VGC News/Newsletters - Lakes Gliding Club

Book Review
Exploril/g the MOl/ster, Mountain Lee Waves: the Aerial
Elevator by Robert F Whelall. ISBN 1-89118-32-3
A Book Review, by Raul Blacksten, VSA Archivist & Bungee
Cord Editor
Every once in a while, a book comes along that I can really be
enthusiastic about. This is certainly one of them!!
This story about the Sierra Wave/Jet Stream Project of
1951-2 is truly a remarkable one. Over the years, I have read
the stuff in Soaring magazine, talked with Vic Saudek, and
heard Larry Edgar tell his tale. I thought I knew most of the
story, but I was wrong. Whelan here has presented us with a
virtual word picture of a group of intrepid glider pilots who
challenged the forces of both nature and man.
In the beginning was an idea in the head of Victor Mead
Saudek. a chance for him to make a little extra cash. In the
end, there were world record setting flights (one stili sllands
today), and an understanding of a meteorological phenomenon
tlrJat had been largely ignored.
Inspired by the post-war Bishop, California flights of glider
pilots Johnny Robinson, Paul MacCready, Bill Ivans, and Bob
Symons (who soared a P-38 Lightning), Sauder< oonceived of
the idea to .explore the wave. What he found was that no one,
not even the world's top meteorologists, knew what in the
heck he was talking about. In fact the scientific commllnity
thought Saudek and his friends were lying.
Enlisting t,he aid of his fellow Southern California Soaring
Association (SCSA) members, Saudek first tried to interest the
US Navy and finally found back,ing from the US Air Force and
the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). What
resulted in the two years of the project was ground breaking
atmospheric research that aslli:mnded the experts.
It also nearly killed Edgar and Dr. Joachim Kuettner. In one
flight, the two experienced a 7000 foot per minute (over 30
m/s) drop in less than 10 seconds! Later, Edgar had one of the
war surplus Pratt-Read gliders used in the project break apal1
around him at 40,300 feet, under an estimated +12Gs and over
10,000 pounds of force.
The whole story, as put forth by Whelan, is nearly as
engrossing ancl thrilling as an action/adventure novel without
the love interest-although there was Betsy Woodward.
One thing I particularly liked was the way Whelan would
profile certain individual:s at the beg 1inl1ing of some chapters.
In this way, we get to meet Or. Joachim Kuettner, Harland
Ross, John Robinson. Larry Edgar, Bob Symons, Vie Saudek,
Dr. Paul MacCready, Brll lvans, Betsy Woodward, and others,
explaining what each bmught to the· projec't. He continues on
tQ explain the invaluable contribution each made to the project
itself. Very well done.
I highly recommend this well written and easy to read
paper bound book. 'Exploring the Monster' should easily find
a place in any g'licler pilot's librar>,. Whelan has certainly d(me
his homework and gives us what is a long overdue account of
the pioneering research into understanding the mountain
(Moazagotl) wave and jet stream phenomena.
This book is available from the publisher at: Wind Canyon
Books, PO Box 1445, Niceville, FL 32588. Phone: 800-952-
7007, Fax: 850-729-1112, email books@windcanyon.com
"Take Up Slack" A history of the London Gliding Club
1930 to 2000 by Edward Hull.
This 120 page softback is a gem. Ted has hit on a way of
describing the history of the Dunstable club from its official
inauguration in February 1930 mainly by means of a large
number of short, one paragraph stories relevant to the period
being discussed. This makes the whole book an enjoyable
wallow in nostalgia, starting with the wonderful cover picture
by Tony Hutching of Robin May formating his ASH 25 on
Geoff Moore's SG38 Primary.
So many ~Iccounts of club life concentrate on the prime
movers in the club, usually the Chairman or Secretary, but in
this book Ted gives very many stories illustrating the well
known fact which is often ignored, that a great deal of the
work neccesary to run a club is often done by unsung heros. A
lot of the "characters" in gliding clubs do not often get their
names into print but they do here.
It might be thought that the London Gliding Club, with all
that association with the capital means, would be one where
paid emp'loyees do all the work. 1t is true that the LGC has
employed people since the appointmentil1 1935 of world war
one pilot Tim Hervey as CFl/Manager but an astonishing
amount of work has been done by the members themselves
including tree planting around the entrance area, building a
workshop/garage and, of course, the award winning combined
clubhouse and hangar was designed by Kit Nicholson. Before
the advent of professionally built winches the club, like most,
had to build their own and a series of ever better winches
resulted. There are chapters 011 ghosts, field developments, the
Test Group, aerobatic competitions, problems caused by the
Airways, and even on the Vintage Glider Club.
The club fleet and most of the privately owned gliders are
listed together with the Presidents, Chairmen and all the
CB's, Staff Instructors and Tug Pilots, Managers, and Gazette
Editors. Oh, t nearly forgot, there are also 120 photographs
and drawings.
All in all this is a very comprehensive view of the LGC and
Ted is to be congratulated on the two years of research and
ded