soga-2013

The Skydog Report

Thursday August 23, I arrived around 11:30 so I rushed to set up and get ready to fly. Terry Ryan, Eric Cloverdale, Ken Kenzie and Nick Jones were setting up and later Milco Angulo and Don Vermeer showed up. Steve towed us up around one o'clock and I immediately went to cloud base at 4,700 feet and up the face to 5,045 feet. There was ample lift everywhere and a bunch of were thermalling together and Eric stayed close for a while playing at base and finaly Milco got away from me and I could not find him anywhere as I had planned to keep close on his path and I surely wish that I had as Milco logged 4 hours and 45 minutes and I landed after 2 hours and 10 minutes. Eveyone had more that an hour and Eric di a personal best of 2 hours and 16 minutes.

Another great day at Soga Field.

The Skydog Report

Friday August 17, Patrick and I take a trip to the Soga field and there were lots of pilots wanting to get some air. Steve Younger towed me up first and I went to base immediately and played there for a few minutes and then I left the thermal and headed upwind finding nothing so I landed as usual after 20 minutes. By this time Steve Bellerby was being towed aloft and as usual Steve stayed up for three hours and twenty minutes. Many newer pilots were trying their luck and many had great flights. there was another Steve and Owen and Eric and so many new faces that I can't keep track. Les had his personal best with a one hour and four minute flight up to base at over six grand and Les had my GoPro onboard so we have proof. my second tow kept me aloft for 40 minutes and then my final attempt kept me up for 30 minutes and on this last one I again got to base and Oh No, my vario is dead so I was looking for anyone to sponge off and along came Patrick so I stuck with him for a while and then he decided to land and I was forced down shortly after Patrick. It must have been a great day but I just wasn't with it so I struggled and had enjoyable lift but did not sustain. Steve Bellerby is so amazing, staying up like he always does and then after landing saying that it was a hard day so at least that made me feel a little better. Patrick really enjoyed his two flights after not having his glider for six weeks. We will try again soon.

The Skydog Report

Comp weekend, August 3,4 and 5 and Saturday started the weekend with winds over 20 mph and I took a early flight at noon when the wind was likely 15 mph on launch but in the air it quickly changed to 25 mph. There were beautiful cloud streets and I was able to use good lift o base at 3,700 feet and then stayed with it until I drifted past the landing field and then worked upwind again and under another good one and while taking it up close to base I decided that his was just to windy and bumpy so I headed back to the field and had a good landing for a 23 minute flight. Thinking about it later, I wished that I had stuck it out for at least a half hour but here I am safe on the ground again. Steve Younger took the tug up an hour later and reported that the wind had picked up even more so no one flew until after six when Dan Spier ha a short flight on his Atos. The day was filled with lots of happy faces and pilots and families enjoying the beautiful day. Sunday turned out to be even windier and I did not attend but Monday's forecast showed 7 ph wind so I drove north again and found that most of the gang was still there and as I drove in at 10:30 I saw a glider being towed up.

Sunday turned out to be a wonderful day with great cummies and lots of lift. A triangle task was called and many of the 22 comp pilots tried it but most landed short. I hear that ken Kinzie won the day with a 24 mile flight around the course. Steve Bellerby had the longest flight of the day with six hours and eight minutes flying close to base most of the day. There must have been thirty pilots and most had exceptional flights. Seven pilots from New York State made the seven hour drive and we really enjoyed their company. OK so my flights on Monday were a 16 minute flight to base at over 5,000 feet and then to the ground in a sink hole and then I waited 3 hours in the line up and took another great tow by Steve and bam right into a boomer that took me to 5,300 feet and base again. I worked under this one for about twenty minutes and then left hoping to find another boomer but only found mediocre broken lift up to about three grand. I flew around in this stuff for another forty minutes with six other pilots and finally I was on the ground again with a 1 hour and 2 minute flight. I was a great weekend seeing old friends and meeting new ones and having a blast in the air. Thanks to all those who organized this great event.

A Great Flight Story by Andrew Starkhov:

Thursday July 25, 2013

Took off around 1:30. Used the new dolly, with moon wheels. Rolls very nice, though it did head a little off track, I think it wasn't steered properly in the beginning. Tow started nice, then became pretty ratty in thermals. Once off tow I stuck with the thermal Steve dropped me in, but it quickly turned weak and broken up. I stayed with it for about 20 mins until a bubble came through that I could center myself into and ride to the top. Cloudbase was awesome, consistent lift and nice puffy clouds. About an hour into it though I sunk low to about 2000ft, but sniffed out a very tight but punchy thermal at a corner of a wheat field. Had to really bank the glider hard to ride that sucker up, and it was a very turbulent thermal. After that it was very consistent but cold for the next few hours. I was glad I dressed warm, and brought second pair of gloves which I managed to put on while in the air. I really started getting more in tune with the glider towards the end as the air became smoother I started flying with nearly full vg all the time and actually found I could thermal very flat and efficiently as VG allowed me to actually use my body as a rudder to achieve this yaw effect and really flatten the turn. For last hour I stuck with Bellerby and we were working leftover scraps until "poof" it was all gone. I landed 10 mins before he did. All in all 5 hours 20 mins and my personal best.

Skydog Bob was at Cloud and also at Cloudbase.

Great flight Andrew, Bob

The Skydog Report

Sunday July 21, 2013 Steve Bellerby had predicted a great day of lift and he was right on. When I arrived at noon the sky was full of cummies and there were about six gliders being set up. Mark Dowsett had Patrick's Sport II repaired and did a test flight on it and went XC. Steve Bellerby arrived an hour after me and we were ready to fly and I took the first tow at 1:30 and sham Steve Younger pulled me right into a boomer and I took it up to base at 3,700 feet and it was strong so I left it and watched as Steve Bellerby was lifted to 2,000 feet and my intention was to wait for Steve to pin off and then stick to his tail like glue as Steve always does extremely well and usually has the longest flights of the day. I had launched with only a t-shirt and shorts because the past week had be very hot like 95 F. and I thought lightly dressed would be OK but no, I was freezing at base. Anyways, I got thinking (always a bad plan for me) that if I were to move to one cloud upwind that I may have an advantage trying o stay with Steve and of coarse that did not work out for me as when I drove upwind I sunk like a rock and by the time I tried to come back to the original lift I was to low and forced to land and re-launch. The only problem there was now I was at the back of a ten glider line up and it took me 2 hours to get pulled up again. This time the lift did not seem quite as strong but after fifteen minutes I found a good one and took it up to over four grand and went searching again getting down to 1,000 feet ato. but then over the SOGA launch filed I found a nice little one that grew into a boomer up to 4,500 where I came across Andrew Starkhov on his hot T2-C and we thermalled together trading places and challenging the six sailplanes from next door and it was fun getting above them and waving to them and we both hit just over 5,000 feet. All this time I was searching for Steve Bellerby but never did see him. After I landed at six PM we looked up and there they both were (Andrew and Steve) heading in over the field and within 20 minutes they were both on the ground. Steve as usual had the flight of the day with yet another five hour flight and Andrew did a personal best with four hours and I did the two flights one at 27 minutes and the second at 2 hours and 15 minutes.

There were more than 12 pilots there some of which I don't remember their names but all had a great time. Terry Davidson had a release on take off and landed hard cutting his hand which needed stitches.

Les Tapol made good progress on getting one of the new carts fitted with a rear keel mount.

No Photos Today

The Skydog Report

Saturday July 06, 2013 Started out overcast in London but as I drove north the sky cleared and some cummies stated to pop up. When I arrived it was a beautiful day and as we set up things looked to e improving although the ground was way wet after all the rain we had been getting. At two o'clock we started taking to the sky and the lift was spotty. On my first flight I managed to stay up for 26 minutes and on my second flight I stayed up for 43 minutes getting up to 3,300 feet. I recall that there were six of us flying and I did a video of the events. Check it out at -

SOGA SKY Video Here

The Skydog Report

Saturday June 15, 2013 Ken called and said that today might be OK so I headed north to Arthur, Ontario and arrived at noon and found two new to me pilots already set up. Gazi and Mark from Oshawa and Whitby had arrived at 9:30 not realizing that we don't start flying until one pm. Ken was also already there and partially set up so I got my glider together and by 2 pm we were ready to fly and I suggested that ken go first as he usually stays up. There was lot of cloud cover to our south but some blue at the field and Ken hooked a good one and I was off next and Steve towed me to a nice thermal and I followed it across and past the field about two miles and worked my way upwind again hoping to find another one and I did and took it back and worked ahead again and lost it and landed after 25 minutes. I had gained up to 3,000 feet ato on the first flight. Kenny was still up so I had Steve take me up again and I repeated the exercise again lasting 20 minutes this time and Kenny was still up there so I took off again and chased Kenny around the sky and finally I saw Kenny landing and I survived for another ten minutes making my last flight 28 minutes and this time I had got up to 3,200 feet. Gazi took a late flight on his new Wills Wing U-2 and stayed aloft for fifteen minutes. A challenging day and Kenny logged one hour and twenty minutes in one flight. Kenny is amazing on his new Wills Wing T-2-C.

The Skydog Report

Wednesday June 12, 2013 Started out sunny with some cumulous development and Patrick and I arrived at noon. By the time we set up the clouds had overdeveloped and it was mostly cloudy. At one pm Steve Younger arrived and Ken Kinzie also pulled in and Ken was undecided whether to set up or not but eventually did. Finally around 2 pm Patrick decided it was time to try it as the sun had showed again so we took our gliders to the end of the runway and Steve towed us up. Patrick did not last long like 15 minutes and then I got lucky and found some lift that kept me working for a while and Kenny came up and joined me as we worked the same lift for 20 minutes or so. I landed first and Kenny followed a few minutes later. My first flight lasted 35 minutes and the highest I got was 2,600 feet. After another sky full of overcast the sun showed again so Kenny said come on Bob lets' try it again so we got in line Kenny going first and then Steve towed me up and I was looking for Kenny everywhere and finally spotted him landing and I was soon after on the ground with a 20 minute flight. Not the best day but that one thermal sure did make it challenging.