How About Story Time

LOL.....I won't name site...but decades ago I was at a club site (I was a member of) and wanted to take my son on a flight in club -21....
I was informed I needed a quorum of onsite staff and then a check ride (since I hadn't done prior written approval...fine...).
I received the quorum, then set up the check ride.
I reviewed the ship papers as well as operating manual....strapped in....maybe 300' AGL.....bang...."rope break".....turn and land....comment from back was...."don't bang the front wheel, it splits the fuselage seam...".
I was signed off (to the eyeball rolling of my check pilot) to use the club 2 seater. Yes, my son and I had a fun local XC flight...
:-)
Sometimes, "when in Rome....".....

On Tuesday, May 5, 2020 at 3:35:44 PM UTC-5, Charlie M. (UH & 002 owner/pilot) wrote:
LOL.....I won't name site...but decades ago I was at a club site (I was a member of) and wanted to take my son on a flight in club -21....
I was informed I needed a quorum of onsite staff and then a check ride (since I hadn't done prior written approval...fine...).
I received the quorum, then set up the check ride.
I reviewed the ship papers as well as operating manual....strapped in....maybe 300' AGL.....bang...."rope break".....turn and land....comment from back was...."don't bang the front wheel, it splits the fuselage seam...".
I was signed off (to the eyeball rolling of my check pilot) to use the club 2 seater. Yes, my son and I had a fun local XC flight...
:-)
Sometimes, "when in Rome...."....

Back in 1982, I took the checkride for my glider ticket at an East coast soaring site, now moved to a different location and run by different folks. Was told to pre-flight the 2-33. Found that one of the elevator hinge pins was a rusty nail. Didn't think too much of (or about) that. The examiner finally showed up (names withheld out of respect for the dead) and off we went.. I flew the tow, no problem there. Upon release, the examiner said "I got it" and proceeded to take over and give me a very nice lesson in thermalling. After 15 minutes or so, tells me to get back on the controls and close my eyes. He said he would put the ship in an attitude and when he said to open my eyes, I was to recover to straight and level. I felt the nose come up and what I thought was a bank to the left. Of course, it was a spin entry. Just as the glider started shaking in a stall and he put in full left rudder, the instrument panel (held on by one dzus fastener and the scat tube) fell off in my lap. Now I'm holding the panel up with my left hand and he's telling me to open my eyes and recover the aircraft. It worked out OK since a 2-33 will recover from a spin pretty much on it's own anyway. The examiner took over again and flew for another 30 minutes before having me land and stop right by his car. I passed.

A few months later I stopped by the same soaring site on a Sunday afternoon.. There is that same 2-33, on a normal looking downwind for landing, then the glider drops into a steep dive and then pulls up into two consecutive loops. Coming out of the second loop it goes straight into a short final approach and lands. Things were different then...

I think this "Story Time" thread is one of the most entertaining things I've seen on RAS. I hope it keeps going! This isn't a soaring story per se, but it's pretty amusing.

One of Sundance Aviation's tow pilots in Moriarty was renowned for his quick and sardonic wit. He told us of an occasion (shortly after the establishment of the TSA as a result of 9/11) when he ferried an airplane to San Francisco, CA. He flew back commercially on an airline. While going through the new "security" check (before the days of X-Raying the carry-on and taking off your shoes, he ran into a particularly snotty Asian female TSA agent who was VERY impressed with the uniform epaulets. Hers, not his.

She was digging through his flight bag (his only baggage) and pulled out his handheld radio, headset, charts and all the rest of the detritus that makes an airplane fly (according to the FAA) when she came upon his portable Garmin GPS.

Obviously perplexed with the device, she demanded, "WAAT DEES!?"

Without missing a beat, he replied, "It's a vacuum-actuated water-inducted overhead fiber duster."

She looked at it again. Looked at him (all innocent and compliant). Looked at it again and snapped, "No turn on in airplane!" He adopted a pleading expression and said, "But, but, I have allergies!"

She relented, and quietly said, "Well...OK.)

The guy behind him in the TSA line who watched the entire episode was another pilot and was absolutely convulsed with laughter and was almost choking himself trying to stifle it because at that time, you NEVER laughed around an annoyed TSA agent, lest you become a candidate for a random cavity search.

Ever since then one of our catch phrases at Moriarty when seeing an unfamiliar piece of equipment is, "WAAT DEES!?)

On Wednesday, May 6, 2020 at 7:41:08 PM UTC-5, wrote:
I think this "Story Time" thread is one of the most entertaining things I've seen on RAS. I hope it keeps going! This isn't a soaring story per se, but it's pretty amusing.

One of Sundance Aviation's tow pilots in Moriarty was renowned for his quick and sardonic wit. He told us of an occasion (shortly after the establishment of the TSA as a result of 9/11) when he ferried an airplane to San Francisco, CA. He flew back commercially on an airline. While going through the new "security" check (before the days of X-Raying the carry-on and taking off your shoes, he ran into a particularly snotty Asian female TSA agent who was VERY impressed with the uniform epaulets. Hers, not his.

She was digging through his flight bag (his only baggage) and pulled out his handheld radio, headset, charts and all the rest of the detritus that makes an airplane fly (according to the FAA) when she came upon his portable Garmin GPS.

Obviously perplexed with the device, she demanded, "WAAT DEES!?"

Without missing a beat, he replied, "It's a vacuum-actuated water-inducted overhead fiber duster."

She looked at it again. Looked at him (all innocent and compliant). Looked at it again and snapped, "No turn on in airplane!" He adopted a pleading expression and said, "But, but, I have allergies!"

She relented, and quietly said, "Well...OK.)

The guy behind him in the TSA line who watched the entire episode was another pilot and was absolutely convulsed with laughter and was almost choking himself trying to stifle it because at that time, you NEVER laughed around an annoyed TSA agent, lest you become a candidate for a random cavity search.

Ever since then one of our catch phrases at Moriarty when seeing an unfamiliar piece of equipment is, "WAAT DEES!?)

Story from back in Germany at our glider club: We had a contract with a local brewery that gave us a lot of money upfront for committing to buying exclusively their very good Pilsener beer. It was delivered by the pallet load and kept under lock. Our "beer currency" meant that ANY good or bad deed at the club cost you a case with 20 bottles. Sometimes we managed to have 5-6 cases brought out at the end of a flying day. We often had a hard time getting through all that Freibier. It pains me to admit that there was no age limit to who could partake, we probably created quite a few youth-alcoholics.
Herb

On Saturday, April 4, 2020 at 2:40:32 PM UTC-4, wrote:
Maybe this is a good opportunity for some of us to share some stories of our experiences.
I'll go first.-

Another story:
I started out as a child. I saw gliders at Harris Hill when we flew a kids contest as part of the Nationals in 1955.
Fast forward to out of college and finally flying gliders.
I bought a 1-26D during my second real year of soaring and set out to do my badges. I had literally dreamed of that first real cross country flight for most of my life. Visions of a long distance flight landing late in the day, and all that stuff.
Time for my first distance flight.
The appointed day comes. It is a beautiful day. I prepare and take my tow about noon. I proceeded to notch the barogram to the ground in record time. No give up- lets try again. New record for barograph notch time.
Obviously it was not the time for me to make the flight, so I went about doing some training flights with my sister. We had no problems soaring with ease.
This, of course, proves that the heaviest object known to a glider pilot is a barograph on a badge flight.
About 4:00 I decided to take a tow and at least do my altitude leg.
Having given up all hope of cross country, I managed to notch without falling down and gained about 4000 feet in short order.
A cloud street beckoned to the north east as far as I could see so I turned and headed over toward the Hudson river. I don't think I circled until I got to the river. There I climbed to cloud base and made the glide to a single cloud a few miles past the river. I topped that and made a straight glide landing at Danbury airport, a little over 50 miles from home, but good enough for Silver distance.
After anticipating this flight for much of my life, it was so easy and such a non event that it still is one of the greatest letdowns of my life.
The sense of adventure has remained and there have been lots of rewarding flights since.
UH

At 20:16 12 May 2020, wrote:
On Saturday, April 4, 2020 at 2:40:32 PM UTC-4,

wrote=
:
Maybe this is a good opportunity for some of us to share some
stories of
=
our experiences.
I'll go first.-
=20
Another story:
I started out as a child. I saw gliders at Harris Hill when we flew a
kids
=
contest as part of the Nationals in 1955.
Fast forward to out of college and finally flying gliders.
I bought a 1-26D during my second real year of soaring and set
out to do
my=
badges. I had literally dreamed of that first real cross country
flight
fo=
r most of my life. Visions of a long distance flight landing late in
the
da=
y, and all that stuff.
Time for my first distance flight.
The appointed day comes. It is a beautiful day. I prepare and take
my tow
a=
bout noon. I proceeded to notch the barogram to the ground in
record time.
=
No give up- lets try again. New record for barograph notch time.
Obviously it was not the time for me to make the flight, so I went
about
do=
ing some training flights with my sister. We had no problems
soaring with
e=
ase.
This, of course, proves that the heaviest object known to a glider
pilot
is=
a barograph on a badge flight. =20
About 4:00 I decided to take a tow and at least do my altitude leg.
Having given up all hope of cross country, I managed to notch
without
falli=
ng down and gained about 4000 feet in short order.
A cloud street beckoned to the north east as far as I could see so I
turned=
and headed over toward the Hudson river. I don't think I circled
until I
g=
ot to the river. There I climbed to cloud base and made the glide to
a
sing=
le cloud a few miles past the river. I topped that and made a
straight
glid=
e landing at Danbury airport, a little over 50 miles from home, but
good
en=
ough for Silver distance.
After anticipating this flight for much of my life, it was so easy and
such=
a non event that it still is one of the greatest letdowns of my life.
The sense of adventure has remained and there have been lots of
rewarding
f=
lights since.
UH


My Silver distance was done in a 1-26 after someone else had
finished their 5 hour flight in that glider that same day. It was at
our club's annual summer encampment to Wurtsboro. It took 2
evening thermals and a landing in a farmer's field 31.7 miles South
along the ridge back in 1966...

RO

Like most "old timers" on this newsgroup, I got my Silver Distance in a 1-26. I needed it to fly in the 1-26 Championships (then called the North Americans) at our airport in Richmond, IN in 1969. I'd flown in three contests with a handful of XC flights but none met the requirements of 50 km straight out.

So the day before the contest opened, I took off headed north and came to earth 49 miles away in Portland, IN. I was worried that I wouldn't have time to send in the documentation.

About half way through the contest, I finally mentioned it to an official. "Oh," they laughed, "You've flown a contest before. That's good enough."

FWIW, In that 7-day contest, I had 9 flights over 4 flying days--including 3 on one day when I relit; relaunched and landed out, then rushed back on the trailer for a relight; and launched again.

I had never completed a task when we launched on the last day. When the contest was over, I still hadn't, having slid to a halt about a mile short of the finish. Only 2 days were scorable. It was a no contest but they went ahead and scored all 4 days anyway so they could hand out some trophies.

In a way, that early contest captured so much of what has been frustrating about soaring over the years: wx that turns bad just as the contest begins; frequent landouts; lots of effort and expense for very few contest days; and coming frustratingly short of a goal. It's amazing to me that I'm still involved 50+ years later since not much has changed.

Chip Bearden
JB

I rented my LS-6 to a member of the British team that competed in the 1990 Per-worlds held at Minden, Nv. I believe the pilot that flew my bird was Martin Wells. It was a package deal for use of the bird and a crew (Pat & me). We enjoyed being around some of the worlds best pilots and I told the British team a little about the local area and what to expect flying each days task.
After about 5 days flying, Martin asked if he could have the wing tape replaced on his ship. I replied, Martin, that’s lucky tape, it has served you well for 5 days.......if you replace it, you’ll surely land out! Don’t you know anything about Soaring? He chuckled and said he wasn’t suspicious and wanted new tape anyway !

You guessed it...........I changed the tape and Martin landed out the next day!
Cheers,
JJ

The Fonz reused his tape religiously and his chops were often busted over it. He said something like " You guys can bust my balls all you want, but you don't get it - this is my lucky tape".

In his honor I reuse my tape at least once, wrap it around my spray can of lithium grease when disassembling. Quite handy actually, and eco-friendly!

On Saturday, April 4, 2020 at 2:40:32 PM UTC-4, wrote:
Maybe this is a good opportunity for some of us to share some stories of our experiences.

The "Private airport, or Field?" thread reminds me...

Decades ago when I was just a little glider pilot, I flew my Ventus B
in the nationals at Harris Hill. And as the weather there often dictates,
found myself about to outland...

A nice cornfield beckoned, adjacent to a private strip.
The cornfield looked better, but a I thought I could squeeze into the narrow
mowed bit of the airfield. And my insurance policy had just been updated
with a higher deductible for outlandings (not private listed airports).
So, I chose badly...

Late on final it was clear I'd made a mistake. Tried to get it down and
stopped in the wide-mowed turn-around at the end of the strip, but failed
to get it slowed enough. Ground-looped and dinged an aileron.

The owners were incredibly hospitable, fresh baked cookies and such.
But presently "there's another glider coming" !!
First I called on the radio, but got no answer.
I ran out into the middle of the strip and gestured frantically
towards the adjacent cornfield. The glider kept coming.
I kept waving and jumping about. The glider turned final towards me.

I thought, now, I've seen groundloops from above, from the side,
from the rear (and of course from the inside, aarrrgggg).
But I've never seen one from directly in front.
So I just stayed in the middle of the runway and watched.
It was Herbie, flying an ASW-20 Rudy had provided. Floppy wing,
well bowed with the landing flap and deployed spoilers.
Herbie touches down, hits the brakes, and the wing starts to unload
and droop. It actually takes a while before the wingtip finally lowers to
catch the grass, then the groundloop quickly turns and stops the glider.
Quite a spectacle.

What bozo here hadn't thought about, however, was:
In a groundloop, if the pilot fails to get the stick hard forward,
the tail digs in. In this case a glued on rubber skid.
This was before the days we got modern and learned about tailwheels.
The rubber stretches a fantastic amount before it peels off,
at which instant the skid rebounds and flies off.
Damn near killed me - missed my ear my inches as it whizzed by at warp speed.

Herbie was really ****ed.
Why didn't you call me on the radio?
I had, before running out.
Of course I didn't hear you, I turned the radio off!
Didn't you see me waving?
I thought you were just saying hello...

Anyway at least he didn't damage anything!

Private airports over the years have served up lots of surprises:
live stock, mowed narrow, interesting light installations to dodge,
and of course "no airport here any more"...

Be careful out there,
See ya, Dave "YO"