Reno SSA

On Saturday, January 11, 2014 1:09:32 PM UTC-8, Roy Clark, "B6" wrote:
JJ - was at Mtn Home 09/70-09/72. Would have been more fun except we provided medical care for so many MIA/POW families.

Was, however, great to be able to be in the Sawtooths less than an hour from Base.

Learned to downhill ski at Bogus Basin where I remember one sunny Spring afternoon when someone in a yellow K6 kept soaring down over the main run, climbing back up, and doing it over and over again.

25+ years later, I was shaking off the Pacific NW dark and rainies at Minden. Was able to do the same over Heavenly Valley. Could climb back up in a thermal kicked off from the pond near East Peak Lodge. Nest day, talked to a guy in the rental return line at Reno airport. I asked how the skiing had been. Great, but all afternoon, he was watching this glider - seemed to be having more fun. I asked if the glider had red paint on its nose. He exclaimed "So, you saw it too?" Nah, I replied, that was me in the glider and it was fun!

P.S., safety patrol alert gliders on both occasions were flown with appropriate clearance.

How about a Thursday dinner at The Santa Fe Hotel - on me, buddy, for your service to our country and soaring.

Well, that took me back 40 years. I retired in '74 and was hard to find most afternoons because I was building a Duster Sailplane I Capart housing. At one time the assembled wing went from the garage, through the kitchen and down the hall................had to do this to get the temperature high enough to cure epoxy as the top skins went on.
Thanks for the invite, hope I can make the convention. I am in the process of having cataracts removed, then a little tuck to get my lower eye lids to stop drooping and letting the tears run out. Turning 80 this year.........this getting old is a bitch!
Cheers,
JJ