Oh What A Triangle It Could Have Been!

Message from Nyal Williams:

Hey! How's about a triangle: Greenfield, Greencastle, Greensburg?

Reply message from Jeff Melin:

Great idea, especially after all this rain.

Start out from 4I7 heading SE over the heavily wooded and flooded White River Valley to Greensburg (I34). You should clear the woods after you cross the river. Nothing but muddy croplands now all the way to Greensburg, same on the second leg to Pope (GFD).

The third leg will probably offer the best lift as you cruise over the large warehouses and factories of Indy's East side. Don't worry about the Class C airspace, you should not have any trouble staying above the top. I'd advise crossing on the south side of town; that way you will only have Ebound departing traffic in your face instead of arrivals for two runways behind you (at your generous altitude.) The key to success on this leg is that you are all composite and you are going to shut your radio off on leaving GFD. You are accustomed to that any way, so you won't be distracted by ATC or some pissed-off pilot who almost tee-boned you. This route offers many big lift producers starting with the gas/coke plant on the SE side, National Starch just SW of downtown, and then bear off to the SW over Kentucky Ave and just porpose in the lift over the garbage burner on S Tibbs and the IPALCO power plant just SE of IND. From there you have it made just soaring above the heat donated by all those heavy trucks on I-70 all the way back to Putnam County.

Bathe in the glory of your triumph after landing, enjoy a cold one with your buddies. What is that whining noise? Uh Oh, its that pesky National Guard F-16 you ducked in those clouds a few miles back. He spotted YJ out on the field. Better get her in the box quick and hit the road, the feds will be here in about 45 minutes. If you get the chance to do the math, you will discover..........SHIT! it was only 264.28 kM...........doesn't even qualify for Gold Distance!

Click to enlarge. A Report From Houston Hi All, Things are going pretty well. I have finished training on the EMB-145 and started flying the line. Also found a great soaring club here. Their web site is www.houstonsoaring.org . I have also checked out as a tow pilot and towed last Sunday morning. We have a Pawnee and an Ag wagon. Our gliders are Blanik L-13 and L-23, SGS 1-26, Lark and a Libelle. The club owns the field and it is 5000 feet long. They also have a real nice steel construction hangar for the club ships and some of the private ships. I was finally able to take my parents up in a glider. They were passing through Houston on the way back to IND. Just a little lift that day, but was able to get two 40 minute flights out of it with the visibility at about 30 miles. Hope all is well. – John Cotter, calpilot737@earthlink.net

Manfred Radius Supports CISS at Mt. Comfort Airshow
In the waning moments up to the 2003 Mt. Comfort Airshow, Dave Newill was asked if we (CISS) would mind helping Manfred Radius with his aerobatic glider act during the airshow. Dave quickly put together a team (no small feat!) of club members, and all were asked to attend a briefing by Manfred on Friday, September 12. Our duties were to help him move and launch his glider (a Salto H101), and to hold up the poles during his inverted ribbon cut pass at the end of his show. The morning meeting was followed by a practice flight in the afternoon where everything was rehearsed (Friday is media day while Saturday and Sunday are the public airshow days). It is very odd being on the other side of the spectator fence with everyone looking at you. It is also very strange watching a glider coming at you upside down and moving 110 kph just a few feet above the ground! During each of his performances, Manfred recommended to everyone over the public address that if they would like to try flying gliders to go and learn with the CISS at Terry. Manfred also did a night performance using flares. You should have seen the package of fireworks that was shipped to him through the mail! Many thanks to Dave Newill for putting this effort together and all who volunteered. Pictures to come later.

– Keith Marshall