Freedom's Wings a success

Last week, it poured rain on the scheduled Freedom's Wings flying, causing a cancellation.  This week, the fall weather cooperated, and on Thursday the 19th, we got it in.  From Doug L-L:

GGC Members:

 

What a beautiful sunny day to go gliding!  The Puchacz had 7 flights, six were with very appreciative patients from the Ottawa Rehab Hospital (for more information on inspirational flights, see http://www.freedomswings.ca/), and I did the hangar flight with Paul M, a hang glider pilot who thermalled overhead our airfield after an 8 km flight or so, from Indian Creek, west of Bourget.  His first time in a sailplane and he is a natural, and hopefully we may see more of him in the future. His backstory is that he had been a Smokejumper to make some money as a university student, and currently designs MTR equipment as a career.

The L-23 had four flights, one with Roberto F who stayed up for 44 minutes and the others I did with Don H, and after Wolfgang and possibly others had down the ground work, I sent him solo after three check flights, in which I ticked off most of the remaining tasks on Wolfgang's checklist.

Luc S had a nice flight in Mike Seven (the club ASW-24), and Ulo stayed up for 1:53 in his ship (1-35), and John G did 2:02 in Tango Romeo (a club L-33 Solo).  !5 Glider Operations in all. 

Thanks to all that helped, and especially Wolfgang and John W for towing.

 

Now I am off to a Tchaikovsky concert at the NACO, and for a Bloody Caesar and smoked salmon sandwich to wind up a perfect day.

 

Regards,

 

Doug L-L

 

The club is getting ready to send a towplane, single-seat, and a dual-seat glider to Lake Placid for the annual Eastern Ontario wave camp, starting the weekend of the 28th, up until Canadian Thanksgiving.  Several private owners are booked for just short of a week at the Ridge in Pennsylvania, trying for notable distance flights; at Pendleton, the flying operation continues, as students try to get solo or licenced before the snow flies, and all will be treated to the spectacular fall leaves turning colour...  Come out and fly.  The 2013 Online Contest runs until October 1st; let's finish out the year with an OLC push! It is a wonderful time of the year to fly; not hot and humid, no mosquitos, and frequent cold frontal passage to give great soaring.

 

Yay to Don H on his solo; much quieter than a Sea King I reckon!