That's OK. The Glider Will Hold.

Saw a cute photo on Facebook of a two-place motorglider with the prop spinning and the caption:

Control: "You're unreadable. Say again"
Motorglider: "I've turned off the engine. Is that better?"
Control: [long pause]

Reminded me of a story my father told me way back when (1960s). A soaring buddy--Bill Sparks, IIRC--had arrived at his goal late in the afternoon after a long flight (500 km?) and was circling over El Paso, TX waiting for the OK to land. After the tower cleared him, he headed for the airport a mile or so away to enter the pattern...just as a another aircraft excitedly announced a medevac emergency flight that needed to land ASAP!

When the tower informed the medevac flight that they'd have to wait until the glider landed, Bill radioed back, "That's OK, tower, the glider will hold"...and headed back to the house thermal over the city. Apparently some of the crew from the tower trooped down to the ramp to see him after he finally landed a few minutes later.

I've done the "I'll hold" routine from a high pattern, with a few S turns on final to let someone else in after a mass finish, but that's at a gliderport where that sort of thing doesn't raise as many eyebrows.

Chip Bearden
ASW 24 "JB"
U.S.A.