CISS – My first 100 days

My first 100 days of soaring:

Part 2, the second 50 days

By Gerry Whitson

It will be hard to top the first 50 days of my soaring life, but there are still a

number of goals I want to achieve before the 100 day point. They include

flying my ASW-15, soloing the Grob 103, taking my commercial glider check-ride

and being awarded my Bronze badge.

Day 58 (05/30/04)

My first flight since obtaining my private rating.
Total flights = 37

Day 64 (06/05/04)

My second crew day towing gliders. I flew 25 tow flights for a total of 2.2 hours in the Pawnee.

Day 65 (06/06/04)

My first flight with a passenger. My son Brent took a ride with me.
I flew one dual training flight in the Grob 103. Tandem wheel training.
My first flight in the clubs PW5.
I flew two additional flights in the PW5 for a total of 1+05 minutes flight time.
Total flights = 42

Our clubs PW5

Day 71 (06/12/04)

I flew two flights in the clubs PW5 and was signed off to transition into

my ASW-15.

Total flights = 44

Day 72 (06/13/04)

I assembled my ASW-15 and received a cockpit and glider familiarization check from Terry Wools, the previous owner. Due to a strong cross-wind, I did not fly.

Day 78 (06/19/04)

Two flights in my ASW-15

Received another cockpit and glider familiarization check.
Takeoffs and tows were a little shaky. Let’s just say the glider is

very responsive to control inputs. Soaring and landings

went very well. The flights lasted 36 minutes and 1+34 minutes.

The second flight qualified me for my “C” badge which requires

a flight of at least one hour. I could have stayed up longer, but I

had to relieve myself. This is an area that every glider pilot will

have to find a solution too.

Total flights = 46

My ASW-15 (N15LJ)

Day 79 (06/20/04)

1 flew one dual training flight in our Grob 103. This was my Grob 103 solo check-out and included cross-country training. The flight lasted for 1+06 minutes and I received my solo endorsed.
Total flights = 47

For the next 16 days I vacationed in Tehachapi, CA. I golfed most mornings,

soared in the afternoons and attended the International Cessna 170 Associations annual convention events. It was a great vacation. My son was with me for the first nine days

before he headed home. The second week my girlfriend, her two kids, and my brother joined me.

SkyLark North does not allow rental aircraft to be taken on cross country flights, so all my flights were in or around the Tehachapi valley. As seen from Mountain Valley airport (4200’ msl), home of SkyLark North glider port, the layout of the area is as follows:

Tehachapi, CA

Mountain Valley airport

North = Sierra Nevada Mountains

East = GE wind turbine farms

South = Tehachapi Mountains

West = Stallion springs / Bear springs valley

SkyLark North Headquarters

Each flight in the valley started with a tow into the Tehachapi Mountains. Once off tow,

I would ride lift up to 10,000 or 11,000 feet. At that point I’d head out and explore. Upon descending to an altitude of 8000’, I would head back to the Tehachapi Mountains for more lift. Horse Thief Golf Course, which is about 15 miles west of the glider port, was the farthest point I reached. Horse Thief is one of the two golf courses I played and

I highly recommend it if your in the area.

Weak lift could be found in the valley at lower altitudes. I did not spend a lot of time

thermalling in the valley. Flying in the mountains was much more fun. During most of my flights, I practiced maneuvers for my commercial check-ride. It goes without saying that my soaring technique is in its infancy and brute force verses finesse was my normal mode when soaring. That could explain why two of my riders got sick and two others became light headed. Or it could have been the altitude, heat and what they ate for lunch. I like the latter. Climb rates ranged from +10 knots to – 10 knots. I prefer the +10 knots better. Other traffic in the valley was not a problem. Power aircraft transition through the Tehachapi valley as they fly between Bakersfield and Mojave.

Here is a summary of my soaring at SkyLark North:

Day 87 - 99 (06/28/04 – 07/10/04))

Check-out flights. My instructor (Mark) checked my logbooks and gave me the “operation and safety procedures” to read. Once both of us completed our reading, we spent the next 30 minutes asking and answering questions. I would be flying in a Grob 103 for the next 14 days. This is the type of aircraft my club flies.

§ The first flight was a tow to 2000 feet and lasted 62 minutes

· Area familiarization

· Thermal, shear line and ridge flying

· Steep turns

· Flight at minimum controllable airspeed (MCA)

· I overshoot my turn to final. It was a combination

of crosswind and altitude (airport is at 4200’ msl)

§ Second flight was pattern altitude 1000 feet (agl)

§ Third flight was a rope break

Check-out complete and I’m ready to explore the valley on my own.

Summary of my SkyLark North adventure

Total number of flights/time = 13 flights for 17.6 hours
Tow altitudes ranged from 2000’ to 4000’ (agl)
Shortest duration flight 10 minutes
Longest duration flight 3+10 minutes
Highest altitude reached = 13,200’ (msl)
Highest altitude gain after release = 5,200’
One self launch (no one holding the wing during take-off)

Passengers;

Brent Whitson, my son
Allyson Ferry, my girlfriend’s daughter
Louise Bickford, member of the Cessna 170 association
Beth Hess , member of the Cessna 170 association
John Hess, member of the Cessna 170 association
Collin Ferry, my girlfriend’s son

As of day 100, I’ve accumulated:

60 glider flights

Flight time = 33.9 hours.
Solo time = 25.1 hours.
35 Flights in a Blanik L-23
18 flights in a Grob II
2 flights in an ASW-15
5 flights in a PW5

Tow pilot experience

Total Pawnee (PA-25) flight time = 11.4 hours
Total number of tows = 81

Awarded my “A”, “B” and “C” badges
Time accumulated flying my Cessna 170 between JVY – I99

Total flight time = 47.6

My closing thoughts:

Go out and get your glider add-on rating. It is relatively easy, a lot

of fun and will improve your stick and rudder skills. It also counts as a BFR.

Dehydration is an issue that requires a lot of attention. I purchased

clothing that is SPF 40. This includes a hat, pants, shirt and mittens that

cover the backs of your hands. Sitting under the clear canopy for hours at

a time is very intense. See “References” for a few websites that specialize in

this type of clothing. Drinking plenty of fluids is a must and I purchased

a water bladder from a local camping store. The water bladder brings us back

to relieving yourself while soaring. Good luck, I’m not going there.

The Bronze badge is next on my list of goals for 2004. In 2005, I will

be working very hard towards my Silver and Gold Badges.

I plan on taking my commercial glider check-ride within the next 45 days.
If you are near Tehachapi, CA stop by and fly @ SkyLark. They are

friendly and professional people, the scenery spectacular and the soaring conditions are ideal.

Joining the Central Indiana Soaring Society was the best choice.
I hope this article helps you make your decision to get your glider add-on rating.

I want to thank everyone who has made my journey into soaring so successful

and fulfilling. This includes, but not limited to: all the members of Central Indiana Soaring Society, Larry and Jane Barett, the owners of SkyLark North and the entire SkyLark North staff. And a special thanks to my primary instructor at CISS, Nyal Willliams. I’m going to finish out 2004 getting to know my ASW-15. Next year

will be spend on cross country flying.

References

- Tow Pilot Manual – Burt Compton

- Commercial Pilot Glider Check-ride

- Cross-Country Manual for Glider Pilots – Dean Carswell

- Websites

o www.centralindianasoaringsociety.org (my soaring club)

o www.ssa.org (Soaring Society of America)

o www.sundayafternoons.com (UV clothing)

o www.sunprecautions.com (UV clothing)

Blue Skies,

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