From the President    By Bob Hudson

What a great time we all had at the Banquet.  Howard Banks did a great job putting on a fun evening.  We have already debriefed the event and Howard has already begun work on next year’s Gala.  (Banks also promises to make sure the beef is not over-cooked like his mother's next year.  Amazingly, the chef did it on purpose.-Ed.)

I hope everyone takes a few minutes to read this month's Soaring magazine because it really showcases Moriarty and The Albuquerque Soaring Club.  Thanks to Brian Resor, who let the Nation (and the rest of the world) know we are the Champs of the Online Contest, fourth in the world. The full version of the article, including explanatory captions which were left on the editing floor, will soon be on the club web site.  The February issue also included a great article by  John Seaborn and Garret Willat about last summer's Junior Camp.  These two articles have really elevated our status as the Best of the West.  I would encourage any of our members to pick up pen and submit an article to our National organ. 

I am getting no support in finding out who soloed in the past year and who acheive a check ride in the last year. If any of youhave knowledge, then please forward the names to me. If you are the person who acheived either or both of these goals, then please let me know the date and the name of the instructor who sent you off alone.  What we are trying to do is to recognize your accomplishment witjh a photo in Soaring. Of course if you are in the Federal Witness Protection Program, then we will put a mask over you.

Well your Board met, we meet every fourth Tuesday at the La Hacienda Restaurant at Tramway and Central.  (Everyone is invited, just bring your ideas.)  Lots of good ideas came out and we started our first meeting discussing the coming year.  One thing we need to do is produce a calendar that delineates all the “stuff” we have that is coming up…and there is a lot of stuff coming.  I should have a completed calendar soon.

Your Board agreed to establish two committees: one committee to study our training process and then, after the first committee completes their action, a group to establish an equipment strategic plan.  These plans will be put before the membership for approval and then we will have a blueprint for the future.  We also agreed to purchase one complete data logger set that can be checked out and used to help the club with our On Line Contest efforts. If this proves to be successful, then we will consider purchasing a second set.

It might not be apparent, because this time of year is normally “downtime”, but there are a lot of things happening.  We checked out a new tow pilot, last Saturday, Danny Sorenson.  We have new members coming aboard and a couple on the “hook”.  We have several students now soloing and a couple of members lined up to get their check ride; at the same time we have several members testing the wave.  It is a great atmosphere surrounding the club house these days and we need to keep the momentum going!

Good news, we have been issued a $500 scholarship that is to be used strictly for youth activities.  Bad news, we have to expend it by June. I’ll be looking for ideas on how best to put it to use, send your ideas.

Lastly, two things. First, the club house has been looking kind of ratty lately. Let’s keep it clean, wash up after yourself and toss the useless stuff.  Second, if you move or change your e-mail address please let Brian or myself know so that we can keep the rosters updated.  I think that’s enough for a while.  Fly Safe.

[The March issue of Towlines will be edited by Brian Resor, because Banks is off to the geezer glide in Florida. -Ed.]

2004 Annual Awards   Pat McKnight

Most Instruction:
Jimmy Wier, 52 instruction flights

Most tows:
Ryan Thomas, 108 tows

Aero-tek X-C Award - For the longest flight over 300km originating in  Moriarty:
Chip Garner for his flights (5/9 and 7/16) of over 1000km.                                                   

Kim Harmon X-C Award - For the five longest handicapped flights originating in Moriarty for a pilot with a gold badge or equivalent X-C experience.:
1st - Billy Hill, Discus, 3332 pts
2 ^nd - Mitch Hudson, Discus, 2722 pts
3rd - Howard Banks, ASW-20, 2551 pts                             

ASC X-C Award – Classic Class - Same rules as Kim Harmon for a pilot with less than gold badge experience:
1st - Steve Schery, Russia, 1909 pts.
2nd - Dave Harmony, Ventus, 1209 pts.
3rd - Ryan Thomas, Std Libelle, 1002 pts.

ASC X-C Award-Best Speed - For the best handicapped speed over a course greater than 300km:
Billy Hill.                                                         

1-26er Award for accomplishment related to the 1-26 - For completing his silver distance flight in the 1-26:
Renny Levy.                                                    

Harland Ross Award for soaring excellence - For mentoring numerous ASC pilots on cross country flights.
Billy Hill                                  

ASC Safety Award:
No award

Ain't soaring fun Award - For his landout encounter with an antelope:
Mitch Hudson.                         

Paul Callies Award for advancement of soaring:
George Applebay

Paul Scates Award for outstanding service to ASC - For developing our web site, promoting the OLC, and acting as SSA coordinator:
Brian Resor

The final glide plaque

This handsome bronze plaque, designed and made by John Boyce, to commemorate club members who at some point in their life contributed significantly to ASC, was presented at the annual dinner.  Individual members will be  elected to be included on the memorial after their death.  A written account of the nominees,  their accomplishments and their contributions to the club will be included in an accompanying book.  This book will also list officers who have served the club.

Spring cleaning                   Billy Hill

Spring is just around the corner.  I think I can almost see it from the window of my den here in Cedar Crest.  Spring is a time of renewal.  Mother nature is getting ready to start anew and so should we.  It’s time to clean out the cobwebs of non-currency and to renew the patina proficiency. 

As I’ve often stated in the past, there is a big gap between currency and proficiency.  Currency is a regulatory issue in that it is the minimum required in order to exercise the privileges of your airman’s certificate.  Proficiency is quite another thing.

Proficiency implies that you, by virtue of your abilities, background and number of recent flights are able to cope with just about any abnormal circumstances thrown your way.

Proficiency is more than just flying the glider; it’s the ability to make valued judgments regarding the conditions into which you are about to launch.  It’s the ability to assess the weather and make reasonable decisions about the environment into which you are about to fly.  It’s about risk assessment, and most importantly risk management. 

Flying, because it involves an additional dimension, involves additional risk.

Risks in and of them selves do not mean that we should not go flying because flying involves risk management.  Said management is a function of your past experience, your abilities, your currency, your proficiency and last, but most important, your judgment.

Judgment comes from experience wherein you have painted your self into an airborne corner and used your flying skills to extract your self.  That experience morphs into judgment when you take the time after the fact to evaluate what has just happened and asked your self, what lessons have I just learned from this event?  What will I do the next time?  Will I allow a “next time” to occur?  What can I do to assist others from getting into the same situation?  These are all questions the conscientious pilot will ask himself. It’s far easier to sit in the peanut gallery, (under the awning at the club motor home), and pass judgment on another pilots faux pas than it is to subject your self to a spring tune up with a club CFI.  This becomes even more important when we are sailplane owners.  At this point we tend to think because we have our own ship we no longer have a need for an instructional critique.  That kind of thinking has led to some incident/accidents at Moriarty and has decreased the number of private ships.

It’s easy to lapse into flying habits that are not conducive to the highest levels of proficiency, so schedule a flight with one of the club’s CFI’s.  Flying with an instructor is not a pass/fail thing.  It only involves setting your ego aside, opening your mind and being ready to perhaps learn some new skill that you can put to future use. It is also an opportunity to restart the clock on your BFR should you choose to do so.

Remember:  The good pilot anticipates, the mediocre reacts.

See you at the airport.

 

Tows and members

A couple of details missing from the summary of 2004.  A total of 953 tows were made by ASC during the year.  Oddly, given the activity  around the club last year, that was way down on the 1450 tows made in 2003, though it was way up on the 777 in 2002.

Membership numbers help explain some of the swing.  The club had 121 members last year, up on 115 in 2003 and a low point of 111 in 2002.  The membership growth is thanks to the work of Mitch and Brian to encourage student members, but for comparison, we are still well down on the recent peak of 140 in 2000.

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