Nobel prize winner is a glider pilot

[Eric Greenwell]

Oliver Smithies, along with Mario Capecchi and Martin Evans, was awarded
the *2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine* on Monday.

Oliver Smithies flies a Grob 109B motorglider out of Chapel Hill, North
Carolina, USA, and is an SSA member. Apparently, glider pilots CAN be a
credit to their community if they put their minds to it!

Congratulations, Oliver!

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
* Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly
* "Transponders in Sailplanes" http://tinyurl.com/y739x4
* "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" at www.motorglider.org

[Nyal Williams]

At 03:48 10 October 2007, Eric Greenwell wrote:
>Oliver Smithies, along with Mario Capecchi and Martin
>Evans, was awarded
>the *2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine* on
>Monday.
>
>Oliver Smithies flies a Grob 109B motorglider out of
>Chapel Hill, North
>Carolina, USA,


Probably not; Horace Williams Airport is a goner, thanks
to a lack of recognition of the worth of aviation in
that community. At one time this airport was the longest
grass strip in the US -- 4900ft. Horace Williams,
a faculty member in the early 20th century, donated
that airport to the university with the stipulation
that it remain an airport. At one time the university
operated a fleet of Cessna Mixmasters to ferry doctors
with expertise all around the state on an emergency
basis. It was a beautiful program. How they set that
and the stipulation aside is a puzzler.

Where does he really fly? Congratulations to him!


>and is an SSA member. Apparently, glider pilots CAN
>be a
>credit to their community if they put their minds to
>it!
>
>Congratulations, Oliver!
>
>--
>Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
>* Change 'netto' to 'net' to email me directly
>* 'Transponders in Sailplanes' http://tinyurl.com/y739x4
>* 'A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation' at
>www.motorglider.org
>

[Eric Greenwell]

Nyal Williams wrote:
> At 03:48 10 October 2007, Eric Greenwell wrote:
>> Oliver Smithies, along with Mario Capecchi and Martin
>> Evans, was awarded
>> the *2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine* on
>> Monday.
>>
>> Oliver Smithies flies a Grob 109B motorglider out of
>> Chapel Hill, North
>> Carolina, USA,
>
>
> Probably not; Horace Williams Airport is a goner, thanks
> to a lack of recognition of the worth of aviation in
> that community. At one time this airport was the longest
> grass strip in the US -- 4900ft. Horace Williams,
> a faculty member in the early 20th century, donated
> that airport to the university with the stipulation
> that it remain an airport. At one time the university
> operated a fleet of Cessna Mixmasters to ferry doctors
> with expertise all around the state on an emergency
> basis. It was a beautiful program. How they set that
> and the stipulation aside is a puzzler.
>
> Where does he really fly? Congratulations to him!

I can't be sure - I just caught the tail end of an interview on NPR, and
I thought that was what they said. Airnav.com and the FAA NOTAMS still
seem to think Horace Williams is in operation with a nice paved runway,
so I don't think a Grob 109B would have any problems flying out there.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
* Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly
* "Transponders in Sailplanes" http://tinyurl.com/y739x4
* "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" at www.motorglider.org

[rlovinggood]

As far as I know, Dr. Smithies still has his G109B at Horace Williams
airport (IGX) at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.

The airport is still open. I don't know how many private aircraft are
still based there, but I believe the number is greater than zero.

The university's (The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
program for flying doctors to places around the state is still based
there. They have a mix of Baron's and maybe one C-90 King Air. I
don't think they use any single engine aircraft now.

Some in the university and the NIMBY's (Not In My BackYard) want the
airport closed. The university has plans to turn the area into a
bunch of buildings for classes and research called "Carolina North."

But before they can close the airport, the North Carolina State
legislature has told the university they have to find a suitable home
for the flying doctors. Plans are for them to build a hangar at the
Raleigh Durham International Airport and move the operation there, but
there's some resistance from some of the doctors to have to drive on
the heavily trafficed Interstate I-40 versus the easy drive to the
local Chapel Hill airport. They know they will lose time getting to
the airport where as now, they can get to the Chapel Hill airport
pretty easily and quickly.

What happens in the end? Probably, the airport will be bulldozed,
raped and scraped into oblivion. Sigh. Three or four (or more) years
back, the community was "successful" in kicking out the local private
flying club where you could learn to fly in 152's and also fly 172's
and a Mooney and maybe a 182 and also a couple of Pipers. They got
kicked out because the NIMBY's were, oh hell, who knows what the
damned NIMBY's think. Whatever, they were powerful enough to get the
club kicked out.

Dr. Smithies did at one time own an L-13 Blanik. Our club bought it
from him and we've used it for several years now as our primary
trainer. I think he also owned a Schweizer 1-35. I think I heard it
was Serial Number 1 and that it now belongs to the Soaring Museum in
Elmira, New York, USA. While gliding operations are not allowed at
the Chapel Hill airport, Dr. Smithies still flies his Grob there. (I
think.)

Ray Lovinggood
Carrboro, North Carolina, USA
(3.12 kilometers southwest from the Horace Williams airport, according
to Google Earth)

[[email protected][_2_]]

Hi Ray and Nyal!
Horace Williams is still fighting. As you both know I had an Ercoupe
there from Sept. 2001-Dec. 2003. Dr. Smithies still had his Grob there
when I left, althought I didn't see him fly it much and never got a
chance to meet him. He had been swiped from the University of
Wisconsin by a better package from what I've heard, and as you know I
left North Carolina to come back to the University of Wisconsin, so I
was very interested in meeting him, but never got the chance.

The dim wit chancellor has had this idea about "Carolina North" for
years, and Horace Williams (IGX) was squarly in it way. He wanted it
gone, but the medical school staff really balked at closing it down.
There were some NIMBY types who didn't want it open, but there were
also some very interesting (and powerful) North Carolinians who lived
elsewhere who saw the value of the UNC outreach program (called AHEC)
for healthcare in rural areas. Those outreach programs then directly
translated into patients coming to UNC for their specialty care. It
was also very popular with UNC alumni to fly back to Chapel Hill.

A good friend of mine, who is a local lawyer in Chapel Hill (and very
prominent EAA Young Eagle supporter) has been one of many key people
who have helped fight the closing of Horace Williams. The fact that it
still is open today is testament to his work. On two different
occasions (in '02 if I remember correctly) I received certified
letters kicking me out of the airport and telling me I had to
relocate. It didn't happen either time due to legislative fancy work
to keep it open.

This Carolina North thing hasn't moved much from what I understand
(Ray, help me out here) since I left in early '04. There were all
sorts of additional issues such as a toxic waste dump (bordering on
Superfund status) in the woods that the university had been dumping
crap from labs into for a very long time. So the airport was only one
part of the puzzle.

I hope and sincerely desire that Horace Williams stays open FOREVER!
I've told my wife (a graduate one of UNC graduate programs) that we
will not donate a cent until the current chancellor goes away and
Horace Williams stays open. It has a long and interesting history that
deserves to be preserved. (Presidents Bush and Ford both learned to
fly there when it trained pilots during WW2).

Ryan

[Nyal Williams]

Arthur Godfrey's son was an instructor there when I
was in grad school. Anybody remember AG, of buzz the
control tower in a DC-3 fame?

At 12:48 10 October 2007, wrote:
>Hi Ray and Nyal!
>Horace Williams is still fighting. As you both know
>I had an Ercoupe
>there from Sept. 2001-Dec. 2003. Dr. Smithies still
>had his Grob there
>when I left, althought I didn't see him fly it much
>and never got a
>chance to meet him. He had been swiped from the University
>of
>Wisconsin by a better package from what I've heard,
>and as you know I
>left North Carolina to come back to the University
>of Wisconsin, so I
>was very interested in meeting him, but never got the
>chance.
>
>The dim wit chancellor has had this idea about 'Carolina
>North' for
>years, and Horace Williams (IGX) was squarly in it
>way. He wanted it
>gone, but the medical school staff really balked at
>closing it down.
>There were some NIMBY types who didn't want it open,
>but there were
>also some very interesting (and powerful) North Carolinians
>who lived
>elsewhere who saw the value of the UNC outreach program
>(called AHEC)
>for healthcare in rural areas. Those outreach programs
>then directly
>translated into patients coming to UNC for their specialty
>care. It
>was also very popular with UNC alumni to fly back to
>Chapel Hill.
>
>A good friend of mine, who is a local lawyer in Chapel
>Hill (and very
>prominent EAA Young Eagle supporter) has been one of
>many key people
>who have helped fight the closing of Horace Williams.
>The fact that it
>still is open today is testament to his work. On two
>different
>occasions (in '02 if I remember correctly) I received
>certified
>letters kicking me out of the airport and telling me
>I had to
>relocate. It didn't happen either time due to legislative
>fancy work
>to keep it open.
>
>This Carolina North thing hasn't moved much from what
>I understand
>(Ray, help me out here) since I left in early '04.
>There were all
>sorts of additional issues such as a toxic waste dump
>(bordering on
>Superfund status) in the woods that the university
>had been dumping
>crap from labs into for a very long time. So the airport
>was only one
>part of the puzzle.
>
>I hope and sincerely desire that Horace Williams stays
>open FOREVER!
>I've told my wife (a graduate one of UNC graduate programs)
>that we
>will not donate a cent until the current chancellor
>goes away and
>Horace Williams stays open. It has a long and interesting
>history that
>deserves to be preserved. (Presidents Bush and Ford
>both learned to
>fly there when it trained pilots during WW2).
>
>Ryan
>
>

[Nyal Williams]

I'm sorry we turned this thread into an attack on his
employing institution and my 'hometown.' Smithies
should be applauded for his flight!

At 16:48 10 October 2007, Nyal Williams wrote:
>Arthur Godfrey's son was an instructor there when I
>was in grad school. Anybody remember AG, of buzz the
>control tower in a DC-3 fame?
>
>At 12:48 10 October 2007, wrote:
>>Hi Ray and Nyal!
>>Horace Williams is still fighting. As you both know
>>I had an Ercoupe
>>there from Sept. 2001-Dec. 2003. Dr. Smithies still
>>had his Grob there
>>when I left, althought I didn't see him fly it much
>>and never got a
>>chance to meet him. He had been swiped from the University
>>of
>>Wisconsin by a better package from what I've heard,
>>and as you know I
>>left North Carolina to come back to the University
>>of Wisconsin, so I
>>was very interested in meeting him, but never got the
>>chance.
>>
>>The dim wit chancellor has had this idea about 'Carolina
>>North' for
>>years, and Horace Williams (IGX) was squarly in it
>>way. He wanted it
>>gone, but the medical school staff really balked at
>>closing it down.
>>There were some NIMBY types who didn't want it open,
>>but there were
>>also some very interesting (and powerful) North Carolinians
>>who lived
>>elsewhere who saw the value of the UNC outreach program
>>(called AHEC)
>>for healthcare in rural areas. Those outreach programs
>>then directly
>>translated into patients coming to UNC for their specialty
>>care. It
>>was also very popular with UNC alumni to fly back to
>>Chapel Hill.
>>
>>A good friend of mine, who is a local lawyer in Chapel
>>Hill (and very
>>prominent EAA Young Eagle supporter) has been one of
>>many key people
>>who have helped fight the closing of Horace Williams.
>>The fact that it
>>still is open today is testament to his work. On two
>>different
>>occasions (in '02 if I remember correctly) I received
>>certified
>>letters kicking me out of the airport and telling me
>>I had to
>>relocate. It didn't happen either time due to legislative
>>fancy work
>>to keep it open.
>>
>>This Carolina North thing hasn't moved much from what
>>I understand
>>(Ray, help me out here) since I left in early '04.
>>There were all
>>sorts of additional issues such as a toxic waste dump
>>(bordering on
>>Superfund status) in the woods that the university
>>had been dumping
>>crap from labs into for a very long time. So the airport
>>was only one
>>part of the puzzle.
>>
>>I hope and sincerely desire that Horace Williams stays
>>open FOREVER!
>>I've told my wife (a graduate one of UNC graduate programs)
>>that we
>>will not donate a cent until the current chancellor
>>goes away and
>>Horace Williams stays open. It has a long and interesting
>>history that
>>deserves to be preserved. (Presidents Bush and Ford
>>both learned to
>>fly there when it trained pilots during WW2).
>>
>>Ryan
>>
>>
>
>
>
>

[Eric Greenwell]

Oliver Smithies, Nobel prize winner, glider pilot, and SSA member, is
also an AOPA member. Here is more information from AOPA about his
aviation life:

http://www.aopa.org/epilot/redir.cfm?adid=13244

And more information on his work that won him and two others a Nobel
prize - see the sidebar on the right for links to an interview and more:

http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2007/index.html

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
* Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly
* "Transponders in Sailplanes" http://tinyurl.com/y739x4
* "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" at www.motorglider.org

[Lew Hartswick]

Eric Greenwell wrote:
> Oliver Smithies, along with Mario Capecchi and Martin Evans, was awarded
> the *2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine* on Monday.
>
> Oliver Smithies flies a Grob 109B motorglider out of Chapel Hill, North
> Carolina, USA, and is an SSA member. Apparently, glider pilots CAN be a
> credit to their community if they put their minds to it!
>
> Congratulations, Oliver!
>
Nobel prizes just lost a lot of respect with the award of the
Peace prize.
...lew...

[Tom Gardner]

On Oct 12, 11:40 pm, Lew Hartswick > wrote:
> Eric Greenwell wrote:
> > Oliver Smithies, along with Mario Capecchi and Martin Evans, was awarded
> > the *2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine* on Monday.
>
> > Oliver Smithies flies a Grob 109B motorglider out of Chapel Hill, North
> > Carolina, USA, and is an SSA member. Apparently, glider pilots CAN be a
> > credit to their community if they put their minds to it!
>
> > Congratulations, Oliver!
>
> Nobel prizes just lost a lot of respect with the award of the
> Peace prize.
> ...lew...

This is nothing new. Henry Kissinger also got the Nobel Peace Prize.

If you want to start making political points, then there are plenty of
people who will argue the toss with you. Personally I suggest we just
drop the subject.

[Lew Hartswick]

Tom Gardner wrote:

> On Oct 12, 11:40 pm, Lew Hartswick > wrote:
>
>>Eric Greenwell wrote:
>>
>>>Oliver Smithies, along with Mario Capecchi and Martin Evans, was awarded
>>>the *2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine* on Monday.
>>
>>>Oliver Smithies flies a Grob 109B motorglider out of Chapel Hill, North
>>>Carolina, USA, and is an SSA member. Apparently, glider pilots CAN be a
>>>credit to their community if they put their minds to it!
>>
>>>Congratulations, Oliver!
>>
>>Nobel prizes just lost a lot of respect with the award of the
>>Peace prize.
>> ...lew...
>
>
> This is nothing new. Henry Kissinger also got the Nobel Peace Prize.
>
> If you want to start making political points, then there are plenty of
> people who will argue the toss with you. Personally I suggest we just
> drop the subject.
>
I agree. The point was what did winning the Nobel prize have to do
with Mr. Smithies soaring? What records has he made or other
measures of his soaring ability?
...lew...