Clear skies, warming temperatures with a light to moderate winds greeted NESA members arriving at the airport Saturday morning. With the first instructional slot of the day not spoken for, things began a bit slower than normal, with the first flight not anticipated until around noon. CAP had arrived early with about two dozen cadets and senior members, and had already launched a couple of flights.

Bob Iuliano arrived, after surviving a blowout on his glider trailer enroute from Lake George. By late morning, Bill Detrich, Bill Batesole, Alasdair, Mark Farley, Phil Stoddard, Brian Xander, Colby von Kennewurff, and Andy Kozak had arrived, and the club 1-34 and several private ships had been towed to the staging area for RWY 23. CAP was already launching from RWY 23, so the cutout area was a busy place with all the CAP members, shade canopies, golf carts, and gliders. Brian Xander had parked the NESA Callair tow plane on the grass just south of the cutout, with the CAP tow plane parked just south of the Callair.

The CAP tow plane started up to take the runway and taxied into a runway edge light, striking it with the propeller. The debris from the strike sent shrapnel into the Callair, punching holes in the fabric on the right flap, the right empennage, and through the vertical stabilizer. Thankfully, considering how many people were nearby, there were no injuries.

NESA member, A&P, and fabric guru Bill Batesole looked the Callair over and said “Let’s get it over to my hangar, we can have it flying in an hour.”

With a group effort, the Callair fabric was patched, the winter cowl flaps got exchanged for the summer flaps, and gliders were launched by mid afternoon. A thunderstorm that was forecast to stay north of Springfield pushed south, and those in the air landed around 5 pm.

More NESA members and their families arrived during the afternoon, and the grills were fired up as we moved under the cover of the hangar door as a storm moved in over Hawks Mountain. The storm blew through in ten minutes or so, followed by a beautiful rainbow to the east.

Alasdair did a masterful job as chief chef and grillmeister, and there were plenty of burgers, dogs, brats, veggie/turkey burgers, salads, chips, dips, you-name-it, for everyone.

Summer is here. Life is returning to pre-pandemic “normal.” Come out and FLY!

Been a lot of flights recently getting to 9K or better, if these strong conditions continue please be aware that there is a T-MOA in effect this month for F-15 training between 9,000MSL and 18,000 MSL (bottom of class A) as depicted on the above.

Wx is looking more optimistic for this weekend than it turned out for Memorial weekend. So, let’s give it another shot!

Cookout “After Flying”, bring whatever you want. We will have some basics – burgers/dog’s etc. available.

Please check your email and RSVP using the link provided to give us an idea of who’s coming. For COIVD precautions – please bring your own chairs so that we can spread out a bit while eating and don’t crowd the serving table. Thanks!

Hope to see a good turn out.

“5:30 aloft 9,000 ft. Mostly Very smooth lift. Flew as far as New London to the East and Okemo to W. Close to LEB. And S near Bellows Falls.”

The weather looks good for the weekend, so login and reserve your flying slot, and join us for the DIY BBQ this Saturday, June 5 at 5:00 pm.

This weekends weather is not cooperating for the holiday or the cookout.  Given the likelihood that Sunday afternoon/evening will be cold and likely may involve some precipitation too, we have decided it is safer to postpone the cookout to next weekend.  So (re)mark your calendars for Saturday  June 5th after flying! We will still do some flying if possible as Wx permits.
Thanks.

We will have our first picnic of the season starting late afternoon Sunday of Memorial Day weekend (Middle day of 3 days flying weekend) so mark it in your planner.

Given the current state of the world, this will be something a “DIY” style event:

1) While we will have some basics available – burgers, dog’s etc.  If that’s not your thing or you are not comfortable with that please bring whatever you want to throw on the grill. 

2) We won’t be having a pot-luck with shared sides, so please bring whatever sides etc. you want for yourself and family;

3) We won’t be using the picnic tables etc. so please bring a chair so that we can spread out for social distancing.  

Hope to see a good turn out for flying and our first “DIY” cookout event.

Third day in a row of 10k + altitudes. Amazing soaring these last few days. Unlike yesterday no snow at altitude today 🙂

Thanks to all who volunteered their time the last several days to get the NESA fleet on the flight line, and tow and instructor pilots current. Ben Berg flew with Mark Farley and was signed off and flew his first solo of the season. Andy Kozak accomplished his Flight Review with Mark and is good to go.

We’ve had a dozen inquiries from folks interested in soaring and becoming members, but have explained club members getting check outs and flight reviews are the club priority.

If you are in need of check flight(s) or a flight review, please contact one of the club CFI-G’s via email (available under the Member Resources” tab) to arrange a date and time.

We’re masking and distancing, but the last few days have seemed the most close to “normal” since 13 months ago.

Time to go fly!

Starting to look like a glider operation again 🙂 Happy Spring!