Alfonso Jurado

That 29 flies like it knows what to do, that's for sure. He definitely put some kind of enchantment on it. Any truth to the Florida keys thing?

Jordan

That 20 definitely seems to know what to do, whatever magic he put on it! Any truth to the florida keys Soaring?

Jordan

On Sunday, September 6, 2015 at 4:52:18 PM UTC-4, Echo wrote:
That 20 definitely seems to know what to do, whatever magic he put on it! Any truth to the florida keys Soaring?

Jordan

Jordan,

My dad was a partner in an Open Cirrus at Kendall Gliderport and mostly flew there (or Richard's Field), back in the early to mid 1980's (Bill Harris was his flight instructor I believe). Eventually, he joined Thermal Research but by the 90's his business in the Upper Keys and our kids' weekend sports activities left him with little time for himself to fly gliders. I am aware of a first person account told by Frank Manson (of Marathon), where he and a handful of the regulars (so I would have to assume that would have included your dad), flew a sea breeze front that extended down the Keys down to Marathon but they chickened out before going any further to Key West. My understanding of it was that as the convergence built up there was lift that allowed them to climb up the side of the clouds so they were able to get up to 10-12k'+ maybe higher. I was just a kid at the time and didn't totally understand what all they were talking about but I've known that story for a long long time. In any case, if you ask around you might get the rest of the story.

On another note, Tom is right. I rented Miami Glider's Std. Cirrus once at Homestead General and when I got to 8,000+MSL right on the edge of Florida Bay I was really tempted to final glide to Tavernaero Airport (Plantation Key), where my family has a lot on the airport. If it hadn't been a rental ship I surely would have done it just to be the first to saor the Keys. Ironically, my dad's dream was to buy a Lark motorglider and routinely soar up and down the Keys. I still have a copy of a Purchase Order for a Lark that cost about $48k back in the early 80's. He must have backed out because he never bought it.

Best regards,

Chris Schrader

I took our family to vacation in the Keys for a number of years (Tavernier/Key Largo in the north for a couple of years and Duck Key near Marathon for a couple). I swung by the FBO at Marathon one morning to just shoot the breeze and ran into a guy with a PA-18 Supercub who claimed to soar the seabreeze front all the time. He said he could maintain altitude and cruise at 70kts at idle. Can't recall his name, but he would've been in his late 60's about 5-6 years ago. Sat on a boat fishing lookng at some very obvious convergence lines on a number of days...


On Wednesday, August 10, 2016 at 12:49:03 PM UTC-4, wrote:
On Sunday, September 6, 2015 at 4:52:18 PM UTC-4, Echo wrote:
That 20 definitely seems to know what to do, whatever magic he put on it! Any truth to the florida keys Soaring?

Jordan

Jordan,

My dad was a partner in an Open Cirrus at Kendall Gliderport and mostly flew there (or Richard's Field), back in the early to mid 1980's (Bill Harris was his flight instructor I believe). Eventually, he joined Thermal Research but by the 90's his business in the Upper Keys and our kids' weekend sports activities left him with little time for himself to fly gliders. I am aware of a first person account told by Frank Manson (of Marathon), where he and a handful of the regulars (so I would have to assume that would have included your dad), flew a sea breeze front that extended down the Keys down to Marathon but they chickened out before going any further to Key West. My understanding of it was that as the convergence built up there was lift that allowed them to climb up the side of the clouds so they were able to get up to 10-12k'+ maybe higher. I was just a kid at the time and didn't totally understand what all they were talking about but I've known that story for a long long time. In any case, if you ask around you might get the rest of the story.

On another note, Tom is right. I rented Miami Glider's Std. Cirrus once at Homestead General and when I got to 8,000+MSL right on the edge of Florida Bay I was really tempted to final glide to Tavernaero Airport (Plantation Key), where my family has a lot on the airport. If it hadn't been a rental ship I surely would have done it just to be the first to saor the Keys. Ironically, my dad's dream was to buy a Lark motorglider and routinely soar up and down the Keys. I still have a copy of a Purchase Order for a Lark that cost about $48k back in the early 80's. He must have backed out because he never bought it.

Best regards,

Chris Schrader

On Wednesday, August 10, 2016 at 2:53:08 PM UTC-4, Papa3 wrote:
I took our family to vacation in the Keys for a number of years (Tavernier/Key Largo in the north for a couple of years and Duck Key near Marathon for a couple). I swung by the FBO at Marathon one morning to just shoot the breeze and ran into a guy with a PA-18 Supercub who claimed to soar the seabreeze front all the time. He said he could maintain altitude and cruise at 70kts at idle. Can't recall his name, but he would've been in his late 60's about 5-6 years ago. Sat on a boat fishing lookng at some very obvious convergence lines on a number of days...


On Wednesday, August 10, 2016 at 12:49:03 PM UTC-4, wrote:
On Sunday, September 6, 2015 at 4:52:18 PM UTC-4, Echo wrote:
That 20 definitely seems to know what to do, whatever magic he put on it! Any truth to the florida keys Soaring?

Jordan

Jordan,

My dad was a partner in an Open Cirrus at Kendall Gliderport and mostly flew there (or Richard's Field), back in the early to mid 1980's (Bill Harris was his flight instructor I believe). Eventually, he joined Thermal Research but by the 90's his business in the Upper Keys and our kids' weekend sports activities left him with little time for himself to fly gliders. I am aware of a first person account told by Frank Manson (of Marathon), where he and a handful of the regulars (so I would have to assume that would have included your dad), flew a sea breeze front that extended down the Keys down to Marathon but they chickened out before going any further to Key West.. My understanding of it was that as the convergence built up there was lift that allowed them to climb up the side of the clouds so they were able to get up to 10-12k'+ maybe higher. I was just a kid at the time and didn't totally understand what all they were talking about but I've known that story for a long long time. In any case, if you ask around you might get the rest of the story.

On another note, Tom is right. I rented Miami Glider's Std. Cirrus once at Homestead General and when I got to 8,000+MSL right on the edge of Florida Bay I was really tempted to final glide to Tavernaero Airport (Plantation Key), where my family has a lot on the airport. If it hadn't been a rental ship I surely would have done it just to be the first to saor the Keys. Ironically, my dad's dream was to buy a Lark motorglider and routinely soar up and down the Keys. I still have a copy of a Purchase Order for a Lark that cost about $48k back in the early 80's. He must have backed out because he never bought it.

Best regards,

Chris Schrader

What you are referring to is a flight that Bennie Flowers and I had back in the day where we encountered a strange cloud formation and rode a Florida Wave to over 10K. There was an article written about this flight in Soaring magazine titled, Catching A Florida Wave. Bennie and I actually did it twice, it was one of the best rides ever, we could have made Bimini. Bob

Maybe someone else can fill in the details, but I recall a story around a camp fire at Harris Hill in the early 1990s with Charlie Spratt. The gist of it was a competition between the Fonz and someone else to see who could perform the lowest recovery from a spin in a tandem two seater (cub or citabria or the like). There was more to it, but I don't want to give out any incorrect stuff.

P3

After flying, Fonso and I went out to a greasy spoon on the road leading North out of New Castle. The waitress spoke thick Southern. Fonso spoke English with a heavy Spanish accent. Fonso trying to order dinner went very, very badly. After I while I volunteered to translate, but that would have been admitting defeat, so I was not permitted. Fonso ordered steak. His dinner arrived: liver and onions. You shoulda seen his face! But he ate it...

Sure miss him, we had a lot of adventures!

See ya, Dave

On Friday, September 4, 2015 at 7:06:30 AM UTC-6, Echo wrote:
Good Morning,

I am entering my 4th year as the 3rd owner of ASW20 #20463, better known as Alfonso's 20. I grew up soaring in New Castle, VA, and saw Alfonso a few times but never really knew him. It is my understanding that he has bad dementia now. I know the former Miami gliderport was his home field, however he never logged any soaring outside contests. I've heard many things, such as him soaring to the keys, aileron rolls with water, soaring with the canopy open, and impossible landouts. In an effort to write down all the legends, myths, and stories, I'm hoping to document all the stories and keep them with the airplane documents. Thanks!

...and yes, it still looks and flies pretty well! (and still manages to get me home)

Jordan
ASW20 'E'

Lubbock, years ago. Weather went from bad to worst. Fonz was searching for a place to land. He noticed coming down the highway a car pulling a glider trailer headed back to the airport. He called them and asked if they could give him a ride. They radioed back "sure, where are you?". He radioed back, "touching down right along side of you."

Cordele, years ago. He landed out. I went to get him and drove his van. He was in a soft, fresh cut hay field. We got setup for the derig and I was out on the right wing tip. As we started to pull the right wing out, he said loudly, "drop the wing", I said "what?" He again said urgently "drop the wing". Well, maybe 6 inches above the ground(I was careful), I dropped the wing. He said "why did you do that?", I said cause you told me to. His come back was priceless....as he said "you know better than to listen to me."

Many see my motorcycle pulling my glider out to the grid. What many don't realize is he use to put a motorcycle into the back of his van!

New Castle, Fonz and I, along with KS are cruising and simply getting lower.. Fonz hits a bump, I stopped and circled with him. Maybe we get 1/2 kt up. Of course KS keeps on going down this ridge with no where to land. Of course KS wins the day. That night, over dinner chat, we talk about this. See, Fonz wondered why KS kept going down this ridge with no place to land. Then KS came up and asked why we had stopped to thermal and didn't we see that red tail climbing at the end of the ridge? It marked a 4 kter...which was about 4 miles from where we stopped. After KS leaves, Fonzs looks at me and again answers with a priceless comment "I thought my glasses had a dirty spot on them".

He flew West and North out of MIA gliderport. I don't recall if anyone ever flew to Key West. To Key Largo, maybe, when during the winter months, we did have rare 10,000 ft. days on a north wind.

Going to dinner, Cody, their miniature Collie, would be carried in Anita's hand bag. That dog was smart, as whenever the waitress would approach, he would duck back in the bag. Once, Fonz drove out to Northern California because the dog was ill. I was in Ely and he stopped by on their way home. I offered him a flight in my 27, he declined and then explained they really had a long drive back to Florida............

Best. #711.

On Sunday, September 6, 2015 at 6:43:01 PM UTC-4, Tom Kelley #711 wrote:
Going to dinner, Cody, their miniature Collie, would be carried
in Anita's hand bag...

We go out to eat at the unfortunate 15m nationals in Livingston, MT.
I arrive late, there's no empty chair, but a chair with a pile of coats
and bags. I grab the coats and bags and toss them onto an adjacent bench
to make some room.

Huge commotion! Yelling, yipping, yelping!
So it came to pass that I met Anita and Cody.
Cody was Anita's Chihuahua (not collie),
and was in one of the bags that I tossed.
Definite Faux Paw, yup, big time.
I was eventually forgiven (by both of them)...

See ya, Dave

One morning while filling the Ventus with water at Hobbs, Alfonso rolls up with his Ventus and we start talking about the day's weather. I look over just as his tire goes flat. The Fonz is looking a bit concerned since he does not have a spare. I go get my spare and help him change the flat on the ramp. As we get the flat off I notice you can see right through the tire to the tube underneath in places. After we get the new tire on I go to toss the threadbare tire in the dumpster but no, Fonz says, "Wait, what are you doing? That tire still has a lot of life still in it!"

The other one was in Montague when Alfonso was called back from the field to his Hotel as it seems his battery with the various wires, tape and fuses had been mistaken for a bomb by the cleaning lady.

Long live Alfonso!