In February I attended the SSA Convention in Reno and I learned about the Let’s Go Gliding! campaign. This is an extraordinary initiative that can benefit the sport of soaring, especially if all it’s members (or at least the active ones) would get involved and really promote soaring and the campaign. During the convention everybody…
This is the second of two videos I made shot over two days of soaring a few weeks ago. Launching from Hurricane, Utah a few high performance sailplanes explored the low altitude soaring potential of several southern Utah parks and landmarks. This video shows us enjoying the amazing red rock cliffs and deep gulleys of…
The last blog of the year 2011 for Soaring Café. Good to hear our cooperation continues in 2012 as Bill and Rand seem to “be delighted to have me in the Soaring Café Team”! I love it as well and when you like it as readers too, it is all OK, as…the reader is the boss. Time to…
Here’s a five-minute video from the Discovery/Science channel that shows how a modern factory-built composite glider is made. The original was broadcast in April, 2010.
224km racing task. The sky looked absolutely amazing–and it was. Jim and I decided that we should really give these boys a run for their money and attempt to team fly. It did help because the clouds were so big that it was much more efficient to search for the core. The task was a…
The smile on his face says it all. On his 14th birthday, Jesse Haggerty IV, completed his first solo flight. Jesse lives in Eufala, Al and has been flying with the Southern Eagles Soaring club located in LaGrange, GA. Jesse can’t wait until the Spring soaring season starts, so be can work on his badges…
Tomorrow is the official practice day of JoeyGlide 2011 in Kingaroy Australia. The planning for us started back in March’ish, when Adam Woolley mentioned we should come fly. Adam is the CD and has been working diligently for the past year preparing for this. I met Adam during the first JoeyGlide in 2004 when I…
www.soaring.eu More places in Africa welcome overseas guests to enjoy great soaring circumstances! From Potchefstroom in SA another great flight last week from well known pilot Oscar Goudriaan.Here is the news I received and share with you. “Oscar declared a 1000 km FAI triangle: Potchefstroom-Dealsville-Pomfret-Potchefstroom, and came close, landing out nears Klerksdorp some 60 km…
A friend suggested to me that I should write up a summary of my 2011 soaring season, so here it is: 12 contests total: Clermont, FL (Seniors): placed 4th overall – best I’ve ever done there Perry, SC (R5N): Landed out on 1st day, wound up 12th out of 19 Chilhowee, TN (Sports Class Nationals):…
A big event for the Vihlen Family this past Saturday, November 5th, as another Vihlen boy soloed a glider. 15 year old Preston Vihlen soloed on a beautiful day at Hawks Nest (4TN3), just east of Memphis. Preston’s instructor was Jim Slocum. After a warmup pattern tow, Jim hopped out of the vintage Schweizer 2-22…
