Two bits of news that will be of interest to our followers:
1. Camp dates are set for 2010:
--Wave Camp March 30 through April 3
-- XC Camp June 21 through 26 and July 26 through 31 (two camps this year!)
Mark these on your calendar.
2. We're still flying even though the weather has cooled down. We are closed Monday/Tuesday during December and January unless there is wave or some other good reason to be open (like finishing up a course for certification). If you want us to be open on a Monday or Tuesday, call in advance and make sure we're here and operating.
Fred
Friday, December 4, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
For that hot beverage on a cold day
SoaringNV ordered a dozen of these mugs last year so we could serve hot tea around the hangar in something other than paper cups. Pilots snapped them up! Ok, we'll admit it -- they're good looking mugs, with our logo showing a glider heading for wave in front of Job's Peak, so it's no surprise people wanted to use them in their camper on the line or at home while they were thinking of Soaring in Minden.
They sold out fast -- much faster than we expected. So we ordered some more and offer them for sale in our display case. But if you need to find that special gift for a soaring pilot who flies out of Minden (or SHOULD fly out of Minden) you can order from us. We'll ship you a mug for $10 plus $10 shipping. Order two and the shipping is still only $10! We think they're special, and the folks who see them in our office think the same. Send us an email if you'd like one!
Fred
They sold out fast -- much faster than we expected. So we ordered some more and offer them for sale in our display case. But if you need to find that special gift for a soaring pilot who flies out of Minden (or SHOULD fly out of Minden) you can order from us. We'll ship you a mug for $10 plus $10 shipping. Order two and the shipping is still only $10! We think they're special, and the folks who see them in our office think the same. Send us an email if you'd like one!
Fred
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Back from PASCO
I spent Saturday at the PASCO Safety Seminar, an annual event that includes presentations on safety and other topics that interest glider pilots, plus the annual awards banquet.
This year's banquet lecture was by Alan Brown, who talked about the development of the F-117A Stealth fighter. It was a captivating presentation even though the F-117A is not a glider, and Alan told a fascinating tale. My thanks to the organizers for a great seminar.
Richard Pearl talked about glider accidents and incidents from the past two years, and I certainly hope he made us think about how we fly and how to stay safe. I talked about various aspects of flying out of Minden and I'm hoping we see new faces flying with us as a result of my presentation.
The Pacific Area Soaring Council is responsible for the wave windows we use here in Minden for diamond altitude flights, as well as negotiating with Oakland Center and Reno Approach regarding the use of transponders and how to fly safely in Reno's busy airspace without a transponder. If you are not a member of PASCO I highly recommend you contact them and consider joining. You can find them at
More wave over the weekend and we're expecting some tomorrow in advance of another snowstorm!
Fred
This year's banquet lecture was by Alan Brown, who talked about the development of the F-117A Stealth fighter. It was a captivating presentation even though the F-117A is not a glider, and Alan told a fascinating tale. My thanks to the organizers for a great seminar.
Richard Pearl talked about glider accidents and incidents from the past two years, and I certainly hope he made us think about how we fly and how to stay safe. I talked about various aspects of flying out of Minden and I'm hoping we see new faces flying with us as a result of my presentation.
The Pacific Area Soaring Council is responsible for the wave windows we use here in Minden for diamond altitude flights, as well as negotiating with Oakland Center and Reno Approach regarding the use of transponders and how to fly safely in Reno's busy airspace without a transponder. If you are not a member of PASCO I highly recommend you contact them and consider joining. You can find them at
More wave over the weekend and we're expecting some tomorrow in advance of another snowstorm!
Fred
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Why is Glider Girl smiling?
Why is Glider Girl (Laurie) smiling? Because she passed her commercial written exam. None of us were surprised -- she's been studying for weeks and asking all of us to explain this and that, but we're always happy when one of our own is successful at another FAA exam.Now she has the checkride to pass before she'll have her commercial certificate, but she's working on that too. Having a commercial ticket means you can be paid for giving someone a ride. More importantly, it means you've achieved a higher level of knowledge and skill. If you haven't finished your commercial, why not? It's definitely worth having. And this is a good season of the year to work on it -- the air is smoother than during the summer months when the thermals are cooking. Fred
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Wave Season starting early
We've had several wave days in October, including three flights to the top of our wave window (28,000' MSL) in the early part of the month. Then yesterday, when we were expecting the wind to have too much of a northerly component, Jeffrey launched in the early afternoon and climbed to 18,000' before turning around and coming home. We normally expect the wave season to get cracking in January, so we take these early wave flights as a good sign.
Speaking of flying wave out of Minden, Kemp Izuno and Gordo Boettger have collaborated on a first-class high definition video about Gordo's long wave flight several years ago. The video, which is available for download for a modest price, will give you great insight into how Gordo planned, then flew his flight, including lots of in-flight tips for choosing lift lines and following them the length of the Sierra Nevada range.
Go to our "Bragging Page" link at the bottom of page one of our web site for a short clip of the production and information on how to download the full-length video.
Fred
Speaking of flying wave out of Minden, Kemp Izuno and Gordo Boettger have collaborated on a first-class high definition video about Gordo's long wave flight several years ago. The video, which is available for download for a modest price, will give you great insight into how Gordo planned, then flew his flight, including lots of in-flight tips for choosing lift lines and following them the length of the Sierra Nevada range.
Go to our "Bragging Page" link at the bottom of page one of our web site
Fred
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Another Glider Pilot
Another Glider Pilot
John Howitt (center) celebrates his newest rating, a commercial additional rating, with Instructor Jeffrey Hazlegrove (left) and Designated Pilot Examiner Gary Phillips August 16. John went directly for the commercial without doing a private rating first.
John already has CFI ratings for single engine, multi engine and instruments. He plans to work for his CFI(G) in the coming weeks so he can give glider instruction to some of his friends.
We post this to remind our readers that many of the folks who come to us for training are working on glider ratings to add on to their power certificates. We would maintain that soaring is more fun than power flight and that's why they're doing it, but maybe it's just a way for power pilots to round out their skills -- and indeed it does that! Whatever the reason, SoaringNV has had two pilots earn additional ratings in the past week and two more are scheduled to start training in a few weeks.
So if you're thinking of working on an additional rating for your power certificate, you're in good company and you've come to the right place. We enjoy working with power pilots because we think we have a lot to offer and we know they'll enjoy the sport. Come give it a try! You'll be glad you did.
Fred
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