We Interrupt This Weblog

The earthquake and tsunami that hit the Indian Ocean on Sunday has not finished killing people. More people, especially children, could yet die from contaminated water and disease than were killed outright. All around the Indian Ocean, millions of people have had their homes destroyed and millions more have been forced from their homes. I sent a donation to OXFAM; if you prefer the American Red Cross, you can use this link. We now return you to our regularly scheduled web log.

CISS Banquet

From Ken Harry:

CISS Members and guests are invited!
Central Indiana Soaring Society Annual Winter Banquet
Cocktail Attire
Saturday January 15, 2005
The Marten House - 1801 West 86th St
5:30 PM Cash Bar opens
6:30 Introductions and program
Door Prizes throughout the evening!
6:35 Invocation
6:40 Banquet Begins!
Salads, Main Course, Vegetables, Dessert, Coffee, Tea, Soft drinks
7:00 Introduction of 2005 Officers and Board Members
7:05 Awards Program
Best Crew, New Licenses, Badges, Records,
7:30 Readings from our own poet Mario Lazaga
7:45 Guest Speaker :
Angela Buchman - WISH TV Meteorologist
8:15 Comments and questions
8:30 A look at last year - and looking forward to next year
8:45 Annual Banquet closes - let's get ready to fly!
________________________________________
CISS will bill you $32 each seat for this dinner - a reservation made is a reservation paid!
LAST DAY FOR RESERVATIONS IS WEDNESDAY JANUARY 5th AT 6:00 PM!
Please contact Ken Harry to make reservations.

Ground School Reminder

The 2005 CISS Ground School, free to members, starts on January 8. The schedule and some links to more information can be found here and here.

Never Push A Blanik Backwards

Craig Bixby writes:

This is a picture of Tailwheel Bracket from 809S. Notice the cracking. The other edge is in the same condition. This bracket is the only thing the tailwheel is attached to in the tail and as you can see this one has been subjected to a lot of stress.
The bracket the Tailwheel is mounted to is designed to absorb the pressure applied by the Tailwheel as the glider is rolling forward. It IS NOT designed to absorb the pressure the Tailwheel applies to the bracket when the glider is pushed backwards. This overstresses the bracket. The stress becomes especially great when rolling the glider backwards off from a hard surface onto the grass.
Please keep this in mind when ground handling these gliders during the coming year and only move them forward.
Thank You,
The Maintenance Crew

The Trophy

Ron Clarke has written an article about the CCSC Trophy, titled
All you might ever want to know about it.

Officially the trophy is known as the "Caesar Creek Soaring Club Cross Country Challenge" and has been in existence since the first flight which was made by Larry Kirkbride on the 7th of July 1984.
This record is an analysis of the first 20 years of this challenge which has in the mind of the writer done a great deal to stimulate cross country soaring as well as to boost club morale within the competing clubs over those years. Especially during the years when a new group of pilots took up the challenge and actively sought out each possible weekend day good enough to make an attempt to retrieve "the trophy". The 20th year is in fact proof if you need it that the concept is alive and well as no less than nine retrieves have been made.

For the full article, see the first comment.

600 Grit

Today, quite a few dedicated CISS members showed up at the hangar to wet-sand the wings of the Grob. The work goes surprisingly fast with a dozen pairs of hands working on it at once. It was COLD working in the unheated hangar (especially since the work had to be kept wet) and what with all the white gelcoat dust splashing all over us, soon most of us looked like this guy (minus the top hat):

         .-=====-.

         |_      |

         |=      |

       '=:=======:='
        /   * *   \
,_ .    \  '.V.'  /    ,
  >-\_  /'----'--`\  _/-<
   /  `|     *     |  \
       \     *     /
       /'--'-'----'\
      |      *      |
      |             |
  -.---\           /---.-
        '--'---'--`

Probable New MOAs In Southern Indiana

AOPA's website reports on the proposed expansion of special-use military airspace in southern Indiana. The FAA notice describing the proposal can be found here. AOPA has asked the FAA to raise the floor to 3500 feet agl to allow general aviation traffic to fly underneath. The period for public comment has been extended to 31 January 2005.
Map of the proposal areas.

New Year's Day Flying

Traditionally, a small group of the most eager CISS members meets at the airport each year on 1 January, drags a glider and tow plane out of the hangar, and tries to make at least one flight (and sometimes many more) weather permitting. 1 January 2005 falls on a Saturday, which is all the more reason to show up this year and help with glider maintenance. We should have at least one Blanik up and flying by then.

Gliders Annualled, Still More Work To Do

The gliders were given an annual inspection today. Blanik 809S has a fractured tailwheel support, but Blanik 303BA can be flown on New Years Day (but at the moment, is dismantled). The Grob needs lots of work on the wings and it would be preferable to get that work done before assembling it for flight again, so everyone please try to make it out to the field for maintenance work on Saturday 18 December.

ZA reports:

Nyal [Williams], Pete [Detore], Don [Taylor], Mike [Nichols],
On behalf of the club members thank you very much for taking the time out to help with the glider "Annuals" today. By virtue of the powers delegated to me I award each of you the title of: Honorary Maintenance Men!

Obviously not glider pilots

This web site has some great pictures of red-tailed hawks building and tending a nest on the ledge of an apartment building in New York City. However, the landlords tore it down (the nest, not the building), much to the dismay of, oh, every nature lover in Manhattan. Were the hawks eating too many subway rats or something?* At least the Audubon Society is on the case.
Update: The building is a co-op and the board of directors says the hawks will be allowed to return. Meanwhile, one of the more vocal hawk buffs has been arrested for harassing CNN anchor Paula Zahn, who lives in the building; Mary Tyler Moore (who also lives in the building) has hired him a lawyer.
*I learned that some building residents were troubled by the pigeon, squirrel and rat remains that tend to litter the sidewalk twelve stories below the nest. It's nature, red in tooth and claw, folks.

Grob Wings

Craig Bixby reports:

Good Morning Everyone
Hope you're staying warm and that your Holiday Preparations are all going well.
During the annual maintenance and cleanup of the gliders we have found that the Gel coat on undersides of the Grob Wings is showing the definite effects of 15 plus years of being constantly flexed.
The Gel coat is cracking all along the underside of the wings. If no immediate action is taken the wings will need to be resurfaced at the end of next flying season. This would be a great expense to the club.
Ron Clarke and the Maintenance Crew have come up with a plan to extend the useful life of the coating out at least a couple more years. The process would entail blending out the cracks by wet sanding the wings, polishing out the wings with polishing (rubbing) compound, and then applying a good layer of wax.
As you can see, it is going to be a labor intensive project. Therefore, we would like everyone that is able too, meet us at the hangar this coming Saturday Morning at 930. Having enough people come out to help will ensure that the Grob will be available for New Years Day flying.
Thanks,
The Maintenance Crew

Nyal Williams responds:

Thanks, Craig!
Let me add that we need a dozen guys at least. At least six on the leading edge and six on the trailing edge. It is extremely slow work because it has to be done with very fine grit sandpaper and polishing compound.
If we have this many people, about two hours or so of work should take care of the sanding on one wing. If we leave it to the four or five guys who usually show up it will be well into the Spring before we have this done. We must either do the work ourselves or pay a huge figure to have it done commercially.
Wear especially warm socks and boots and a sock cap (toboggan to any Southerners in the group). We might even arrange to have coffee and doughnuts or bagels or some such. I'll be there.
Nyal

Convective Activity

We occasionally do get strong lift in Indiana, even in December.

News Flash: CISS Tradition Imperiled!

Per Ron Clarke, there is a lot of work to do before we can fly on New Years Day:

The status of the equipment at present is such that we will not be able to fly on the 1st unless we get a GOOD turnout of members next Saturday (Dec 18).
The only glider currently "in annual" for the 1st is 809S and this weekend we dissasembled the tailwheel structure as there were several bad cracks in it. We will try to get it fixed before Jan 1 but this is not a given.
The only alternative is to finish some work on the Grob wings and get it back in annual together with 303BA and the PW before then.

If we want to fly on New Years Day, we'll have to do a lot of maintenance work on the 18th.

No December Meeting

There's no regular club meeting this month. Enjoy the holidays! However, winter maintenance work is still happening out at the hangar every Saturday morning - except Christmas Day, as far as I know - until all of the gliders and tow planes are done.

Worldwide Turnpoint Exchange

The Worldwide Turnpoint Exchange has moved.

CISS 2005 Annual Banquet

The club's annual banquet is Saturday, January 15, 2005 at the Marten House, 1801 West 86th St. The bar opens at 5:30pm and the banquet ends around 8:45pm. Call or email Ken Harry (whose contact information is available to CISS members at our main web site) by 6:00PM January 5 to make reservations. Tickets are $32.00.

CISS Ground School Schedule

CISS Glider Ground School
Time 9:00 AM to approximately NOON
Proposed Training Sequence:
Jan 8 Administration, Federal Aviation Regulations, AIM, ACs (M. Rielage)
Jan 15 Basic Aerodynamics and Glider Systems (Larry Pennington)
Jan 22 Performance and Weight and Balance (Nyal Williams)
Jan 29 National Airspace System (Nyal Williams) and Navigation
Feb 5 Glider Maneuvers and METARS (John Morrical)
Feb 12 Aeronautical Decision Making and Judgment (Darren Bedwell)
Feb 19 Basic Weather (Ron Clarke)
Feb 26 Medical Factors

Indiana State Soaring Records in 2004

Bumped from 11-7-04 and again from 11-21-04:
So far this year, three people have claimed a total of ten Indiana state soaring records:

Cheryl Beckage, 9-11-2004 (four records)
Absolute Altitude, feminine 15 meter class and feminine World Class : 5640 feet msl
Altitude Gain, feminine 15 meter class and feminine World Class : 3480 feet gained

Darren Bedwell (yes, me), 9-11-2004 (four records)
Open class, 15 meter class, standard class & sports class free triangle distance: 85.64 statute miles (note that the ASW-15 has a handicap of 1.00)

Ron Clarke, 9-22-2004 (two records)
Open class free triangle distance: 134.15 statute miles
Sports class free triangle distance: 116.04 statute miles

As state record keeper, I approved Ron's record claims from 9-22 (which broke two of mine from 9-11) and sent them on to the SSA. Dave Newill, Region 6 governor, approved my four records on 11-18.

Cheryl's record claims went to the badge lady at the SSA because she also made silver altitude from the same flight. The approval letter for her silver altitude claim arrived on 12-6-04 and I approved the state record claims the same day.

The SSA has stopped accepting state and national altitude records in any class but open. Cheryl's state record claims were not affected, because the rule change took effect after her flight for state records. For national records, it took effect before her flight. Does this make sense to anyone?

Weather Archives

I found hourly, or mostly hourly weather observations for various weather stations across Indiana (including AID airport) archived at this site. These are useful when you are trying to claim a record or badge leg where barometric pressure might be a factor.

California Wave

Nyal Williams writes:

I'm looking for someone to go to California City, CA with me in March, 2005 to try the wave. Anyone interested? I expect to pick a week after getting suggestions from Cindy Brickner about the most favorable time for wave action. She has an ASK-21 used for instruction and rental for wave flights.

Welcome Our New Neighbor

The only factory-built Schweizer 1-20, NX-91840, Serial Number 1, has been restored, with its first flight in Waynesville, Ohio on 3 December. See pictures and video here.

CISS Glider Ground School 2005

CISS usually holds a ground school during the winter months. Classes start at 9:00 AM and finish about noon. Mike Rielage sent out the proposed schedule for 2005:
Jan 8: Administration, Federal Aviation Regulations, AIM, ACs (Rielage)
Jan 15: Basic Aerodynamics and Glider Systems
Jan 22: Performance and Weight and Balance
Jan 29: Basic Weather (Ron Clarke?)
Feb 5: Glider Maneuvers and METARS
Feb 12: Aeronautical Decision Making and Judgment (Bedwell)
Feb 19: National Airspace System (Williams) and Navigation
Feb 26: Medical Factors

The FAA website has advisory circulars on most of these subjects (under "Quick Find" select "Advisory Circulars" and then "Go"). The one for ADM is AC 60-22.

You'll Never Get Me Up In One Of Those Things

I'm not particularly afraid of heights, but this is going too far:


Read about this guy's flights over Indiana.

GPS Visualizer

This is free and extremely super-duper (meaning fun and useful at the same time). Upload a GPS track (IGC files work) and it will show you the trace with various maps underneath. Or aerial photographs of the terrain, or whatever.


Update: GPS Visualizer now works with Google Maps!

DT: Pioneer

Don Taylor wants to be the first, so:

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: New CISS Blog
Date: Thu, 2 Dec 2004 10:36:54 -0500
Darren, thanks for putting together our very own, way cool CISS blog. It will be a super and easy way for all of us to post and get updates from now on. Given how much we burn up the internet with emails, I'm sure it will be a magnet for pictures, contest and record results, flight descriptions, wx outlooks, bad jokes and much else. Why, Nyal could probably keep it full all by himself :-) I want to this to be the first official club member blog post. Good job, this should be a lot of fun. DT

Why a weblog?

The club's main web page is relatively static and it takes Mario a lot of time and effort to update it. Whereas a weblog can be updated every time something newsworthy happens, even several times a day. If a glider needs maintenance, we can put it in the weblog. If we want a tow pilot for Saturday, we can put it in the weblog. You do not need any HTML skills to post messages, and it can be done by email. In fact this post was originally made by email. It could even by done by email from a cell phone.

As for weblogs having being accurate, just like any other communications medium it pretty much depends on how accurate the communicator is.

This isn't secure. I would not put confidential information on the web, even protected by a password.
*bumped from 11/8/04*

New Record Type & Rules Changes

The most recent revision of the FAI Sporting Code has a new record type: distance using up to three [predeclared] turnpoints. This is different from free distance using up to three turnpoints.

If past practice is any guide, the folks who decide these things will set minimum performances for US national records, but not for state record claims.

The rules have also been changed to make it clear that one flight can only set one type of distance record and one type of speed record (although possibly in multiple glider classes). The rules were not clear on this point before, and I know several people (including me) who have flown pre-declared triangular courses and claimed both triangle distance and free out-and-return distance for the same flight. That won't be allowed anymore for new record claims.

A pilot can apparently still make claims in multiple classes, though - for example, a good enough PW-5 flight could claim records in the World, 15M, Standard and Open classes.