Parowan’s Paradise – Ed Salkeld Wins the Stevenson Trophy

Congratulations to Ed Salkeld

Congratulations to Ed Salkeld

Parowan’s ramp is almost empty. Towpilot John Templeton is waiting for a new group to show up. Some pilots are still staying, hoping for the thunderstorms to end. The 4th of July has been a little too moist to fly. Most motorglider pilots left Wednesday morning after the contest was over. Although we had another interesting soaring day and the camp officially was not yet over, most camp participants decided to derig and headed further out to Ely or travelled back to their homes. Were they tired after ten days in Parowan? Well, the pilots from the Eastern States will have to drive for some days, 1,500 miles or even more.

During the second half of the ASA camp we saw some more 1,000 km flights. Thorsten Streppel, Mike McGlothlen and Bill Gawthrop, who had joined later, were able to top the magic number. Unfortunately, Parowan’s guests could not fly any 1,000 km triangles this year. Mike McGlothlen and Ed Salkeld competed several days for the two top positions. One day Mike was first; the next day it was Ed. They were closely followed by three or four other pilots who could score better every day, but on the last day Ed won the trophy and Mike came in second – only a few points behind. Congratulations to a great performance over nine contest days!

Lynn Owens had volunteered to do the scoring this year. Together with ASA’s president Steve Dee she handed over the trophy, a big silver plate. Based on OLC-Plus points Lynn could figure out who did best. Her husband Russ, who had won the trophy in 2012, competed in his new Phoenix touring motorglider, which has a good handicap but could not perform as well as the high performance ships in the sometimes spotty thermals. Some clouds were really too far away, and crossing through lines of virga, the next thermal can be too far away with an L/D of 32:1. Al and Susan Simmons experienced similar difficulties in their new Stemme S6 (L/D 34:1). But the crews of the two-seat touring ships took turns or invited other camp participants and so could learn from each other.

Susan and Al Simmons enjoyed their new toy

Susan and Al Simmons enjoyed their new toy

The last flying day day in Parowan took me right over Zion National Park. Colorful red rocks to the West mark Kolob Canyon, and the more popular area, where tourists from all over the world enjoy a walk in the river bed is not easy to find. It is somewhere deep down in one of the hundreds of Canyons, where it is really hot and crowded. I enjoyed my “quality time” about 12,000 feet higher, staying cool all on my own. What a view!

Looking at the OLC scores of the last two weeks we had the same impressions as in 2012: Ely again had the better numbers. Mitch Polinski flew eight days in a row, five flights of over 1,000 OLC points. Want to learn more about a great soaring summer in the West? Look for an interview with the exhausted but very happy pilot in OLC-Magazine!

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Rolf Siebert and Thorsten Streppel

Aerial view of Zion National Park

Tom Seim and Mike McGlothlen

Wildfires, one of these Western impressions...

Parowan's line crew

Tom Vayda, Bob Caldwell and Coliin Barry enjoy the last night

Kolob Canyon

Lynn Owens: "And he winner is..."