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It has been a quiet month with respect to soaring as the weather was not very cooperative for much of early June. Things have been looking better lately, with some good days. I enjoyed seeing the club members at the BBQ on the 20th including several of the newest members. I must admit, though, I was a little disappointed in the overall turnout. Of course, there were several people with very good excuses (Walt and Lee - you’re covered). I am hoping for a better turn out this fall. We have another new member this month. Frank Davis, a former military pilot, was sponsored by Walt Konecny. We missed a second duty officer this month, but further investigation has led to the conclusion that Keith Merrill is now actually flying for a commercial airline out of Texas and is no longer an active member. Please remember though, if you are not able to make your assigned duty officer day it is your responsibility to find a replacement. Several trades have already been successfully arranged this year. Another internet soaring source by the way, is the newsgroup: rec.aviation.soaring. There’s lots of interesting posts and discussions regarding soaring. Check it out if you haven’t seen it yet. See you all up at Heber! Parke Byron Duty Officer Up-Date With the exception of the absence mentioned last newsletter everybody’s participating. Thanks to all who have showed up even when the rains was pouring and no soaring was to be had. The duty officers for the month of July are Paul Schneider, Karl Wernick, Rod Bridge and Jack Corneveaux. Duty Officer Scedule
Glider Manuals Still Available Since I received orders for manuals from only three people I thought I’d continue the offer for another two weeks. Manuals are spiral bound just like the manuals in the club locker in the Soar Utah hangar. Prices are as follows: Grob 103 Manual $8.00 Shipping $4.00 To order send a check for the total iumber of manuals you want plus the $4.00 for shipping. As an example, if you want all three manuals send a total of $22.00. Order by June 15. I’ll have AlphaGraphics make the copies as soon I have checks in hand. I won’t be making any more copies until next season so get yours now. Be sure to include your return address. Mail your checks payable to: Fred Wright and mail to 2116 E. Lambourne Ave., SLC, UT 84109. Tie-down Concerns Earlier in the season when we experienced several weeks of vigorous winds I became concerned with how we tie lown our gliders. I found that even the best tied knots had a tendency to loosen from the continual battering of the wind. On more than one occasion I found 88S with its tie-down ropes flapping in the wind that had loosened the knots. I also have found 88S without its tail tied down and the last named person in the log- look long gone. The tie-downs on the Grob and 1-34 have been generally more secure though some wind loosening did occur. Insurance statistics show that there are seven times the dollar amount of claims made due to damage on the ground than there are for airborne accidents or crashes. We must treat the tie-down as seriously as the pre-takeoff check-list and avoid distractions. Do a final walk-around inspection before you leave. Take the time to secure the ends of the ropes with several half-hitches. The strength of a knot is in friction and the more the better. FredWright |