21 January, 1995

Annual Safety Down Day

14 April at 9:30 am

Following this two hour meeting, we will host our annual Club House Spring Cleaning and Repair day followed by a Bar-B-Que at the airport.

President’s Notes – Bob Hudson

On your mark, get set…BANG!!! And the number one OLC club in the World is off and soaring, and boy are we off. I was told when the soaring gods returned it was going to be a kick in the seat and boy were they right. After a very poor winter and an even poorer lead off to spring, this last weekend showed the world that Moriarty is back in the seat and ready to do battle. We had five of the top ten flights in the nation flown on Sunday (18 March) and when you count the whole weekend we went from non-players to seventh and we are still climbing.

Notable during this “first” weekend was Mike Carris making his first flight in my old airplane, now 17 instead of Delta One, and logging his first flights in the OLC. The same goes for Geoff Aiken, who on his second flight in the Labelle managed to get silver distance and plug in an OLC flight.

While we are out here slugging away, waiting for the skies to produce the kind of flying we are used to, our own Howard Banks was down fighting amongst the unwashed at the “Geezer Glide”, in Florida. Howard managed to not land out this year and comported himself quite well. He carried the banner for the Albuquerque Soaring Club forth into battle and returned unscathed. Howard finished 35^th out of 55 aviators. The scores were tight and the competition appeared extremely even. I am pretty sure our Howard was the perfect ASC club member and lifted nary a dram in our honor…right and Mark Mocho owns a tux.

On another note, with very little effort, we are starting to see new members “flock” to the club. I will report on the new members next month, but things are looking up. I will also report that we have two new airport dogs, so wear old shoes.

Speaking of looking up, the reappearance of Ten Zulu back to operational status is about to happen. Thanks to Mitch Hudson and Sarah Kelly we have the skin repaired and repainted. We had to abandon the Hoffman prop as it appeared to not be a got fit with us and our density altitude/humidity. Mile High Aviation, who we bought the prop from, bought it back, unfortunately at half the price we paid for it, after all we did use it. Thanks to research done by Steve Hill, and leg work done by Mark Mocho, we have a brand new McCauley prop coming and we should have ole Ten Zulu airborne very soon.

On the issue of the Safety Down Day, I had to move it due to nonavailablity of presenters. I then had to move it again due to I will be out of town. Yeah, I know I am not the most important person in the world, but I am putting it on. So mark your calendars for the 14 of April. It will start at 9:30 at the airport and will be followed by our Spring Cleaning and hanger refurbishment. Afterwards we will have flying and a weak link construction party and culminate with a Bar-B-Que. Be there or incur the wrath of someone, I don’t who, but it will be someone.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Club Member Rob Divine, owner of Western Skies Pilot Supplies, 4503 Menaul, has finally got Lasergrade up and available. Lasergrade you ask, at least I had to ask? This means he is a testing center for FAA written tests and because you are a club member (which means a “brother/sister” in silent aviation) he will give you a 5% discount. If you haven’t been to Rob’s store, then you owe it to yourself to visit (or his new store on Scottsdale Road, in Tempe, Arizona) and see what you shouldn’t be living without-and don’t forget the 5% discount.

Also, Ash Collins reminded me that the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) is having their second annual “In their Honor” dinner on Saturday, May 5^th at their hanger in Moriarty. They are doing a luau complete with roast pig, plus a silent auction and cocktails before dinner with a USO show afterwards. Tickets are $75 ($50 for veterans) and they won’t have any at the door, so RSVPs in advance are mandatory. If you would like an invitation then call Julie Smith at 867-9268 prior to 27 April, or e-mail her at snj.aa@comcast.net.

Linda and I (along with Stan Roesky, Ash Collins, Billy Hill, George Applebay, and Steve Hill-who in my honor wore the same shirt as me last year-and their ladies) attended. It was great and much fun was had by all. You might put this on your list of things to attend. I will be in attendance, now there is a reason to be there.

Lastly, remember the Safety Down Day will be 14 April at 9:30 at the airport. Be there or incur the wrath of Clay Phillip’s new puppy, who will lick you death!

WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY
– W. George Hill

Perhaps now that spring is something more than wishful thinking on our collective parts and because we are still in the declining time line of the Mountain Wave season, (which can, under the right circumstances be found all year long), we should take a moment discuss the Wave Window. I’ll assume that by now you either know how to work mountain wave or are planning on flying with someone who does.

As I’ve mentioned previously, when you are parked in the wave you are for all intents and purposes motionless. You are invisible on air traffic control radar unless you are transponder equipped. Without said black box, you are also invisible to any TCAS equipped aircraft. Additionally we all know that a glider head or tail on is all but impossible to see.

This begs the question, is there airspace available where we will not become a target of inopportunity? Why yes, there is!

A number of years ago the ASC entered into what is known as a “Letter of Agreement” with Air Traffic Control, specifically, the Albuquerque Air Route Traffic Control Center as well as the Albuquerque Approach Control. These are the folks who provide separation services for aircraft on an instrument flight plan. The ARTCC folks have jurisdiction over the airspace above and around that airspace delegated to Albuquerque Approach Control. In the middle of all that we have a chunk of airspace know as an ATCAA, (ATC Assigned Airspace.) This special use airspace known to us as the “Wave Window.”

This window only exists in Class A airspace or airspace at and above eighteen thousand feet. Its vertical dimensions are defined by virtue of what is released to us by the watch supervisor at the ARTCC. The horizontal dimensions are as defined in the letter of agreement and depicted as shown in the letter of agreement. Although lat/longs of the window are mentioned in the letter, the folks who designed that airspace made a point of using readily identifiable land marks in order to ensure the boundaries are clearly defined. A bird’s eye down loadable depiction can be found on the club web site under Soaring Links.

There are actually two segments to the Wave window, Sandia North and Sandia South. Usually ATC will only give us one or the other. Rarely will we get both portions of the window released to us, but its been known to happen.

In order to access the window, those who fly in it are required by the verbiage contained in the letter to be fully familiar with the contents of the letter. Although I suppose one might memorize the boundaries of the window, the prudent pilot will have a sectional, or the down load from the club web site.

Next if one or more pilots feel that there is at least a good chance of getting into Class A airspace, he is required, by the letter of agreement to phone the ABQ ARTCC and request an entry time and an initial altitude. The supervisor at the ARTCC will issue a time to enter the widow as well as a maximum altitude which may be used and the time all aircraft must be clear of the window. Once airborne, pilots may contact the ARTCC on the frequency found in the letter of agreement and request a modification of the initial coordination. That is, an expansion of the time the window is open as well as the maximum altitude which may be used.

Generally, the wave window is used by more than one pilot so it is of utmost importance that any modifications of the initial coordination with ATC be passed on to a central clearing point within the club. The obvious point of contact is the club operations as well as Sundance Aviation. The reason we need to involve Sundance is because they are the telephone contact mentioned in the letter of agreement.

WHAT ATC DOES

Generally ATC is in the business of separating IFR aircraft from other IFR aircraft. When we use the Wave Window per the letter of agreement, ATC separates IFR aircraft from our special use airspace or the Wave Window. ATC takes IFR aircraft around, above and sometimes below our Wave Window. Below it you say? Yes, remember the vertical dimensions of the window start at eighteen thousand feet. Anything below that is free for anyone to use regardless of the type flight plan, (or no flight plan at all), they have filed.

One of the main reasons the Wave Window is located where it is, good soaring conditions not withstanding, is that it is wedged between arrival and departure routes for the Sun Port. This means that there are fast moving arrivals, (for example fix which is just Southwest of Moriarty), as well as fast moving departures both North and South of Moriarty.

So if you have any intention of making use of the Wave Window, and certainly you should if it’s a good wave day, you need to ensure you are fully familiar with the Letter of Agreement and that you have a way to identify the horizontal dimensions of the Window.

See you at the airport