Fwd: A HUGE thank-you!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: cheryl

To all of CISS and John [Earlywine],

Thanks to all of you who took time to help out this week at the WSPA
seminar! All of the participants had a wonderful time and commented
on the talent and commitment of the many volunteers. Many said that
they had never seen a more efficient flight operation. We logged over
70 flights in the five days! Without all of you and your many many
contributions, the seminar would not have been possible.

We are so fortunate to be part of such a great group.

Marty and Cheryl

Fwd: Tuesday Soaring

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ZASoars
Fellow Aviators ,

Tuesday looks like a good day to soar and Larry Miller has kindly
offered to tow beginning 1pm . Come on out if you can.

Ron (ZA)

WSPA Seminar : Bob Wander Is Speaking Friday 6/27/08

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: cheryl

Bob Wander is making a return speaking engagement with the WSPA
seminar up here at Alexandria. He will speak tomorrow at 9am. You
are all invited. Hope you can attend!

The seminar is going really well. The weather keeps missing us and so
we have had flying every day. So far we have logged 62 flights. All
the participants are having a good time and love our field. Everyone
has been so impressed with the volunteers! Thanks to all of you that
have made this happen!

Cheryl

Fwd: Satellite Image

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ZASoars
Fellow Soaring Pilots ,

On Monday I managed a respectable flight of around 280 mi o/r up
towards Chicago . No real problems except that as I approached NW
Indiana the lake effect became noticeable and cloud bases lowered so I
turned for home . I told Mike Nichols about the flight and later that
day he found a website to check out the cloud cover that afternoon .
Amazing how you can see the lake effect in N Indiana and W Michigan .
Heads up - Beware of the NW wind near the lake - like you didn't know
about it !

Ron (ZA).
________________________________
From: mpnichols
To: zasoars
Sent: 6/24/2008 4:11:30 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time
Subj: Satellite Image

Ron,
Check out this image from 4:40 pm on Monday the 23d. The lake effect
was way south by then.
Mike

X-C Contest Scores, June 15

We updated May 24 to include Ristow's nice O/R to Portland and added the results of June 15, Fathers' Day (thank you kids, for the nice soaring day). There may be one more flight to add from that day, but I thought I'd get the prelim results out. Please review carefully. Feed me traces and I'll keep you posted !
DT

Here are the scores.

Saturday Report 6/21

The weather forecast was 'thunderstorms likely,' and the wind was out
of the west. We hauled the two-seat gliders down to the east end of
the field and launched a few training and currency flights, keeping
an eye on the sky to the north and west. We also kept the new mower
busy (the south side of the of the runway, for example, was last mowed
two weeks earlier).
Shortly after noon we heard that there was a thunderstorm over Elwood,
so we scrambled to shut down the operation and put everything away.
Fortunately the bad weather took its time rolling in and we got
everything stowed away safely. At 2pm, as I left the parking lot, it
suddenly started hailing!

Update: I was driving east when the storm hit. When the hail started, I turned the car around and drove west to get out from under it. I'm glad I did, because Muncie got large hail a half hour later (probably the same cell).

Fwd: June 17 Report

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ZASoars
Just a friendly reminder that the longest day of the year is just
around the corner . Long daylight hours help if you are looking for a
really good / long flight .
As proof , today was an excellent one , especially for those who
celebrate their birthdays on June 17 !
Club member Dan De Witt managed to get to the field by mid afternoon
and with the help of Larry the tow pilot was soon rigged and "in the
air " to celebrate another year completed - the rest of the mid week
fliers had already gone out on course ! He flew an excellent fast
triangle ( Alex / Tipton / Marion ) under great skies with lift to
over 6000msl . A birthday to remember .
Don't miss this coming weekend - June is still an excellent soaring period .

ZA.

Fwd: Every bird should get to fly

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jack Glendening
Subject: Every bird should get to fly
To: rec.aviation.soaring

Our hang gliding comrades are now giving penguins, chickens, emus, etc
their chance to experience flight, an experience unfairly denied them
by evolution - see YouTube video at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGDFJPljXNw

(Disclaimer: no bird was harmed during the making of this ad - which was voted Top Creative Commercial by Brand Republic).

BTW I note that the pilots are not listed in the extensive list of credits - apparently they don't rate! For the record they are Joe Greblo, Rich Grigsby and Ted Boyse of Windsports (Los Angeles).

Jack Glendening

Fwd: Anyone for Tuesday flying ?

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ZASoars

At this time Larry Miller has kindly offered to tow Tuesday afternoon
if members would like to take him up on his offer.
I'm thinking I could make a 2pm launch - anyone else interested? Let
me know and I'll confirm with Larry.
Unfortunately it doesn't look like we can find a tow pilot for Wed or Thursday.

ZA.

Fwd: Soaring This Week?

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ZASoars

Fellow pilots ,

I'm thinking that Wed/ Thurs may be good for soaring . Anyone
interested ? - If so let me know and we'll try to get a tow pilot .

Ron (ZA).

Saturday Report

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ZASoars

The cold front passed thru on Friday and guess what happened the next day ? Beautiful clear air - thermals to over 7000msl and in some cases better than 7 knots !
Yesterday , Saturday the 14th many club pilots " flew the coop " and were heard calling in from above Terry airport (Dan) , Marion (Darren) , Dunkirk (Gerry) and I know Terry Wools and Scot Ortman ranged out to the north 'cos I saw them there .
The day was very good but did start a little late . A pity no one declared a big badge or record flight as we heard the Caesar Creek folks up near Newcastle , heard the Michigan pilots talk of 8000 ft bases and when I landed at 5:30 there was still good lift to near 7000 locally.
A visiting Kentucky pilot ( Joe ) has no doubt reinforced his belief that Indiana thermals are better then those in Kentucky and many of our members will remember yesterday as one of the best so far this year .

See you at the field .

ZA.

[Here's a link to Ron's flight on the OLC]

Google Maps: Planes In Flight

Somebody had the idea to collect links to Google Maps pictures of planes in flight. Here's my contribution:


View Larger Map
This same image is in Google Maps and Google Earth. Zoom out to see where this picture was taken.

At Least The Drought Seems To Be Over

Expect these frequent heavy thunderstorms and flooding to continue for a while, thanks to La Niña.



Update: This graphic from the NWS shows what the storms did to the Cedar River in Iowa: they drove it some twelve feet (!) above the record flood stage. Some of those same storms are reaching central Indiana as I write this.

Not Turnpoint Photos

The National Weather Service has these photos of the flooding in Southern Indiana.

Fwd: Sunday Report

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mario Lazaga
Report of Sunday Operations for 08JUN2008.

The day started very early, with a student taking off around 9:30am.
It was VERY WINDY the whole day, but that didn't stop us from flying.
Two students had very interesting lessons about crosswind takeoffs and
landings. We had a family bringing great-granpaw to fly on his
birthday. Another hispanic member of Dale's ever growing new Familia
took an aerobatic flight. Marlin also took an instruccional flight.
Dick Hutchison showed us once again how one is supposed to fly in a
high-wind day, clocking the longest flight of the day at 55 minutes.
John Weber and Olaf also gave it a try. We welcomed a visitor from
Germany.
Kurt and Brad gave the airport a nice haircut, and at the end of the
day we all gathered at the offices and had a nice, cold Cerveza
Tecate.

Thanks to the greatest crew Cheryl and Mike and Paula, to Tom Eaton
for towing in the morning, and Erick Decker for towing in the
HOT-HUMID-AND-WINDY afternoon.

Mario (Crew #6 leader)

Flood Event

Here's the National Weather Service page on Indiana's June 7, 2008 flood event.

Here's a list (with links) of the OTHER severe weather events from last week.

UPDATE: I just remembered what it was like this time last year. Check this blog post if you've forgotten. Welcome to an Indiana summer!

NO FLYING Saturday 6/7/08

----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter A Detore"
Sent: Saturday, June 07, 2008 7:39 AM

> Good morning !
> There will be no flying today due to thunderstorms.
> [] Maybe tomorrow will be better.
> Pete:-(