CISS WINGTIPS. Mark This Date! THE MONTHLY VOICE OF INDIANA SOARING. Relax, and. Here" In This Issue

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1 In This Issue CISS WINGTIPS THE MONTHLY VOICE OF INDIANA SOARING What is the least expensive part of a sailplane and why is it important? Find out from new Instructor, Mike Nichols What is proper gaggle etiquette and its implications for safety? Ron Clarke provides some insight The Top Ten List: Best Things About Soaring as presented by veteran pilot, John Earlywine Season Schedule Finalized A Piece of Soaring History by Paul Schweizer Relax, and enjoy As you embark upon this month s issue and contemplate the rapidly advancing flying season, sit back and turn your speakers on to enjoy a musical interlude. Click Mark This Date The annual Safety Meeting kicks off our soaring season this year on March 29. The meeting, due to the significance of safety in all club operations, is mandatory. Proceedings get underway at 9:00 AM. See more detailed information on page 6." Here" 1

2 A Piece of Soaring History History of the Snowbird The Snowbird Contest - The Early Years" By Paul Schweizer" Februar y Board Meeting 2014 Flying Schedule determined: Annual Safety Meeting / Commencement of Flight Operations: March 29 6 Social Cookout Events have been scheduled A 100-Flight attempt has been scheduled In 1939, the Elmira Area Soaring Corp., the predecessor of Harris Hill Soaring Corp, had a paid full time manager named Maury Waters. His job was to raise operating funds for the EASC from the community so he could supervise an active promotion of soaring at Harris Hill, including contests and other activities, with the purpose that this area would continue to be called The Soaring Capital Of America. Maury's effort in 1939 was to broaden the activity at Harris Hill over a greater portion of the year." Continued, next page The Board is reviewing possible sites for an away weekend of operations Wednesday flying is confirmed The club will participate in the AOPA Town Hall Meeting at Indianapolis Regional Next Month: Sailplane Parts, Part 2" An Interesting Land Out Story" The Season Begins" Want to set a State Soaring Record? 2

3 He came up with the idea of having a contest over the long Thanksgiving weekend. Twenty-two pilots and 10 sailplanes entered in the contest including: Stan Corcoran with his Cinema IT, Floyd Sweet with his Rhonbussard, Stan Smith with his two-place side-by-side City of Utica, Bob Auburn with the SSA Schweizer 2-8 sailplane and two Franklins." One of the longest running soaring contests, the 70th annual Snowbird will be held in November 2012" Video of the Month Have you ever seen a 1930 s era amphibious glider launched by a motor boat and flown by a gorgeous female pilot? No? Well, then watch this: watch?v=m-asrqecl-c Soaring Mt. Everest. Wow Here is a simply amazing bit of video. While you and I were getting ready to watch the Super Bowl, Klaus Ohlmann flew his Stemme Motor Glider around the summit of Everest. Copy & Paste: v=atnnwnllut8 Most of the contest flights were from winch tow, although Pete Peters of Ithaca came down with his towplane and made a few tows. The competition was the total duration of all contest flights made by a pilot, and altitude. The best total duration of 4 hrs and 31 minutes was made by Bob Auburn in the SSA 2-place giving soaring flights to SSA members, and the best altitude was 500, above release by Floyd Sweet. Seven pilots made official flights. There was no entry fee or tow charges and a $240 prize fund was distributed among the pilots that scored points. A banquet was held in the administration building." In writing up the report of the contest for the December 1939 Soaring, Bob Auburn titled the report "Snowbird", for as usually happens some time during these meets, there were some snow flurries. This is how the contest got it's name. Ernie and I attended this contest, for we were just in the process of forming SAC and moving up from Peekskill, N.Y. to the Elmira Heights Knitting Mill where the Elmira Aviation Ground School was located." With the increase in activity of many aviation people in preparing for a possible war, no Snowbird was held in Instead a "Keep Em Flying" contest was held at the Wurtsboro Gliderport on the weekend of Dec 6-7, It 3

4 More on the Safety Meeting Making the most of Safety Meeting by Mike Nichols Its always a good idea to start the season off with a flight or two with an instructor. Our annual mandatory Safety Meeting Saturday March 29, 2014 (policy manual page 5), can be used for the 1 hour of ground training required for a flight review with your instructor's approval. A flight review consists of 1 hour of ground training and 1 hour of flight training. However a Glider pilot may substitute a minimum of three instructional flights to at least pattern for the 1 hour of flight training. Why not get a flight review every spring? Tow pilots need a flight review like glider pilots but they must also must be current to tow. One way is for the tow pilot to make 3 flights in a glider as PIC every 24 months. Why not get a flight review in a glider taking 3 flights (pilot is the PIC) thereby killing two birds with one stone? Editor Note: No birds will actually be killed if we can help it was during the meet on Sunday that Ginny Mayer, who was sitting in a car with the radio on, keeping the flight records, came running out shouting that Pearl Harbor had been attacked by the Japanese. With war breaking out, sport flying was not permitted near the coasts and most soaring people were involved in the war effort, so no Snowbirds meets were held from 1941 thru 1945." The Snowbirds were started again in 1946 and continued each year thereafter, so this year's 1997 snowbird was the fifty fifth. Over the years the size of the Snowbird meets has varied." In the 1950s there was an international flavor, since many Canadian pilots attended to get ridge soaring experience. One year there were over twenty Canadians that attended." " (Copyright 1997, Paul Schweizer)" 4

5 Dynamic Soaring Just what is Dynamic Soaring? This short video provides a great description: (copy & paste): v=xlpi0aoj5mi Pawnee 898: Ready to Fly? Wow, it has been an entire year since the club enjoyed the luxury and reliability of two tow planes. After a great deal of hard work by Maintenance Chief, Ed Escalon, and his staff of crack volunteers, Pawnee 878 promises to be back in service at the dawn of the new season. Thank you to Ed and crew. Badge Camp Reminder What a great way to earn a badge or maybe even establish a State Soaring record Badge Camp - there s fun, adventure, camaraderie and more It is a full week of intense immersion into cross country soaring. This will undoubtedly be one of the truly memorable soaring experiences of your year. Just the important parts. From time to time we wish to bring you a brief overview of some of the important parts of a sailplane. This month, Mike Nichols talks about the least expensive part of all - the Yaw String.# Yaw String The yaw string is also known as a slip string. It is usually made of a short piece of yarn that is taped to the canopy in clear view of the pilot with canopy closed. It indicates whether an aircraft is in a slip or a skid. The slip-skid indicator ball indicator performs the same function but is usually on the panel not the windscreen and therefore pulls the pilot s eyes back into the cockpit. Yaw String, continued on next page To take advantage of this opportunity, contact Ron Clarke (ZA) and sign up. zasoars@aol.com 5

6 Yaw String, Continued The yaw string is considered a primary flight instrument for most glider pilots and keeping string centered is the way to fly in almost all stages of the flight. Pilots are told to step on the ball to move the ball to the center thereby removing the slip or skid. To center a yaw string you push the rudder pedal that will pull the string to the center. So you push the ball or pull the string. The Wright brothers used a yaw string early on, (1902), and some power planes use today, the U2 for an example. Ref: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Yaw_string Annual Safety Meeting Director of Operation, Duke Koelsch, has called for the annual CISS Safety Meeting to be held at the gliderport in Alexandria on March 29, The meeting gets underway at 9:00 AM in the main hangar bay. This meeting will cover all aspects of safety and field operations. Reports from Maintenance, Facilities, Tow Pilots, Flight Instructors and club president, Mark Rottler will also provide much needed information for smooth operations during the upcoming soaring season. The meeting is a mandatory meeting for all members and serves as the equivalent to a one hour portion of your oral portion of your Flight Review. The 2014 Club Calendar and crew schedules will be passed out as well. Complimentary coffee and donuts will be provided upon your arrival and the club has arranged for lunch in the form of a Subway sandwich, chips, cookie and bottled water to be available for a $5 charge which will be added to your monthly statement. Please confirm your lunch reservation with Rick Hansen at rhansen@aol.com. Duke says: I m excited to see Spring finally arrive and the Central Indiana Soaring Society awaken from its Winter hibernation. Our focus in 2014, just as in the past, will be on conducting safe operations. Please join me Saturday, March 29 for our annual meeting. You will find an agenda on Page 15 of this month s newsletter. See you there 6

7 Etiquette and Safety in a Gaggle TO SOAR SUCCESSFULLY IN INDIANA, PROFICIENCY IN THERMALLING IS A MUST by Ron Clarke Not only is proficiency in thermalling required on your own but also thermalling together with others, even many others. To improve your skills a suggested goal might be to work to get to the point where you really enjoy thermalling, on your own and together with other gliders. Surely many have seen Turkey Buzzards or Hawks in summer, often three or more together in thermal updrafts where it seems that perhaps they have some unwritten rules they agree to when flying in close formation in thermals. Of course they have the natural advantage of being highly maneuverable and can as well flap their way out of trouble when needed, but my observations are that they usually all fly circles in the same direction, making small adjustments to stay in the best lift and when leaving the lift they seem to do it with grace. If in fact they do have rules, well so do we in Soaring and I'll remind you of the important ones ahead in this article. Continued on Next Page. 7

8 To begin here's a test you might try on yourself by asking : When thermalling are you really comfortable, or could you even say that you really enjoy thermalling? If so then is that true when you are : On your own in a thermal? Together with one other glider? Together with five other gliders in the same thermal? Remember the suggested goal should be to at least be very comfortable when thermalling with several other gliders in the same thermal. So how does one get there? The answer is one step at a time and here are some suggestions : * Become proficient at making good constant turns at very constant speeds both to the LEFT and to the RIGHT as you don't always get to choose the direction of turn in thermals unless you are flying alone. For practice try to alternate left and right turning circles as you go from thermal to thermal when on your own. * Become good at constant speed turns ( no more than 2 knot speed variation ) in 30, 40 and 50 degree banked turns. * Know the rules when joining others in thermals : * Announce your intention to join a gaggle on the radio - for example " Alpha Zulu joining the gaggle over Alexandria town from the west at 4300 msl." * Keep a very good look out - Keep your head on a swivel. * Join the gaggle in the same direction and from the outside of the circle - slotting in to a position where all the other gliders can see you, and you can see them too. Usually only two or three gliders can be turning in a thermal at the same altitude and still be in visual contact with each other. * Keep your spacing with the others constant. * Don't try to out climb others by cutting inside of them in a very tight turn. * When leaving the thermal do so by leaving on a tangent and not by flying through the center of the thermal lift. * Some No No's : * Never fly directly behind another glider as you turn. Ask yourself how you would like to have a glider flying behind you when you can't see it. * Never enter a thermal with excessive speed. Pulling up and gaining altitude as you join the gaggle is a recipe for a mid air collision. * Leave the thermal if you are uncomfortable and go fly in your own thermal, but remember you need to find a way to be more comfortable so maybe go up with an instructor to practice flying together with others in thermals as he or she may be able to give you some good pointers. Continued on next page.. 8

9 Hungry Yet? I know I ve mentioned this already elsewhere in the newsletter, but if you do not want to go home hungry from our annual Safety Meeting you really do need to reserve a lunch by ing Rick Hansen at rhansen@aol.com. $5 and potential hunger problem settled. Gaggle Etiquette, Cont. * NEVER play with or adjust instruments when flying with other gliders in thermals - keep your eyes outside the cockpit. Practice makes Perfect - there is no substitute Photos As you can see from this month s issue of Wingtips, I really do try to include a lot of graphics. Please start capturing special moments you witness at the field (or elsewhere) and them to me with a caption. Address is maynard.kris@gmail.com. - Happy Thermalling ahead in Bob Currie Long time CISS member and Tow Pilot, Bob Currie is seriously ill and in need of any prayers we can send his way. We all wish Bob a speedy and complete recovery. I m sure Bob would enjoy hearing from you. His is thebobcurrie@gmail.com Hurry Back, Bob 9

10 Let s Fly Top 10 List John Earlywine presents his list of the Top 10 Reasons a Glider is Better than a Woman (Uh oh): #10 Lawyers are not necessary to get rid of one #9 If you admire a friend s glider and tell him so, he will probably let you try it out #8 You can have as many as you want at the same time #7 A glider does not ask Does this canopy cover make me look fat? #6 A glider takes up no closet space #5 Whenever you get tired of the old one you can just get a new one #4 You can keep one at each airport for convenience #3 You can rent one in many locations #2 Shopping for your glider at Cumulous Soaring is much more fun than shopping at Zales #1: Lord, when I pass on, please do not let my wife sell my glider for what I told her I paid for it Charles Lindbergh prepares to fly a glider circa 1930 near San Diego. He would become the ninth person in America to earn a First Class Glider Pilot s License. After soaring for the requisite time to obtain his license, he was asked if he was ready to land. He shouted down "I should say not. I'm having the time of my life." He later exclaimed, "that was the most stimulating air ride I've ever had and I'm going to do everything possible to speed the advancement of gliding. Q: What famous person received First Class Glider Pilot s License #10? A: You ll have to wait until next month s Wingtips for the answer 10

11 New Member Profile: Dave Abbott I live Rome City Indiana with my wife Lori. We have five children and nine grand children. Grandchild number 10 is on the way. I work as an engineer for a Tool and die company in Sturgis Michigan and my wife is an office manager for a real estate company. Our lives are very busy. I am the president of our town Council and am involved in our community politics. Our kids are spread out between three states so as you can imagine we travel from one to another quite often. Somehow between my wife's work and my work our involvement in our church and community and of course visiting the kids I have somehow found time for my passion of flying. My first flight in a glider was about four or five years ago when my wife gave me a birthday present as a free ride. That was in Kendallville Indiana and I was hooked immediately l began taking lessons and got my license the following summer. At the time I was flying at 2/33 and 1/36 out of the Kendallville soaring club. It wasn't too long before I started feeling the urge to stretch my legs and go further distances so I bought my first glider an ASW 20. When Kendallville had to close it's airport for the summer to do resurfacing of the runway I got a temporary membership for the summer with Central Indiana Soaring society. That summer I quickly learned that cross-country flying was a way of life in Alexandria. So much so that I realized that I needed to join this club so that I could develop my crosscountry skills with A great bunch of people Who also shared my passion. I am really excited to start flying this spring and have signed up for my first soaring contest at Caesar creek in June the region six South contest. Looking forward to seeing everyone again in a few weeks 11

12 Don Taylor presented with Jim Ross Lifetime Achievement Award. Don Taylor, a CISS Member for nearly three decades, was presented with the Jim Ross Lifetime Achievement Award during the annual CISS Awards Dinner in January. The award recognizes significant long term dedication and commitment to CISS and its membership. Don has, throughout the years served as club president, board member and crew chief among other responsibilities. He has repaired and tuned more club radios than anyone can count. Few are as deserving as is Don to receive this honor. Congratulations (and Thank You ), Don. An Early Report from the U.S. Seniors Soaring Championships# Talk about luck - it's 75 degrees and the cumulus clouds look most inviting - and by the way it's the second day of March. Of course it helps to be a " Senior " and this year CISS is well represented down here in Florida by the elder crowd where around 60 gliders will be flying in this the first soaring contest of the year in the US each year." George and Nancy Saunders are here. So too is John Earlywine who had Rich Smith join him for a few flights during the practice week. Ron and Thea are here too and we expect Nyal Williams and Pete Detore to arrive sometime soon." The very first practice day was nothing short of fantastic - just check OLC - and these early March conditions allowed for flights of around 250 Kms with cloud bases over 5000 msl. The practice week will continue and with a much larger crowd than in earlier years as those who could all fled the frozen north for balmy Florida at the very first opportunity." A pic - getting AXC ( Ron's ride ) ready - more to follow," ZA." 12

13 Look Out John Earlywine was one of the early folks on the scene as a homeowner who lives near the Seminole, FL airport (home the the U.S. Senior Nationals) had to liquidate an aggressive 8 alligator. John reported the following: Shortly after this picture was taken, the gator started swinging his head, snapping his jaws, and swinging his tail while running. I was a blur in that picture getting out of there. " March 2014 Sunday Monday Tuesday Weds. Thursday Friday Saturday st Sunday of Alexandria, the Season Indiana Vernal Equinox (C&P) e.com/ watch? v=afhpri0 ZeXE :00 AM Safety Meeting Season Opens

14 April 2014 Sunday Monday Tuesday Weds. Thursday Friday Saturday :00 AM Wednesday Soaring :00 AM Wednesday Soaring :00 AM Wednesday Soaring Good Friday Easter Sunday :00 AM Wednesday Soaring Insurance Note: (Safety Related) Costello Insurance reports that in 2013, 42% of all insurance losses were reported as the result of operations in which the :00 AM Wednesday Soaring aircraft was not in flight or in the Ground Handling phase. Think about that the next time you are touching a glider. 14

15 Central Indiana Soaring Society Safety Meeting Agenda: 9:00-9:30 President s Message, Mark Rottler 9:30-10:00 Instructor s Message, Dave Stanley and Mike Nichols Est March 15, 2014 Scenes from the 2014 Seniors Soaring Championships Good Luck to John Earlywine, Ron Clarke and George Sanders Ron s ride pictured below, an ARCUS M 10:00-10:30 Tow Pilot s Message, Lynn Joyce 10:30-11:30 Flight Operations / Safety Review, Duke Koelsch 11:30-12:00 Maintenance Update, Ed Escallon 12:00-1:00 Open Forum Questions and Answers 1:00 Lunch, Crew Chief Mtg 2:00 Flight Ops begin with Volunteers 15