westwind february 2000 - pacific soaring council · 607 dartmouth ave san carlos, ca 94070-1706...
TRANSCRIPT
PASCO / SSA / Operations / Club Directory .......................................................................................... Page 2-3Board of Directors Meeting Minutes .......................................................................................................... Page 4Mini Safety Tips on Takeoffs & Tows ............................................................................................. Page 6Goldens at my Wingtips .......................................................................................................................... Page 7Sawyer Award ........................................................................................................................................... Page 8Generic Safety and Its Application to Soaring .............................................................................. Page 9Mini Safety Seminar ................................................................................................................................ Page 14Use of Mode C Transponders ......................................................................................................... Page 15Calendar of Events ............................................................................................................................ Page 16
Inverted at Truckee – Photo by Ken Ward, San Jose, CA
WESTWINDFebruary 2000
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Page 2 — February 2000
Pacific Soaring Council, Inc. �������
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Volume 35, No (1) (500 Copies) Calendar of Events, Ty White; Editorial Policy: WestWind is the journal of the Pacific Soaring Council.Material published in WestWind is freely contributed by members of PASCO. The accuracy of information and the opinions expressed are theresponsibility of the contributor. Other publications may reproduce material printed herein, but credit is requested as to source. Classified rateis $10 per up to 35 words. Send ad and payment to editor. Display advertising rates available upon request. Articles and photo submissions areencouraged. The deadline for submission is the 5th day of the preceding month. Submit all materials to Editor, Janice Hoke 4188 PlateauCt, Reno, NV 89509, 775-747-4145 h, 775-788-6307 w, [email protected]
Statement of PurposeThe purpose of the Pacific Soaring Council, Inc., a non-profit, 501(c)3 corporation, is to initiate, sponsor, promote and carry outplans, policies and activities that will further the education and development of soaring pilots. Specifically, activities will promoteand teach the safety of flight; meteorology; training in the physiology of flight, and the skills of cross country and high altitudesoaring. Other activities will be directed towards the development of competition pilots and the organization and support ofcontests at the local, regional, national and international levels of soaring. PASCO is the acronym for the Council. WestWind isthe monthly publication of PASCO. Material may be reprinted without permission. The present board will remain in office untilNovember 1999. Current dues are $25 annually from the month after receipt of payment.
Sierra Highway InformationAuburn - 702 793-1313
Reno - 775 793-1313 Truckee - 775 793-1313
Aviation Weather BriefingsNational Weather Service, Reno
800 WX-BRIEF (#*318) (775) 858-1300 (#*318)
Soaring Meteorology ConsultantDoug Armstrong
Information Numbers
Officers of the CorporationPresident Sumner Davis
910 Leneve Place, El Cerrito, CA 94530-2748510-528-0340 h, 510-642-4857 w
Vice President Charles Hayes9732 State Route 445, PMB 356
Sparks, NV 89436-7560775-475-2529 h, 775-475-2440 w, 775-475-2529 fax
Secretary -Treasurer Rosemary Hayes9732 State Route 445, PMB 356
Sparks, NV 89436-7560775-475-2529 h, 775-475-2440 w
775-475-2529 [email protected]
Publications Chairperson Bruce Roberts2456 Cory Ave, San Jose, CA 95128-1309
408-247-8643 h, 408-721-6941 [email protected]
Directors of the CorporationFran Allender
159 Redondo DrivePittsburg, CA 94565-5928
925-439-1137 h
Sergio Colacevich4436 Northampton Dr
Carmichael, CA 95608-1555916-967-5710 h, 916-274-5874 w, 916-967-5079 fax
Tony Gaechter21060 Canyon View Drive
Saratoga, CA 95070-5718408-481-6000 h, 916-274-5874 w, 408-481-7717 fax
Richard Horn577 Hyannis Dr., Sunnyvale, CA 94087-1316
408-737-7887 h, 408-756-6169 [email protected]
Michael D. Schuster366 Iris St, Redwood City, CA 94062-2051
650-365-4425 h, 650-961-8108 [email protected]
Directors - Region 11Karol Hines
4108 Coralline Ct., Fremont, CA 94555(510) 791-2964 h
David Volkmann
P.O. Box 64, Shasta, CA 96087
H-530-246-7559 [email protected]
HEADQUARTERSP.O. Box E, Hobbs, NM 88241-1308
B-505 392-1177
GOVERNORSNORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Bob Korves1 Tinneil Court, Sacramento, CA 95833
(916) 924-5953 h,(916) 371-3110 w,
(916) 372-8541 [email protected]
NEVADAVern Frye
2240 Saddleridge Ct., Reno, NV 89509h (775) 825-1125
HAWAIIMary Campbell67 Karsten St.
Wahiawa, HI 96786(808) 621-5985 h
CommitteesAwards Cindy Donovan
151 Haslemere Ct.Lafayette, CA 94549-2000
925-932-4269 h, 415-667-9142 w925-257-1709 fax
Membership/Address Change/CalendarTy White
41600 Marigold DriveFremont, CA 94539
(510) 490-6765 h, (408) 616-8379 [email protected]
Public Relations and fund raising: Roger Archey63 Madrone Ave
Larkspur, CA 94939-2111415-924-2424 h, 415-331-4592 w
415-927-4207 [email protected]
Safety: David C. Penning607 Dartmouth Ave
San Carlos, CA 94070-1706650-593-6241 h, 408-727-8206 w
Competition: Steve Smith937 Brookgrove Ln
Cupertino, CA 95014-4667408-996-2932 h, 650-604-5856 w
Sawyer Award: Sergio Colacevichsee address under Directors of Corporation
FAA Liaison: Rolf Peterson2618 Tahoe Drive, Livermore, CA 94550
(510) 447-5620 h/[email protected]
Equipment:Elden Hinkle
1905 Oak Way, Chico, CA 95926530-898-8101 h, 530-518-4680 w, 530-894-7153 fax
PASCO League Tony Gaechtersee address under Directors of Corporation
Page 3 — February 2000
WORLD WIDE WEB ADDRESSES - REGION 11SOARING SOCIETY OF AMERICA http://www.ssa.org
PACIFIC SOARING COUNCIL http://www.ranlog.com/pasco/index.htmlAIR SAILING INC. http://www.snowcrest.net/volkmann/asi/
JIM AND JACKIE PAYNE - FAI BADGE PAGE http://home.aol.com/JPAviationBAY AREA SOARING ASSOCIATES http://users.aol.com/BAYSOAR/homepage.htmCENTRAL CALIFORNIA SOARING CLUB http://www.psnw.com/~alcald/ccsc.html
CHICO SOARING ASSOCIATION http://www.syix.com/clarkaw/csa_home.htmlMINDEN SOARING CLUB http://www.community.net/~soaring/msc.html
MOUNT SHASTA SOARING CENTER http://www.community.net/~soaring/mssc.htmlNORTHERN CALIFORNIA SOARING ASSC. http://www.bethany.edu/psych/ncsa
PALOMINO VALLEY SOARING www.soar-palomino.comRENO SOARING FORECAST http://nimbo.wrh.noaa.gov/Reno/rnosafrno.htm
SILVERADO SOARING, INC. http://acro.harvard.edu/SSI/silverad.htmlSOAR HOLLISTER http://www.soarhollister.com/
WILLIAMS SOARING CENTER http://www.williamssoaring.com/VALLEY SOARING ASSOCIATION http://www.community.net/~soaring/
Air Sailing, Inc. Airport David Volkmann 530-246-7559
Attitude Aviation 299 W. Jack London Blvd. Livermore, CA 94550, (925) 456-2276
Central California Soaring Club Avenal Gliderport -1747 Bobolink Ln., Fresno, CA 93727 209-251-7933
Chico Soaring Association (CSA) - Orland Airport, Orland,CA. Contact Elden Hinkle, 530-898-8101 h,[email protected] Creek Soaring 18896 Grange Road, P.O. Box 575,Middletown, CA 95461, 707-987-9112
High Country Soaring Douglas County Airport, P.O. Box70, Minden, NV 89423, 775-782-4944
Mt. Diablo Soaring, Inc. Rolf Peterson, Flt. Instructor2618 Tahoe Drive, Livermore, CA 94550(925) 447-5620, [email protected] Valley Aviation Montague Airport P.O. Box 70Montague, CA 96064 (916) 459-3456
Northern California Soaring Association (NCSA) ByronAirport, Byron, CA. (925) 516-7503 Contact MikeSchneider (925) 426-1412
Owens Valley Soaring, 619-387-2673, 5201 WestridgeRd., Rt 2, Bishop, CA 93514
Palomino Valley Soaring, Air Sailing Gliderport, NV.Mailing address, Palomino Valley Soaring, PMB 356,9732 State Route 445, Sparks, Nv. 89436. (775) 475-2440, [email protected], www.soar-palomino.com
Hollister Gliding Club, Hollister Airport – HollisterCalifornia, 831-636-3799, 831-636-7705 FAX,[email protected]
Soar Minden Douglas County Airport, P.O. Box 1764,Minden, NV 89423, 775-782-SOAR(7627), 800-345-7627
Soar Truckee, Inc. P.O. Box 2657, Truckee Airport, CA96160, 916-587-6702
Williams Soaring Center 2668 Husted Road, Williams,CA 95987, 530-473-5600, [email protected]://www.williamssoaring.com/
Air Sailing, Inc. AirportDavid Volkmann 530-246-7559
Bay Area Soaring Associates (BASA) - Hollister Air-port, Hollister, CA; Truckee Airport, Truckee, CA; Dou-glas County Airport, Minden, NV. Contact Stan Davies,(408) 238-2880.
Central California Soaring Club Avenal Gliderport,Avenal, CA. Contact Mario Crosina, 1747 Bobolink Lane,Fresno, CA (209) 251-7933.
Chico Soaring Association (CSA) - Orland Airport, Orland,CA. Contact Elden Hinkle, 530-898-8101 h,[email protected]
Crazy Creek Soaring Society (CCSS) - Crazy CreekGliderport, Middletown, CA. Contact Roger Archey, (415)924-2424.
Las Vegas Valley Soaring Association - Jean Air-port, NV, P.O.Box 19902, Jean, NV 89019-1902.702-874-1420, [email protected]
Minden Soaring Club - P.O. Box 361, Minden, NV 89423Contact Rick Walters (775) 265-3386.
Mount Shasta Soaring Center – Siskiyou CountyAirport, Montague, CA, Contact Stew Tittle, 541-882-1550, [email protected]
Nevada Soaring Association (NSA) - Air SailingGliderport, NV. Contact Vern Frye (775) 825-1125 h
Northern California Soaring Association (NCSA) ByronAiport, Byron, CA. Contact Mike Schneider (925) 426-1412
Silverado Soaring Association - Crazy Creek Gliderport,Middletown, CA; Calistoga Soaring Center, Calistoga,CA; Truckee Airport, Truckee, CA. Contact Douglas Lent(916) 966-4038
Valley Soaring Association (VSA) - 2668 Husted Road,Williams, CA 95987. Contact Peter Kelly (707) 448-6422
REGION 11 CLUBS& ASSOCIATIONS
REGION 11 GLIDEROPERATIONS
Page 4 — February 2000
Minutes of the PASCO Board of DirectorsDec. 1, 1999
Meeting called to order at 7:35 p.m.
ATTENDEES: Sumner Davis, CharlieHayes, Rosemary Hayes, SergioColacevich and Fran Allendar. Guests:Bob Korves, Rolf Peterson.ABSENT: Mike Schuster, Dick Horn,Bruce Roberts, Tony Gaechter
MINUTES: All accepted.
CONFIRMATION OF DIRECTORSConfirmedCONFIRMATION OF COMMITTEEMEMBERSConfirmedCindy Donovan: AwardsTy White: MembershipSteve Smith: CompetitionSergio Colacevich: Sawyer AwardRolf Peterson: FAA LiaisonEldon Henkle: EquipmentTony Gaechter : PASCO League*Dave Penning: Safety**Janice Hoke: West Wind EditorCharlie Hayes: PR/Fund Raising
Sergio will talk with Dave Penning withregard to overseeing the Safety commit-tee. Duties of the Safety CommitteeChair were discussed i.e., spring semi-nars, articles in West Wind, keep abreastof safety issues and pass that informa-tion on to PASCO members. Discussedpossibility of holding Safety Seminars atHollister, Byron, and Williams - seminar4 hours in the morning with flying in theafternoons. We are an educational orga-nization so we want to continue to edu-cate those in this sport.**Charlie Hayes will contact JaniceHoke and confirm her availability to bethe West Wind Editor.
Ty White will send bylaws to allnew members.
TREASURER REPORTCurrent BalanceChecking: ................................... $11,527.86Current BalanceSavings: ....................................... $ 2,927.82Current BalanceScholarship Fund: ...................... $ 5,884.74
In answer to a question regarding fee forNational Contest - Minden 2001 18MSports Class, a $150 entry fee was re-quired and paid.
Action Item: Rosemary will audit booksfor 1999.
COMMITTEE REPORTSSAWYER AWARD: There was discus-sion on Peter Kelly’s proposal for sim-plified rules. Charlie was in favor ofPeter’s proposal with the addition of bet-ter reporting procedures. Sergio reportedthe last update on the rules was in 1992.He would like to reinstate the below-2000' or above-2000' rule. Californiavalley flights would get double thepoints of flights in the Sierra.
Discussion followed on how toaward points. Some believe the attemptto make rules less complicated haseliminated some valuable items. Somethink simplifying the rules will encour-age people to participate. This is a workin progress. Sergio would include sampleworksheets to assist participants.
The submission of flight reports pe-riodically during the season, with post-ing in West Wind, might enhance thecompetitive nature of the award and giveit more visibility to the PASCO member-ship.
Action Item: Sergio will contact Pe-ter to discuss how to proceed. He willpresent recommended simplified rules atthe next meeting.
PASCO LEAGUE: Tony Gaechter senthis report via Sumner. Avenal wouldhost a May event. Possible dates wouldbe May 6-7 or May 13-14. The costwould be $10 per day and they wouldhost a barbecue. He has not had an op-portunity to contact other sites yet. (ASI,Truckee, Williams)
Discussion followed on whatbrought people together in the past andhow can we get people interested now.Team captains make or break the con-test. Many are burned out at being teamcaptain. There is a lack of new novicesand people have not moved up to theteam captain position.
The Chico Distance Camp uses apundit and novice as team. Recommendtasks go in same general direction tokeep sight of each other and keep nov-ices involved in the task. Explored thepossibility of having more than three ona team. Also suggested the possibility ofhaving a pundit escort a novice one-dayand an intermediate escort a novice thenext day.
Will ask Tony to be a booster/re-cruiter and try to identify individuals inclubs to promote PASCO League partici-pation.
CROSS COUNTRY SEMINAR: CarlHerold’s group will host a spring semi-nar at UC Berkeley, Feb. 19-20, 2000.The seminar will be “Physics andAerodynamices of Unpowered Flights inTheory and Practice.” Details will beworked out with regard to 1000K groupand a 500K group. It will be videotapedto ROM for CD using UCB equipmentand personnel. Parking will be $5 with-out a permit. The room holds 250 people.
CALENDAR: Charlie Hayes volunteeredto coordinate an “All Soaring EventsCalendar.” BASA sent in their schedulefor 2000. Fran will contact NCSA fortheir calendar. Bob will contactSilverado, Charlie will contact Williams.The calendar would be posted on thePASCO website by Mark Ramsey.Charlie will talk with Ty White aboutcoordinating soaring dates and events.Need to contact Dale Bush and StewTuttle re: Montague and Gary Kemp andElden Hinkle re: Chico.July 10-14 ASI Women’s SoaringSeminar - Pam SuttonJuly 15-27 Parowan UT (ParowanAir Show 28/29)
FAA LIAISON: Rolf Peterson reportedthe changes to the San Francisco Class Bare scheduled to be on chart by March2000. Submittals for revisions must be inby January 2000. Soaring input has al-ready been submitted.
OLD BUSINESS: Bruce Roberts sent areport that there has been no change inthe way NCSA handles PASCO member-ship requirements.
NEW BUSINESS: PASCO Board meet-ings will be moved to the first Tuesdayof each month if that night is available.Rosemary Hayes will check into the op-tions and inform members before themeeting in January 2000.
Meeting closed at 9:15p.m.
Tuesdays were not available so all futuremeetings will be held on the first Mon-day of each month.
Page 5 — February 2000
BarographCalibration
ServiceSSA Approved Facility
Calibration$25 if you hand deliver, or mail & pickup in person
$35 plus UPS insured for mechanical Baros$40 for Electronic Barographs, EW, XYLON,
GPS Navigators: Cambridge, Filser, Volkslogger, etc.Will Calibrate as you wait (1.5 Hr) by appointment
C.H. Engineering1230 Riverberry Drive
Reno, NV 89509Phone / FAX (775) 786-8505E-mail: [email protected]
Looking To LowerYour Soaring Costs?
Look to Silverado Soaring Inc.
Become a member of Silverado Soaring, Inc. and cutyour soaring costs. Share ownership of 2 Grob 103s(2-place) and 1 DG-101 (single place). For a monthlycost of $60, enjoy the following benefits.
• A generous, reserved scheduling allowance.• No hourly use charges.• Access to club gliders for cross-country flights.• Ability to fly with other experienced pilots.• Gliders based at various locations, giving variety to
your flying and taking advantage of gliderports sea-sonal conditions.
For additional information contact:Doug Lent, (916)966-4038, [email protected]
Membership requirements are private pilot certificatein gliders, checkout with an approved instructor, andinitiation fee. Pilots using gliders for cross-countrymust meet certain minimum requirements.
Gliders Available Hourly *Daily (March-Sept) * Daily (Oct-Feb)
Discus B $57 $250 $180LS-4 $48 $215 $145LS-3A $48 $215 $145Mini Nimbus $48 $215 $1454-Grob 103 Acros $60 $260 $1902-Grob 102s $41 $190 $120SGS 2-32 $60
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• 260 hp Pawnee towplane• Our professional staff will assist you from
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800-345-SOAR775-782-7627Fax 775-782-6505
Minden - Tahoe AirportMinden, Nevada
* Daily rate includes unlimited use of glider, O2, Barograph, Parachute plus one 3000 ft tow.
New Rates
Page 6 — February 2000
MINISAFETY
TIPSon takeoffsand towsby Sergio Colacevich
Having pre-flighted (In Germanythey say pre-streckensegelfluged, Iguess) our plane in the last edition ofthis column (January 2000), we areready to be launched into the infiniteblue.
The cream on the cake of a flyingday is the interaction with other fel-low pilots. We meet at the field, inthe place where we like to be, know-ing that we will be flying today Weare happy, eager to help and dothings together; it is sweet to greeteach other, easy to joke, and our be-ing sings in the sun.
But from time to time, we have totake a minute with ourselves and dothings with a cool head. We knowthat bad things have happened in thepast, when pilots have been dis-tracted by other people. Will we beable to be cool today? We want tobe, and our friends want us to be,too.
Just before moving the glider tothe starting line, it would be wise tocheck to see if we have forgottenanything. What we need is a writtencheck list. Hat, water, oxygen open,etc. If we are in a hurry to take ourplace in the queue, some of these lastchecks may be done also while wait-ing in line, I don’t see anythingwrong with that.
When we firmly believe that ev-erything is on board the plane, every-thing working etc., then we can dothe positive control check. Blessedcheck. I never found that I did notpass this check, nor I ever heard of
any pilot whom I know not passingit.
But then, we can be wrong onlyonce. So better be never wrong onthis: the consequences are dispropor-tionate to the lightness of the fault(Spanish speakers would say:“Cuidado, hombre.” “Be careful,man.”)
When it is our turn to belaunched, that is the moment whenwe really have to demonstrate thatwe are mature pilots. This moment isso critical and many accidents havebeen born at this time.We have to install ourselves in theplane, fasten the belts, arrangearound us our water bottle, micro-phone, hat, glasses, complete the lastchecks regarding canopy closed,airbrakes closed, straps fastened, etc.Right at this moment people are ac-tive around us, removing the taildolly, showing it to us, so that wehave to look and nod, someone elseasking to open and then close the towhook. At any time they are ready todo it, not when we ask for it. Peopleare talking to us, giving information,commenting, joking or calling: forthe wing to be lifted, asking wherewe want to go, how high etc. Andthere is the noise of the tow planetaking position, the propeller blowsyour hat, the canopy must be held fora second, everything conspires todistract and confuse.
Are we cool pilots? We try tobe, we want to go through it withcoolness (In France they would say“avec nonchalance”), we want toshow that we can handle it, as theconsummate pilots we are.
But if we feel overwhelmed, ifwe want to be real cool: let’s say it.Say that we need just a bit of time,that we have to slow down.
Then a magical thing will hap-pen: everybody will slow down andwait for us in silence. They under-stand, they are our friends, they areall people that have been there orhave seen it so many times. We donot lose any of our status; in fact, wegain some.
When the glider starts to move,of course our attention is very crisp.We have a very precise notion ofwhere the release knob is, or we haveour hand on it. We know that any
rolling movement of the wings mustbe immediately counteracted by veryquick, full action of the stick.
If a wing touches the ground, wemay still continue with the take off,unless the wing has water, in whichcase there is no way to lift the wing.If this is the case, release immedi-ately (some pilots have not done thisand experienced a ground loop, witha heavy wing scratching the ground).
So now we are on tow. Are weprepared if something goes wrong ontow? We know that 200 feet abovethe ground, we have the possibilityto do a 180-degree turn and land onthe very runway we started from.But before then? Gray area here. Itdepends on who we are, what gliderwe fly, and mostly, the environmen-tal condition of the runway length,presence of other runways, width ofthe airfield, presence of landablefields beyond that etc.
The only possible advice: Have aplan ready in our mind. Decide be-fore taking off what we will do, ifsomething happens. For example;first option could be to land straight,second option would be aim for thecross runway, third option, go for thefield on the right.
At some gliding sites, they tellyou the options during the familiar-ization flight. There should be moreemphasis on this issue, everywhere,because we tend to forget. It wouldbe good if this information werewritten in every gliding site in aplace that is easily caught by oureyes.
I conclude with another item: air-borne signals, which have to be im-mediately recognized and acted upon:We need to increase speed: roll thewings. We need to decrease speed:waggle. We cannot release: move outand roll the wings. Towplanewaggles:cannot release either(Thetwo will land together). Towplanefans the rudder: spoilers out.Towplane rocks the wings: releaseimmediately.
May the lift be with you all.
inite blue.
Sergio Colacevich is a transporta-tion engineer and works for Caltrans inSacramento.He came from Italy in1984 with a Silver badge, gained theGold badge in 1991, and the three-in-one-shot Diamond in 1996.
Page 7 — February 2000
Goldens atMy WingtipsSoaring highabove aPennsylvaniaridgeby David Brandes
Bald Eagle Mountain is thewesternmost ridge of the ridge-and-valley geographic area of centralPennsylvania. This long, linear ridge(approximately 90 miles fromWilliamsport to Altoona) is wellknown by glider pilots for providingsuperb conditions for ridge soaring.
On a windy spring or fall day,the local glider port is busy towinggliders up to 2,000 feet, just abovethe ridge, where they can easilyspend the day skimming the ridge orsoaring in thermals thousands of feetover the valley. But they are notalone - a semi-annual migration ofraptors occurs here, as happens onmany or perhaps all of the parallelridges of central Pennsylvania. Thelate-fall golden eagle migration inparticular is excellent along thisridge far west of the famousKittatinny.
After several years of watching the procession of hawks, eagles, andgliders along the mountain from theground, I was wondering what theview might be like from one of thosegliders.
Lucky for me, during these yearsI had developed a friendship withKarl Striedieck, the legendary gliderpilot who held a world gliding recordfor many years of 1,000 miles, fromLock Haven, Pa., to Oak Ridge,Tenn., and back (see National Geo-graphic, March 1978). Karl is also araptor and golden eagle enthusiastand had offered to take me up for ahawk’s-eye view of the king of NorthAmerican birds.
The weather forecast soundedright for a golden eagle flight (strongnorthwest winds, partly cloudy skies,and occasional flurries) one Saturdayin mid-November and we agreed tomeet the next day to give it a try.
I got to the hawk watch early thatmorning, on the hunch that we weredue for a good flight. Sure enough,the first golden flew by at 8 a.m.,just as I got there. By the time weheaded out to the glider port at 11:30, I had already counted 11 goldensand one adult bald eagle, with asmattering of redtail hawks.
What was already a great day wasabout to get better. We were in theair just after noon, getting the shorttow from the valley floor to the topof the ridge. With a pop of the tow,we were free to float the ridge withthe eagles. I was fortunate enough tobe sitting in the front seat of thecockpit where I could spot birds aswe approached.
Almost immediately upon climb-ing the updraft, we passed someredtails, and then I noticed our firstbig bird, high and straight ahead - anadult golden eagle facing out overthe valley into the strong northwestgale.
The trick to a close encounter isto get above and behind the bird andthen glide up alongside as slowly aspossible. Unfortunately, a Grob two-seater glider does not have quite theaerodynamic performance of a goldeneagle, and so the maneuver can takeseveral turns, especially since thetypical flight speed of the eagles (ap-proximately 20-50 mph) is much lessthan that of the glider.
We never did get very close tothat first eagle but did notice someinteresting behavior: The birdseemed to head out into the windover the valley below cloud streets togain altitude, and then to turn andglide off to the south toward theridge. Cloud streets are often presenton windy fall days after the passageof a strong cold front, and are a veryreliable source of lift for glider pi-lots (and apparently, eagles).
We headed off to the southwestaccompanied by the sound of thewhistling wind, buzzed past myfriend at the hawk watch and contin-ued down the ridge. A few miles far-
ther we found another adult goldenriding the ridge updraft. After sev-eral excruciating (for me) bankedturns we were in position for a closepass.
It is an exhilarating and mind-numbing experience, cruising past agliding golden eagle at less than 30feet. It was interesting that the eagleseemed completely unconcernedabout the big stiff white “bird”alongside - must have something todo with being the boss of the air-ways. When a glider does get tooclose, eagles either bank off and flapaway, or just drop and steer out overthe valley.
After a couple circles to regainaltitude, we realized that we were un-able to get enough lift to get abovethe eagle again, as that section ofridge has a rather gentle slope andthe updraft was not very strong. Wethen decided to head back upridge,with the idea that we would interceptmore birds coming toward us downthe ridge.
By the time we got back to thehawk watch, we had passed two moregoldens and a good number ofredtails. We pressed on to the north-east along the smooth northwestflank of the ridge.
Then, crossing the Interstate-80gap, I noticed a juvenile golden eaglecircling below. We tried briefly tocircle with it, but with our muchlarger turning radius it was difficultto keep track of the bird. As wepulled out to head upridge, anothereagle cruised by just overhead, thistime an immature bald.
Soon Bald Eagle Lake wasstretched out below us, and I realizedwhat a convenient fast-food stop itmust be for the eagles migratingalong the ridge.
While gliding on to the north at80 knots, we spotted another adultgolden zipping by below. Then weflew what seemed like a long emptystretch of ridge, seeing only the oc-casional redtail; however, I noticedthat any birds low along the brownoak treetops of late fall would be ef-fectively invisible from above.
I continued to enjoy the new per-spective and feel from above theridge as the strong current of airpressed up from below. It was now
Page 8 — February 2000
Sawyer Award Call For EntriesThis is a call to every pilot belonging to the PASCO community to
participate in this year’s Sawyer Award. This is a honorable award, andfun to participate in. The name of each recipient is engraved on thetrophy, and the presentation is made annually. Many winners over the 42years of its existence went on to become key persons in our sport in theregion, the nation, and the world of soaring.
The Sawyer Award was founded after the fatal mid-air collision ofDoc Sawyer with Harner Selvedge, who survived, in the White Moun-tains at the U.S. National Soaring Championships in Bishop, CA, in1957. Tom Brandes and Doc Sawyer’s brother who lived near Winters,Calif., founded the Sawyer Award as a result. The award was initiated inthe 1960s by Northern California Soaring Association, based in Hum-mingbird Haven Airport, Livermore,Calif.. It was later sponsored byPASCO in 1969 until today. In 1970, 26 pilots competed.
The award encourages participation and competition in cross coun-try soaring, provides a standard of measurement, and honors the winner.The pilot wins the award by accumulating the greatest number of pointswhich are awarded for the number of flights, height gained, distanceflown, duration of each flight, field of origin of the flight.
A recent winner, Peter Kelly, initiated a proposal to enhance partici-pation to the award by reviewing the rules and making them more in linewith the times. Sergio Colacevich, the current administrator of the award,undertook the task of analyzing the rules, acquire statistical informa-tion, propose to the attention of the pilots the items where moderniza-tion could be useful.
The inspiring principle has been to try and maintain the originalintent of the award, which was to encourage the pilots, especially thenovice pilots, to fly cross country, and to fly a lot. In this view, I hopethat the factor for the less experienced pilots will be increased, so as togive them better chances. Ideally, everybody should have the same chanceto win.
My own approach will be to facilitate more participation by givingmore publicity to the award. I have the intention to report on its status inevery number of the West Wind, and keep a Sawyer page on the PASCOWeb page. I will ask for the participants to send their scores everymonth and I will publish the scores as well as the best flights of theindividual pilots.
I encourage you all to fly cross country. Can you imagine? Touch-ing the clouds, exploring new territories, floating over a scenery thatyou never saw before. Get help from the clouds, dodge the sink, balanceyour wings over the lift beyond. It does not get any better than this.
Send in your Sawyer flights, even if you don’t know how much andhow far you can fly this year. Yes, there is only one winner, but the funis there for everybody to grab. The contest has already begun: just keeptrack of your flights in your log books. The next issue of WestWind willinclude the renewed rules for the award, and how and where to send thereport of your flights. –Sergio Colacevich
past 1 p.m., and the snow showerswere building, so we turned backsouth at Lock Haven toward home.
Before long we saw a pair ofgoldens below us and out over thevalley to the right. Two adults, maleand female, were gliding within 30yards of each other, perhaps a matedpair. This time we already were inperfect position for another closepass, and we sneaked up behind. Go-ing as slowly as possible, we slidpast the pair of unconcerned birds atpointblank range.
The sight of a wild golden eaglestaring back at me from just outsidethe glider was as close to raptorheaven as I’ve ever been. Soon, how-ever, the eagles shook us off by flap-ping southward toward the ridge. Un-able to resist, we circled back for asecond pass. Again we got so close tothe unwary pair that I briefly con-templated that checking out at 30years old with a golden eagle in mylap wouldn’t be such a bad way togo.
After that, the rest of the flightback to home base was anticlimactic,but we did notice a handsome dark-morph roughleg below us justupridge from the hawk watch andcalculated it should be there in about10-15 minutes.
Upon returning to solid groundand straightening my stiff back, itwas back to the hawk watch, wherewe were enveloped in a snow squall;
I learned that a dark roughie wentpast right on cue, and nine moregoldens had been sighted.
The day’s final tally included 22golden eagles and two balds, but it isnot these numbers I will always re-member. Rather, it is the privilege ofgliding the ridge with those magnifi-cent golden eagles.
David Brandes is an assistant pro-fessor of civil and environmental engi-neering at Lafayette College, Easton,Pennsylvania. Since his teens, he hasbeen an avid student of raptor migra-tion. His most recent raptor project in-volves documentation of the spring mi-gration of golden eagles throughPennsylvania.
PASCO...is a non-profit, 501(c)3 corporation.Our purpose is to initiate, sponsor, pro-mote and carry out plans, policies andactivities that will further the educationand development of soaring pilots. Contributions to PASCO are tax de-ductible under current IRS laws. Formore information about making a do-nation to PASCO, contact your mem-bership chair.
Ty White41600 Marigold Drive, Fremont, CA
94539(510) 490-6765 h,(408) 523-7277 w
(408) 523-7272 fax,[email protected]
Page 9 — February 2000
Generic Safetyand ItsApplicationto Soaringby Bill [email protected]
Introduction:Principles of safety
It is hard to conceive of a struc-ture, machine or device that has ab-solutely zero potential to cause or bea factor in an accident. Therefore wemust be concerned with all machinesand activities that can have accidentswith high consequences and with rea-sonable probability.
Operating a glider is a good ex-ample. We have lost a lot of friendsover the years. However, we arebombarded with advice on how topractice safe soaring. Perhaps afresh look at generic safety and itsapplication to other activities withpotential risks will be fun and pro-vide useful insights that will enhanceyour soaring safety.
The objective of this talk is todiscuss generic safety principles andhave the audience transfer them totheir own experiences and percep-tions in aviation.
To keep this talk from being a “dothis-do that” lecture, I will try tolimit the examples to non-aviationapplications of general safety prin-ciples. During this brief descriptionof some basic principles of safety, Iwant you to be thinking of applica-tions of these principles to soaring.
We will spend the last half of ourtime with an open discussion of yourexperiences and thoughts about howthe basic safety items are applied orcould be applied to soaring.
The generic safety items to be dis-cussed are the following: The list isnot exhaustive, but contains someitems that are applied or studied byengineers who make safety a career.I think they can be applied to everyactivity where risk is a factor. Theyhave been applied to the technologyused to keep commercial nuclear re-
actors safe.• The ingredients of serious accidents• Safety in the design• Safety margin• The regulator• Energy boundaries• Quantifying safety• Accident history, root cause• Levels of consciousness• Human factors
Three Ingredientsof Major Accidents
There are three ingredients thathave been observed by accident ana-lysts to characterize many serious ac-cidents and near misses to serious ac-cidents. The value of knowing aboutthese characteristics is that by recog-nizing them, many accidents can beavoided. Even avoiding any one ofthe ingredients can go a long way toimproving the safety of most activi-ties. These ingredients are
1) Operation of a machine out-side of the prescribed or real limitsof safe operation
2) Lack of knowledge by the op-erator of the design basis for theselimits and why the operation as it ispresently being conducted is danger-ous
3) Failure to recognize one ormore existing indicators that an acci-dent is likely, and/or denial that thesymptoms indicate a dangerous ordeteriorating situation.
Safety is designed into most ma-chinery. When the design is com-pleted and tested, certain limitationsare placed on its operation. All ofthese limits taken together are oftenreferred to as the safety design enve-lope. All of the safety design re-quirements and specifications for themachine constitute the safety designbasis. The design basis also containsfunctional requirements so that themachine will perform its intendedpurpose.
Training, operating instructionsand placarding all convey safety de-sign limits to the operator. Becausethere are limitations to the ability tocompletely analyze and test a design,safety margins are employed to en-sure that operations within these lim-its are safe with a reasonable prob-ability. For those activities that areregulated, such as nuclear power and
aviation, these limits become a partof the design certification processand become regulatory limits on theoperator.
Operation out of limitsOperation outside of specified
limits is the first ingredient of mostserious accidents. At Chernobyl thereactor designers, based on the spe-cific reactor design, had specifiedthat operation was prohibited below30% power and that a certain numberof control rods be inserted and avail-able to halt criticality. When the ac-cident happened, both of these limitswere being violated, and once in thatcondition, the accident was unavoid-able.
The story doesn’t end here. Thesecond ingredient listed above wasalso involved at Chernobyl. Until afew minutes before the accident,there were no operators in the controlroom who understood enough aboutthe design to know why these safetylimits were important. When anuclear engineer did arrive, he real-ized that the accident was unavoid-able. Had the operators understoodthe design and the consequences,they may not have been willing toventure outside the safe envelope ofoperation.
Finally there was at least oneclear symptom that should have sig-naled the operators of the peril oftheir actions. That symptom is per-haps the one that is most ignored byoperators, the machine was not doingwhat they expected it to do. In manyserious accidents, there are severalindicators that the situation is likelyto lead to disaster. In the Chernobylaccident, the operators were nottrained to recognize the other moresubtle symptoms that would havewarned them and maybe avoided theaccident. We have only discussedpart of the Chernobyl picture, but inspite of the risky design, the acci-dent could have been avoided by fol-lowing the rules.
Danger of group thinkThe Challenger accident is an-
other example of an accident havingthe above symptoms. A limitationexisted on operation of the solid pro-pellant booster at low temperature.
Page 10 — February 2000
Data existed that demonstrated a highprobability of O-ring failure on ajoint of the solid propellant boosterat temperatures that had been mea-sured at the launch site during thenight and morning of the launch.However, the launch was not can-celled.
The concerns of the engineer mostfamiliar with the O-ring design wereoverridden, not followed. Althoughthe contractor management had reser-vations, the message that was per-ceived by NASA management waswhat they wanted to hear.
A phenomenon called “groupthink” led the combined group ofcontractor managers to make the de-cision that they thought the groupwanted and denied their individualconcerns. There was nothing mali-cious here. The group simply fo-cused on success and placed theirfalse hopes in some test data thatdemonstrated successful firings insome instances where the tempera-tures were low and the fact that therehad been at least one failure at hightemperature. We have all been insituations where individual want toplease all of the other individuals,and in the end no one is happy withthe group decision.
Operators making changesWhile we are on the subject of the
design basis, it would be a good timeto bring up operators making changesto a design and operator performedmaintenance. Many accidents are theresult of changes made by ownerswho do not understand the technicalbasis to the design of equipment.Usually the motivation to makechanges is improved performance.
Even knowledgeable engineerswill make this mistake. Often with-out the knowledge held by the origi-nal designer, they omit certain calcu-lations and tests needed to assurethat all specifications are met andsafety limits are changed accord-ingly.
Maintenance of safety critical ma-chinery also requires fundamentalknowledge and close adherence tomaintenance procedures which can becomplex and often not available tothe operator. The more the operator
knows about the design basis of hismachine, the more likely he will beto let an expert fix it. I hope thisdiscussion has not been a great dis-appointment to those of you whohave read Zen and the Art of Motor-cycle Maintenance.
Energy BoundariesOne of the methods for identifica-
tion and avoidance of potential acci-dents is to identify energy bound-aries. Nearly every accident involvesthe rapid transfer of energy acrosssome boundary such as the walls of asteam boiler.
The boundary does not have to bephysical. It may just be the space be-tween the diamond lane and the cen-ter lane on the freeway. It is avoid-ing or controlling these energyboundaries that constitutes a majorpart of safety.
Energy boundaries include thefollowing:• Differences in height and velocity• Pressure boundaries• Temperature (internal energy)
boundaries• Chemical reaction boundaries• Radiation energy boundaries• Electrical boundaries• Biological boundaries
Energy boundaries are protectedin a variety of ways. The railing ona stairway helps protect the potentialenergy boundary between the top andbottom. Other protection of this en-ergy boundary is the lighting and thestair surface.
A traffic light is a control for thekinetic energy boundary between carstraveling in different directions.Electrical insulation keeps energyfrom crossing the boundary betweenconductors and causing fire or elec-trocution.
Dodging boundariesHumans are very proficient at de-
feating the devices designed to pro-tect them from energy boundaries.Many of the devices are inconvenientfor people. A member of our familystepped over a retaining wall so thathis fiancée could get a better pictureof him at the Grand Canyon. Youcan guess the rest of the story.
Sometimes too much confidence
is placed on the method used to pro-tect the boundary, and it fails.“Child proof” medicine bottles are agood example. Poisonings have hap-pened because parents assumed thesebottles were safe. More will be saidabout traps later.
By now I hope that you have along list of energy boundaries thatexist for the pilot and have thoughtof the ways in which they are pro-tected.
Just so one won’t forget some ofthe generic principles of safety, letsthink about the following accident.
An avid and inventive ice fisher-man discovered that he could propelhimself across the ice by sliding onslick bottom boots powered by thechainsaw that he used for cuttingholes in the ice. One day a momen-tary hesitation of the chain saw mo-tor caused him to override the sawwhich came up between his legs anddid the unthinkable.
This is an example of failure torespect an energy boundary and theuse of a machine for a purpose otherthan that for which it was designed.The writers of the instructions foruse of the saw did not consider thepossibility of this use for the saw.Although this example seems to havebeen an obvious mistake that wewould never make, more subtlevariations of this type of accidenthappen regularly.
Colorcoding awarenessChas. Harral, pilot examiner in
the Phoenix area, first presented thecolor-code ideas during an AOPAFlight Instructor Refresher Clinicwhich I attended some years ago. Hisparadigm can be applied to a widerange of safety applications.
The model is based on four statesof mental awareness, and a colorcode is assigned as a memory deviceto each level of awareness. If youcall Chas. at (602) 969-8504, you canobtain an audio tape that will provideyou with some valuable training inthe color code method.
The awareness states:• White: oblivious to what is goingon, daydreaming, or feeling thatthere is no potential threat. Often re-ferred to as “fat, dumb and happy”
Page 11 — February 2000
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Courtesy round-trip transportation from Reno-Tahoe International Airport toAir Sailing is available to PVS customers by prior arrangement.
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when recounting an accident.• Yellow: scanning and evaluatingthe situation at all times, looking forpotential threats and asking yourselfif anything looks wrong with thispicture.• Orange: recognizing the need for animmediate decision to take action.• Red: reacting to the need for imme-diate action, often involving panic orthe wrong decision. The brain cre-ates the fight-or-flight physiologyand often causes a default to pri-macy. You have experienced thiscondition if you have ever thoughtyou were about to die. Your actionsspeed up and time appears to slowdown.
The paradigm is that one tends togo from white to red when a situationarises while you are day dreamingand trusting that nothing can gowrong. However, red can often beavoided by maintaining the yellowstate during activities where safety isinvolved. For a law enforcement of-ficer, this is all the time.
While in the yellow or scanning
and evaluating mode, a best methodof coping with a possible change inthe expected situation is beingplanned as a continuous process. If aproblem arises and the orange stateoccurs, a decision can be made with-out panic, and one has the bestchance of avoiding the threat.
It might seem that staying in theyellow state would be exhausting.However, the converse is actuallytrue. Time passes quickly and thefeeling of confidence actually re-duces stress and fatigue. Marv Mar-tin, who taught me to fly gliders atHummingbird Haven and a friend formany years, said once that safety isnever being surprised. Good manag-ers stay in this condition on the job.Safety can be thought of as goodmanagement.
Managing panicMore can be said about condition
red, because survivors of panic situa-tions have made some interesting ob-servations. Some of these are aslowing of time so that everything
seems to be in slow motion and re-version to primacy.
Different people respond differ-ently to panic. Reversion to primacyincludes actions that we were firsttrained perform or that are instinc-tive. However, primacy may impedesurvival, although survival is the ap-parent reason for this response.
One of the best ways to survivepanic is to be well trained and prac-tice emergency procedures. In thisway, reversion to primacy is to enterthe correct emergency procedure.Sometimes it is better to be trainedfor a procedural response to a symp-tom rather than being trained to as-sess the situation, especially whenthere is little time to react. This is agood topic for aviation examples.
During the Three Mile Islandnuclear plant accident, the operatorsstopped adding water to the reactorbecause their earliest training taughtthem not to overfill the system.Hence in the confusion, they failed torecognize that water was being lostin the reactor vessel due to an open
Page 12 — February 2000
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valve. Lack of sufficient water inthe vessel eventually caused severedamage to the fuel from heating bythe continued radioactive decay eventhough the chain reaction wasstopped.
Assessment ofOperating Experience
Operating experience can providevaluable insights that can be appliedto preventing accidents. The nuclearindustry reviews significant acci-dents and near misses in detail.These reviews are performed by theplants, the US Nuclear RegulatoryCommission (NRC) and the industrysponsored Institute of Nuclear PowerOperations. Of course the FAA, theAOPA, the SSA and the manufactur-ers do much the same thing.
An accident review involves athorough understanding of the pro-gression of failures and conse-quences. Data recorded in the con-trol room is reviewed, operators areinterviewed and damage to equip-ment is evaluated to determine theproximate causes of the event. Theproximate cause is the mechanism offailure.
Categorizing accidents by proxi-mate cause provides useful data foraccident prevention. For exampleknowing the percentage of car acci-dents caused by brake failures.
The root cause of the accident isthen determined. The root cause is
an action or situation that could havebeen avoided through proper manage-ment or operation and that not onlyled to the accident, but likely wouldhave caused an accident to happeneventually.
For example, a part may havefailed, causing an accident, and thepart’s failure may have been causedby poor maintenance. The poormaintenance may have been causedby poor training, the wrong tool, noself checking, the wrong procedure,the wrong part, etc.
At some reasonable point a causeis found that, if corrected, will help
avoid similar accidents in the future,and the industry is notified by the or-ganizations listed above.
The proximate cause of the Chal-lenger accident was O-ring failure.The root cause was a group decisionthat denied the warning from testdata that signaled a potential acci-dent could happen with an unaccept-able probability. Often the rootcause is traced to poor management.Proper management of the operationsof a complex machine is one of thekeys to safety.Risk Assessment
Risk is defined as the probability
Page 13 — February 2000
of an accident times the conse-quences of the accident. In generalpeople tend to associate risk withconsequences only.This associationcauses aversion formany people tomany useful or re-warding activitiesthat have a verylow probability buta high perceived oractual risk.
For example,you have heard theexpression,“You’ll never getme up in one ofthose things.” It isnot important tothe risk averse per-son that many fa-miliar and accept-able activities present greater actualrisk than flying in a sailplane .
Being able to quantify is usefulfor evaluating safety alternatives.For example, how many sources ofauxiliary power does it make sense tohave at a nuclear plant?
Calculating risk is difficult andnot particularly accurate, but thetechnique is used by NASA, the NRCand the FAA. Calculating probabili-ties for all potential accidents for acomplex machine requires a com-puter. However, the logic can bedemonstrated using an event-treemodel shown in the figure above.
Essentially risk assessment isdone as follows: First all credible hy-pothetical accidents for the opera-tions being evaluated are assembled.Then each event that can initiate thesequence of events that occur in eachaccident are determined.
An example of an accident eventis the failure of a critical componentor an operator action that must suc-ceed in order to avoid the accident.For each hypothetical accident a de-cision tree is constructed that startswith an initiating event and has abranch for the success or the failureof each intermediate event. Eachbranch is given a failure probability.
The failure probabilities are com-bined to yield the probability of eachhypothetical accident. The eventsare assumed to be random and inde-
pendent.The process of quantifying risk is
far from exact. Failure probabilities
are often estimated from sparse sta-tistics and there is no guarantee thatall events that can combine to causean accident have been uncovered.The events in a real accident are of-ten not independent, and accidentsare not usually random. However,the following is a list of things that arisk assessment can facilitate:• Evaluating if equipment should berepaired or run to failure• Demonstrating the contribution ofoperator action to accidents• Helping the designer determine theneed for redundant systems
Traps for human natureIn maintaining safety, “traps”
should be avoided.A trap is situation that draws an
operator or innocent victim into anaccident.
A six year old boy was paralyzedby drinking insecticide that was hadbeen stored in a Coke can in the ga-rage.
Some two unit nuclear plants weredesigned with mirror image controlboards causing operator errors whenan operator switched units.
Think about the traps that gliderpilots set unwittingly for other gliderpilots. A safety device or safetymargin is often a trap.
Does the safety on a firearm makeit safe. It does only if you don’tcount on it!
The advertisements would have usthink that a four wheel drive vehiclecan be driven at high speed in the
snow. However,all properlymaintained carshave four wheelbrakes, and it’sbeing able tostop that is im-portant.
Stress is animportant causeof operator erroraccidents.Stress manage-ment involvesunderstandingthe causes ofstress andknowledge ofthe impact ofstress on safety.
Stress management course materialpoints out that people in the highestcategory of stress in terms of stress-causing factors in their lives have a90% chance of having a serious acci-dent or illness during the year.
Stress is accumulative and can becaused by family problems, moneyproblems, work-related concerns,diet, drugs and conditions that causethe operator to be in a hurry or pre-occupied.
One last item and we will openthe discussion to the audience’s ap-plications of these general safetytopics to aviation. This last topic ismotivation to accept unnecessaryrisk.
Most risks we take offer some re-ward, and reasonable risk can be ac-ceptable. However, it is common tofind the need to be accepted by oth-ers or to be thought of as one of theleaders in an activity causing peopleto attempt operations beyond theirability.
The sad thing stemming from thismotivation is that the opposite ofwhat is desired is usually achieved.Consistent excellence requiresknowledge and acceptance of limita-tions. This is true for individualsand also for organizations. Improve-ment comes through study, training,practice, hard work and attention todetail.
Fire starts in building
Sprinklers Fire alarm Fire escape
Fire department
Survival
Survival
Survival
Survival
Death
Event Tree
Ps
Pa
Pe
Pd
Success
Failure
Page 14 — February 2000
Before our discussion of how theapplications of the generic safetyprinciples discussed above may beapplied to soaring and aviation, thereare some general conclusions to bereviewed.
Safety is a matter of good man-agement. Good management involvesawareness and thinking ahead. Plan-ning, maintenance, training, knowl-edge about design and safety limita-tions, and physiological aspects areall under management control.
MINISAFETYSEMINAR
A Safety Seminar where we talksafety first, and then we fly immedi-ately thereafter will happen at theWilliams Airport, the last weekend ofMarch, Saturday/Sunday March 25/26.
Here is the deal: a couple of hoursof delightful entertaining/informa-tional/refreshing presentations byconsummate pilot speakers in themorning, then assemble ships and flyin the afternoon. Practice the wordsof the safety gospel right away!
Four powerful topics by four dy-namic presenters:
Saturday9 a.m.: Sergio Colacevich, “Checkthe Speed”10 a.m.: Gary Kemp,”Flying in theCoast Range”
Sunday9 a.m.: Richard Pearl, “It’s a SmallThing.”10.a.m.: Peter Deane, “Racing AcrossCountry”
On Saturday evening, the cel-ebrated Williams barbecue grill willbe in operation: just take your ownmeat and a side dish to share withfriends. You can spend the night atthe airport by making a reservation:(530) 473-5600.
The weather can be very decentin Williams by the end of March. Itis the season of the cold fronts pass-ing by, leaving behind a bubbling of
unstable air. The sky is bright, theclouds are a crisp white, and theground is green. The gliders seem tobecome alive, feeling the power ofthe born-again soaring season, thrill-ing in the warmer breeze, sharing theblue with the other creatures of theair, listening to the songs of the newgeneration of birds.
Fly the ridge; soar above theThree Sisters; ride the wave to18,000'. Try the unique dual tow tothe mountains: if you try, you can fly
A good manager assesses risks,reviews and understands prior mis-takes, and isn’t satisfied with a deci-sion when indications of a poten-tially serious problem are beingoverlooked.
Bill Reuland first soloed in 1957and now has a Diamond badge andhas flown in several national and re-gional contests. A Ph.D. in mechanicaland aerospace engineering, he is a
project management and systems en-gineering consultant. His backgroundin safety has resulted from 32 yearsas an airplane, instrument and gliderCFI plus being a safety consultant forthe commercial nuclear power indus-try.
This talk was written for Reno 95. Italso has been presented at twoPASCO safety seminars and a coupleof f l ight instructor refresherclinics. Bob Semans was Reuland’sconsultant and sounding board in put-ting the talk together.
above the snow. All this may happen,if you just hit the road and travel toWilliams, the place to be, the placeto share with friends, the place tofly.
Everybody will be there, don’tmiss it - they are all gossipers, andthey’ll love to talk about you if youare absent!
For more information, ask SergioColacevich. See address under Direc-tors, page 2. No fees, no registration.Just be there.
Report from a Secret Agent:Dear Editor, Acting on rumors, I had a look at one of BASA’s Twin Grobs recently andmust confirm the truth: BASA has apparently merged with a multilevel marketing (akapyramid scheme) giant corporation named Amway. What else can explain their newlogo, Buy Amway Soap Associates?
After taking this photo, I was confronted by a BASA member with glazed eyestrying to hand me mysterious white cassette tapes which he said, “would explaineverything.” Fearing for my sanity, I scattered a few shiny pennies on the ramp, andwhilst he was grubbing for them, I made a vaporous escape.Your faithful servant, Agent 3.1416
Page 15 — February 2000
• Open May 1 - October 2
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FormerlyPIK Pacific
Use of Mode CTranspondersReno, Nevada
The potential conflict betweengliders and commercial air trafficnear Reno has increased with thegrowth of commercial jet traffic intoReno-Tahoe Airport (RNO) duringthe past few years. PASCO empha-sizes that glider pilots operating inthe Reno area must be alert for allair traffic arriving and departingRNO.
Transponder signals are receivedby Traffic Collision Avoidance Sys-tems (TCAS) on board commercialaircraft as well as by Air TrafficControl (ATC) Radar. By Air Traf-fic Control (ATC) Letter of Agree-ment, gliders in the Reno area cantransmit the 0440 transponder codein the blind, without establishing ra-dio contact with Reno ApproachControl.
PASCO recommends that glidersoperating cross country, within 50NM of Reno-Tahoe Airport, installand use a Mode C altitude encodingtransponder.
Page 16 — February 2000
PASCOPacific Soaring Council41600 Marigold DriveFremont, CA 94539
March 6: PASCO Board Meeting, 7:30 pm, Old TerminalBuilding, Buchanan Field, Concord. All members invited
April 3: PASCO Board Meeting, 7:30 pm, Old TerminalBuilding, Buchanan Field, Concord. All members invited
April 22-29: 2nd Annual Western Seniors Contest, April 22-29,Estrella Sailport, Phoenix, AZ. Sponsored by ArizonaSoaring,Inc. Contact Bruce Stephens (520) 568-2318,[email protected]
April 29: The Arvin Remembrance and National Landmark ofSoaring Dedication, Arvin, CA. The Arvin Remembrance is aseries of events to commemorate the Arvin-Sierra Gliderport.Many activities are planned, both at the Arvin site and atMountain Valley Gliderport, Tehachapi, CA. For moreinformation see http://tehachapi.com/arvingliderport or contactJanice Armstrong at (661) 822-8852 or [email protected].
May 6,7: PASCO League Meet #1, Williams Soaring Center,Williams, CA. Contact Tony Gaechter, (408) 867-2182 h,[email protected]
May 17-21: Central California Soaring Club Spring Contest,Avenal, CA. Practice Day May 17. Contact Dan Gudgel, 134South Olive Street, Lemoore, CA 93245-3412, (559) 924-7134home, [email protected], or Mario Crosina, 1747 BobolinkLane, Fresno, CA 93727, (559) 251-7933, [email protected].
June 3,4: PASCO League Meet #2, Avenal Gliderport, Avenal,CA. Contact Tony Gaechter, (408) 867-2182 h,[email protected]
June 19-23: 2000 Air Sailing Thermaling Camp, Air Sailing,NV. Contact Rolf Peterson, 2618 Tahoe Dr., Livermore, CA94550, [email protected], (925) 447-4255 h, (925) 447-5620 w.
June 26 - July 1: Y2K Air Sailing Sports Class Contest, AirSailing Gliderport, NV. Practice Day June 25. SSA-SanctionedRegional Contest. Contact Ty White, Contest Director, 41600Marigold Dr., Fremont, CA 94539. (408) 616-8378 w, (510)490-6765 h, [email protected].
July 3-7: NSA Safari from AirSailing, NV. Contact Vern Fryefor information at (775) 825-1125.
July 10-14: The 22nd annual Women’s Soaring Seminar, AirSailing Gliderport NV. Pilots of all abilities are invited to joinus for a week of seminars, badge and record pursuit and lots offlying. C Pam Sutton at 820 California Ave. Reno, NV 89509,(775) 684-5847 or [email protected].
July 15-27: Parowan 2000 Badge, Record, and DistanceGathering, Parowan, UT. Contact Rolf Peterson, 2618 TahoeDr., Livermore, CA 94550, [email protected], (925) 447-5620h or (925) 447-4255 w.
July 17-21: 2000 Air Sailing Cross-Country Camp, Air Sailing,NV. Contact David Volkmann, PO Box 64, Shasta, CA 96087,(530) 246-7559 or e-mail [email protected]
July 22, 23: PASCO League Meet #3, Truckee Airport,Truckee, CA. Contact Tony Gaechter, (408) 867-2182 h,[email protected]
July 24-28: Second Annual Air Sailing Badge and RecordCamp, Air Sailing, NV. For soaring pilots desiring to begin orcontinue the achievement of their Silver, Gold and Diamondbadges as well as those pilots seeking to pursue Nevada andCalifornia state records, especially in the sports class category.Pilots attending should have x/c experience in high desertconditions. Services provided include wx briefings, x/cplanning, and SSA qualified badge observers. Dual x/c andrecord flying instruction available prior to and during the camp.For information contact Charlie Hayes, 9732 Pyramid LakeHighway, PMB 356, Sparks, NV. 89436. [email protected]. (775) 475-2440
August 5,6: PASCO League Meet #4, Air Sailing Gliderport,Palomino Valley, NV. Contact Tony Gaechter, (408) 867-2182h, [email protected]
August 12,13: The Third Annual Gerlach Dash, Air SailingGliderport to Gerlach, NV. Sponsored by NSA. Contact VernFrye for information at (775) 825-1125. Motel reservations atBruno’s in Gerlach (775) 557-2220.
Calendar of Events