Andy Jardetzky Passes His Private Glider Checkride! • July 14, 2010
Hollister Soaring Center LLC would like to congratulate Andy Jardetzky on the successful completion of his Practical Test for an initial Private Pilot Certificate with a glider Category rating. Great job Andy!!
Andy passed his test with Designated Pilot Examiner Dave Morss on Wednesday, July 14th, which also just happened to be Andy's sixteenth birthday. So at the same time HSC would like to wish Andy a happy birthday! Andy is one of those people (and there seem to be fewer and fewer of them these days) who got his pilot Certificate before obtaining a driver's license. But those of us who know the allure of flight can understand this out-of-the-ordinary alignment of priorities.
At thirteen years old, Andy came out to Hollister more than two years ago accompanied by two very supportive parents -Alex and Adrienne- and took an Introductory Lesson with Jeffrey Hazlegrove. Very shortly thereafter I took on Andy while a very green CFIG and we both began an interesting learning experience. After some time, Andy was taken on by Charlie Hayes who shaped and molded the aspiring aviator to a point where he soloed in January '09 at about 14 1/2 years old. (Thanks for your help Charlie, as you helped shape Andy's skills in the early months. Congratulations are in order for you, too!).
After a few more months, Charlie departed KCVH for points north and I again continued Andy's training. I found that Andy had very good skills and a calm temperament, so it was a challenge for me to keep him interested as I needed to fill about a year and a half before his Practical Test. During this time we did just about everything a glider pilot -student or certificated- could do at Hollister. This included: a lot of flying in weak wave, thermals and convergence; dozens of simulated rope breaks and no-spoiler approaches; landing on tow; landing at Christensen Ranch and Frazier Lake; soaring for several hours over the Panoche hills during Gliderpalooza; soaring for hours with Charlie Hayes; aerobatic practice; rides with BASA pilots; acting as a CFI from the back seat as I played "stupid student" in the front; and even a planned landing-on-tow airshow performance that was nixed at the last moment by the FAA! Needless to say, Andy had lots of fun in preparation for the Practical, and Dave Morss commented that his piloting skills were perhaps the best and smoothest of any pilot with whom he's flown at Hollister. In addition, Andy also comes out about twice a month to run the line which is really good for HSC, and for keeping him mentally sharp within the airport environment.
Andy came from a background of flying RC airplanes, as well as spending lots of time on various flight simulators and this really showed up in his glider flying skills from the very start. I'm really convinced that there is a connection between these activities and good stick 'n' rudder skills and Andy's another great example of that.
Andy's uncle is a helicopter pilot and he's been a source of inspiration to Andy during his training. More recently, Andy has set his sights on being a Naval Aviator, so he's got his work cut out for him over the next few years. Along with playing the trumpet in his High School's marching band, he'll need to keep his grades up and do all the other things required to get into Annapolis. All of us at HSC wish him the best in the coming years. If you fly at Hollister you'll see Andy out working the line every so often, so feel free say "hi" and congratulations to HSC's first success story!
Andy and I are going to keep up the hard work so Andy can pass the Commercial Glider Practical, and possibly also the CFI Practical, on his 18th birthday. With any luck, in two years we'll have a repeat of two very proud, beaming, parents taking pictures and video as if it they were on the red carpet during the Academy Awards. Maybe in Andy's case his ultimate award may be his admission to the Naval Academy. We all wish him the best. Great job, Andy!
Happy Soaring,
Quest,
Manager of
Hollister Soaring Center LLC
Peter Heis Passes His Private Glider Checkride! • March 14, 2010
HGC would like to congratulate Peter Heis who on Sunday, March 14th, passed his Practical Test for the addition of a Glider Category Rating with Designated Pilot Examiner Dave Morss. Great job Peter!!
Peter is from Austria, where he owns his own glider (a Ventus 2, I believe he said), and has about 450 hours of cross-country soaring experience in the Austrian Alps. He spends quite a bit of time in the USA, so he decided to get the US power rating and also the US glider rating while he was at it. He's on vacation here for several weeks and has been flying almost every day. Peter was in the process of working on his Private Pilot ASEL rating in a Citabria at Aerodynamic Aviation in RHV when he attended Harry Fox's "Soaring The Southern Alps Of New Zealand" presentation in Hayward with his power CFI a few weeks ago. (Incidentally, Peter's power CFI is Tristan Duplan, who recently earned his own CFIG rating from the folks in Byron- small world!)
Peter talked with me at Harry's presentation and was interested in doing an accelerated glider add-on rating as soon as he passed the ASEL Practical. Well, a few days later I flew with him to assess his skills and after a couple intro lessons I knew that he'd have no problem doing the rating pretty quickly. He then completed the ASEL Practical Test successfully on Monday, March 8th, and we began training in the Schweizer 2-32 the next day. He'd never flown a Schweizer before coming to HGC, but flew very well and soloed by mid-day Thursday the 11th. He was excited to go get his phone and call all of his friends back in Austria to tell them that he'd soloed a Schweizer! (Peter originally learned in a Duo Discus!) Throughout Thursday and Friday he knocked out the required solos and prep flights and was ready for Dave on Saturday but the FAA IACRA site was down! Finally, the site came back up and Peter completed the Practical Test on Sunday afternoon. He even thermalled during the flight with Dave and gained about a thousand feet. It certainly didn't hurt to impress the examiner with his thermalling skills!
Peter is currently getting a checkout in a Cessna 172 at Aerodynamic Aviation and he says it's the easiest thing he's flown yet!
Peter's been having a truly American experience as he's been traveling around in a rental motorhome with his super-smart dog Lara accompanying him on his adventures. (Peter had Lara flown over from Austria, and she got her daily exercise by running alongside us in the golf-cart as we went from the office to the flight line and back several times a day!) Peter's wife will be joining him in the US soon, and we wish him all the best in his flying, traveling and adventures here in this country. Once again, congratulations Peter! Great job!
—Happy Soaring, Quest
New Changes at Hollister Gliding Club Starting December 1st, 2009:
1) HGC's New Days of Operation
Beginning on December 1st, and continuing indefinitely, HGC will be open for business Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. HGC will be CLOSED on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. However, as with anything else, there are
some exceptions:
i) HGC will open if there is a pre-arranged group whose members are taking scenic and aerobatic glider rides through Bay Area Glider Rides.
ii) HGC will open and provide tows if there is a "critical mass" of interest in soaring and taking advantage of forecast wave or thermal conditions. This could be for cross-country as well as to explore excellent local forecast conditions.
iii) HGC will open for previously arranged flight instruction sessions with one or more beginning students, or a power pilot seeking an added rating.
iv) HGC will open (if there is sufficient demand) on those Mondays that are taken by federal and some state agencies as holidays. This would include Labor Day, Memorial Day, Presidents Day, MLK holiday, etc.
If I know that any of the above are going to occur during the Monday through Thursday that HGC is usually closed, I'll post as soon as I can on the hgcgroup to let others know that tows will be available. (There may be limited or no ground support on those days so bring a friend to help you out!)
Please pass this information on via word-of-mouth, e-mails, cross-posting etc., and any other way that seems good to spread the word about HGC's new schedule.
2) New Tow Rates!
Beginning on December 1st, HGC will begin NEW, LOWER, extremely COMPETITIVE, tow rates, making us one of the BEST VALUES in aero-towing anywhere. HGC will consolidate our current Operations Fee, High Towplane Maintenance Costs Recovery Fee and regular tow rates into one easy-to-understand rate. Additionally, the rate schedule will be logical in that there will be lower rates for the lower altitude tows (pattern tows and sim. rope breaks), and higher rates as a glider
is towed higher and the climb rate slows down. BUT, the exception here is that we will have a SPECIAL on Panoche and Cross Coountry tows that will make soaring at Hollister very attractive and competitive with any other soaring operation in California or western Nevada.
New rates will be:
$25/1,000 feet for the first 2,000 feet.
$35/1,000 feet each additional 1,000 feet.
No additional fees or costs.
Those pilots who belong to the HGC Tow Plane Club will still be able to take $10 off of each 1,000 feet of tow. Licensed glider pilots can join the HGC in-house Tow Plane Club for an annual fee of $600. (This in-house Club exists so that HGC
can raise money for its aircraft annuals, and at the same time offer discounted rates to pilots who plan to take 5,000+ feet of tow per month).
Now, here is the new Panoche/Cross Country Tow killer rate: (This is a tow to 6,000 feet where the glider pilot tells the tow pilot to take him to "release ranch at 6,000 feet", or another release point for a Cross Country flight)= $83.00 WOW! That's a dollar LESS than a 6,000 foot tow at $14/1,000 feet that's being offered by one of the "leading brand" aero-tow operations in California!
However, there is a little bit of a catch here. The price for an aero-retrieve from Panoche will be going up. This past year, a Panoche retrieve was $100, but it will now go up to $123. So, if a glider pilot chooses his day and direction carefully, he can get a great bargain on a day of cross-country flying. But, if he has to land at Panoche and get a retrieve, then the total cost is still exactly what it was last year. Nothing to lose, and everything to gain! So, do you feel lucky???
Aspiring cross-country pilots and those seasoned hot-shots who are out there can now come to Hollister and be in a win/win situation. If you choose a day where you can get off tow low locally, you'll get great soaring for as low as $30 for a
2,000 foot tow if you belong to the HGC Tow Plane Club. Or go cross-country toward the Panoche valley or wherever conditions are good for even LESS per 1,000 feet. Now, there's no excuse to not come to Hollister and take advantage of the great soaring that is justout our back door.
(In order for a glider pilot to get the $83.00 Cross Country tow rate they must fill out and drop off a completed Cross Country declaration sheet with the HGC office before getting airborne. Also, they must carry a SPOT Messenger with them and HGC must have an Internet link so that we can view your flight trace at the ofice. HGC has a SPOT Messenger for rent for pilots who don't yet have a personal tracking device of their own.)
(Just FYI: Aero-retrieves with HGC towplanes going to other than Panoche are charged at $150/tach hour.)
3) HGC Winter Special!
HGC Winter Special. Beginning on December 1st, and going until the 1st day of Spring, HGC will again be offering those pilots WHO DO NOT YET HAVE A GLIDER RATING a special deal to help you in your goal of passing your Practical test
for that Rating. At the end of each training session, your tow bill will be reduced by 20%, and the rental rate for the Schweizer 2-32 will be 50% off, down from $65/hour to $32.50. You can't beat those prices anywhere!
So, there's really no better time than the coming months to come to Hollister for soaring or flight instruction. And no more reason to grumble about high prices at Hollister, either. Tell a friend, or several, and pass the word around that Hollister is now THE PLACE for great value in flight instruction and competitive rates for local and cross-country soaring.
Landing on Tow Clinic • Saturday, October 24, 2009
The Landing-On-Tow Clinic involved dual instruction in one of the HGC 2-32s with Quest along as the CFIG. Each participant did three tows, each to about 1,400 agl, with two touch-and-goes and one full stop landing. We offered a special price for this training excercise which was fun, educational and a bit out of the ordinary for the average glider pilot. Not only did it give pilots a chance to practice a rarely used emergency maneuver in a controlled environment, but it got them current for carrying passengers. (Except for Andy Jardetzky, as he was the sole Student Pilot in the bunch). All the rated pilots were able to meet the recent flight requirements of the FARs as they were the sole manipulator of the controls.
We began at about 9:30AM, and went until 3PM or so and did the takeoffs, touch-and-goes, and landings on runway 31 as the winds were mostly calm, or right down 31.
We had a great end-of-season BBQ going beginning at about 11AM with various burgers and hot dogs available. Joy Pierce worked her magic at the grill, as usual, getting all the food items prepared and served.
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The predicament of not being able to release from tow is not all that uncommon (it happened to me on my first solo flight at Turf in 1999). But for both the glider and towplane to not be able to release surely ranks up there in odds along with winning the lottery or getting hit by lightning. So, just for this Saturday the 24th, nine pilots gave up playing the lottery or hanging around thunderstorms and instead came out to Hollister for a truly fun and challenging glider flying experience.
Thanks to all of you who came out and made it a wonderful day!!
—Happy soaring, Quest
2009 Gliderpalooza • Saturday & Sunday, September 26-27!
On Saturday and Sunday, September 26th and 27th 2009, Hollister Gliding Club hosted another of our famous and fun Gliderpalooza soaring events. HGC moved its base of operations to the Panoche airstrip in the Panoche Valley about 35 miles southeast of Hollister. Here, for two days, all participants got to experience the exhiliration of soaring in very strong early Autumn thermal conditions in an area not affected by the local seabreeze. In addition, participating pilots got to take off and land at a classic narrow dirt and gravel glider strip instead of a municipal airport such as Hollister which has long, wide asphalt runways. Larry and his wife at the Panoche Inn cowboy bar provided a great BBQ on Saturday for only $10 per person, and many participants camped that night at the nice nearby resort Mercey Hot Springs. These Gliderpalooza events are always fun for everyone, and and this year's was no different as everyone had a terrific time. We're
already looking forward to planning at least one, possibly two, events at Panoche Airstrip in 2010. And we're hoping to see as many or more soaring pilots come out to Panoche for our Gliderpaloozas in 2010 as we had this year.
Thanks again to all the pilots, friends and family who came out to Gliderpalooza this year! All of you made it a great success!
—Happy Soaring, Quest
On Sunday, Sept. 13th, HGC held a grass-strip clinic at Frazier Lake Airpark
Hollister Gliding Club, in conjunction with Bay Area Soaring Associates, held this fun clinic at Frazier Lake Airpark so that glider pilots who regularly fly out of Hollister could see what it's like to land on a grass airstrip. It also gave each of the four pilots who participated the chance to see Frazier Lake up close and personal, instead of from several thousand feet in the air. Each pilot was accompanied by CFIG Jonathan Hughes in one of the BASA gliders, and got a chance to take off from Hollister, tow to the vicinity of Frazier Lake, and then complete a pattern and landing there. Each participant then received two tows out of Frazier Lake, each one of which took them to an area that simulated a low return to Hollister and a need to execute a landing at Frazier. The final tow for each pilot got them back into the vicinity of the traffic pattern at Hollister so they could land and turn over the glider to the next person in line. All in all, everyone who participated commented that the day was lots of fun and gave them some new skills and confidence that was definitely valuable should they need to land in an unfamiliar off-airport location in the future.
HGC BBQ August Saturday 29th: "New Office Celebration!"
Glad you were all able to com out to Hollister on Saturday, 8/29, to help us celebrate our great new office location at the airport. Thanks again to Joy for getting the grill fired up and sizzling with all sorts of good food!
—Happy Soaring, Quest
Pat Dolan Passes His Commercial Glider Checkride! • August 10, 2009
On Monday, August 10th, Pat Dolan successfully passed his Commercial Glider Practical Test with Designated Pilot Examiner Dave Morss! Congratulations on a great job Pat!
Pat came to HGC about 3 1/2 years ago with virtually no piloting experience. He worked hard training with Drew Pearce and obtained his Private Glider Certificate in early Spring of 2006. He then joined BASA almost immediately and began getting checked-out in the Grob with Ruth Cook. He also became an employee of HGC and began working the Line, a job that he still enjoys doing a couple times a month. For those of you who fly regularly at Hollister, you're probably familiar with Pat and his enthusiastic and energetic personality as he gets things done quickly and efficiently out on the Line. (Pat has been the Senior Line Person for about two years now, and has trained quite s few of the newer Line Workers.)
Pat made a focused effort to get as much flight experience as he could, and did it fairly soon after the Practical Test. This allowed him to quickly move through the BASA requirements so that he could qualify to be PIC in the DGs and Pegasi. Pat completed a checkout in the DG505 with Jeffrey Hazlegrove, and then went on to get a couple dozen hours of cross-country flight experience with Jeffrey up in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Several months ago, Pat expressed an interest in moving up to the Commercial Certificate level, with the possibility of being a ride pilot for Bay Area Glider Rides. He began working with Charlie Hayes during this last winter, and then I took over and finished up Pat's training throughout this Spring and Summer. Pat was a great student who studied intensely and took the training seriously which showed when he got a 98% on his Knowledge Test.
Pat works as a designer of large, refrigerated facilities and machinery for the fresh produce-processing and packaging industry in this area. He's done some great machine work and welding for us, including the fabrication of the nifty stainless steel hooks that we use to grab the tow rope when the Cherokees are getting in position for a tow. He also owns a few really cool cars, but I'll let him expound about those details if anyone is interested.
Once again, congratulations Pat, on your successful transition from Private Pilot to Commercial Pilot. We're looking forward to having you come aboard as a Commercial Ride Pilot here at HGC and Bay Area Glider Rides. You'll soon be able to bask in the great feelings of enjoyment, pride, and satisfaction that all Commercial Glider Pilots get to experience at the end of every successfully completed Scenic Ride. (You'll also need to know where the bucket and disinfectant are stored for those less-than-successful rides!).
—Happy Soaring, Quest
Alan Larson Passes His Private Glider Checkride! • July 5, 2009
HGC would like to congratulate Alan Larson who successfully passed his Practical Test with Designated Pilot Examiner Dave Morss for the addition of a Private-level glider category rating to his Private airplane, single engine land certificate. Great job Alan! Alan owns his own Cessna 172, and has about 800 hours of total flight time in powered aircraft, but wanted to try his hand at the challenges involved in flying a sailplane. He came out to Hollister a little more than a year ago to begin his training, but with a work schedule in the demanding IT sector, it was sometimes tough for him to get away on a consistent basis.(Alan is a systems administrator for a large ISP in the Palo Alto area.)
Alan is very meticulous and likes to delve into the more obscure areas of aviation and the aircraft that he flies. He's helped us with info on the tail dataplate requirements for gliders, as well as some interesting info regarding the use of our handheld units at the glider operation. (Alan is also a ham radio buff).
Alan started out at HGC flying with Jeffrey Hazlegrove in April of 2008, and then moved on to Drew Pearce, Charlie Hayes, and finally finished up with me. I'd like to thank all of the previous instructors for the parts that you all played in getting Alan to the point of reaching a successful Practical Test. Congratulations and a big Thanks! to all three of you.
Alan's C172 just came out of the shop with a new paint job, and I believe a new engine, so flying the Skyhawk around may be his main aviation endeavor for the near future. But we'll certainly look for him to come out to Hollister and delve further into the details of soaring any time that he'd like to in the future.
Once again, congratulations Alan for a job well done on the occasion of obtaining your hard-earned glider rating on July 5th, 2009.
—Happy Soaring, Quest
Jerry Cronin Passes His Private Glider Checkride! • June 5, 2009
HGC would like to congratulate Jerry Cronin, who on Friday, June 5th, passed his Practical Test with Designated Pilot Examiner Dave Morss for the addition of a Glider category rating with Private privileges. Great job Jerry!
Jerry walked into HGC in the middle of March and did an initial Introductory Lesson with me. We then set up a steady training schedule which worked out as planned to get him his Rating before summer.
Jerry had actually soloed at Fremont after only a handful of flights back in the late seventies. He flew some sort of side-by-side trainer there that I can't remember the name of, and it's completely unfamiliar to me! He'd also been flying paragliders in Idaho, and has about 150 take-offs and landings, but said that he wants to move onto something a little bit safer!
Jerry was a military power pilot and flew R4-Q Flying Boxcars, F6-F Hellcats as well as F9-F Panther jet interceptors. As a civilian, he flew DC-3s and Piper Cherokees that belonged to a company he formed and ran for many years.
With summer soaring just around the corner, Jerry is hoping to purchase a DG-500M self-launcher and do a lot of learning and soaring in the mountains of Idaho during the next few months. He hopes to bring the DG-500M back to Hollister in late September or October for the winter. So, if you're out at Hollister in the Fall and see this DG, you'll know who it is and you can say "hi" to Jerry.
It's never too late in a person's life to take on the challenges involved in flying gliders and soaring, as demonstrated so well by seventy-seven years young Jerry Cronin. Congratulations again Jerry, and we'll want to hear your soaring stories when you come back to Hollister in the Fall.
—Happy Soaring, Quest
Soaring to Mt. Whitney: Matt Gillis & Larry Birndorf, Ramy Yanetz • May 17, 2009
HGC would like to congratulate Matt and Larry who flew together in BASA's DG505 and Ramy Yanetz who flew his own ASW27 for great flights out of Hollister, the first time ever this has been done, and "around the horn" as well (south around the bottom of the San Joaquin Valley first then following the mountains east and north). Ramy set a new "3TP" (Three Turn Point) Record out of Hollister with this flight, and Matt & Larry's flight is certainly noteworthy as well. Great job all of you! See the details on the Records Page. Matt's story will be coming soon!
Two more checkrides passed — Dan Sauter and Jonathan Hull! • May 7 & 11, 2009
Hi everybody, HGC would like to congratulate Dan Sauter and Jonathan Hull, both of whom recently passed their Practical Tests for an added Glider Rating with Designated Pilot Examiner Dave Morss. Great job, both of you!
On Thursday, May 7th, Dan Sauter added a Glider Rating to his Airplane, Single-Engine Land rating on his Private Pilot Certificate. Dan has several hundred hours of flying experience, and even owns his own Ryan Navion aircraft that is currently tied down at the San Carlos airport. In his younger days, Dan was a Marine (I guess once a marine, always a Marine, right Dan?), and for many years now he's worked as an A & P mechanic. For a while, he wrenched on small GA aircraft for a government agency, but now works for United Airlines and helps keep all the 700 series birds flying out of SFO. Dan came to HGC in April of 2008, and began his training with Jeffrey Hazlegrove. He was in no hurry, and set a leisurely pace, eventually flying with Jeffrey, Drew Pearce, Charlie Hayes, and finishing up his training with me. Now Dan is working on a back-seat check-out in an HGC SGS 2-32, and is hoping to join BASA at some point in the future. His "stick-to-it-ness" paid off in taking him through a successful checkride, as well as helping him conquer other challenges he's faced in his life lately. He even came out and rode his Trek bicycle with several of us in the Condor Classic Bicycle ride last October, finishing a great 50 mile (give or take a few miles) ride.
On Monday, May 11th, Jonathan Hull added a Glider Rating to his Airplane Rating on his Commercial Pilot Certificate. Jon enjoys flying rental aircraft such as C-172 and C-182 from a large flying club on the Peninsula, and recently had an enjoyable flight down south to a small airstrip in the Death Valley area. Jon works in the Hi-Tech industry in the Menlo Park/Palo Alto area, and is also involved as one of the Director Members of the San Carlos Airport Pilots Association. Jon originally began flying at HGC with Ruth Cook a couple years ago, and had made quite a bit of progress toward his checkride when his work became too demanding. In early 2009, his work load lightened up so he felt that now was a good time to finish up. Jon came back to HGC just a couple months ago and began flying with me in earnest and made great progress by flying about once a week. He was very enthusiastic about his training, and went over and above the required work to find new sources of soaring weather information that turned out to be a learning experience for me too. He placed all of his notes and materials into a very organized binder so that it could be at his fingertips during the oral exam, and later told me that this worked very well during Dave's questioning. I hope to have all my students follow his example in the future! I'm sure that if Jon decides to come out and go further into the sport by getting experience in the fiberglass gliders that he'll be an excellent soaring pilot!
Once again, thanks to both of you for all of your hard work and dedication which paid off in the successful completion of your Practical Tests. Congratulations on the beginning of a new chapter in your aviation adventure, which is the continuing exploration of the exciting and challenging world that we as pilots experience when we take to the skies.
—Happy Soaring, Quest
Ramy Sets New Hollister Mad Dash Record By Flying to Yuma, AZ! • April 15, 2009
Just 10 months after Eric Rupp flew his record-setting 444 mile flight to Calexico, CA, on the Mexican border, Ramy Yanetz has upped the ante by flying 489.4 miles to Yuma, Arizona! Before Eric's flight in June 2008, the previous Hollister Mad Dash Record had stood for over five years. Congratulations to Ramy on an amazing accomplishment. Read his story about the flight here.
Another checkride passed at HGC — Congratulations to Ido Ofir! • April 5, 2009
On Sunday, April 5th, Ido Ofir (son of BASA member Ram Ofir) passed his practical test with Designated Pilot Examiner Dave Morss and was issued his Initial Private Pilot Certificate with a Glider Rating. Congratulations Ido! Ido is a twenty one year old student at UC Davis studying for an EE (electrical engineering) degree in Computer Engineering, which encompasses both hardware and software. During his winter break from college studies in December, he took advantage of the HGC Winter Special to begin glider flight training with CFIG Charlie Hayes. (Congratulations Charlie!) Ido trained in earnest by coming out to Hollister quite a few weekend days in January, February and March, and was able to get prepped for the practical test in a surprisingly short span of time. (I guess it helps that he has flown with his father Ram in the two-place BASA ships many times over the years!) So, once again, congratulations Ido, and Charlie Hayes, for your great work and dedication in the pursuit of yet another success story at Hollister Gliding Club. We hope to see Ido, and Ram, coming out to take advantage of the great spring soaring conditions that are just around the corner here at Hollister. Great job everybody!
—Happy Soaring, Quest
Hervé Goguely and Robert Harley Get Private Glider Ratings • March 18 & 23, 2009
HGC would like to congratulate Hervé Goguely and Robert Harley for passing their Practical Tests for their Private Glider Ratings. Great job both of you!
Hervé passed his practical test on Wednesday, March 18th, after just a few concentrated training sessions with Charlie Hayes. Great job Charlie! Hervé has a foreign power license, as well as a foreign glider license, but wanted to have the US certificate too. He owns a Stemme self-launcher, and has been getting quite a bit of time flying it around on a solo self-launch endorsement. But he felt that now was an ideal time to spend some quality time at HGC and get finished up with the US rating, and get an aero-tow endorsement to boot! We hope that Hervé will drop in from time to time and say "hi" whenever hés out in his Stemme and the soaring conditions take him in or around the Hollister neighborhood. Once again, congratulations Hervé for a great job done in record time!
Robert (Bob) Harley passed his Practical Test with Designated Pilot Examiner Dave Morss on Monday, March 23rd, to add the Private Pilot Glider rating to his Commercial Airplane Certificate. Bob is a dentist in the South Bay who has several hundred hours of powered flight time and enjoys doing intense aerobatics and tumbling maneuvers in an Extra 300 out of Hayward. Recently, he was treated to an "extra-seat" flight in the BASA DG 1000 with Member Wolf Weber, and was introduced to the thrill of soaring that the rest of the glider flying community knows all too well. Bob got bit by "the Bug", and decided to plunge head-first into a concentrated training program. He headed out to HGC a couple times a week to train with me for the last six weeks or so, and picked up the skills needed to nicely handle the SGS 2-32 in short order. Now that he's got the ticket in his pocket with the ink still wet, he wants to join BASA and get into flying the glass ships ASAP. His ultimate goal is the brass ring of the DGs and Pegasi, and then, as they say, "the sky's the limit"! Great job Bob, and HGC welcomes you into the next great adventure in your aviation life: piloting a glider to soar on the rising air so that you may enjoy all the freedom that your skills will allow you to reap!
Happy Soaring, Quest
Jonathan Hughes Flies "Alby" to Avenal • March 22, 2009
Alby enjoyed his stay at Hollister but he was getting restless and wanted to get going on his journey to the east. Alby wanted to get to Avenal and I offered to give him a ride in my glider. He has enjoyed flying around in a Discus, ASW-27, and DG-800 so he was looking forward to seeing what it is like to fly in an Jantar. He wanted to go last weekend but the high cirrus made that impossible. This Sunday was looking promising and with the rain coming in on Saturday evening it was looking like a good post-frontal day.
I got a late start on Sunday and didn't get to Hollister until a little after 11:00AM just in time to see BG take off. I quickly collected Alby from the HGC office and tucked him snuggly into his traveling case. I have been working on various little projects on my glider for the past several weeks so it took me a little time to make sure everything was back together and ready to go before taking off (more about that later). In the meantime, a rain shower had moved in from the north which delayed us even more.
I finally took off about 1:30PM and took a 3,700ft AGL tow to Kelly's Ranch airstrip 4.5nm northeast of Hollister which was the closest thermal. The rules for Alby state that you should release below 3,000ft and to the west of the airport when Alby is flying east. I clarified with the Albymasters that the conditions in Hollister would probably require special dispensation and received a waiver from the tow height and release rules for my flight. Alby said he felt our flight met the spirit of the rule as we released as low and close to Hollister as possible on the day we flew.
Conditions were soft at first and the wind was blowing from 305 at 21kts. I was able to climb up to about 5,000ft before heading out towards Los Banos. I was finding lots of sink in some areas and not being very high I was a little worried about how easy this flight was going to be. Alby said not to worry and found a few thermals when we got low. Every time I found myself in a position where I either needed to climb or head towards my landout option Alby found a thermal.
At about this time I noticed that the arrival altitude for my landout option on my PDA was changing but the distance didn't seem to change. I also noted that the direction of flight seemed to be in the wrong direction. A little bit of troubleshooting revealed that the logger was communicating with the PDA but the logger thought we hadn't moved from just south of the San Luis Reservoir. Alby said not to worry, we could complete the flight using ded reckoning and since I always have a sectional with me we didn't have any trouble figuring out where we were.
Our route of flight was from Kelly's Ranch to the north east towards Los Banos and then south towards I5. Conditions got stronger as we got closer to Mercy Hot Springs and by the time we made it to Harris Ranch I knew we had Avenal in glide. The problem was a line of rain showers that stretched from San Benito peak past Coalinga to the foothills east of Avenal. I was fairly sure we could get through but I couldn't see the runway and wasn't sure what the condition of the surface would be after all the rain.
As we approached from the east it became obvious that the rain was more to the south and the airport was in the clear. I flew a little past Avenal to show Alby the direction he would want to go later before landing at Avenal about 3:35PM. Ironically, with all the wind at altitude the winds at Avenal were light when I landed but picked up later in the day by the time I towed out. No one appeared to be around when I landed and I was a little concerned about leaving Alby alone but Loyal Savaria showed up a little while later and gladly accepted Alby on behalf of the Avenal club. A little later, a member of the Avenal city council showed up and gave Alby an official welcome.
Loyal said he didn't want to tow me all the way back to Hollister with that headwind so Harry Fox came in our Citabria and towed me back home. I released 12 miles south of Hollister at almost 7,000ft and I was still worried about making it back into the headwind. It was almost like standing still. I got back to Hollister just in time to get disassembled and put away before it got dark.
Although Alby and I only got to fly together for 2.1 hours we had a good time and I'm looking forward to following his journey as he makes his way across the country. I don't have a logger trace for the flight but the route was right over I5 most of the way. I got as high as 7,000ft and as low as 3,600. Winds were strong from the north but there was no wave found.
Buzz Graves and "Alby" have flown from Byron to Hollister • March 5, 2009
Buzz Graves soared from Byron to Hollister on March 5th, 2009, with "Alby," a bronze trophy in the shape of an albatros. Alby's goal is to fly across the continental U.S., from soaring-site to soaring-site as he rides along in different sailplanes. Read more about Alby's voyage at: http://albysvoyage.blogspot.com
Buzz said: "My flight from Byron to Hollister..... it was a ground skimming experience...dodging rain and hail...you name it!"
And yet another checkride passed at HGC: Ed Luhrman • Feb 28, 2009
HGC would like to congratulate Ed Luhrman who on Saturday, February 28th, passed his Practical Test for an initial Private Pilot Certificate with a glider rating. Great job Ed!! Ed flew with Designated Pilot Examiner Dave Morss, and Ed's primary Flight Instructor was Charlie Hayes. Congratulations Charlie, for a job well done, and for all your hard work in getting Ed up to speed for the exam.
Ed first came to HGC about three years ago when we were operating primitively out of those depressing gray storage containers. He flew quite a bit with Ruth Cook, but then something called "work" got in the way of his aviation pursuits, and he had to stop for a while.
Ed came back to us a few times after those first initial sessions, but just couldn't get into a groove to knockout the rating until late last summer. Finally the lure of the sky was too much, and he dove in head first to get 'er done. Ed flew with Drew Pearce a few times, then myself, and then picked up full speed with Charlie Hayes last fall. After a few weeks off for holidays, weather, etc., it all came together for Ed during the last couple weeks, and we were treated to that big, ear-to-ear grin that people get when they've slipped the surly bonds and are presented with a Temporary Airman Certificate from the DPE.
Ed hopes to be joining BASA shortly, so some of you local BASA soaring maestros may be getting an e-mail from Ed in the spring. He'll be looking for backseat time and the osmosis-type learning style which experienced pilots can offer for how best to soar in thermals, ridge, wave, and all the rest. Congratulations Ed! Welcome to the glider pilot family, and may all your soaring flights take you to the tops of the thermals!
— Happy Soaring, Quest
Another checkride passed at HGC: Steve Sutton • Jan 30, 2009
From left: Examiner Dave Morss, Steve Sutton, CFI Charlie Hayes
HGC would like to congratulate Steve Sutton who passed his Practical Test with Designated Pilot Examiner Dave Morss on Friday, January 30th, 2009. Great job Steve!! Steve's main Flight Instructor was Charlie Hayes, and HGC would also like to thank Charlie for all of his hard work and dedication in getting Steve up to speed for his checkride. Great job Charlie!
Steve came to HGC last fall with the desire to add his Glider Rating onto his Private Certificate, which he already held with an Airplane Single Engine Land rating. Steve did an introductory lesson with me, and then I worked with him for a few sessions before I was able to hand him off to "The Master", Charlie Hayes, for the bulk of his training. Steve took a few weeks off during the holiday season, but came back in early January and, being the excellent "stick" that he is, finished up in no time.
Steve has been living in the Oakland area while attending law school at Cal in Berkeley, and belongs to a flying club on the airport at Oakland's North Field. Quite often, Steve would fly to Hollister for his lesson with HGC in one of his club's Skyhawks to avoid traffic and cut down on transit time. That's a great way to stay current in the powered equipment, while at the same time making his glider training as efficient as possible. (Power pilots out there thinking about a glider rating, take note!)
Steve is learning one type of law at Cal, but we're also glad that he came to Hollister and learned about all the laws that glider and soaring pilots must know about and master. These are the aerodynamic and physical laws that we must know about in order to thwart the one law that a very famous rabbit never studied: the Law of Gravity!
Good luck in your law career, Steve, and congratulations once again for a job well done in adding your glider rating to your Certificate. Have fun in all of your aviation endavors, and hopefully we'll see you again out at Hollister some time during the good soaring weather.
— Happy Soaring, Quest
Kevin Weber, Collin Tsai and Juan-Pablo Mejia Pass Checkrides • Jan 17, 2009
Andy Jardetzky's First Solo • Jan 16, 2009
On Saturday, January 17th, Kevin Weber, Collin Tsai and Juan-Pablo Mejia all passed their practical exams with Designated Pilot Examiner Dave Morss to achieve their individual dreams of being glider pilots. Also, on Friday, January 16th, 14-1/2 year old Andy Jardetzky flew his first solo flight in a glider. Congratulations to all of you for jobs well done! HGC's very own Charlie Hayes was the CFIG who provided the excellent training that brought these applicants up to the knowledge and skill level to be able to pass their checkrides. Congratulations Charlie!!
Kevin Weber came to HGC in the spring of 2008 with the desire to pursue an initial pilot certificate, having no previous aeronatutical experience. At 6'5", we had to be creative with cushions to get Kevin to fit in the SGS 2-32, but we did it. He flew with Jeffrey Hazlegrove, followed by Drew Pearce, then me (Quest), and beginning in early October, Charlie Hayes. Thanks go out to Drew and Jeffrey for laying the solid early foundations of flight training for Kevin. Kevin loves to sail, and go angling for tuna and other offshore game fishes. Now he can sail the sky on invisible wind currents, and go "angling" for those elusive and powerful "fish of the sky" that we call thermals. Congratulations again, Kevin, Charlie, and all the CFIGs who helped you along the way.
Collin Tsai is about 16-1/2 years old, and has been training and flying at HGC since he was 14. Collin soloed under the authority of CFIG Ruth Cook back in the fall of 2006, and has been improving his skills with almost all of our Flight Instructors ever since. He's flown with Ruth, Jeffrey, Drew, Charlie and me, and I think that we all helped to advance him to where he is today. Collin enjoyed doing thermalling training with Ruth, and even participated in our 1st Gliderpalooza back in September of 2006. Collin's parents, Andrew and Leslie, have been very supportive of his training, giving him encouragement all along the way. Before Collin turned 16, and was able to drive himself to his lessons, Andrew and the entire family would come out to Hollister and patiently watch all of Collin's training flights. Now that's what I call dedicated parents! Once again, congratulations to Collin for working hard to get the certificate and rating, and to Charlie Hayes for his great instruction and dedication. Great job both of you!.
Juan-Pablo Mejia came to HGC with a Private Pilot Certificate, Airplane Single Engine, Land, and wanted to add a glider rating to his certificate. Juan-Pablo has a few hundred hours in Cessna 172s, and wanted to take on the fun and challenge of learning a new and exciting form of aviation. He flew with Drew Pearce (great job Drew), as well as myself, and transitioned to Charlie Hayes when Charlie came to HGC in October. Juan-Pablo is a professional, free-lance, website designer, which gave him a large degree of freedom to come out and train on his own schedule. Because of this flexibility, Juan-Pablo was able to add his glider rating with a relatively small number of flying days, each having many flights, but compressed into just a few months. Congratulations once again to Juan-Pablo, and Charlie Hayes, for tireless dedication to a goal, and great all-around jobs from both of you.(If the HGC site takes on a "new" look over the next year, you'll know who the designer probably is!)
Andy Jardetzky is a busy young teenager with very supportive parents who also come out to the airport and sit-in on his lessons and watch most of his take-offs and landings. Andy began his training at HGC with Jeffrey Hazlegrove, and then went off on a vacation to Cape Cod where he had the pleasure of getting in a glider lesson at the Marston's Mills airport there. Upon his return, Andy flew with me for a few lessons over the summer, and we worked hard at getting the basics down really solid. Because Andy is very involved with playing the trumpet in his high school marching band, his training slowed up a bit in the fall as he practiced and went off to competitions. Then, after the band season was over, Andy resumed training with Charlie Hayes and his progress was very good in getting up to solo. Everything was in place on Friday the 16th, and Andy was allowed to take N87R up into the sky by himself with his happy parents and Charlie Hayes looking on from below. We all waited and watched as he performed a perfect landing on runway 31 with many camera shutters clicking as he rolled by the reviewing stand. After he exited the glider there were hugs all around, as well as a bottle of water poured over his head! Congratulations Andy, and we look forward to seeing you progress with Charlie Hayes over the next year and a half as you gain the skills necessary to pass your practical test on your 16th birthday. Great job Andy, and great job Charlie!
HGC congratulates all four of you, with special applause for Charlie Hayes for his great work as your Flight Instructor. Thanks also to all of the other flight instructors, as well as the tow pilots, line personnel, office workers, and Joy Pierce, for their work and dedication to HGC and soaring in general. Also, thanks to Haven for keeping everything going so we can have these successes at Hollister on a regular basis.
—Happy soaring, Quest
Sergey Sinyachkin Adds Glider Rating to his Commercial Pilot's Certificate • Jan 3, 2009
From left: CFI Charlie Hayes, Sergey Sinyachkin, examiner Dave Morss
HGC would like to congratulate Sergey Sinyachkin for passing his practical test with examiner Dave Morss on Saturday, January 3rd, 2009. Great job Sergey!
Sergey successfully added his Glider Rating onto his Commercial pilot certificate, where he already has single and multi-engine airplane, single-engine seaplane, helicopter, and maybe a few others (Powered lift? Airship?). Additionally, Sergey did his training and checkride in a very short period of time. He began with us in mid-December, soloed in just a few days, flew all of his required solos in just a couple days, and aced the checkride in just about two weeks. Sergey's flight instructor was Charlie Hayes, and HGC would also like to congratulate Charlie for a job well done.
Sergey is one of those guys who tinkers with silicon-based life and creates funny looking codes on computer screens in order to satisfy his addiction to being in the air. Thanks for coming to Hollister and flying with us for the past couple weeks, Sergey, and we hope to see you out here again when the spring soaring season gets up and going. Congratulations again to Sergey and Charlie for jobs well done, and proving that Hollister does offer great conditions year-'round for training with that great between-storm weather that we have here in the Bay Area.
—Happy Soaring, Quest
Ido Ofir's First Solo • Dec 29, 2008
CFI Charlie Hayes congratulates Ido Ofir on his first solo on Dec 29, 2008.
Kevin Brown Adds Glider Rating to his Commercial Pilot's Certificate • Dec 9, 2008
CFI Charlie Hayes congratulating Kevin Brown
HGC would like to congratulate Kevin Brown for the successful completion of his Practical Test with DPE Dave Morss on Tuesday, Dec. 9th. Great job, Kevin! Kevin added the Glider rating onto his Commercial Certificate with the help of CFIG Charlie Hayes. Great job Charlie! Kevin had also done quite a bit of training with Drew Pearce, as well as Jeffrey Hazlegrove, so thanks also go out to those two Instructors for their hard work and dedication. Great job guys!
Kevin flies a business jet out of San Francisco (as well as being a CFI in Power and tailwheel guy), and had to do some very tricky scheduling to get his training done in between those demanding turbine trips. He began with HGC in the Spring of this year, and was also able to put in a couple solid days of flying at the beginning of summer, which got him up to solo. He came back to Hollister when he could during the summer and fall to knock out his solos, and then did the slam dunk to finish up in the last few days. We're all hoping that Kevin will get tired of that darn "yaw dampener" at some point and come back to Hollister to enjoy the pleasures of using the rudder, and soaring with the birds!
Once again, congratulations Kevin, and we hope you think of us when you're cruising above us in the Flight Levels. (But watch out for those guys in the wave windows! You might be looking up at them!)
—Happy Soaring, Quest
Ian Kluft Adds Glider Rating to his Commercial Pilot's Certificate • Nov 3, 2008
Ian Kluft being congratulated by CFI Quest Richlife
Another pilot at HGC has passed his practical test for a glider add-on rating to his Commercial Pilot Certificate! Congratulations are in order for Ian Kluft for a successful checkride with examiner Dave Morss on Monday, November 3rd. Great job Ian!
Ian had begun his glider training at Tehachapi back in the summer, but decided to transfer over to HGC around the end of August. One of Ian's hobbies is advanced amateur rocketry, which took him down to the Mojave Desert from time to time, and that's when he'd stop off at Tehachapi to fly gliders. But the trips were infrequent, and the distance too far for consistent flying, so he opted to become a regular at HGC. Now that he has the ticket, he'll be joining BASA and getting checked out in the Grob and Junior. He'll also be looking for an empty seat in the DGs whenever there's lift to explore and a BASA Member wants to share costs.
Ian has spent many years in the hi-tech software and hardware fields. And relatively recently he's also moved into aviation as a multi-engine rated pilot and single-engine instructor, operating out of Squadron2 flying club at Reid-Hillview airport in San Jose. Ian is also an amateur radio/ham radio operator.
Ian's CFIG for his training was me, Quest, and additionally Ian also did some Phase Check training with Charlie Hayes. Thanks, Charlie, for some great ground and flight training to help get Ian prepared for the checkride. Thanks, Ian, for being my very first student to get prepared for, and pass, a Practical Test for a certificate or added rating. I've had the Power CFI ticket for five years, but this is the first time I've trained someone all the way to the Practical. Thanks for giving me a 100% success rate so far!
Congratulations again Ian, and we look forward to seeing you enjoy soaring and the camaraderie that we all experience at Hollister.
—Happy Soaring, Quest
Flight Instructor Charle Hayes Returns to Hollister • Oct 27, 2008
HGC has recently acquired the full-time services of CFIG Charlie Hayes who I believe to the be THE BEST glider flight instructor that I have ever had the pleasure to work with. Charlie will be available to give instruction during the regular HGC days and hours of operation (Thursday thru Monday, 9-6), and by special request on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, if possible. Charlie can do any type of training, from primary through BASA check-outs, currency, and Flight Reviews, up to private owner ground orientation and self-launch sign- offs. He is also qualified for aerobatics and cross country soaring techniques in the appropriate ship of your choice. As soon as we have access confirmed to Panoche, and the airstrip has been brought up to snuff, Charlie can perform Panoche check-outs as long as the weather doesn't turn rainy.
Charlie is also a power pilot and CFI in power, and has performed thousands of glider tows, so you may find yourself in a glider being towed behind him while he is in the Pawnee or a Cherokee.
Charlie has been around gliders, soaring and airplanes for almost all his life, and is a skilled professional who lives up to all the characteristics we all want and expect when we go up with an instructor. He has flown and instructed out of Fremont, Hollister, and many places in the Sierra over the past 20 years or more. If you fly with him, he will put you at ease and make the experience enjoyable. In the FAA Flight Instructor Handbook, they say that a flight instructor should be Firm, Fair and Friendly, and Charlie is all that and more. In Russell Holtz's Flight Training Manual For Gliders, he says that a good instructor is organized, patient, adaptable, creative, conservative, and modest. Charlie is, again, all of these and more, with modesty probably his most important characteristic. He teaches much by example and is always learning and bringing his techniques up to ever higher levels of mastery.
With Charlie, you won't ever get an uncomfortable, confrontational feeling during your instructional sessions, but he will make you work, and will challenge you to be your best. He will never use sarcasm or use belittling comments, and he always acts in a cool, calm, steady, professional manner. He is a glider pilot's best mentor, and is a wealth of knowledge and experience just waiting to be tapped. He's naturally reserved and soft-spoken, so he lets his superior airmanship, experience, judgment and demeanor speak for themselves. Charlie is genuinely respected within the glider and soaring community, and his great reputation is peerless.
Give HGC a call, and plan to come out to Hollister and find out just how much fun dual instruction in gliders can be by scheduling some glider or soaring instructional time with Charlie Hayes.
See you at Hollister!
—Happy Soaring, Quest
Allen White Makes His 10,000th Tow! • Oct 21, 2008
Hi everybody, Sometime within the last two weeks or so, Allen White, our tow-pilot/Pawnee pilot extraordinaire, passed the 10,000 tow mark, and I feel that this is quite the impressive milestone, so he should be congratulated. Allen is the personification of cool professionalism and dedicated service to his craft. His 10,000 safe tows are something he, and all of us, can be proud of, as we all look to constantly improve our flying skills and airmanship (airwomanship, too?). Next time you're out at Hollister, feel free to give Allen a friendly congratulation, and thank him for being one of the main forces keeping the soaring community alive at Hollister. It is HGC's hope that Allen will be around for a long time into the future, giving tows at Hollister and setting an example for all the other tow pilots as well as our glider pilots too.
—Happy Soaring, Quest
Mathew Hoevet Adds Commercial Glider Rating to his Pilot's Certificate • Oct 14, 2008
Examiner Dave Morss congratulating Mathew Hoevet
On Tuesday, October 14th, Mathew Hoevet passed his checkride with Designated Examiner Dave Morss to add a Commercial Glider rating onto his pilot certificate. Great job Mathew! Mathew's flight instructor was Drew Pearce, who worked with Mathew in an accelerated program over the last few months. Mathew is a business jet pilot for a private individual and he sometimes has a few days to himself when the jet job brings him to the Bay Area. He took advantage of those free days and flew with Drew, doing accelerated, full-day training a few times. A final full day of polishing up on everything and it all paid off in flying colors when he flew with Dave on the 14th. Congratulations once again to Mathew and Drew for another HGC success story, and to Drew for reacquainting another pilot with those two pedals on the floor that work almost exclusively on the ground in those fancy jets.
—Happy Soaring, Quest
Eric Rupp sets new 444 mile distance record from Hollister!! • June 21, 2008
HGC would like to congratulate Eric Rupp on his record-setting 7.5 hour, 444 mile straight-out glider flight from Hollister to Calxico on the Mexican border! It took more than five years for a strong-willed, talented and skilled glider pilot to persevere and break the previous straight-out record from Hollister. As his prize, Eric will receive the $500.00 worth of tows that was promised by HGC for the accomplishment of such a task!
Eric looks out over his wingtip at the Sonoran Desert on his way to Calexico.
HGC will continue to offer another $500.00 worth of tows to any glider pilot who can exceed Eric's record by at least 10%. And there is absolutely no reason why a determined pilot cannot venture a few dozen miles into Mexico if all of the proper preparations and paperwork are correctly lined up. Where there is a will, there is a way!
—Happy Soaring, Quest
THREE more checkrides passed at HGC!! • June 13, 2008
GC would like to congratulate Joy Pierce, Gabriel Flores and Yossi Meshulam on passing their initial Private Pilot Glider checkrides with Designated Pilot Examiner Dave Morss. Congratulations to all three of you! Great job! HGC would also like to thank Jeffrey Hazlegrove for his great work and dedication in getting all three of these applicants perfectly prepared for the sign-off for their checkrides. Great job Jeffrey! HGC would also like to thank both Ruth Cook and Drew Pearce for their contributions as flight instructors as they performed phase checks and other student instruction with our three new pilots. Thanks you two!
Joy Pierce, who is also HGC's dedicated Office Manager and BBQ organizer/cook (as well as being a dedicated glider crew member for a private owner), came to me a couple years ago saying that she wanted to pursue her license. Now, she has finally accomplished that dream and we are all very proud of her. Joy passed her checkride on Friday, June 13th(!).
Examiner Dave Morss with Joy "Red Baron" Pierce.
Gabriel Flores came to us from the ranks of hang-glider pilots. He said that he's decided to move on to sailplanes as he "wanted to go somewhere" in the sky now, and hang-gliders were just not fast enough for him. As Gabriel moves ahead in his glider flying and soaring, look for him to be joining BASA and learning to fly cross-country from all of the great cross-country pilots who fly out of Hollister. Gabriel passed his checkride on Thursday, May 29th.
Examiner Dave Morss with Gabriel.
Yossi Meshulam still has his original logbook from a brief stint he did in the Israeli Air Force many years ago. There are about a dozen glider flight entries logged in there, but we got him a new logbook for his current training. Yossi has already joined BASA, and is checked-out in the Grob. He's hungry for thermals, so any BASA members who'd like to pass on their soaring/thermalling knowledge and techniques are welcome in his empty seat! Yossi passed his checkride on Thursday, May 29th. Congratulations again to all three of you, plus your Flight Instructors, for a job well done. We look forward to seeing all of you flying at Hollister very soon.
Examiner Dave Morss with Yossi.
—Happy Soariong, Quest
SPOT provides real-time tracking of your favorite glider pilot!
We now have a page on this website where you can follow the progress of your favorite SPOT-equipped glider pilots on their cross-country exploits. See our new Hollister SPOT page for details!
Two more checkrides passed at HGC!! • May 25, 2008
HGC would like to congratulate Mike McKinley and Winfried Wilcke, both of whom recently passed their checkrides with DPE Dave Morss for the addition of a Glider Rating onto their pilot certificates. Both Mike and Winfried added the Rating onto their Commercial certificates. Congratulations are also in order for CFIG Jeffrey Hazlegrove for his great work in preparing both pilots to perform at the high levels of flight proficiency and knowledge that HGC requires of its students. Great job guys!
Winfried has been enjoying flying his C172 and Bonanza. And now he's jumping right into the exotic world of cross-country soaring as he is a co-owner, with Wolf Weber, of glider "5W" which is Ramy's old LS-4 (previously known as "TG"). The glider may possibly have embedded within its fiberglass structure old memories which will give it the inate ability to find and stay in lift!
Mike is a retired SF firefighter who owns an Aviat Husky and spends lots of his time flying a P-51 and T-6 out of Hollister. He enjoys doing formation flights, fly-bys and training clinics with war-bird enthusiasts from all over the country. Additionally, he's expressed a desire to join BASA so that he can pursue the challenges and rewards of advanced soaring in their high-performance modern ships. Let's warmly welcome Winfried and Mike to the family of sailplane pilots and soaring aficionados who enjoy one of the purest forms of aviation within the entire spectrum of flight! Congratulations again to all three of you for jobs well done!
—Happy Soaring, Quest
Hollister Airport Improvements Will Include New Facilities For Gliders
The latest (May 30, 2008) Airport Layout Plan ("ALP") for Hollister Airport shows new proposed facilities for glider operations, including a glider staging area to expedite glider operations on Runway 24. You can download PDFs of the Interim and Ultimate ALP here: Excerpt of the Interim ALP showing just the areas with glider elements (Adobe PDF file, 292 kb) Interim ALP (Adobe PDF file, 1.4 MB) Ultimate ALP (Adobe PDF file, 1.7 MB)
Second Weekend of 2008 Hollister League Race Results • May 3 & 4, 2008
Saturday 5/3:
Task was up to 3 turnpoints with 20 miles radius turn area: Lookout north of Black, Twisselmen and New Cuyama. Most claimed 2 turn points by going as far as the north end of the California Valley between Twisselmen north and south. Results:
1 - Jonathan (Std Jantar) - 362km - 95.3 kmh - 95 kmh handicapped
2 - Ramy (ASW27) - 512km - 105.76 kmh - 93 kmh handicapped
3 - Darren (DG800) - 412km - 105.76 kmh - 88 kmh handicapped
4 - David (DG300) - 325 km - 85.45 kmh - 81 kmh handicapped
5 - Tom (Discus 2) - 225 km - 80.46 kmh - 75 kmh handicapped
Sunday 5/4:
Task was to the Lookout turn area and New Cuyama. David, Jonathan and myself made the New Cuyama turn area, the rest went as far as Avenal and Lost Hills area. Plenty of landouts and relights due to blue holes and OD.
Results:
1 - Ramy (ASW27) - 597km (to 18 miles SE of New Cuyama and back to Hollister)- 111.50 kmh - 93 kmh handicapped (with 5% ballast penalty)
2 - Jonathan (Std Jantar) - 349 km (to 20 miles from New Cuyama, landed at Avenal) - 93.21 kmh - 93kmh handicapped
3 - Darren (DG800) - 410km (to Belridge area, relighted at Panoche)- 92.78 kmh - 77 kmh handicapped
4 - Eric (DG300) - 358km (to Belridge, landed at Harris Ranch) - 77.42 kmh - 69 kmh handicapped (with 5% ballast penalty)
5 - David (DG300) - 443 km (to 20 miles from New Cuyama, landed at Harris Ranch) - 71.73 kmh - 68 kmh handicapped
6 - Rodger (Discus) - 245km (to Avenal area, landed at Los Banos) - 72.35 kmh- 67 kmh handicapped
7 - Steve Saglio (Pegasus) - 138 km (to New Idria, landed at Hollister) - Task not completed All traces are available on OLC
Few rule clarifications and reminders:
1 - At least one turn point must be made to score. The 100 km minimum distance was for pilot selected tasks, not turn area tasks.
2 - The standing is based on rounded handicapped speed. In case of a tie as above, the longest distance wins.
3 - Water ballast is optional and carries additional 5% penalty, unless dumped at the beginning of the flight.
4 - All landouts (or relights) are scored as well.
5 - I was asked why am I using statue miles for turn area instead of Nautical miles. Well I checked the contest rules on SSA web site, and indeed task distances are measured in statue miles by default, unless specified otherwise. So we will keep it at 20 statue miles, which is 17.38 nautical miles.
And last, a tip: The earlier you launch, the higher your chances to complete the task. Waiting for conditions to get stronger will improve your overall speed, but reduce your chances to complete long tasks, so plan your launch time according to the day's conditions and the task length.
— Ramy
Opening Weekend of 2008 Hollister League Race Results • April 26 & 27, 2008
Saturday April 26:
Task was up to 3 turnpoints with 20 miles radius turn area: Lookout north of Black, King City, Lick Observatory. Due to marginal conditions locally at Hollister, it required a Panoche tow towards Chemise to get away, which only Ramy took, and as such was the only one to fly a task by flying west of EL4 to claim 2 turn areas (Lookout and King City). Harry almost made the Lick turn area, but was short by 0.5 mile.
Results:
1 - Ramy (ASW27) - 160km - 52.17 kmh - 46kmh handicapped
Sunday:
Task was up to 3 turnpoints with 20 miles radius turn area: Lookout north of Black, New Cuyama, Lick Observatory. Most pilots turned near Center Peak to claim the Lookout turn area and over San Antonio valley to claim the Lick turn area.
Results:
1 - Jonathan (Std Jantar) - 311km - 80.22kmh - 80kmh handicapped
2 - Ramy (ASW27) - 361km - 86.49kmh - 76kmh handicapped
3 - Harry and Kurt (DG505) - 295km - 80.15kmh - 74kmh handicapped
4 - Buzz (DG800) - 381km - 86.9kmh - 72kmh handicapped
5 - David (DG300) - 324km - 72.69kmh - 69kmh handicapped
6 - Steve (Kestrel) - 218km - 56.15kmh - 50kmh handicapped All traces are available on OLC
Monster Wave Day! • March 16, 2008
On March 16th Hollister had an amazing day of wave lift, and several Hollister pilots got to 18,000 feet over Santa Cruz! Watch this video made by Kurt Thames on YouTube:
Ali Rastegar Adds Private Glider Rating to his ASEL Pilot's Certificate • Feb 9th, 2008!
On February 9th, Ali Rastegar passed his checkride at Hollister with DPE Dave Morss to successfully add his glider rating onto his Private Airplane Singe Engine Land Pilot's Certificate. Congratulations Ali! Thanks also go out to Ali's CFIG, Jeffrey Hazlegrove, who worked with him through the fall and into the winter. Great job Jeffrey! Ali had been weathered out twice before over the last few weeks with the storms and rain that we were having, so the clear skies of Saturday morning were a welcome sight. Ali is a hang-glider pilot, and has flown the Cessnas at Gavilan Aviation on the Hollister airport. He'd begun his glider training at HGC late last summer, flying with Ruth Cook, and occasionally going for some great soaring flights with Drew. After a brief absence, Ali got back onto the HGC schedule with Jeffrey Hazlegrove. Congratulations once again to Ali, Jeffrey, and everyone else who helped along the way toward his successful checkride!
—Happy Soaring, Quest
Ettore Leale Rang in the New Year by Passing his Private Glider Checkride!
Mr. Ettore Leale rang in the New Year by passing his private glider checkride with examiner Dave Morss to add his glider rating onto his ASEL certificate. Congratulations Ettore! Ettore began flying with Jeffrey Hazlegrove just about three months ago, and made very fast progress towards excellence in glider flying. He soloed after just a couple full-day training sessions, and seems to be a truly natural, gifted pilot. Ettore made great strides quickly, and then was away for the holidays. When he came back, all he had to do was brush up a bit, and his checkride was a breeze. Great job Ettore! And also congratulations to Jeffrey for doing a truly excellent accelerated training course with Ettore to make it all look easy. Great job Jeffrey!
Ettore lives in San Francisco, and flies power on the Peninsula. We're looking forward to seeing him when the weather gets warm, and he especially wants to come to Hollister to experience Panoche Valley. We'll definitely reserve a time slot for him at the next Gliderpalooza in the fall.
— Happy Soaring, Quest
Lars Fore Passes Commercial Pilot Glider Checkride! • November 27th, 2007
Hi everybody, HGC would like to congratulate Lars Fore for successfully passing his checkride for a commercial glider add-on rating to his airplane certificate. Additionally, Lars required only one flight to get the job done with examiner Dave Morss. Great job! Lars has been flying at Hollister off and on for about six months, coming out when he has a few days off from his job flying as a First Officer for a large commuter airline. HGC's very own Ruth Cook was the proud Flight Instructor who deserves a great round of applause for another job well done. Congratulations once again to both of you, and Lars may now enjoy the unique pleasures of soaring flight that only a glider pilot can truly appreciate.
—Happy Soaring, Quest
Johannes Zadrozny Passes Private Pilot Glider Checkride! • November, 2007
Another checkride passed at HGC! Hollister Gliding Club would like to congratulate 16 year old Johannes Zadrozny for passing his Private Pilot Glider checkride with Designated Pilot Examiner Dave Morss on Friday, November 16th! Great job Johannes!! CFIG Erick Teeters was Johannes' Flight Instructor, and another big round of applause goes out to him too.
HGC would also like to congratulate and thank Johannes' parents, Graciela and Peter for their complete and unwavering support for Johannes over the last three years of his pilot training. Johannes becomes the third generation of pilots in his family. His father is a power pilot, and his grandfather was a glider pilot.
Johannes chose to begin his training in gliders after being encouraged to do so by airshow performer Sean Tucker, whom he'd talked to one year during the Salinas Airshow. He began at Hollister as a member of the Youth Soaring Academy when he was thirteen. Johannes worked the line on many Saturdays and took his first few lessons with Russell Holtz. He then moved on to fly with Brett Hinze, and when Brett left HGC for greener pastures, he hooked up with Erick Teeters, another HGC success story. Johnannes is now attending a preparatory college, and hopes to go into international business law. He also wants to begin working on his Airplane SEL rating as well. And with his determination, as well as his refusal to never give up, I'm sure he'll accomplish all the goals he sets for himself. Congratulations again to Johannes, as well as to Erick, Brett, Russell, and his parents! Great job everybody!
—Happy Soaring, Quest
Anders Vernblom and Mike Morrison Pass Their Checkrides! • October, 2007
HGC would like to congratulate Anders Vernblom and Mike Morrison (pictured with Jeffrey), both of whom passed checkrides with Designated Pilot Examiner Dave Morss earlier in October. Congratulations!
Both Anders and Mike hold Power Pilot Certificates with Single Engine Land ratings, and we enthusiastically welcome them to the ranks of Private Pilot- Glider! Anders worked with Ruth Cook over the last few months, and he also enjoyed coming down to our Panoche weekend Gliderpalooza a couple weeks ago.
Mike Morrison worked diligently under the guidance and tutelage of CFIG Jeffrey Hazlegrove, coming down to Hollister from Silicon Valley every other Friday beginning in early May. All the work has now paid off, and HGC wishes to thank both students and instructors for a truly great job! We're looking forward to seeing Anders and Mike out at Hollister flying as Private Glider Pilots sometime soon!
—Happy Soaring, Quest
Deepak Aatresh Passes Private Pilot Glider Checkride! • Monday August 6, 2007
Congratulations to Deepak Aatresh for completing the goal he set for himself last Christmas: To become a licensed glider pilot! Deepak successfully passed his private pilot glider checkride after completing his training with instructor Ruth Cook on August 6th. Good job, Deepak!
Ferenc Omasz Passes Commercial Pilot Glider Checkride! • Monday July 16, 2007
HGC would like to congratulate Ferenc Omasz for passing his Commercial Glider checkride with Designated Examiner Dave Morss on Monday, July 16th. Congratulations Ferenc!!!!!
Ferenc is a First Officer on the Boeing 757 and 767 for a Major Air Carrier, and we warmly welcome him to the ranks of Commercial Pilot, Glider! I guess he just wanted to come someplace where he could use the rudder a little bit! The day after his checkride Ferenc was off to fly the San Francisco to Honolulu route, so maybe he'll venture over to Dillingham and do a fam. flight on Oahu with them. Ferenc is Hungarian, and we hope to see him frequently at Hollister after he visits relatives in Budapest.
HGC would also like to thank CFIG Ruth Cook for her dedication to Ferenc's training, and to CFIG Jeffrey Hazlegrove for his phase-check flight with Ferenc before the checkride on 7/16. Congratulations all of you for a job well done!!
—Happy Soaring, Quest
David Schoenwald Passes Private Pilot Glider Checkride! • Friday May 25, 2007
HGC would like to congratulate David Shoenwald for passing his Private Glider checkride to add his Glider Rating onto his Private SEL Airplane Certificate!! Congratulations David!!
David passed his checkride with Dave Morss on Friday, May 25th. David's flight instructor was Ruth Cook, and she also deserves congratulations for a job well done. Great job both of you!!
David is a power airplane pilot who hadn't flown for quite a few years, and decided to get back into aviation by aggressively pursuing his Glider add-on Rating. David and Ruth worked out an accelerated training schedule which involved David flying all day for a handful of days, spread out over a couple weeks. This just shows what students and instructors can do by using enthusiasm, hard work, planning and dedication.
David has also jumped right into cross country flying, as he and Ruth towed to Panoche, soared, and did a Panoche retrieve on Memorial Day, only three days after the checkride. Once again, great job David and Ruth, and we welcome David to the ranks of Private Pilot, Glider. We hope that you continue learning the art of soaring, and gradually break those apron strings to discover the true joy of cross-county flight!
—Happy Soaring, Quest
Multiple Pilots Attempt Mad Dash to Mexican Border Town of Jacumba • Thursday May 24, 2007
Forecast onditions looked right for Ramy Yanetz's "fantasy flight" to the Mexican border on Thursday. Four pilots accepted the challenge, but Ramy made the longest straight out flight of the day at 571 kilometers (355 statute miles).
Ramy reports: Mexico will need to wait for a better day. Made it to Apple Valley (around 50 miles east of Crystal, south of Barstow). It was a great day, but not enough. It was completely blue, did not see a single cloud the whole flight, but lift was strong and topped around 10K. I had a fast run to New Cuyama, getting there at 2:30PM, 2.5 hours from start.
But once in the Cuyama valley it was hard to find the shear line, and needed to polish some rocks until finally got over Mt Pinos and climbed to 13K, the highest for the day. But it was all down hill from there, the sea breeze was already in the Mojave desert and it was a slow progress. At some point I had Palm Spring in marginal glide, but when trying to get over Bear Mountain I lost the glide. Eventually I ran out of lift and backtracked to Apple Valley.
Apple Valley is a nice big airport, and luckily I met a flight instructor there which is also a CFIG and used to fly gliders. So I got a ride to Ontario, caught the last SouthWest flight to Oakland, and am back at home. Will make a trip to Palm Spring this weekend and retreive the glider.
David Schoenwald's First Solo in a Glider! • Monday May 14, 2007
Congratulations to David Schoenwald, and his CFIG Ruth Cook, on the occasion of David's first solo in glider N87R on Monday, May 14th. Great job both of you! David is a power pilot with single- and multi-engine ratings who's been out of aviation for a few years, and is getting back into things via gliders and HGC. He's doing an accelerated add-on, so look for news of his successful check-ride sometime within the next week or so. Good luck David!
Lars Fore's First Solo in a Glider! • Monday May 7, 2007
We'd like to congratulate Lars Fore on his first solo flight in a glider at HGC on Monday, May 7th. Great job Lars!! He accomplished this feat under the watchful tutelage of CFIG Ruth Cook. Congratulations to both of you! Lars is a power CFI, as well as being an airline pilot, and seems to be gifted and skilled in all aspects of aviation. We'll be keeping an eye on him as he pursues his Commercial Glider add-on to his existing certificate. Next stop: checkride!
Deepak Aatrash, Mike Morrison & Joy Pierce all Solo! • May 4 & 5, 2007
On Friday, May 4th, Deepak Aatresh soloed an SGS 2-32 under the watchful eye of CFIG Ruth Cook, and Mike Morrison did likewise under the direct supervision of CFIG Jeffrey Hazlegrove. On Saturday, May 5th, Joy "Red Baron" Pierce soloed perfectly (well almost) under the telepathic back-seat voice of CFIG Jeffrey Hazlegrove. Joy has been a dedicated student at HGC since last summer, and we all applaud her venture into the air with an empty back seat! Joy has also been our chief chef at the HGC BBQs, and will be working in our new office on assorted Saturdays, Sundays and weekdays. Congratulations to all three of you, and I'm looking forward to scheduling your checkrides at some point in the near future!
Hollister League: Thermals & Wave! • Saturday May 5, 2007
Saturday was a mix bag of some strong bullet thermals, wave and wind. We all launched after 2PM, releasing near Casa De Fruta. Earlier the lift was stronger and I climbed from 4000 ft to 8000 ft in thermals, contacted a wave and climbed almost to 10,000 ft in wave. Later the thermals were not strong enough to get back to the wave, so we spent the rest of the day in thermals up to 6K. The best lift was in the valley right over Hollister. Kurt used an iron thermal and reconnected with the wave later, when it got stronger and climbed to 12, 500.
We didn't declare any long tasks as it wasn't clear how far we can go today, so the nearest turnpoint was a 20 miles turn area around Reid Hillview. Some of us made it past South County to the turn area, but I have no results yet and not sure how many of us flew more then the minimum requirement of 100km OLC distance. Sunday should be warmer, better thermals, and more easterly wind. If the wind will be light we should have good thermals locally, and if it will be strong we should have good wave as the direction will be more favorable than today. Lets be ready to meet at 11AM.
—Ramy
The Hollister League Starts with a Bang! • April 28 & 29, 2007
Saturday 4/28:
1 - The short task was Hollister to Lookout turnpoint (on the ridge before Black Mtn) to King City and back to Hollister with optional landing at Salinas for the show. The Lookout area turnpoint allowed pilots to turn as short as EL4 or as long as Black Mtn. King City area turnpoint required a minor detour west of EL4 to get within 20 miles.
2 - The long task was Hollister to New Cuyama to King City and back to Hollister (500km). There was some confusion regarding the last turn point (King City) so we decided to not count it.
1st - Darryl in DX - 62MPH handicapped - 458km
2nd - Ramy in TG - 61MPH handicapped - 577km
3rd - Shannon Madsen in EP - 58MPH handicapped - 580km (first time flying at Hollister)
4th - Darren in U2 - 57MPH handicapped - 524km
5th - Jonathan and Morteza in 1CH - 50MPH handicapped - 469km
6th - Eric Rupp in ER (completed short task)
7th - Steve Saglio in JH (instrument problems, stayed local)
Sunday 4/29:
Sunday started slower with high clouds and stronger winds, however the shear line was exactly as predicted by Blipmap and RASP, way east. It was coupled with some wave activity just west of I5 to 10,000 feet. The wind was below 15 knots, yet there was sink and rotor and weak wavelets. It was definitely an interesting day, but slow going. The long task was again an AAT to New Cuyama and back and the short task to the Lookout and back. Due to the slow going and the easterly route we modified the long task to Avenal and back.
1st - Harry in JH - 46MPH handicapped - 321km
2nd - Ramy in TG - 44MPH handicapped - 347km
3rd - Jonathan in UV - 42MPH handicapped - 273km
4th - Joel Taylor in 7H (went to the MW towers and back)
5th - Darryl in DX (had a bad day, did not complete)
6th - Kurt in PS (stayed local to Panoche)
Overall it was a very successful weekend: No landouts, 3 flights of over 500km, personal best for at least 4 pilots, and 5 new participants. I invite the new participants to share their experience with us.
Kevin De Van Passes Private Glider Pilot Checkride! • April 9, 2007
On Monday, April 9th, Kevin De Van passed his check-ride with Dave Morss (in just one flight!) and successfully added his Private Glider Rating to his Private Airplane SEL Certificate! Congratulations Kevin! Kevin began flying with Drew Pearce in late spring of 2006, and then transferred over to Jeffrey Hazlegrove during the summer. He flew with Jeffrey a little bit into the fall, but then stopped sometime in October because of a lack of time. We were glad to see him show up back at HGC just a few weeks ago with enough time available to put the finishing touches on his training. When Kevin came to us last spring, he began using a small headset while flying in the 2-32. It worked so well that we decided we liked the idea, and now we have headsets available to all students who fly N87R. Thanks for the idea, Kevin! Please welcome Kevin into the ranks of Private Pilot, Glider!
Eiji Hagiwara Passes Commercial Glider Pilot Checkride! • March 22, 2007
Today at HGC, Eiji Hagiwara, flying with Dave Morss, passed his Commercial Glider rating add-on to his Commercial Airplane certificate. Congratulations Eiji!!! (Pronounced AJ) I think that Eiji also has a helicopter rating in there somewhere, as well as a selection of instructor ratings in his native Japan. Congratulations also to his dedicated instructor, Jeffrey Hazlegrove. Great job both of you! Eiji began flying with Jeffrey at HGC last summer, and kept at it into the fall, and even completed one of the cross-country tasks in a 2-32 with Ruth last September during our Panoche weekend! He vanished after Panoche, and just resurfaced a few weeks ago wanting to finish up his rating ASAP. It came right down to the wire as he's getting ready to move back home to Japan (Tokyo) on April 1st. In fact, he had to run out on the movers today to come and do the checkride. Talk about cutting it close! He's got a "For Sale" sign on his Mercedes convertible. and will be out of here very soon. Thanks for flying with us, Eiji, and HGC wishes you well in Japan, and hope you find a gliding club to fly with over there. (In fact, where DID the Fox go to over there??) Congratulations again Eiji! Bon voyage!
John Goldsworthy Passes Private Glider Pilot Checkride! • March 12, 2007
John Goldsworthy passed his private glider pilot checkride with Dave Morss on Monday, March 12th. Congratulations John!!! John began his training at HGC last spring with Drew, and then took up with CFIG Ruth Cook in the summer. He's been coming out to Hollister religiously, and the hard work finally paid off! Congratulations also to his instructors: Drew Pearce, Ruth Cook and Jeffrey Hazlegrove who did a final phase-check. Great job, all of you. John has been working the line for us the past few months on the weekends, and his tireless efforts and dedication are much appreciated. John went to the SSA convention this year in Memphis, and is looking into purchasing his own ship. (Possibly a Labelle). Please welcome John to the ranks of Private Pilot, Glider, a goal which he's been wanting to achieve for some time, and has now realized his dream! Again, congratulations John!
Post-Frontal Fun! • March 1, 2007
Each of the recent storm systems moving through the area have resulted in some great pre- and post-frontal soaring conditions around Hollister, often with beautiful cloud streets running off in all directions. Last Friday Joel & Matt took the DG 1000 for a 100k jaunt north to Loma Prieta Peak (west of Morgan Hill), back south to Fremont Peak and then south east to Bickle. A 3 hour and 6 minute flight from a 1,700 foot tow! Max altitude was 6,500 feet. The next day Jeremy & Miguel flew the DG on another 3 hour local flight. They would have stayed up longer except for the chill at altitude (-5 degrees. Remember to wear your wool socks!) The same day Jim spent the afternoon brushing up on his thermalling in the Junior, and he "had a blast."
Good Wave Soaring Over the Holidays! • January 8, 2007
Over the Holidays we had a few good soaring days. Charlie and Hud soared to 12,500 feet in wave lift over the Santa Cruz Mountains.
The first week of the New Year started off well with a few wave days. Matt and Haven had a great Wave flight that lasted 5.5 hours with a max altitude of 13,500 feet.
There will be a fun competition consisting of a thermaling contest and mini race both days. The contest will be designed so that participants can launch from Hollister, Panoche or Avenal. And a few adventurous souls have considered trying to make the flight down from Truckee. We will decide on the contest requirements each morning. If you will be launching from a different airport we will find a way to let you know the race for that day. Please RSVP for our planning needs and bring tie-downs if you will need them.
Gaggle of gliders thermalling in the Panoche valley.
The BBQ will be on Saturday afternoon and will be provided by the Panoche Inn. They will start serving around noon and have food available throughout the day. The BBQ will be $10 a plate plus drinks. Please indicate if you prefer beef or chicken if you plan to attend the BBQ. The BBQ is open to all the Panoche Inn customers so we will have a chance to mingle with the locals. Sandwiches are available at the bar.
Ziggy, the new owner of the Panoche airport, hopes to be there that weekend as well. He has been very gracious in allowing us to continue using the airport with the same arrangements we had with Bill Parker. Because the airport has not been fully cleaned up yet and Bill still has some of his aircraft in the open hangar, we have been asked to not congregate on the airport property but to use the Panoche Inn as our hang out spot. We need to make a good impression with the new owner, so please let anyone you bring down know our concerns.
We have access to the gate so you can trailer down or trailer out if you fly in. Glider pilots that want to fly down in a power plane should contact us for approach and departure procedures that we are requesting to minimize the noise impact and for safety.
The Mercey Hot Springs Resort is a short drive away for those of you who want to camp in the valley that Friday or Saturday night.
The Mercey Hot Springs airstrip has X's on the runway because of county airport regulation issues. The owner said that if somebody needed to use it that he would not care. The last reports about the airstrip were landable but very hazardous.
Tows will be available out of Hollister all day Friday and Saturday morning until everyone has launched then the tow planes will relocate down to Panoche for the weekend.
'Hope to see all of you there, or at Hollister, for a fun, friendly, challenging weekend of soaring and comraderie. We'll say goodby to Summer and hello to a promising local Fall soaring season. (HGC will still be operating as usual out of Hollister during that weekend.)
Look for frequent updates on this forum regarding the activities of that weekend. I'll post them as needed.
Happy Soaring,
Quest
NEW HOLLISTER AIPORT GLIDER OPERATIONS PROCEDURES • JULY 2006
Do you know where spectators are permitted? How about where you should turn off after landing? Things have changed since HGC moved to its new location on the ramp. Download the PDF file and check out the latest HGC Operations Procedures. - HERE
GUIDE TO FLYING PANOCHE Panoche is a grass strip 30 miles south of Hollister in the Diablo Mountain Range. Unlike Hollister, Panoche is protected from the summer sea breeze. Thermal lift here often goes to higher than 10,000 feet. This Guide is for flying the Panoche Run from Hollister. You will aerotow from Hollister to Panoche, fly in lift at Panoche, land there, and then get an aerotow back to Hollister. You do not need to be X-C checked out to fly at Panoche. Download the PDF "Guide to Flying Panoche" for an overview of requirements and procedures - HERE
Robert (Bob) Harley passed his Practical Test with Designated Pilot Examiner Dave Morss on Monday, March 23rd, to add the Private Pilot Glider rating to his Commercial Airplane Certificate. Bob is a dentist in the South Bay who has several hundred hours of powered flight time and enjoys doing intense aerobatics and tumbling maneuvers in an Extra 300 out of Hayward. Recently, he was treated to an "extra-seat" flight in the BASA DG 1000 with Member Wolf Weber, and was introduced to the thrill of soaring that the rest of the glider flying community knows all too well. Bob got bit by "the Bug", and decided to plunge head-first into a concentrated training program. He headed out to HGC a couple times a week to train with me for the last six weeks or so, and picked up the skills needed to nicely handle the SGS 2-32 in short order. Now that he's got the ticket in his pocket with the ink still wet, he wants to join BASA and get into flying the glass ships ASAP. His ultimate goal is the brass ring of the DGs and Pegasi, and then, as they say, "the sky's the limit"! Great job Bob, and HGC welcomes you into the next great adventure in your aviation life: piloting a glider to soar on the rising air so that you may enjoy all the freedom that your skills will allow you to reap! 
HGC would like to congratulate Ed Luhrman who on Saturday, February 28th, passed his Practical Test for an initial Private Pilot Certificate with a glider rating. Great job Ed!! Ed flew with Designated Pilot Examiner Dave Morss, and Ed's primary Flight Instructor was Charlie Hayes. Congratulations Charlie, for a job well done, and for all your hard work in getting Ed up to speed for the exam. 
Kevin Weber came to HGC in the spring of 2008 with the desire to pursue an initial pilot certificate, having no previous aeronatutical experience. At 6'5", we had to be creative with cushions to get Kevin to fit in the SGS 2-32, but we did it. He flew with Jeffrey Hazlegrove, followed by Drew Pearce, then me (Quest), and beginning in early October, Charlie Hayes. Thanks go out to Drew and Jeffrey for laying the solid early foundations of flight training for Kevin. Kevin loves to sail, and go angling for tuna and other offshore game fishes. Now he can sail the sky on invisible wind currents, and go "angling" for those elusive and powerful "fish of the sky" that we call thermals. Congratulations again, Kevin, Charlie, and all the CFIGs who helped you along the way. 
Andy Jardetzky is a busy young teenager with very supportive parents who also come out to the airport and sit-in on his lessons and watch most of his take-offs and landings. Andy began his training at HGC with Jeffrey Hazlegrove, and then went off on a vacation to Cape Cod where he had the pleasure of getting in a glider lesson at the Marston's Mills airport there. Upon his return, Andy flew with me for a few lessons over the summer, and we worked hard at getting the basics down really solid. Because Andy is very involved with playing the trumpet in his high school marching band, his training slowed up a bit in the fall as he practiced and went off to competitions. Then, after the band season was over, Andy resumed training with Charlie Hayes and his progress was very good in getting up to solo. Everything was in place on Friday the 16th, and Andy was allowed to take N87R up into the sky by himself with his happy parents and Charlie Hayes looking on from below. We all waited and watched as he performed a perfect landing on runway 31 with many camera shutters clicking as he rolled by the reviewing stand. After he exited the glider there were hugs all around, as well as a bottle of water poured over his head! Congratulations Andy, and we look forward to seeing you progress with Charlie Hayes over the next year and a half as you gain the skills necessary to pass your practical test on your 16th birthday. Great job Andy, and great job Charlie! 
HGC has recently acquired the full-time services of CFIG Charlie Hayes who I believe to the be THE BEST glider flight instructor that I have ever had the pleasure to work with. Charlie will be available to give instruction during the regular HGC days and hours of operation (Thursday thru Monday, 9-6), and by special request on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, if possible. Charlie can do any type of training, from primary through BASA check-outs, currency, and Flight Reviews, up to private owner ground orientation and self-launch sign- offs. He is also qualified for aerobatics and cross country soaring techniques in the appropriate ship of your choice. As soon as we have access confirmed to Panoche, and the airstrip has been brought up to snuff, Charlie can perform Panoche check-outs as long as the weather doesn't turn rainy. 
Hi everybody, Sometime within the last two weeks or so, Allen White, our tow-pilot/Pawnee pilot extraordinaire, passed the 10,000 tow mark, and I feel that this is quite the impressive milestone, so he should be congratulated. Allen is the personification of cool professionalism and dedicated service to his craft. His 10,000 safe tows are something he, and all of us, can be proud of, as we all look to constantly improve our flying skills and airmanship (airwomanship, too?). Next time you're out at Hollister, feel free to give Allen a friendly congratulation, and thank him for being one of the main forces keeping the soaring community alive at Hollister. It is HGC's hope that Allen will be around for a long time into the future, giving tows at Hollister and setting an example for all the other tow pilots as well as our glider pilots too. 
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