Annual New Years Day Gathering at SOSA

Every New Years Day, SOSA members gather in the clubhouse to usher in the new year.

Please join us starting around 11 am for this pot-luck gathering. The wood stove will be glowing, the beer fridge will be well stocked and there might even be some nice hot soups.

While the recent snow storms have dumped lots of snow, hopefully the warming trend over the last week will be enough to melt the snow to the point where we can safely fly.

see you there

So you want to be a fighter pilot...

first you need to be a competition glider pilot.

A recent article in the British Sailplane & Gliding magazine was an interview with John Allison the former Commander in Chief of RAF Strike Command (and glider pilot). In the article he says:

"Based on my background as a fighter pilot and my understanding of the qualities that you need to be a good competition glider pilot, many of these qualities are the same as those needed by frontline aircrew in the RAF.

The ability to think lucidly under pressure while operating in a slightly uncomfortable environment.

The ability to make on-going tactical decisions over a period of time without fatigue or loosing concentration.

The strength of character to manage risk successfully.

The ability to overcome personal fear.

The willingness, at times, to put it on the edge to achieve success.

The ability to think laterally.

Gliding is quite a cerebral activity. Anyone who could be a successful competition glider pilot has in my opinion bucketloads of aircrew qualities as I recognize them in a military context."


Interesting...

Ridge Soaring in the 505 (Video)

This video was filmed on the 3 Nov weekend when Spencer Hunt and I went to Ridge Soaring in Pennsylvania to extend our season a little with some Ridge Soaring in the 505.

As you can hear from the radio chatter there was a lot of activity that day. Look closely and you can see the other gliders on the ridge, and if you listen closely you can hear my instructions to Spencer about ridge flying. Of course, I had no idea that he was recording at the time!

Workshop Upgrades

Over the last couple of weeks, the SOSA workshop has been a flurry of activity in preparation for the LS4 project scheduled for this winter.

The team consisting of Andrew Corrigan, Dennis Dyke, George Haeh, Scott Hube, Spencer Hunt, Al Grant, Ange Savoia, Dave Springford, Luke Szczepaniak, Ping Wu all led by John Brennan installed a ceiling in the shop to reduce heat loss through the roof.

Over the following week, the propane heaters were mounted to the ceiling, the propane tanks were delivered and Roy Auwaerter wired the electrical to the heaters before the gas fitter arrived to finalize the installation and hook up the gas.

We now have 90,000 BTU heating capacity in the shop to keep the workers toasty warm as we start on the LS4.

We were also able to sneak a little flying in between the work and before the snowfall covered the runway.

New gliders at SOSA

The SOSA Board at it’s last meeting unanimously approved the acquisition of two new additions to our fleet of gliders. The Board has selected the fiberglass ASK-21 to function mainly as the new training craft for our students and they will replace the aluminum Blanik craft. The excellent characteristics will also appeal to club members as well. Orders for the new planes have been made and we expect to take delivery late next year in time for the new season in spring 2009.

Many clubs have the ASK-21 as club craft forming the backbone of the training fleet. Designed by Rudolf Kaiser and manufactured by Alexander Schleicher, the ASK-21 (more commonly known as the K-21) is recognised as one of the leading training gliders of its generation. The K-21 is a versatile, rugged aircraft, easy to fly yet well able to stand up to the daily use and abuse which a training machine endures. It is a particularly easy machine to handle on the ground and is capable of carrying a wide range of pilot weights in both the front and rear cockpits.

The ASK-21 is a two-seater mid-wing glider with a 17 meter span. This aircraft stands out particularly because of the wide range of flying tasks which it is suited to. The ASK-21 meets the requirements of the student pilot from instruction up to the first cross-country or competition flights. The experienced pilot can make use of its suitability for aerobatics. The high production quality, as well as the low maintenance and very rugged design offers a versatile aircraft for everybody, fit for everyday service and lasting in value.
The plexiglass canopies are hinged fore and aft and together with the upwards-hinged instrument panel in the front seat they enable comfortable entry and exit. The layout of the canopy locking levers plus the fitting of a canopy interlock mechanism (which prevents the front canopy from being secured unless the rear canopy is also secured) reliably guarantees their locking, particularly for the rear canopy which is an asset on solo flights or when carrying rear-seat passengers.
The landing-gear has shock-absorbing rubber mounts which not only absorb the smaller bumps which are common on every takeoff and landing, but are also very forgiving of the loads of a heavy landing. The seat positions are adjustable for comfort and minimum fatigue and all of the controls and operating levers are ergonomically designed - facts which are not lost on flight instructors especially after a long instructional day.

CLICK on images to enlarge

505 at the Ridge

Team Work

Team work is what keeps the flight line running efficiently and what better team then Patricia and Adam on duty sunday afternoon.

The Puch overhead on Sunday.

Although there was a lot of overcast throughout the day, as with Saturday, anytime the sun hit the ground this unstable airmass popped off a good thermal.

click on the picture to enlarge

For more information about the K-21
check out the specifications here

North windsock

and some people said it wouldn't last for the season!

16 Sept - A good day for SOSA on the OLC

The top four places on the Canadian OLC were taken by SOSA members this past saturday. Sergei Morozov flew 504 km, Joerg Steiber flew 491 km, Adam Zeiba flew 484 km and Dave Springford flew 438 km (455 with an additional turnpoint above the OLC limit). The day started early with Cu popping before 11 am and cloudbase and good lift to 5000 feet by 1130!

(click on the pics to enlarge)

The picture below shows the flight paths for the 4 flights.

Sergei in DW (light blue trace) flew first to the Bothwell area along Lake Erie, then back to SOSA, followed by Flesherton and then home.

Joerg in JS (green trace) flew to Priceville, Lucan, Hagersville, Guelph, Brantford then home.

Adam in POM (purple trace) flew to St Thomas, then Shelburne, Woodstock, New Hamburg, Brantford then home.

Dave in 2W (red trace) flew towards Priceville to intercept Joerg at Mount Forest, then Lucan, Hagersville, Reid's Field, Ayr, Guelph then home.

DG 505 to the Ridge in October

In the spring we planned to take the 505 to the ridge, but the weather did not cooperate, so many people expressed an interest in trying again this fall.

If someone is interested in becoming the lead organizer for this venture, please let one of the directors know that you will take charge. Your job , with assistance from the board, will be to organize the glider, trailer, tow vehicle, instructors and students for the trip and to select the dates for the trip. From a club perspective it is not unreasonable for the 505 to make its way to the ridge in early October and stay for 3-4 weeks if enough members will partake.


Flying at a new site and learning ridge soaring skills will be fun, challenging and exciting and leave you with new knowledge and abilities. Who's in?

Mid-week Student Training Nights

As we approach the equinox, the days are rapidly getting shorter and it is time to finish off the Tue, Thurs and Fri student training nights.

The weather for Tues looks marginal, but Thurs looks good - so contact Tom, Pat, Ray and Joerg and arrange to get some flights before the sun sets!

Summer General Meeting

The SOSA Summer General Meeting will take place in the clubhouse on Sat 15 September. The meeting will start at 1930, with sign-in at 1900.

Only sustaining members whose accounts are in the black are eligible to vote. However, all members are encouraged to attend to hear from and provide feed back to the directors.

Account statements as of 31 Aug will be emailed prior to the meeting and this statement will be used to determine your account status.

Mira

The following is the eulogy read by Dave Springford at the service for Mira. The family from Czech Republic have sent a letter to our members and this follows the eulogy.

Eleanor Roosevelt’s said “Life was meant to be lived”. This now so reminds us of Mira, a person who embraced a spirit of adventure and lived life to its fullest. Many people have visited with Tomas, Lukas and David this past week and reminisced about Mira’s life remembering that adventure, challenge and spontaneity were important in her life, and that taking the easy path was never an option.

- the adventure of Tomas and Mira’s life started in Czechoslovakia 18 years ago. At that time, Tomas had the dream job of any young man as a receptionist in a female University dormitory and this is where he met Mira. Amongst the 400 or so girls, Tomas only had eyes for Mira, and within 3 months their love was celebrated in marriage and their adventure together was started.

- Life for Tomas and Mira was meant for broader boundaries so they forged travel documents and escaped from behind the iron curtain on August 18th 1989 and lived in a refugee camp in Austria. They earned a living together doing dishes and washing windows to get by.

- Living conditions were tough without the warmth of close family but the young couple found refuge in an old priest’s house which they had bargained for free in return for repairs and decoration. Tomas and Mira lived here for almost 2 years, While in Austria, both Lukas and David were born and Tomas recalls that these were some of Mira’s happiest moments.

- Canada held more opportunity for adventure for Mira and Tomas and although further distant from family ties they took the challenging step of emigrating in 1997. For Mira, Canada was a, beautiful vast and open country, full of nature as well as the opportunity to progress and allow her boys to grow.

- Canada provided Mira and Tomas with the opportunity to work together and start their own business venture in the field of electronics. Rezek Technology has become important and successful in its field, targeting the broadcasting industries. Mira’s creative work is now used at major companies such as IBM, Media 3 and ESPN and her “go to” attitude will be missed. For most couples, working together is disastrous but for Mira and Tomas this was an opportunity for another adventure together

- Canada, now home for Mira presented more adventure and challenges. Her love of the outdoors led her to take up sailing courses and persuade Tomas to buy a keel boat. They bought a property near Parry Sound where weekends swimming and canoeing were favourite times. Not wanting to miss out on any outdoor adventures Mira took up a number of different activities such as horse riding, dog sledding, and even scuba diving and winter survival camping all of which are fondly remembered family activities. Mira’s mantra for life was to keep it full and happy. She certainly succeeded in this

- Riding motor cycles was another passion that gave Mira a sense of freedom and adventure. Tomas fondly recalls Mira’s spontaneity one day when she announced that with three days off work they would take an 1800 km trip to the east coast to ride the cabot trail.

-Soaring was another way that Mira found to express her sense of adventure, the love of the outdoors and a family atmosphere. Here at the club was the challenge of learning to fly as well as an extended family of 150 people. Mira’s personality was fun and outgoing, always keen to help. She brought a welcome and contagious enthusiasm that will be greatly missed.

- With all this activity Lukas and David were not allowed to be couch potatoes languishing in front of the TV like most children. To Mira, teaching the boys life skills such as cooking, cleaning and bushwhacking through the outdoors was far more important. David and Lukas have their own love of life, a maturity well beyond their years and their own sense of adventure, all very much influenced by their mother. For them their mother will be an enduring memory throughout their lives.

We are all deeply saddened as we come together to celebrate the life of Mira and mourn her passing. She was taken from us in the middle of her life but as many remind us, it is not how many years you have lived but the life you put into the years. For all of us Mira’s strong spirit of adventure, her many accomplishments and her love of challenge is an inspiration. She certainly did put a great deal into her life and fulfill many of her dreams. Her memory will be strong in all of us.

Before I close I would like to recite a poem High Flight that has become a mantra for many pilots. It was written by a Canadian Aviator Pilot Officer Gillespie Magee during the second World War

The verse brings to mind the adventurous nature of Mira’s life which we all celebrate here together.

High Flight

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds – and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence.
Hov'ring thereI've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long delirious, burning blue,
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew –
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untresspassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.

Pilot Officer Gillespie Magee No 412 squadron, RCAF

We will all miss Mira and her life is an inspiration for us all. Thank you.


At Štramberk on September 2nd 2007 Dear Paul, Dear club members,

Let me have a brief look back to the recent days we spent with you and your friends. When I spoke to you Paul for the first time I was not able to concentrate my mind on anything. Mira´s mother and my family had been so desperate and helpless, we didn´t know what to do. At that time you came with the idea or question of our coming to Canada to stay by Tomas and his sons to say last adieu to Mira. Although we knew that a lot of things should be arranged for to be able to go to Canada, I started thinking of it and doing what was necessary, which helped us to overcome the hard time we lived through then. At the same time it made it possible for Mira´s mother and Alena to believe that they would be able to part with her beloved daughter and sister. It is necessary to say that we would not be able to cope with so much paper work without you and your friends to say nothing of arranging so many things in Toronto.

This is what Alena asked me to write : I had dreamed and longed to go to see Mira´s family for a long time, but our son Simon was just a baby which made it almost impossible then. Unfortunately the events unexpectedly turned to the worst side and I understood that I should do anything to stay alongside Tomas, David and Lucas to embrace them to share their grief with them at least for a couple of minutes. It was the only thing we could do for them because we are not able to do almost anything for them otherwise. I was surprised to see so many people coming to the funeral - people which liked Mira. I understand now that Tomas and boys are not quite alone there which makes me comfortable. Mira told me a lot of things about her friends and flying in Toronto last year that after coming to Toronto and seeing you I had a feeling I know you already. She liked their friends and flying very much and I now believe that the flying party will make a kind of family for the boys in the future too for which I am immensely grateful to all of you.

We were deeply moved to learn from Tomas that you collected money to cover our air tickets and the hotel bills, which means that you understand our not easy financial situation we have to face here now in association with that sad event. I would like to say we are extremely grateful to all of you. Let us thank you and your friends very much once more.

Yours truly Marta, Alena and Alois

What happened at the MubBowl

The MudBowl was a great success this year. We had 18 contest pilots including many junior pilots. The weather wasn’t great with only one race day but we had a lot of fun. The BBQ organized by the Junior team was attended by more then 75 people. I’m sure knowing that Lynne Gough was baking desserts helped boost attendance. The winner for a second year in a row is Chris Gough flying 44 an LS8 that his dad generously lent him for the race. I wonder if Andy was worried about competing against Chris? It’s about time that a new pilot shows the old guard a thing or two. Great job Chris!

Our Contest Manger Dugald and his team did an excellent job running the contest. Malcolm managed to keep all pilots registered and had pink tickets ready every day. Neil kept the line organized and efficient in his typical nice and easy way. Dave and Luke worked hard scoring and Joerg provided great weather forecast. There was a late night bonfire on Saturday evening and movie night on Sunday.

Thanks for our visitors Ulli Werneburg and Ed Hollestelle for joining in the fun. We hope you’ll join us again next year.

SOSA Mudbowl August 4, 5 & 6

We’re on track for a good and exciting MudBowl. We will use the Canadian Scoring rules and handicap list. There will be no water ballast and we do not require FAI approved recorders. The tasks will be easy enough for all pilots. All you require is a Bronze Badge. The cost is $10.00 per pilot. There will be a pilot meeting on Saturday morning at the clubhouse at 10:00 am.


Your organizing team is in place:

Contest Director: Dugald Stewart
Contest Manager: Martin Brassard
Weather: Joerg Stieber
Scoring: Luke Szczepaniak & Dave Springford
Chief Tow Pilot: Andrea Kuciak
Office Manger: Malcolm Dyke
Flight Line manager: Neil Wilson

The competitors are:

John Brennan DG505 505
Luke Szczepaniak LS4 DW
Anthony Kawzowicz Jantar Standard 2 HK
Sergei Morozov SZD51 Junior JR
Jay Allardyce Jantar Standard 2 MF
Chris Gough LS8 44
Dave Springford LS8 F1
Joerg Stieber LS8 JS
Martin Brassard LS6b KC
Steve Newfield LS6b U2 tbc
Thomas Rezek SZD55 TR
Andy Mazur SZD55 AM
Jerzy Szemplinski SZD55 XG tbc
Scot McMaster Club Libelle
Andrea Kuciak/Joe Stubs Salto JO
Paul Fish Discus 1W
Terry McElligott DG200 JT
Willem Langelaan DG800s OX tbc
Rod Crocker 1-35 K9 tbc
Hans Juergensen ASW20
Wilf Krueger DG808 K2 tbc
Chris Wilson/Tom Coulson Mosquito W2 tbc
Jaime Pinto PW5 PJ tbc
Tony Rywak AS20 LV tbc
Dave Webb Tinbus EZ tbc
Sean Coulton Hornet NES tbc
Kamil Jarosiewicz PW5 VS tbc

Mudbowl and BBQ Sat 4 Aug

The SOSA Youth Team will host its second fundraising barbeque of the year on Saturday, August 4th, 2007, during the annual SOSA Mudbowl. The theme of this barbeque will help usher in the fall season, with a delicious meal of freshly cut corn straight from the field, and tasty polish sausages or chicken breast. The usual sides including potato salad, caesar salad, and fresh buns will compliment this feast. Back by popular demand is Lynne Gough and her extravagant selection of desserts. If you missed her TRIFLE, you shouldn’t this time! At dusk, our CFI (chief fire igniter Adam Oke) will set ablaze all that graces the north fire pit. It is sure to be an excellent evening, and will be a great start to the annual Mudbowl. This will be the social event of the year!

The cost of the barbeque is $13 (or two for $25), and should be paid the night of the barbeque. Accounts will not be billed. RSVP by August 2nd to jay_airplanefreak@hotmail.com with the number of individuals attending in your party. Bring the whole family and all your friends to the club on August 4th for a great evening.

The 800Km Man!

Here is SOSA's 800Km Man, Adam Zieba. On holiday Monday, July 2nd, Adam flew an 802Km flight that lasted more then 9 hours. This is the longest flight flown out of SOSA. Well done Adam.

Another New License

Congratulations to Spencer Hunt who earned his glider pilot license this past weekend. Well Done!

Spencer will now hit the road traveling with Dave to the US Standard Class Nationals in Hobbs NM where he will get an introduction to contest life.

New Glider Pilot Licensee

We are thrilled to congratulate Dennis Dyke for getting his glider pilot license last Friday. He passed all his tests and will now work toward his Bronze Badge and passenger rating. I’m sure that his first passenger will be Malcolm.

Well done Dennis!

Wild Life at SOSA

It has been some time since I’ve been a regular at SOSA and when people see me they often ask what I’ve been up to. In the past two years I have often found myself volunteering at the Toronto Wildlife Centre located at the former Canadian Forces Downsview base. This is a charitable organization that focuses on the rehabilitation and care of wild animals. Essentially, it’s a hospital for wild animals.
On Saturday, June 14th I happened to be there when I recognized the voice of one of a SOSA member. As I walked in the reception area I was more than pleased to find Steve Benedek was there because he found a baby skunk alone and lost in the middle of the SOSA driveway (south side) and thought it may need help.
After the centre assessed the animal it was decided it would be best to bring the skunk back but to SOSA and place it in a semi-protective cage, near the driveway so that can be removed by its mother should she return. The plan was then to get someone at SOSA to check in on the little guy in case he needed to be brought to a local rehabilitator or back to Toronto.
We were all set to prepare the skunk for his trip back to SOSA when, after been given handling instructions (i.e. use gloves), Steve mentioned that he was slightly scratched on his finger when he picked up the skunk. This changed everything.
Skunks are a rabies-carrying species and although it was HIGHLY UNLIKELY that this skunk had rabies, Steve was instructed to see a doctor right away and then they would notify health services.
The rabies incubation period is known for dogs and cats but is UNKNOWN for a lot of wild animals. This meant that the baby skunk had to be put down for precautionary measures.
All-of-a-sudden this turned out to be a sad afternoon for all.
Steve’s effort to help an animal suddenly went in the wrong direction.
I was proud to see a SOSA member go out of their way to help one of the other beings we share this tiny planet with and it would be a good thing if we all did the same should we have the chance.
SO!!!!
If you find an animal in distress at SOSA, home, or elsewhere:
1. DO NOT PICK THEM UP.
2. Call the Toronto Wildlife Centre hotline: (416) 631-0662
3. Leave a message and they will call you back with questions and instructions.

Thanks again to Steve for his effort.
Mike Viechweg

THE UNOFFICIAL MASTER LIST OF CLUB RULES

From freeflight Issue (5/84)


We thought that we would reprint the unofficial official rules of the club (as opposed to the official official rules, which no one has seen for years and are, in fact, locked in a filing cabinet in a disused men’s room with a sign on the door saying “Beware of the Leopard.”

1. Come early (unpack the hangar) or
2. Leave late (repack the hangar)
3. Stay overnight. The club does not die at 5:00 pm.
4. Be ready on the flight line (the golden rule definitely applies here)
5. Chase a glider that touches down (participate)
6. Help record flight down times (especially when the field manager is getting harried)
7. Be nice
8. Be patient
9. Thank your tow pilot
10. Thank your instructor
11. “Understand” " that fellow club member who you always disliked (maybe he’s not the jerk you always assumed he was)
12. If you don’t know, ASK!
13. Volunteer (take the plunge it’s fun!)
14. Leave everything else at home (your ego, your anger, your frustrations)
15. Keep your club clean, (this means throwing out yours, and maybe someone else’s pop cans, water bottles, Kleenex, apple cores, etc.)
16. Try doing the facilities a favour (wash a plane, clean a windscreen, sweep out a hangar, mow the grass, gather some trash. We do not have resident elves for these tasks)
17. Share the load (who do you think operates the club? WE ALL DO)
18. Go to a club meeting. What better way to voice your opinion (no one will do it for you) and find out what’s really happening.
19. Smiling is contagious infect someone!

Flight # 1000

The Thursday evening training crew led by Instructors Ian Oldaker, Joerg Stieber and Ray Wood had a busy night last night with 7 students including one new member, Mathieu King who joined and flew his first flights last night.

They also quietly passed the flight 1000 mark for 2007!

BWY Engine Mount

Can you spot the crack in the engine mount above? Adam Oke did on Wednesday morning during his DI of BWY. Wednesday night, Dave Springford, Scott McMaster and Doug O'Connell stripped the cowlings, removed the prop and spinner and all the wiring and engine connections in preparation for the engine removal.

At 0830 Thursday morning, Vern Stutt from Kovachik's arrived and with assistance from Al Grant and Dave Springford removed the engine and the engine mount and by 1030 it was on its way to Toronto for welding to repair the broken tube. BWY will not be serviceable this weekend, but should be ready to go by the middle of next week.

The engine is currently suspended from the hangar roof, and supported by a wooden stand. While curiosity may drive you to look at the engine, please remember we look with our eyes, not our hands!

A little SOSA History

click on the picture below to enlarge

Heavy Metal Radio Calls

Predetermined radio calls to SOSA on 122.825 will be broadcast by West jet crews when they are inbound to Hamilton. As shown at the CAS Seminar this spring, Westjet traffic overflies the TETOS intersection (basically Plattsville) southbound and then turn east direct Hamilton. West jet pilots will make the following radio broadcast:

"Rockton Traffic WestJet XXX over Plattsville at 8000 ft, in descent landing YHM in 18 minutes".

This broadcast is meant for information only, do not respond to it. Once the tranmission has been made, they will be going back to their IFR frequency.

What this means to our operations is that you should now be looking out for 737 traffic inbound from the west to Hamilton and descending from 8000, down to about 3500 by St George.

SOSA Youth Team Steak Barbeque and NavCan Airspace Briefing

SOSA Youth Team Steak Barbeque

On Saturday, June 9th, the SOSA Youth Team will be hosting a steak barbeque. The cost is $15 and includes a juicy AAA rib eye steak, salad, and a delicious dessert. All the proceeds from the barbeque will go to support the SOSA Youth Team in their endeavours during the 2007 season. This is guaranteed to be a great evening of fun, friendship, and food! Please join us for a wonderful meal that will help support the youth team. Please respond to jay_airplanefreak "at" hotmail.com with the number of individuals attending if you are interested. There will also be a sign up sheet in the clubhouse for those interested. Please indicate by any of these means whether you will be attending and how many people are in your group. Bring the whole family, or treat some friends to a fabulous steak dinner! Please indicate your intentions to attend by Wednesday, June 6. Cash Payment for dinner will be accepted the night of the barbeque. A donation box will also be passed around for loose change in support of tows for Chris and Jay who will be competing in the Canadian Nationals in Hawkesbury at the end of June.

Jay Allardyce


Representatives from NavCan will also be at SOSA on the 9th to brief us on the airspace changes that take effect 5 July and the airspace review that will take place over the next year. The briefing will start at 6 PM in the clubhouse.

Student Training

The Tuesday, Thursday and Friday student training nights have been rather short on students since starting two-weeks ago. Ray Wood has been at the airport on Thursdays ready to instruct and no students have appeared. Tuesdays and Fridays have also been light with only 1 or 2 students.

So come on out for these mid-week sessions and you can have an instructor to yourself for the night!

Airspace Survey

NAVCAN is conducting a review of the Airspace in the area of Rockton and it is important that all SOSA members make their voice heard to protect our right to fly from Rockton.

Please take 10 minutes to complete the survey on the NAVCAN website and make your voice heard to preserve our ability to continue flying gliders in Rockton.

Take the survey here

Mid-Week Student Training Nights

Mid-week student training nights are scheduled to start this week (Tue 15 May). Student training will take place Tues, Thurs and Friday evenings from about 5 pm until sunset.

Aerobatic training will take place on Wednesday evenings.

Any instructors who are interested in voluntering their services for one of these week nights this season, please contact John Brennan

Meet Adam Oke - our Mid-week towpilot

Adam Oke is our mid-week towpilot for the season. Adam was a member of SOSA last year after having attended two Youth Camps at SOSA the previous years.

He is enrolled at the Huron Flight College where he completed his Commercial license this year. Adam earned both his Glider pilot license and Private license with the Air Cadets.

Adam is checked out in the Blaniks, Puch, Juniors and PW5 and has been signed out to carry intros. He also took his first flight in the 505 this weekend and you can still see the smile on his face in the picture above, taken many hours later!

He is now checked out to tow and is living in a trailer at SOSA in the North Campground. Look for his Black Hyundai station wagon beside the trailer closest to the entrance. So come'on out any day - Adam will be there to tow.

Spring Refresher

Adam discussing circuit procedures

Remember that while you are in the circuit, or the high key area at 1850 ft (ASL, of course) or lower that all turns must be in the same direction as your circuit. Since gliders fly left hand circuits, at Rockton, all turns must be in this direction.

A glider at mid-downwind decides to turn - for some unknown reason - it must only turn left, towards the runway. Why? Because if there is another glider over-taking this glider on downwind it will pass on the right since we should never turn right while in the circuit.

Why are these policies in place? Think about the purpose of the circuit - it is to put everyone in the same landing pattern so things are predictable - imagine if there was no circuit and you arrived on final from any direction!

Another traffic pattern to observe is: never fly the opposite direction of the downwind at circuit height (again below about 1850ft) in the same position as the down wind leg is located.

Picture this scenario - it happens all the time at SOSA - We are launching and landing on Runway 18, you are scratching in weak lift over the Safari and the southerly wind is blowing you away from the airport. You decide to return and land. How should you get to the High Key to start your circuit?

Since the towplanes are flying their downwind west of the field - straight towards you - and the glider are flying downwind to the east of the airport the safest place for you is directly overhead the runway so you avoid flying the opposite direction of the downwind traffic. Of course if you find yourself in this position you must also think of what height is required to safely return to the high key to join a normal circuit. You should plan on a minimum of 500 feet to fly the distance from the safari to the high key, meaning you need to leave the Safari at 2350 ft (1500 AGL)!

While this example uses Runway 18 and the Safari thermal, this situation can occur on any runway. As glider pilots we must always think about where we are with respect to distance and height from our circuit entry point.

The Soaring Weather is here!

The weather we have been waiting for has arrived! Looks like a great 5 days coming up.

Dr Jack is forecasting great soaring today 500-600 fpm, and it should be mostly the same through the weekend. The tephigram shows 5700 ft top of lift in the blue - so don't expect Cu's to show the way.

DG 505 to go to the Ridge

The 505 will be heading to Mifflin, Pa on either the weekend of 28-29 April or 5- 6 May.

The intent is to get a group of SOSA members to experience flying at a different site and learn about ridge soaring.

Anyone who is interested in making the trip, plesae email dave at sosaglidingclub dot com.

The exact date of the trip will be decided based on the weather forecast. Both Dave and Joerg will be designated ridge instructors for the trip.

Joerg plans to fly to Mifflin in his Piper Arrow and can take three passengers with him for the weekend, but the combined weight of the passengers can not exceed 480 lbs, everyone must be a Canadian Citizen and hold a valid Canadian passport.

A Great Start to the Season

The sun was out, the temperatures were perfect and the runway has dried nicely allowing us to kick-start the season this weekend. As of the end of flying on Sunday, we had launched 115 flights, flying from 10 am until 6 pm both Sat and Sun (and from noon till 5 pm on Fri).

Many completed their spring check flights and spin checks over the weekend, so we now have a good core of check instructors ready to get everyone else checked out.

The conditions were also superb with great soaring conditions - 5 kt average lift to 5000 ft. Luke flew the Jantar on Sat for 3 hours, confirming that the newly installed LX4000 is working well. On Sun both Luke and Sergei flew the LS4 again confirming the operation of the newly installed LX5000.

Tom Coulson and Chris Wilson also rigged and launched in W2 - likely making it the earliest soaring flights of the year in W2 history.

Let's Go!

It looks like the weather has finally cooperated and the runways should be OK for limited flying operations this weekend.

Let's Go Flying!

Spring Work Weekend

Another successful work weekend was held this past weekend with about 60 members helping out over the two days. Many thanks to those who chose to help the club prepare for the season.

Angelo Savoia and crew lay a new sidewalk from the Clubhouse to the office trailer, while Andrew Parker and crew built a skirt around the office trailer

Meanwhile, at the hangar, another crew was busy preparing the aircraft. Luke Szczepaniak and Sergei Morozov installed the LX4000 flight computer in the Jantar, while John Brennan installed the new LX5000 in the LS4.


Joerg Stieber and crew vacuumed, cleaned and waxed the Blaniks, Puchacz and Junior, as well as the three towplanes. Pat O'Donnell and the Jurgensen clan also added their talents to the towplane cleaning crew.

Dan Bush re-installed the LX5000 in the DG 505 after having been removed for winter storage.

The grass cutting crew under the tutelage of Scott McMaster were given a briefing on the operation of both the tractors and mowers.

During the lunch break on Saturday, Anthony Kawzowicz was presented with the SAC Instructor of the year award for his efforts not only instructing, but also mentoring and working around the club throughout the season. Congratulations Anthony!

There are still many jobs that need to be completed to get the operation going.

LS4 - needs t0 be cleaned, waxed then rigged

DG505 - needs t0 be cleaned, waxed then rigged

Junior ZCA - needs t0 be cleaned and waxed

Clubhouse needs to be swept out and furniture needs to be vacuumed

The runways need to be rolled

The sidewalk to the office trailer needs to be finished

Please contact Herrie Ten Cate or Andrea Kuciak about the clubhouse and grounds or Alan Grant for Aircraft.

Flight Line Efficiency

During both the Summer and Annual General meetings, improving flight line efficiency was discussed at length. Some of the key points regarding improving efficiency relate directly to member satisfaction and ultimately retention. Other benefits to improving our flight line are: less wasted fuel as tow planes idle, thus reducing cost and pollutants, more flights in a given day resulting in more revenue for the club – thus minimizing the need to increase fees.

Our goal should be to fly the maximum number of flights possible each day so that all members are given the opportunity to fly on a given day. There have been many days where we have launched 100 flights. We need to look at our field management on these days and adapt this success to every day operations.

This year we need to focus on four items to meet this goal.

1. Gliders will be placed on the runway in two lines at all times*.
2. Duty Instructors need to be pro-active in assigning student and Instructor pairings.
3. Field Managers need to manage the field – not run ropes.
4. The VIP role will change from that of flying all the Intros to managing the Intro/pilot pairing.

What does each of these points mean and how should they be implemented?

1. Gliders placed in two lines
1. Instead of placing gliders in a single line-astern row, gliders will be placed in two rows. This allows the Field Manager flexibility in launching, since there are two gliders at the front of the grid. For example if a single and two-place are both at the front and the Citabria is the next tow plane, the single should be launched first.
2. If a glider at the front of one row is not ready this also gives the Field Manager the ability to launch the other row, thus minimizing wait time and manpower to move the first glider from the runway.
3. * Both Runways 10 and 28 are two narrow for this type two-plane grid, so we will continue to use a single row on these runways. Typically, when using 10/28 the operation is fairly quiet.

2. Duty Instructors role in field management
1. The Field Manager job is the most important job on the flight line, yet it is typically held by our least experienced members since our more senior members move into the Duty Instructor role.
2. Duty Instructors must mentor the Field Managers to pass along knowledge.
3. The Field Manager does not know the students, whereas most instructors do so the Duty Instructors should be pro-actively working with the students and Instructors on the line to pair them up well before the flight. In an ideal world when there are lots of instructors on the line this allows pre-flight briefings to take place while waiting for a glider. Instead of at the front of the line with the tow plane waiting.

3. Field Managers need to manage the field
1. Field Managers must be aware of the big picture – this is not possible if they are running ropes and hooking up gliders. Delegate this task to other members who are waiting for a flight.
2. To improve efficiency, the Field Manager needs to focus on the gliders that are next to launch. By ensuring pilots in the second row are ready to launch, the first row will always be ready when the tow plane arrives. Depending on the number of tow planes in service, the Field Manager may need to focus on the second and third row in the grid.

4. The VIP role
1. On busy days, it is not feasible for the VIP to fly all the Intro flights, this is unsafe in terms of the fatigue the pilot will experience.
2. During the peak period, the VIP should focus on managing the Intro list and available pilots. By doing this we will again remove some load from the Field Managers and allow them to concentrate on launching gliders.
3. In the morning before the flight line is busy, and again at the end of the day, the VIP will likely be required to fly some of the Intros, but when things get busy they must assume a management role.
4. In recognition that the VIP is above and beyond the normal Flight line duties, the VIP's will have 1 less normal duty.
   

To implement these changes will take some effort on the part of all members and it will take some time to adapt to the new system, but the resulting improvements on the flight line will positively affect everyone’s opportunity to fly, and that is why we are all at SOSA.!

Too Muddy to Fly

With the warm conditions this past week, the field is unusable for flying this weekend. It looks like we have moved from the frozen season to the hurry up and dry season.

With the sun shining the last few days, the snow is completely melted from the runways and the runway lakes are relatively small for this time of year.

Hopefully, it will be a dry spring and we can fly over the next few weekends.

In the meantime, don't forget:

Instructor meeting Sun 25 March at McMaster University

CAS Cross Country Soaring Seminar Sat 31 March in Mississauga (for details contact dave"at"sosaglidingclub"dot"com)

SOSA Work weekend 14-15 April

More Flying on the 18th

With a frozen runway and some brisk winds from the north, we took to the skies again today. The photo above shows our CFI John Brennan and Dave Springford about to embark on a check flight. During this flight we were able to climb to 5000 ' with about 3 kts average and the vario indicating up to 6 kts at times. What was remarkable is that it was 1140 am (1040 sun time!). It is not often that conditions are as strong that early in the day during the summer.
Sassy also enjoyed her first flying day at SOSA taking her normal spot supervising from the Gator. She is very sensitive about the red coat - so don't bring it up - it is hard enough to get her to wear it, but at least it keeps her warm.

Terry McElligot soaring in ICQ. Note the altimeter reads 4250 ' and the vario is showing 4 kts. Also of note is the position of the yaw string. While many may think that Terry is flying uncoordinated, in fact, he is applying an appropriate amount of slip into the turn - a well recognized thermalling technique - and yes it is meant to increase the climb rate. There have been several papers published on this subject.

Of course a flying day is never complete without the post-flight gathering in the clubhouse over a bottle of Sleeman's finest.

Flying on the 17th of March - 2007 this time!

With the warm weather last week to melt the snow and the cold temps overnight to freeze the runway last night, the weather aligned just right to allow the first flights of 2007 today.

John Brennan - in typical Irish fashion remarked that it was a suitable manner to celebrate St Patrick's Day. Other particpants on the day were Dan Bush, Andrea Kuciak, Scott McMaster, Dave Springford and Luke Szczepaniak.

Of course with the cool temps, the Citabria needed a good pre-heat before firing up, but after 20 minutes of pre-heat and pulling the prop through a few times, by hand, it fired with no hesitation - I think she wanted to fly as much as we did.

Most people think of a snowball as something you throw, well today it was something you followed on take-off, because if you look really closely, you can see a blue and white wing sticking out of it! (Click on the pic to enlarge)

Here it is from the outside

There were even a few thermals, with the vario peaking at 5 knots. The duration award for the day goes to Dan Bush who managed 25 minutes, including a couple of spins from a 3000 ft tow.

And if you have never seen snow covered runways at SOSA from the air it is actually a beautiful sight.

With a forecast overnight low of -11 C, the runway should be good and solid for some early flying tomorrow as well. We plan to open the hangar at 9 am and do some more flying.

As the sun warms the ground later in the day, it tends to become a little soft so we will likely only be able to fly until about 1 pm and then we will need to stop when the ground softens up.

So if you want to fly come out early!