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As a reminder for all our flight instructors. You can make yourself available to students for instruction on the bookourplane.com website. Login to your account and click on the little wrench next to your email address at the top of the page. Next, click on “add new time slot available or absent.” Fill out the form when you are either available or absent to instruct. You will receive an email when a student books you. You can also view your schedule by clicking on “Your Flight Instructor Schedule,” “My Bookings” or “Flight Training.”
Re-sending this message out:
My father told me time and time again…”You can make a million mistakes, just don’t make the same mistake twice.”
Last weekend someone that cut the grass using the Hustler mower filled it with kerosene (blue 5 gallon cans) instead of gasoline (red 5 gallon cans) . Oops!!! Mistake. Fortunately, it did not harm the engine but it did take me several hours of work to fix that mistake. It did cost the club about $75 in fuel and parts to repair the mistake.
I do not want to know who put the wrong fuel in the Hustler but, I do ask that you make an anonymous $75 donation to the club to pay for the costs of the repair. Please make your donation in cash and put it in an unmarked envelope in the box.
Remember All !! only regular gasoline goes in all the mowers. RED CANS!!!
Don Grillo
MX ChairmanI’ll bring out my parachute so someone can fly the PW-5. The club chute will be back from inspection on Saturday.
DonAs Larry mentioned a few days ago, there will be a monthly all members Zoom meeting on Wednesday May 27, at 7:00 PM.
I’ll post the meeting zoom link on this forum – one hour before meeting start time. (The forum will email it to you if that’s how you get forum communications.)
If you’ve never used Zoom before I suggest you log in early to verify you connect successfully.
See you tomorrow,
Mike
we once again have extreme flooding out at Sky Soaring due to the rain on Sunday, May 17,. I am wondering if any of our members have a drone that they could take pictures of the flooding? It would have to be done today when the water is extremely high. I think we should have this footage in the event that Sky Soaring needs to take any type of legal action against the Illinois Department of transportation or the contractors that are working on the culvert. If you have a drone and could come out today as early as possible please let me know.
If you have a drone and could come out today as early as possible please let me know.
Don Grillo
Karl wrote:”Why do some of the private ship owners trailers have to be tied down in that low lying swampy area? ”
Karl, good question. We do have a couple of glider trailers tied down out there that never get opened up and the gliders in them never fly. Those trailers could be parked somewhere else on the field so that they are not in the area that floods the most with the deepest water. The far east side of the field comes to mind, near where the honey bee boxes are. They could be parked side by side and they would be out of the way. I hate seeing those trailers sitting in water, and you are correct…not good for the trailer wheels and brakes. Let’s see if we can come up with a solution.
Don
More information is coming out about the towplane crash that happened on May 9th. A dashcam video has emerged that shows the initial launch of a glider being aero-towed. All seems normal until the glider seems to kite while still close to the ground. You can see that the kiting took only 3 seconds. There are reports that the glider was a 1-26 and that the canopy opened shortly after liftoff.
Number one. Always fly the airplane first. It only takes a few seconds to get out of proper tow position. A distraction such as an open canopy doesn’t have to end terribly. What would you have done?
Rich, I’ll take your comments as jokes…
If you can find an instructor to fly dual with you then go for it. It is outlined in our covid-19 safety procedures that have been published…“Dual Flights: No dual flights except with family members or approved by both parties.” The dual flights that have been conducted so far have been approved by both parties. Both pilots are wearing masks and sanitizing before and after flight. Of course during times when people can maintain more than 6 feet of distance, some are removing their masks. Some are wearing gloves and others are using hand sanitizer or doing both.
So far I don’t believe we have had more than 10-12 people out at the field at one time.
Dual Flights so far have been for either, a solo checkout where pilots only need one or maybe two flights to solo again. Some pilots have been authorized by the Flight Chairman to wave the spring checkout flight and have been able to fly solo either in their own personal glider or a club glider.
I don’t believe any of the instructors have done instructional flights with student pilots.
I hope this helps clear up some confusion.
Stay Safe,
Don
P.S. The Sky Soaring covid-19 safety procedures are not written in stone meaning they can change upon the ever changing environment, with BOD approval.
P.S.S. Back to the thread topic: Tuesday is looking like a better soaring day than Wednesday. Blue with lift to 6000.
Hello Sky Soaring…the Self-Health Assessment has been updated. Please review it.
Effective: May 8, 2020
Social Distancing: While on club property, members must follow CDC and IDPH guidelines including distancing, mask wearing, gloves and hand sanitizing. Members are to provide their own supplies for doing this.
Self-Health Assessment: Any member who has or may have been in contact with someone that has been exposed to or inflicted with the Covid-19 virus within the past 14 days must not visit Sky Soaring. Please stay home and follow CDC and IDPH guidelines. Many of our club members are older and are in the high risk category for CV-19.
The following three questions encompass the daily self-health assessment. If you respond “Yes” to any of the questions, please do not visit Sky Soaring:
- Have you had close contact (see below) with a person(s) confirmed or presumed to be infected with COVID-19?
- Please take your temperature using a thermometer. Is your body temperature greater than 100.0°F/37.8°C?
- Are you experiencing any of the following symptoms that are not attributed to a known condition (asthma, COPD, chronic sinusitis, etc.): – Cough – Shortness of breath/difficulty breathing – Sore throat – Runny nose – Nasal congestion – Muscle aches (unrelated to recent physical activity) – Loss of smell and/or taste – Repeated shaking with chills – Diarrhea
Spring Checkouts: Club CFI-G’s and Tow Pilots under age 80 are exempt from the spring checkout requirements. (see SSI Policy and Procedures Manual 3.4).
For rated pilots, “The Flight Committee may waive the requirements in “3.4” for any member who: has, in the prior ninety days acted as PIC of an aircraft, completed a Flight Review or a successful field check at any SSA-recognized facility.” Waivers will be reviewed on a pilot per pilot basis. Members should contact Flight Committee Chairman, Mark Mallamo @ 224-402-0651 for assessment.
Student Pilots: Student pilots will not be able to fly until we can safely meet CDC and IDPH guidelines for social distancing and offer you instructors willing to fly in close quarters. Post solo students will not be able to fly until a CFI-G can legally endorse you for solo.
Instructional Flights: When instructional flights are resumed, pilots needing dual instruction should schedule aircraft and instructors by using the online booking website.
Dual Flights: No dual flights except with family members or approved by both parties.
Aircraft Booking: Club members are urged to use the online booking website (bookourplane.com) to book future dates and times you would like to reserve a club glider and/or a CFI-G. First time use requires registration. Follow this link and register on bookourplane.com. The link and login is also on the skysoaring.com website under booking.
Ground Operations: One person must be designated to run the flight sheet board and booking tablet. One person must be a designated wing runner, cockpit canopy closed during rope hookup. One person should be available to help retrieve gliders after landing. Only One person on a golf cart at a time.
Pilot Lounge/Restroom: Keep pilot lounge and office use to a minimum. Wipe down the computer keyboard with wipes after use. Bathroom toilet and sink wiped down after use. Doorknobs wiped down.
Sanitizing: The PIC is responsible for sanitizing the cockpit after each glider flight. All controls and flight instruments should be wiped down with proper disinfectant. Do not use any alcohol based or hard cleaning products on the canopy as it will harm the plastic, (use plastic cleaner only.) Tow pilots are required to sanitize the tow plane cockpit before any shift change or when putting away the tow plane at the end of operations.
Private Ship Owners: Private ship owners may fly anytime there is an operation on the field. Use social distancing when assembling/disassembling or towing your ship to the grid. Use your tow-out gear or a golf cart using one other person to run your wing for towing to the grid. Stage your sailplane off the runway. Grid your sailplane yourself or with a minimum of outside assistance.
Landout Considerations: Private ship owners should have his/her retrieve vehicle ready in the event of a landout. Retrieve personnel should be briefed in advance and use proper PPE equipment while in the vehicle and during the retrieve.
Day member flights: No day member flights until the “stay at home” order has been rescinded or the BOD decides. Day member flights will be by appointment only. Each person in possession of a gift certificate will be notified by email or phone or when they purchase a gift certificate via the skysoaring.com website.
Weekday Flight Ops: On good soaring weather days, pilots may schedule operations the morning of by sending out an email to see who might be interested in getting flight operations going. Many times these are private ship owners who want to take advantage of the good soaring weather. The same CDC and IDPH guidelines must be followed.
Policy Updates: These procedural changes may be updated at any time by the SSI Board of Directors. Please watch for changes to this document via the skysoaring.com website in the message forum.
Sky Soaring Board of Directors
