Dennis Wright - Cross Country Pilot

Soaring Society of America Executive Director, Dennis Wright, came to SSA
from powered flight but made a commitment to get a glider rating. He did
that quickly after taking the position.

This afternoon, Dennis made the most significant flight a glider pilot can
make, in my opinion. He flew silver distance, and he did it the old
fashioned way, with low technology and a low performance glider. The way,
it seems, that the badge leg was originally meant to be earned.

About 2:30 Dennis took off from Hobbs, NM, hooked to some discarded
oil-field wire being pulled by the club Chevy pick-up truck. After climbing
up to about 6,000 feet AGL he lit out north for Tatum with a nice tailwind.
His equipment was a chart, a barograph and a camera. Dennis made it to his
goal of Tatum fairly quickly but his intent was to return to Hobbs, in order
to avoid a retrieve. He quickly found out about 1-26's and headwinds, which
were as high as 15 knots. He told me that it felt like there was a giant
bungee pulling him back toward Tatum.

Dennis persevered, and never did get too low. Patience was needed for the
many climbs while drifting backward with the wind. Judy will be the judge
of the technicalities but I watched the takeoff, the turnpoint and the
landing and know it was a flight to be proud off.

Sometimes I am a bit afraid the sport is being suffocated with high
technology and high prices but all that stuff is surely not necessary. This
flight will be billed by the club at the sum total, including tow, of $18
(with a discount for the flight time on a badge flight).

I find it refreshing that our (US) Executive Director not only sees to the
office but does grunt work at contests, drives the launch car for the local
club and gets a big kick out of flying a 1-26.

Larry Pardue 2I