Sunflower Gliderport, Hutchinson, KS. 1985. Pilots were launched, day was called off due to big storms building everywhere. Alfonso was up and flying around having a good old time. After a storm came across the field, and with most everyone else back and in trailers or tied down, here came the Fonz. Fast and low (well below the top of the old control tower where I was standing), he went by, pulled up, and as the nose was going through about 30 degrees nose up, he must have hit some strong "rolling turbulence",as his 20 did a near perfect roll on the way up. The turbulence subsided just as he got to the top, back to wings level. The gear came down, and he entered the downwind leg for landing. No more turbulence was encountered.

He was also seen in the back of his van going from the tiedown to the grid, with his glider in tow, fixing a sandwich or filling a water bottle. I think he had a really low gear in the van, because it could idle along at a slow walk without him in the drivers seat.

Not about flying, but I once heard that he got frustrated with a slow driver on a two lane highway. There was too much traffic to pass in the normal manner, so he did it on the shoulder. This was passed along by another glider pilot that he passed before getting to the slow car that was holding up traffic.

Sorry to hear that The Fonz is not doing well. He didn't like to be in the spotlight, but he sure is great fun to be around. As Dave said, hope you get a chance to visit him.

Steve Leonard