We returned to New Castle, Virginia today to pick up our motor home and continue on to Chilhowee Gliderport in Tennessee, where we will stay for the week and the Oktoberfest. The weather was beautiful (in contrast to the Region 4 South contest hosted by the Blue Ridge Soaring Society two weeks earlier). Coming around the trailer barn I was stunned about the sight. The staging area at the north end looked like an anthill crawling with kids and adults. What was going on here? It was the BRSS’s “I always wanted to fly a glider” weekend. A boy scout group had already spent a night at the airport but many more adventurous souls descended on the airport on Sunday. A table was set up with food and cold lemonade and water. (We were invited to the left-over hamburgers, a welcome lunch after an over four hour drive). Four double seaters (two L-23s and two ASK21s) towed by a Calair and a Pawnee hauled the kids up one after another. All came back with big smiles on their faces. Some BRSS members also flew their single seaters. The last flight landed at 6:30 PM.

It was a great day for BRSS, resulting in 37 flights, one new member and a “person of interest” and also a prospective new member for my club—Tidewater Soaring!

I am wondering how many of the youngsters who took to the air today will remember this day and one day will come back and sign up as a student pilot.