Last Plane Out

All the other gliders are gone from Hemet-Ryan Airport. All the T-
hangars on the glider side have been sold, dismantled, and removed.
The word "GLIDERS" on Runway 22 has been painted over with black, and
a big yellow X has been painted over it. The outhouses are gone, and
the shade structure outside the Sailplane Enterprises office is in
pieces on the ground.

It's quiet.

There's one glider still tied down - one of our club's Blanik L13's.
The one I soloed in. The one I first reached 10,000 feet in.

We've come to tow it away to its new temporary home at an airport not
far away. But knowing I won't be coming back to this field for a
while, the other airport feels very far away.

A towplane will come from the other airport, and a pilot and
instructor will take off from the bigger Runway 22. The pilot hasn't
done a cross-country aerotow before, and hasn't landed at the other
airport. So in keeping with our club's purpose, the last flight from
here will be an instructional flight!

I'm here to help push and to run the wing. So we prep the plane, untie
it, and put the tie-downs inside the glider instead of leaving them on
the ground... we'll be needing them elsewhere after the glider's one-
way flight. Technically there's no reason they could not take off from
23 - it's not damaged - but the County has spoken. We push it all the
way to the taxiway on the other side of 22.

Due to a mix-up and some technical problems, the towplane takes a long
time to arrive. We have time to hang out and talk. A couple of
vehicles drive out and the drivers chat with us while we wait. It's
pretty rare to see a glider on this side of the field. A few planes
and a helicopter come and go... pilots taxiing by wave to us... it's
late in the afternoon, so it's pretty dead.

Finally, about 5:30 the towplane arrives and we hook up and launch.
The first and only time I've seen a glider take off from 22 (well,
there's a motorglider or two who use it). They climb, circle the field
once, and head west into the lowering sun.

I get in the car we came in and drive out the gate. There's no one on
this side of the airport to say good-bye to.

But... we may be back. Next week we will file a formal complaint with
the FAA in Washington, D.C., with the support of AOPA and Cal Pilots.
If that works, and gliders get to return, it could turn out better
than ever. Some of our leaders have developed the concept of a "Glider
Park", and have presented some conceptual drawings to some of the
community leaders of Hemet. So... we'll see. While the complaint makes
its way through the FAA, we'll keep flying our silent ships over other
fields.

"Roger Worden" wrote in message
...

I know how if feels to be kicked out of an airport, so I wish you the best
of luck. May you soon return. Special thanks to AOPA and Cal Pilots.

Vaughn

On Oct 12, 4:22*pm, "vaughn"
wrote:
"Roger Worden" wrote in message

...

I know how if feels to be kicked out of an airport, so I wish you the best
of luck. *May you soon return. *Special thanks to AOPA and Cal Pilots..

Vaughn


That is sad, I remember helping Don Slotten of Sailplane Enterprises
move his fleet from Perris over to Hemet many years ago. Hopefully
you will be back.

Gary

We finalized and signed the FAA Complaint this week and it will be
hand delivered to the FAA next Wednesday. The Complaint is actually
evaluated in Washington DC, not by the local FAA offices. AOPA has
offered their services in tracking and expediting the review...their
most "clout" is at the top. By everyone's evaluation, we remain
quite
hopeful.

This legal action is being handled largely by Chris with Ron's
oversight. This will keep our costs low, but they will not be zero.
The out-of-pocket bills for photocopying are already in the hundreds.
We still think we can hit our original legal cost targets, but
regretfully now is the time to again ask for donations to the Legal
Fund. This is being handled thru the OCSA bank account as the club
has
signed on as a party to the lawsuit against the County.


So donate now to the "50 By 100" fundraiser by mailing your check
made
out to OCSA to:


OCSA
PO Box 5475
Buena Park, CA 90622


Those of you who have already sent in checks, where I had been
"holding" them, we will be cashing them in at this time. I'll keep a
log of our expenditures, to share with any donor who asks.


SO WRITE THAT CHECK TODAY!!!!


LT

Great that folks are working it, But:

What is the SSA doing??? Should not they be leading the fight? Don't
they have a position for gov't liason? What do our dues pay for,
besides the magazine?

aerodyne

On Oct 13, 9:29*am, wrote:
Great that folks are working it, But:

What is the SSA doing??? Should not they be leading the fight? Don't
they have a position for gov't liason? *What do our dues pay for,
besides the magazine?

aerodyne

The SSA is involved. Save the histronics. LOCALS MUST always "lead
the fight" no matter what alphabet organization you choose. I'd be
happy to chat further with you off line on this.

LT

Aerodyne asks "What is the SSA doing" ? He must not have read the
forceful and comprehensive response by Cindy Brickner of Region 12 to
the same question about a month ago.

Cheers, Charles