The Miami Gliderport in south Florida has closed after 40+ years. The
owners of the land - not owned by the club - have other plans for the
property. However, the Miami Glider Club remains active and most
members will go to the Homestead Airport and likely buy tows and rent
gliders from the commercial operator.

My childhood memories go back to the mid 1960's and the founders and
characters of "Thermal Research", the original name of the club. With
news of the closing of the gliderport, I suddenly recall those times
and the people. These images come to mind:

Flying with my Dad, Fritz Compton, in the ASK-13 as a youngster,
learning about smooth, precise flying by slow absorption of the sounds
and feel of the glider - the best way to learn to fly.
The privilege to know smilin' Jim Parrott, a great CFIG who had a
glider flight school there.
Seeing German soaring pioneer Peter Riedel visit and fly. He showed me
his scrapbook of gliding at the Wasserkuppe in the 1930's and told of
his escape from Nazi Germany before WWII by sailing a small boat across
the Atlantic!
Soloing the beautiful ASK-13 in 1968 after a sign-off by the wonderful
Fred Brittain.
Listening to the swaggering EAL Captain John Randall talk about his
brand new sailplanes, from his KA-6 to his Sisu, and hearing his radio
call "Inlakita - 9"
Watching Fritz Sebek land his awesome ASW-12, slipping in with no
spoilers when the tailchute failed to deploy (that sailplane only had a
tailchute for landing drag). "Izzata fact."
Seeing the Schweizer 2-25 based there, owned by George Arents.
Smelling the cigar of the jovial Paul "Pablo" Crowell, one of the real
nice guys of soaring.
Following UM Meteorology Professor Harry Senn around in thermals to
understand the micro-weather that allows us to soar. His flight
debriefs to me were priceless lectures.
Enjoying a late day chat with Bourbon Rouse - what a nice guy.
Chico Estrada and Alfonso Jurado - real cool cats - always gentlemen.
Running the sea breeze front with my Dad in his big Cirrus, me in the
LS-3 and getting to 8,700' by climbing together up and over the west
side of a cloud.
Topping 10,000' agl with Bennie Flowers in weird wave over the
Everglades. (Look for the bread-loaf like clouds that lay 90 degrees to
a west wind aloft, east wind below.)
Helping Frank Mennitto assemble, then flying his monster Caproni
sailplane.
The Fox brothers - Jon & Kevin insisting that I fly every one of their
sailplanes. What a terrific pair of optimistic and positive thinking
guys!
Captain Bill Harris - a quiet soaring legend in our midst - and most
folks never knew about his many accomplishments in aviation. Nobody
ever outclimbed Bill in his big Cirrus.
Scotty Bingham - shorts and deck shoes and never a hair out of place.
Always with a smile and excellent advice. Regarding the past and
future of the Miami Glider Club, you must listen to Scott. He is the
only member that goes back further with the Club than I do - he was
there at the beginning. Ask Scott. Listen to Scott.

There were so many more people that worked at making soaring fun at the
Miami Gliderport. I wish I was a kid again and could see them one
more time - hear more advice and encouragement. Now I'm the old-timer,
teaching people to soar or towing the racers and the record-setters. I
guess that's what I was supposed to do.

We all had wonderful times - but it was the people - not the site. Not
the grass runway or the hangar, but the club members that made it work.


So go to Homestead, cheerfully buy a tow from the commercial operator
and go run that seabreeze front or soar up the west side of a big
cumulus. Look - out there in the mist at cloudbase - a flash of white
wings - is it the ghosts of Paul Crowell? Bennie Flowers? Bill
Harris? What would they say?

"Let's go fly."

Burt Compton
Marfa Gliders, west Texas
www.flygliders.com