A reminder that the annual Snowbird spot-landing contest up at Harris Hill (Elmira, NY), takes place the Friday and Saturday of the Thanksgiving weekend (29th/30th). Event ends with a banquet at the National Soaring Museum on Saturday evening. Here is a taster.

Alasdair and Andrea will be headed up.

Snowbird has been held annually since 1939. We fly the typical 2-33 and 1-26’s. Would be nice to have some NESA representation. If interested, get out and practice your spot landings and ask Alasdair for more information. Student Pilots welcome.

It’s a fun (if cold) way to wrap up the soaring season.

This Saturday, October 26, is the final monthly meeting of the season.  The weather forecast is for sunny and low 60s. We will wash the gliders, grill some burgers or dogs, and do some flying.  Please come out to help, as more folks make it go faster.

I hope to see you out there.

A holiday weekend that actually had three full days of flying.

Saturday started overcast but allowed for plenty of good student flights. After flying we had a good turnout for the Labor Day weekend picnic.

Sunday was a decent soaring day with a mix of flights. Brian Bradnt (power pilot transition) made his first glider solo’s on Sunday. Congratulations Brian!

Monday was a good soaring days with a mix of instructional and XC flights. Several glass ships flew including B9 (Bob Iuliano), IC (Alasdair), RB (Taylor from GBSC) and R2 (Andy Kozak). John Watkins flew the 1-34. Most of them even came home 🙂

Nice to get a full three flyable days on a holiday weekend. Fun.

All – Just a reminder that it is a three day holiday weekend. Monday looks like a nice day. Bob Iuliano is towing and Mark Farley instructing Monday. We may have one or two GBSC guys join us too as Sterling Airport is closed for the annual Sterling Fair.

Here is a pictorial summary of this year’s ACE Academy. Thank you to all the NESA member volunteers who helped make this possible:

ACE Camp Wrap Up 2024 | New England Soaring Association (flynesa.com)

Congratulations to Ben! He attended the 2019 ACE Camp and joined NESA shortly thereafter. He soloed at 14, got his glider certificate at 16, Private Pilot SEL with high performance, complex and tailwheel endorsements soon after. He and Bill Batesole flew Bill’s C-182 to Oshkosh and back to Springfield this year, and Ben did three takeoffs and landings in the Callair on Monday. He towed Bill three times yesterday in the orange 2-33, and Bill signed him off as a club tow pilot, and he did 9 flawless tows today. Bill says he’s NESA’s first homegrown tow pilot. Ben’s working on his CFI-G rating and his goal is to be a NESA instructor next summer. He’s off to Georgia Tech to begin his college career later this week. Congratulations, Ben!

Airplane pilot David Beach soloed a NESA glider today! David joined the club at the beginning of the season, has been a regular at the field, and flew with most of the club instructors. Jerry signed him off and Jim towed him to 3000 feet for a 30-minute flight.

Great job, David!

Mike soloed yesterday! Mark Farley signed him off, Jim towed him to 3000 feet, and he did the rest. Smooth landing to end a great flight.

A couple of reminders for this weekend:

• NESA Membership meeting is this Sat 7/27, 10am
• There are some ACE Academy prep tasks that we could use help with this weekend such as terminal classroom set-up, hangar workshop area set-up, cutting and kitting wood for the wing-rib build, cleaning up a few additional wing-rib jigs etc. More info at the morning meeting but help appreciated.