Flying the Morning Glory Dust Devil Dash Hitting the Silk New ...

Keep Soaring
Welcome to the practical issue of Keep Soaring!
It’s the start of a new season! Spring is in the air and the
sky is full of bubbly new thermals with the promise of many
great cross-country flying days to come.
This entirely practical issue of Keep Soaring is filled with
people getting out there and doing it, to make you want to
get out and do it too. That is to commit aviation, not to get
out a hammer and glue and make yourself a glider!
A look back at wooden gliders shows how lucky we are
to be flying right now. Though many would consider the
30’s a golden age of gliding, there’s a good case for it being
right now.
The fragile wooden aircraft of that era had a performance
envelope not much better than a hang glider but with a
complex and easily damaged structure which was labour
intensive and time consuming to build and repair. Clubs
could be shut down by no more than a few hard landings
in the club gliders.
The gliders we fly today are superb machines. They
are incredibly efficient, strong and mostly vice-less aircraft
which require very little in the way of maintenance. Most
importantly, they allow us to maximise our time in the air.
So now’s the time to put those plans and goals for the
upcoming year into action. John Hoye offers a few words
of caution on this.
Ken and Justin’s story on an epic Morning Glory trip to
Jim Staniforth’s Dust Devil Dash story about a competition
with a difference show there’s more to gliding than going
round and round in triangles.
We’ve a biography from Geoff Neeley on Wal Stott
who definitely did a lot of practical things in his life. Ian
Barraclough is organising another of the famous Keepit
Safaris and the club is expecting and exciting new arrival
any day now. Great stuff!
Most of all, we should remember the point of gliding.
And that is, there is no point!
So as Bruce Taylor said at the end of his talk at the GFA
seminar, Have fun!
The Editor.
October November 2009
NEW THINGS
Here’s three new things up at Lake Keepit. There will probably
be four by the next issue of Keep Soaring when a new LS 10 arrives,
but here’s the news about the first three.
1. We have a new CFI. Due to personal commitments, John
Hoye resigned as CFI and Vic Hatfield has persuaded Ken Flower to
step in and take on role. Welcome Ken Flower as LKSC’s new CFI.
and I’m sure we all thank John for his steady hand on the control
stick over the last two years.
With the new Glider Pilot Certificate, the role of CFI has some
new responsibilities but those who have spent some time in the
air being instructed by Ken will have no doubt that he is an ideal
choice.
2. We have a new quad bike. No doubt many of you have already
fallen foul of the new rules, Quad Bike, for the use of, rule 1 of
which says No!
Essentially the rules are trying to make sure that the new bike
lasts as long as possible and is available to those who really need
it. This means instructors, the towing out of club gliders and roo
scaring. And only one driver at a time! Members are encouraged to
use their own cars to tow out gliders.
Garry patiently waits for the kissing bit to be over before
trying out the new quad.
3. This is not really saving the best news for last, but the club has
got a new glider. See over…
Keep Soaring is the official organ of Lake Keepit Soaring Club Inc.
Airfield and Clubhouse: Keepit Dam via Tamworth NSW Mail address: 234 Keepit Dam Road, Lake Keepit 2340
Phone: 02 6769 7514 Fax: 02 6769 7640 Email: enquiries@keepitsoaring.com Internet: www.keepitsoaring.com