on rating since he's already an ASMEL Pilot. He's thinking about it and will likely make a decision next time out.

5. Joe Anastasio was going to fly the Blanik but waited for Ben and I to finish, then a visit to Debbie's, and finally he thought it was his turn to launch. A magneto repair interrupted his expectations, and I'm not sure he ever got to fly.

6. Soaring should be a bit changed and interesting over the next few years in the immediate Temblors. The fire burned out most everything on the west side of the ridge yet the east side remains full of growth. So perhaps a strong shear line might develop right at the boundary between the two dissimilar areas. We'll keep you posted on what might become another excellent area for "house thermals". more info

1. WELCOME NEW MEMBERS !!!!!!!!

DAVE BEZINQUE

MARK NEAL

KEVIN O'SHEA

CURTIS MODIN

I think the new member story is more valuable to the CCSC than the fire. I believe this is the first time we've ever had four new members sign up on the same day. Welcome to all of you and I hope you will enjoy your flying experience at Avenal for many years to come. If you're not necessarily in a training schedule, come out often anyway to interact with other members of our club. We have the best club members of any soaring organization I know about. Come out and enjoy the beauty and serenity of Avenal, especially in the Fall months.

Dave Benzique: Dave is a personal trainer in Hanford, owns a Silent motorglider, and will be basing his glider here at Avenal. Dave achieved his BFR today, and we look forward to seeing him often around here. Dave brought a lovely lady with him, Sylvia Casey, another fitness buff, and mountain bike enthusiast. They plan on exploring the Temblor's via bike during visits to our gliderport. The scenery in our mountains is well worth the effort.

Mark Neal: Mark is from Fresno, flew out with his Dad, Don who himself is an accomplished power pilot and quite involved in aviation activities in the Central Valley. Mark has decided to earn his glider license, perhaps to take Don up in the mountains for soaring days, much like I'm sure Don has taken Mark up over the years. Mark did exceptionally well on his first flight and I would expect him to move quite readily through his training cycle.

Kevin O'Shea: Kevin is starting from scratch on his Glider rating and his first flight was with Alex Caldwell. They were up quite a long time, mostly because Alex is so good at thermalling even the smallest updraft. At least that gave Kevin an idea of how we make use of the forces of nature without destroying the land and air. Kevin seemed quite enthusiastic about his ride today.

Curtis Modin: Curtis recently worked for Roger's Helicopters (coincidentally among those working this fire) but traveled so much he could never accomplish some of his life's goals, one of which was to get a pilot's license. Now, he works steadily in Fresno and has decided it's time to pursue the license. We're happy he's finally settled down and available for training and just being a friendly club member.

2. WELCOME VISITORS !!!!!

STEPHANIE AND BRIAN ANNETT

BILL WOODY

SYLVIA CASEY

Visitors are always an important part of what we do at Avenal. Many of these first time fliers choose to begin working on their Pilot's License and perhaps today is no exception. Regardless of whether one continues training or not, I highly recommend that everyone try a glider ride once in their life. Not too much I can think of will equal a glider flight.

Stephanie and Brian Annett: Stephanie and Brian are Fresno residents, although Brian works at Lemoore NAS. It was Stephanie who decided to see what gliders are all about and so it was Brian helping while Stephanie flew, actually two flights. I was flying both, and each time, we simply didn't find enough lift to remain aloft any length of time. Feeling badly about the shortness of the flight, I took Stephanie up again, but the second time wasn't any better than the first. She is considering earning her Pilot's License and hopefully the brief experience aloft won't discourage her from continuing in that direction.

Bill Woody: Bill is a longtime aviator from Fresno who came out with friend and club member, Dave Johnson. Bill had never gone up in a glider so this was his chance with Dave going flying anyway. Bill did enjoy his flight and although he would likely earn an add-on rating smoothly, he's decided that the time isn't quite right just yet. That's OK, all of us have to create a set of priorities but we hope Bill will decide to visit Avenal again if only to travel with Dave Johnson and use the patio to enjoy the peace and beauty of our Avenal gliderport.

Sylvia Casey: Sylvia, as we discussed earlier, is a fitness and biking enthusiast from Hanford. According to Dave Bezinque, we'll see more of both of them in the future as they take advantage of the Temblor Range for wonderful exercise and beautiful scenery. Of course, that's after they soar in Dave's Silent motorglider.

2. The Mersino family flew out today because Jacob needed a Biennial Flight Review (hard to believe it has been two years since Jacob earned his Pilot's License on his 16th birthday). He did quite well with all three flights, then took his Dad for a ride for the first time since he earned his license. Andrea was with them and she flew one refresher flight with me, then a nice solo flight under the smoke ceiling.

3. Jerry Smeltzer flew a nice 5000 msl flight before he found out that we had agreed with the Fire Dept to restrict our flights to the east of the IP. Most of the best thermals were west of the field early in the day before the smoke ceiling shut most of them off. There were areas of sunshine and some thermals available there, but mostly the remainder of the day had only weak lift to zero sink.

4. I don't believe Dave Johnson flew today since it was pretty busy with new members and visitors, as well as making sure his buddy, Bill Woody, took his first glider ride. They flew out in their Cherokee 180 and left in mid-afternoon but Dave has been doing quite well lately so missing one day of soaring won't hurt his skill development.

5. Loyal finally has a new home on a new concrete pad out where is other trailer home burned down. It looks good from the air and he sure is grateful to get back into something larger than 8 x 15 ft.

6. Richard Walker was there today, but I don't think he flew because of the fire and the busy glider schedule.

7. It was an interesting day, for sure, filled with lots of activity both on our field and in the mountains to the west. Perhaps now that the fire fighters would have used our field to greater advantage had the dust not been such a problem, we might appeal to some official organization for grant money to add sprinklers to the first 1000 ft of our runway in the event another emergency arises in which helicopters need to land and take-off with men and equipment. We could do without our field for a day or two in exchange for money to wet the first 1000 feet. Maybe someone knows how we can go about getting such grant money on the basis of need for a firefighting base. more info

1. Alex Caldwell, flying the Blue Whale, entered a shear line just at the West Ridge and rose to over 14,000 ft. His flight lasted 3.5 hours and could have gone on much longer but the sun was setting and he needed to get back to Tulare.

2. Here's how it all developed. I was flying some folks from Livermore to Tulare and called Alex to see if he wanted to fly out with me to Avenal. He accepted and we left Tulare on a very hot afternoon. On the way to Avenal, we began to see small cu's developing over the West Ridge but they were so high above the ridge that we discounted them, but not entirely. In fact, we wondered just how much higher they were and what was causing them. But being so high, we guessed they might be some upper level disturbance and probably not associated with anything we might be able to catch and soar in. That assessment was sort of borne out by the fact that as we approached Avenal we encountered no turbulence at all until we descended to about 2500 agl.

3. On the ground at Avenal it was HOT. And we were there for about an hour and a half, and no students showed up. So I began to think about getting back to Fresno. Alex and I vacillated about flying, one minute agreeing to get out the Blanik, the next minute, I'm remembering all the things I needed to do at home. This went on for about half an hour, and finally I decided that being hot, and not knowing for sure what was happening aloft, I guessed that just about the time we pulled the glider out and launched, those cu's would disappear and our flight would be a sled ride. What a terrible assessment that would turn out to be.

4. Some time after I left, Alex finally decided to test the West Ridge and pulled the Blue Whale out for what he thought might be a brief ride. As he tells it, once he got to the West Ridge, it was all straight up with no pause until he reached just about 14,000 msl. He estimated he could have gone higher but with no oxygen, he wasn't legal above that altitude. In fact, the FAR's state that oxygen must be used anytime one goes above 12,500 msl for more than thirty minutes and at all times above 14,000 msl. He was amazed at the height since he had never been that high at Avenal in all the years of flying there, particularly in his open class sailplane, the Nimbus 3. Here he was flying our venerable Schweizer 2-33 and looking down on the earth from that altitude. Little did I know what I missed until Alex sent me an email of his grand flight. There were several times during our conversation on the patio when I said out loud, "Maybe we should go up and see what that's all about". That was as close as I got to seeing Avenal from on high.

5. Alex, Dan Gudgel, and Walt Rogers are all trying to understand what weather conditions caused such a phenomenal shear line. When all the analyses are in from the experts, I'll post them on this site. In the meantime, all one can do is "wish you were there". Just think of how many soaring records could have been achieved by not just our licensed member pilots, but our student pilots as well. I can just imagine Hannah, Jack, Andrea, and the rest of the young people getting up that high. Now that would have been a thrill. more info

1. I arrived at Avenal just as Joe Anastasio was launching in the Blanik. It started out as a hot day and just got hotter. The peak temp was around 103 and perhaps a bit higher since I didn't read it again as the time struck 5:00 pm, usually the hottest time of the day. Thermals were everywhere but not necessarily easy to find. Our members did quite well, with most remaining aloft for over an hour each time. The longest flight of the day was Joe A who finally came back down after a good 2-hour plus flight.

2. Joe Phillips was down from the Bay Area this weekend and he flew two flights, both lasting about an hour each. On his last flight, his pattern was a bit lower than he planned and he made it over the fence with a bit to spare. So he and I went aloft to see how his pattern procedures were being followed and after two flights and an oral review, I think he's back to his good procedural flying in the pattern.

3. Dave Johnson arrived in his Decathlon and also flew two flights, both of which were excellent in both time aloft and height reached. Dave is progressing very well towards his add-on rating. He seems to be taking this thermalling stuff to heart and his achievements aloft prove that out.

4. Alex Caldwell was on hand but didn't fly a glider. He planned on flying the RV-3 late in the afternoon but most of us were gone home by that time.

5. It was a very good day for finding and remaining in thermals so those who have been frustrated by the lack of good thermalling in the past should have been here today. Well, the good thermalling weather is upon us so even though it's in the heat of the summer, Avenal is the place to be. more info

1.The Teel Family, Patriarch Oren Teel, his daughter, Toy (Teel) Marlette, Edgar Teel, Alexandre Teel, and Marshall Marlette all arrived at Avenal determined to not only fly in a glider, but experience weightlessness for the first time. And with one exception, all did just that. The real eye-opener is that Toy Marlette, who as you may recall from past stories, is Hanna Marlette's Mom, not only went aloft again but this time insisted on going weightless. A great sport, that lady. In addition, and perhaps even more amazing, is that Oren Teel took his very first glider ride, and first small aircraft ride in more than 20 years. I was shocked when he said he'd like to experience weightlessness just like the three others before him. Now that's incredible because he is undoubtedly the most senior passenger ever to experience that sensatio