First Arrival at Marfa Wave Camp

[Burt Compton]

First Arrival at the Marfa Wave Camp.

A car with a glider trailer slowly approached my "Marfa Gliders" hangar,
thankfully creating very little dust. I thought "here is someone who knows how
to drive on an airport!"

Noticing the New York vehicle tags, I greeted the driver and lady passenger
with my newly acquired "Howdy, welcome to west Texas." The fellow told me his
name was Leon Wiggins. I took a wild guess and asked if he knew Bernie
Wiggins, the legendary soaring meteorologist that advised the pilots at many US
Nationals at Elmira. Leon replied, "That was my father - how did you know
him?"
I said that being the son of a notable soaring pilot, Fritz Compton, I had
attended many contests in the 1950's - 1960's at Harris Hill and was privileged
to listen in on the hangar flying discussions my Dad had with many of the great
folks of soaring. Leon Wiggins and I had likely met as youngsters on Harris
Hill. How about that!

So, Leon Wiggins and wife are the first arrivals for the spring soaring camp.
They are staying in our guest cottage, and he plans to fly a couple of days
with us, then drive into Mexico to take the scenic "Copper Canyon" train ride.
They will be back in time to participate in the Marfa Wave Camp April 3 - 11.

Not only is Leon the first to arrive, but likely has driven the longest
distance to Marfa from New York, about 2,100 miles.

I believe our spring rains have ended in west Texas, which made the grass grow
a bit and will greatly reduce the dust. No strong winds yet, but our thermal
season has certainly arrived.

Burt & Kathie Compton
Marfa Gliders, west Texas
www.FLYGLIDERS.com
1-800-667-9464

[Shirley]

Great story about how you guys probably knew each other as youngsters.

I have to tell ya, when I initially see the name in a subject line, at first
glance I always mis-read it ...

"First Arrival at the Mafia Wave Camp"
(a spin-off of the Sopranos?)

And meaning no disrespect whatsoever, whenever I hear the name "Wiggins", I
can't help but remember Tim Conway and Carol Burnett!

Anyway, I know some are unintentional, but thanks for the smiles!

[Herbert Kilian]

Burt,

You are doing such a great job at promoting soaring and your local
soaring paradise, it sure deserves recognition. We need more people
like you to get folks exited about what our sport has to offer and how
many wonderful characters there are to meet. After reading your
little story I was ready to drop work, hook up the trailer and come
and join you all for a couple of days or weeks. Heck, it can't be more
than a good 2 days of driving to get to Marfa from Chicago...

Herb, J7

(Burt Compton) wrote in message >...
> First Arrival at the Marfa Wave Camp.
>
> A car with a glider trailer slowly approached my "Marfa Gliders" hangar,
> thankfully creating very little dust. I thought "here is someone who knows how
> to drive on an airport!"
>
> Noticing the New York vehicle tags, I greeted the driver and lady passenger
> with my newly acquired "Howdy, welcome to west Texas." The fellow told me his
> name was Leon Wiggins. I took a wild guess and asked if he knew Bernie
> Wiggins, the legendary soaring meteorologist that advised the pilots at many US
> Nationals at Elmira. Leon replied, "That was my father - how did you know
> him?"
> I said that being the son of a notable soaring pilot, Fritz Compton, I had
> attended many contests in the 1950's - 1960's at Harris Hill and was privileged
> to listen in on the hangar flying discussions my Dad had with many of the great
> folks of soaring. Leon Wiggins and I had likely met as youngsters on Harris
> Hill. How about that!
>
> So, Leon Wiggins and wife are the first arrivals for the spring soaring camp.
> They are staying in our guest cottage, and he plans to fly a couple of days
> with us, then drive into Mexico to take the scenic "Copper Canyon" train ride.
> They will be back in time to participate in the Marfa Wave Camp April 3 - 11.
>
> Not only is Leon the first to arrive, but likely has driven the longest
> distance to Marfa from New York, about 2,100 miles.
>
> I believe our spring rains have ended in west Texas, which made the grass grow
> a bit and will greatly reduce the dust. No strong winds yet, but our thermal
> season has certainly arrived.
>
> Burt & Kathie Compton
> Marfa Gliders, west Texas
> www.FLYGLIDERS.com
> 1-800-667-9464

[BTIZ]

another great "small world" story.. wish I could be there..

BT

"Burt Compton" > wrote in message
...
> First Arrival at the Marfa Wave Camp.
>
> A car with a glider trailer slowly approached my "Marfa Gliders" hangar,
> thankfully creating very little dust. I thought "here is someone who
knows how
> to drive on an airport!"
>
> Noticing the New York vehicle tags, I greeted the driver and lady
passenger
> with my newly acquired "Howdy, welcome to west Texas." The fellow told
me his
> name was Leon Wiggins. I took a wild guess and asked if he knew Bernie
> Wiggins, the legendary soaring meteorologist that advised the pilots at
many US
> Nationals at Elmira. Leon replied, "That was my father - how did you know
> him?"
> I said that being the son of a notable soaring pilot, Fritz Compton, I had
> attended many contests in the 1950's - 1960's at Harris Hill and was
privileged
> to listen in on the hangar flying discussions my Dad had with many of the
great
> folks of soaring. Leon Wiggins and I had likely met as youngsters on
Harris
> Hill. How about that!
>
> So, Leon Wiggins and wife are the first arrivals for the spring soaring
camp.
> They are staying in our guest cottage, and he plans to fly a couple of
days
> with us, then drive into Mexico to take the scenic "Copper Canyon" train
ride.
> They will be back in time to participate in the Marfa Wave Camp April 3 -
11.
>
> Not only is Leon the first to arrive, but likely has driven the longest
> distance to Marfa from New York, about 2,100 miles.
>
> I believe our spring rains have ended in west Texas, which made the grass
grow
> a bit and will greatly reduce the dust. No strong winds yet, but our
thermal
> season has certainly arrived.
>
> Burt & Kathie Compton
> Marfa Gliders, west Texas
> www.FLYGLIDERS.com
> 1-800-667-9464

[Bob Kibby]

The Texas Soaring Association (TSA) Letter of Agreement with Albuqueque
Center for the Wave Airspace is posted on the TSA web site;
http://www.texassoaring.org/

For those paricipating in Dick Johnsons's Wave Camp, I would encourge you to
download this info into yuor PDA database.

Bob Kibby "2BK"
--


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"Burt Compton" > wrote in message
...
> First Arrival at the Marfa Wave Camp.
>
> A car with a glider trailer slowly approached my "Marfa Gliders" hangar,
> thankfully creating very little dust. I thought "here is someone who
knows how
> to drive on an airport!"
>
> Noticing the New York vehicle tags, I greeted the driver and lady
passenger
> with my newly acquired "Howdy, welcome to west Texas." The fellow told
me his
> name was Leon Wiggins. I took a wild guess and asked if he knew Bernie
> Wiggins, the legendary soaring meteorologist that advised the pilots at
many US
> Nationals at Elmira. Leon replied, "That was my father - how did you know
> him?"
> I said that being the son of a notable soaring pilot, Fritz Compton, I had
> attended many contests in the 1950's - 1960's at Harris Hill and was
privileged
> to listen in on the hangar flying discussions my Dad had with many of the
great
> folks of soaring. Leon Wiggins and I had likely met as youngsters on
Harris
> Hill. How about that!
>
> So, Leon Wiggins and wife are the first arrivals for the spring soaring
camp.
> They are staying in our guest cottage, and he plans to fly a couple of
days
> with us, then drive into Mexico to take the scenic "Copper Canyon" train
ride.
> They will be back in time to participate in the Marfa Wave Camp April 3 -
11.
>
> Not only is Leon the first to arrive, but likely has driven the longest
> distance to Marfa from New York, about 2,100 miles.
>
> I believe our spring rains have ended in west Texas, which made the grass
grow
> a bit and will greatly reduce the dust. No strong winds yet, but our
thermal
> season has certainly arrived.
>
> Burt & Kathie Compton
> Marfa Gliders, west Texas
> www.FLYGLIDERS.com
> 1-800-667-9464