rottydaddy
En-Route
A big day for the club today... 8 paying riders, including a group of girls (all sisters, I think) aged 7 through tween. First question Mom posed to me was "Is it safe?"(not a good sign when they lead with that, and difficult to answer when you are trying to sell rides). I think I said something right in response, because eventually she decided to trust us. The 7-yr-old stepped up "like a boss" while the others debated who was brave enough to go first. Ever meet a kid who has "future pilot" written all over them? This kid had a lot of very interesting questions, was looking intently at all the aircraft present, and predictably had a big ol' grin when she returned from her hop in the 2-33, even though we had to stick her in the back for W&B purposes. The Force is strong in this one... great to see that. It was also just fun to have a few noisy kids around, waving at planes and trying to catch grasshoppers.
Young Cameron didn't get a lesson in the 2-33, but was consoled with two back-seat rides in the tow plane and a little stick time after release. He's another one... very promising. He's taken well to ground ops, too... very convenient to have a sharp, eager youngster around when turning two gliders around fairly rapidly all day. :wink2:
Andy was pretty busy with all these rides, being the only commercial pilot available. He did well, keeping the rides about the same duration each time, and bringing them back safe and happy.
As for myself, I got in three more with the 1-26; might have done at least one more but the seat cushion was commandeered for a while as a booster for the kids taking rides (we will do something about that ASAP).
No big deal, as it was a so-so day as far as lift goes... my hops were basically sleigh rides, but it was good to do three in one day; even went immediately from the first into the second. I think I am back on speaking terms with the 1-26 now; I was way ahead of it and felt pretty comfy. And it turns out my next glider flight will be #100 (but only #26 as PIC).
Greg got in his first couple flights of the season, and made me look pretty bad, gaining 1000 feet on his second. I couldn't seem to find any coherent lift anywhere above 2800 or so, even in the same area. Gained about 200 on my first, and that was it for me. Sometimes it's timing... yeah, that's it, timing...
His first turned into a quick return on tow to a release into the pattern- Mike had kindly agreed to take a young lady in the back of the Citabria for the tow, a newbie, and she panicked, to put it mildly. Maybe he'll tell you all about it- it was funny, just not "ha ha" funny. Greg did OK with that, even though he had no idea what was wrong.
I learned an important lesson today, after helping her get in and strapped down: There are two types of nervous first-time plane-riders- the kind who are all "OMG, I'm so scared, this is crazy, why am I doing this" while giggling or smiling, and the kind who say the same stuff with an expression similar to someone being led to a gallows.
The second kind should be talked out of it.
I'll bet if I had simply said "Are you really sure you want to do this...?" she'd have changed her mind instantly. It wasn't very apparent at the time, but afterwards I realized she was just not mentally or emotionally prepared. Nothing to do with being in a towplane during a tow- it's really no different, as unlikely as that might seem. The 1-26 with a lightweight pilot who can handle it properly is no trouble, even for our 150-hp "workhorse". It just rolls a bit longer before takeoff and climbs a bit more slowly; a first-timer would not notice that. This gal just decided, rather too late, that she was not into it. A lot.
I guess it's just not for everybody.
Mike and I both agreed we'll make the right call next time... it's easy to miss the warning signs when you are used to every newbie having a great time, but stuff like that helps you remember.
Young Cameron didn't get a lesson in the 2-33, but was consoled with two back-seat rides in the tow plane and a little stick time after release. He's another one... very promising. He's taken well to ground ops, too... very convenient to have a sharp, eager youngster around when turning two gliders around fairly rapidly all day. :wink2:
Andy was pretty busy with all these rides, being the only commercial pilot available. He did well, keeping the rides about the same duration each time, and bringing them back safe and happy.
As for myself, I got in three more with the 1-26; might have done at least one more but the seat cushion was commandeered for a while as a booster for the kids taking rides (we will do something about that ASAP).
No big deal, as it was a so-so day as far as lift goes... my hops were basically sleigh rides, but it was good to do three in one day; even went immediately from the first into the second. I think I am back on speaking terms with the 1-26 now; I was way ahead of it and felt pretty comfy. And it turns out my next glider flight will be #100 (but only #26 as PIC).
Greg got in his first couple flights of the season, and made me look pretty bad, gaining 1000 feet on his second. I couldn't seem to find any coherent lift anywhere above 2800 or so, even in the same area. Gained about 200 on my first, and that was it for me. Sometimes it's timing... yeah, that's it, timing...
His first turned into a quick return on tow to a release into the pattern- Mike had kindly agreed to take a young lady in the back of the Citabria for the tow, a newbie, and she panicked, to put it mildly. Maybe he'll tell you all about it- it was funny, just not "ha ha" funny. Greg did OK with that, even though he had no idea what was wrong.
I learned an important lesson today, after helping her get in and strapped down: There are two types of nervous first-time plane-riders- the kind who are all "OMG, I'm so scared, this is crazy, why am I doing this" while giggling or smiling, and the kind who say the same stuff with an expression similar to someone being led to a gallows.
The second kind should be talked out of it.
I'll bet if I had simply said "Are you really sure you want to do this...?" she'd have changed her mind instantly. It wasn't very apparent at the time, but afterwards I realized she was just not mentally or emotionally prepared. Nothing to do with being in a towplane during a tow- it's really no different, as unlikely as that might seem. The 1-26 with a lightweight pilot who can handle it properly is no trouble, even for our 150-hp "workhorse". It just rolls a bit longer before takeoff and climbs a bit more slowly; a first-timer would not notice that. This gal just decided, rather too late, that she was not into it. A lot.
I guess it's just not for everybody.
Mike and I both agreed we'll make the right call next time... it's easy to miss the warning signs when you are used to every newbie having a great time, but stuff like that helps you remember.
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