WSPA’s Members enjoyed a fun Week in Moriarty

A wonderful and probably too short seminar week is over. Friday morning Moriarty’s skies still looked fair, but by shortly after noon the clouds grew bigger, some started to rain while others sent down lightning flashes. Was this the final fireworks to garnish our five days of soaring, or was the weather especially brewed to make for an easier travel back home?

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Cathy prepares Aeolus for the day

The morning after: Gail is still all smiles

Kristin and the local nespaper announcing the night show

Guess who is who...

after one of these huge thundershowers

Canadian guests

Surfing on the ramp

Moriarty's new airfield layout

Big skies, big clouds...

Big skies, big clouds...

To be honest, the last week did not provide typical Moriarty-Weather, but it is Monsoon season, probably a little early, and therefore nobody was too surprised. Only the Monday was not really soarable, but good enough for some gliding. Everybody was invited to fly in the pattern and so finally all the girls were able to receive a field check out. Albuquerque’s Soaring Club had opened their huge hangar and pulled out several different gliders to be used by seminar participants: Grob 103’s, a Schweizer 2-33, a Schweizer 1-26, and a Libelle. A great choice!

Kristin and the local nespaper announcing the night show

Kristin and the local newspaper announcing the night show

Kristin Farry immediately fell in love with the club’s 1-26. After some first thermal test-flights she decided to take the oldtimer up for a five-hour silver-badge flight: “The first three and a half hours went by quickly. I was busy doing a little cross country, but then the sky started to overdevelop a bit, and I flew closer to the field.” Waiting in weaker thermals, sometimes lower than desired, Kristin managed to stay up for five hours, well observed by two long time 1-26 lovers, Bulldog (Pete Vredenburg) and Aeolus (Cathy Williams). Waiting for their friend, they almost missed the barbecue…

Cathy prepares Aeolus for the day

Cathy prepares Aeolus for the day

Cathy used her WSPA week to get ready for the 1-26 contest, which will also be held in Moriarty in August. She had several electrical problems to solve in her glider and did her first flight just using the seat of her pants which worked almost perfect! Usually she is the only female contestant in the “Flying Circus”, but this year she hopes to be joined by Kristin. And the fun contest has still some more open slots!

The morning after: Gail is still all smiles

The morning after: Gail is still all smiles

The best day of the week (Wednesday) could be used for some extended flights – unfortunately it was my husband’s day… But my fellow club members Gail Schipper and Kate Kennedy, who brought Boulder’s Schweizer 1-34 to Moriarty, used the opportunity to execute a lead and follow flight guided by Billy Hill. Kate and Billy went up in a Duo Discus, a private ship owned by the seminar’s host Conny Buenafe. True, the two different gliders did not really match, but Gail could well keep up with the Duo Discus: “We always met in the thermal and my glider often climbed better than my friends’ high performance two-seater!” Gail logged 247 points on OLC, Kate followed with another 110 points, and Boulder’s pilots are proud of their female members!

Wednesday night we were treated to Bob Carlton’s first night flying show over Moriarty. The public had been invited by newspaper, and a local radio station followed the pyro-equipped Jet-Salto performing some aerobatic maneuvers in the dark New Mexican Skies. Bob had filled the Salto’s wings and tail with a variety of different fireworks, and so his glider was well visible while flying between the lightshow-effects. Wonderful!

after one of these huge thundershowers

after one of these huge thunder showers

The WSPA-Moriarty week ended with an awards banquet and big thanks to all the people who had made the seminar happen. We also recognized Sarah Arnold’s huge success in France. She represented the American Women Pilots in an exceptional way: a third place in the WWGC Club Class, amazing performance! At home, in Moriarty, I was awarded with the AML-Trophy for the longest flight in the past year, but that’s my OLC-colleagues’ story.