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Hi all,
Not to worry I wont be clogging any inboxes, but I just thought it’d be worth passing on a bit of news this once.
I made it out to Williams Soaring, my new flying base here in California for the first time yesterday. First order of business is an area check with an instructor. I flew us both in an ASK21B. Very impressive aircraft. Smooth and docile as can be. I can see why people like them so much. It felt like a cross between the krosno and the PW-5. It was extremely quiet. Even for a glider. It definitely didnt feel as nimble as a single place ship though.
Unfortunately we had a lot of clouds roll in so I didnt get to finish the area check. I’ll do the rest of it along with a checkout in an ASW 23 next time I’m out there.
Being a commercial operation, things run a bit differently than sky soaring but the mood is still light and everyone knows each other. Procedures were very similar to what I’m used to with two exceptions
1. They start tows with the glider off the runway in a staging area and pointed at a 45 degree angle from the takeoff direction. The glider started to hop off the ground halfway through the turn onto the runway !
2. All the landings here are done tail wheel first. I assume that’s because they have a shorter paved runway, and all of their gliders have much more substantial tail wheels than what we had the club. I didnt have any trouble with it but it will take a little getting used to.
One more fun fact – once the staff found out I had come from Chicago they sent me over to meet John Cochrane, who also just relocated from Chicago and the Chicago Glider Club. I got to talk to him for a while. I gather some of you all know him as well.
- So that’s my update. I should be back out there flying again in a couple weeks. Hope you all get some good weather before the winter sets in!
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Hey Logan, was there a good reason why your Williams Soaring wants their
gliders off on a 45 at the start?
Was it for Xwind correction?-
It’s an operational thing. They do the 45 angle so they can start takeoff
from the staging area next to the runway, and they do that so they can
keep the flight line clear all the time. Their runway is busier than sky
soaring and much smaller.
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Thanks for the West Coast update Logan, it sounds like that will be a fun place to fly out of. Do They fly all year long there?
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They told me they fly year round but during the winter it’s mainly just
training. The weather is still flyable but there won’t be much in the way
of lift until spring again. Might be a good chance to digest a self
launch endorsement!They also mentioned occasioanlly they can get some wave lift during the
winter but it’s pretty rare .
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