"soarski" wrote in message
om...

BUT.......for us who could not make it to the Convention, could we have
some reports, stories.

Atlanta was the eighteenth or nineteenth SSA convention for my wife and me.
While I never fail to find something new and exciting in both the
presentations (this year, the "news" from Steve Northcraft and Bob Lacovara
were the most informative, with Mark Keene's marathan two session discussion
close in trail) and the exhibits (the prototype sport aviation certified
glider caught my eye), I've come to treasure even more the once-a-year
chance to hob nob and lift a glass with the luminaries of soaring that you'd
otherwise only read about.

The new film "A Fine Week of Soaring" was a particular surprise . . .
sitting in the room, when it was described as a "close look at a full week
of a contest" I whispered to my wife "I've seen too many boring videos of
competitions . . when the lights dim, I'm going to sneak out". Well, a
little over an hour later, I was still there, enthralled, and promptly
skipped out to buy two copies. Didn't hurt that sometimes, flying my own
glider down in the Shenandoah valley, I've "lurked" on frequency about a
hundred miles out while Karl talked some of his XC trainees around a course.
.. . the film visualized what I'd heard in the chit-chat. Very cool.

Enjoyed Dennis Wright's plain-talking membership meeting (where WAS
everyone?!?) and the dialog with the CAP Glider Program folks. It was
obvious that big things are a-brewin', new instruments and new gliders
notwithstanding . .

Jim Kellett, Resident Curmudgeon
Chief Flight Instructor, Skyline Soaring Club
Captain and CFI(G), Civil Air Patrol
Chairman, Classic Division, Vintage Sailplane Association
Webmaster, Open Cirrus Website
"If Flying Were the Language of Man, Soaring Would be its Poetry"