Last fall the SSA distributed Open Glider Network tracking stations to clubs. We bench tested everything over the winter and the NESA glider tracking station is ready to install in the terminal building.

If you have a Flarm or OGN tracker device installed in your glider please register it in the OGN database. This will enable us to monitor club member flights real-time. To register your device use this link: http://ddb.glidernet.org/

To view tracker map use this link: https://glideandseek.com/?viewport=43.35814,-72.96570,9

A great weekend. Lots of soaring activity Friday with numerous NESA and PMSC ships flying and people getting good long soaring flights. Saturday, much more club activity – spring check rides, Flight Reviews and more. Sunday weather didn’t really cooperate, and we bagged the day rather than having everyone sit around for hours waiting for the ceiling to lift.

Looks like a nice Friday coming up, for the weekend regardless of weather, let’s get the other 2-33 and the 1-34 assembled and back on the line.

Lots of good flights today. Max altitude reported was over 11,000 (remember to check on CHUGS!). Welcome to the 2023 soaring season.

Took a few runs @ Magic Mountain this morning. Got a nice airshow – several F35’s dogfighting – putting out chaff – the works.

Remember CHUGS is now a permanent MOA from 9k to 18k so include knowing if its Hot in your briefings – especially on wave days!

A reminder to please check your email and RSVP to Larry with your meal choices for the annual club membership meeting scheduled for Sunday January 29th, 2023.

The meeting will be held at MacLaomainn’s in Chester, VT. 1pm social hour with meal to begin approx. 1:45~2pm followed by Business meeting 3:00-4:30. The cost is $35 per person.

Look forward to seeing in January.

Congratulations to Steve Hurd for successfully completing his private glider check-ride at Estrella Sailport in AZ on December 9th. A well-earned achievement and a great way to round out the season somewhere warmer!

Nice job Steve.

Alasdair & Colby attended the annual Thanksgiving weekend “Snowbird” spot landing contest at Harris Hill this year. Needed another body or two to enter a NESA team so we flew for valley Soaring Club.

Friday was too windy to safely have a spot landing contest with winds ~18G27, however it was a spectacular ridge day. Colby got his first real ridge flying experience with Hank Nixon (UH) as his instructor in the back seat.

Saturday was spectacular with 78 flights flown! The club trophy went to Valley Soaring. Colby and Alasdair placed 2nd in the Junior/Senior team category and Colby placed 3rd in the Junior category.

The event wrapped up with a nice Banquet and awards ceremony in the National Soaring Museum.

Maybe next year we can field a couple more participants and enter a NESA team.

Saturday, November 5th was the First Annual NESA Aircraft Wash and Precision Landing Contest. 

We had a good turn out on this 75 degree November day with Jim M, Steve H, Ben B, Colby vK, Gerry S, Paul H and Bill B. The yellow 2-33, 1-26, 1-34 and the Callair all got washed and they gleamed in the sunshine. 

Then we brought the yellow 2-33 and 1-26 to the flightline for some precision flying. The rules are simple; a touchdown line on the grass Rwy 29 was established with two orange buckets and if the pilot touchs down before the line it is a DQ (disqualification). Measured was the touchdown after the line. A vertical pool noodle was erected as the rollout stopping point and closest to the noodle was measured. Each pilot took a 1000’ tow. 

Results:
Both CFIGs Bill B and Gerry S were DQ for an early touchdown
Steve H landed long, way long
Colby vK had the cross-wind get super strong during his flight and he elected to land into the wind on Rwy 23. He gets the good judgement award. 
Paul H came in second with 13 paces beyond the touchdown line and 113” from the noodle for a strong second place. 
Ben B in the trusty 1-26 landed 10 paces beyond the line and! 3/4 of an inch from the noodle to win the Contest. Congratulations Ben

Fun was had by all. If you are now addicted to sailplane landing competition, talk to Alasdair about the “Snowbird Contest” at the Harris Hill Gliderport,  Thanksgiving weekend. A very fun event. 

The annual Snowbird spot-landing contest will take place at Harris Hill in Elmira, NY the Friday and Saturday of the Thanksgiving weekend. For those that haven’t been it’s a fun chance to fly somewhere different and meet folks from other clubs.

There are Junior, Senior and Junior/Senior team categories. Anyone can participate including non-solo students (you will fly a 2-33 with a safety pilot).

The event finishes with a dinner in the National Soaring museum on the Saturday night. If you haven’t been to the National Soaring Museum you ought to go!

Here’s a video from 2020 (due to the pandemic that year was pretty much just HHSC members).

Talk to Alasdair (me) if you are interested in participating or want to know more. It would be great to be able to field a NESA team. I won’t admit how long I’ve been attending the Snowbird – so please do not read this old article: http://valleysoaring.org/snowarticle/

Congrats to Jim Malecha on adding his CFIG yesterday (Sat 10/15/22) by completing a successful check-ride with DPE Daryl Smith.