In 2008 Norman began taking soaring lessons at the Central California Soaring Club in Avenal California (www.soaravenal.com). He had been a sailor from the time he bought his first boat, a Utility 10, in Visalia, in 1966. They car-topped that boat and sailed in the lake Woollomes in Delano, California until they sold their business and home and moved to the Bay area. When they moved to Baltimore and the Chesapeake Bay they bought a Rainbow 24 day sailor withe a cuddy cabin and a fixed keel that was designed for Chesapeake Bay sailing. They sailed that boat for about eight years and then sold it and purchased a Cal 25, pop-top, fixed keel and sailed it until they returned to California in 1989.
Finding himself in Fresno was not conducive to sailing so Norman gave up thought of any more sailing but gradually began thinking that maybe soaring in a glider might be something he would like to do. Finally in 2008 he learned that there was a soaring club in Avenal and went over one Saturday afternoon in May for a test ride. Surprisingly he met an acquaintance he had not seen in fifty years. Marie Crosina is the Vice President of the Central California Soaring Club and was leading a club soaring competition that day. When Norman arrived Marie was explaining the tasks for the assembled fliers before they all took off. Marie was best friends and a classmate of Jim Lauffenburger, the younger brother of Norman’s first wife, Mary. Norman had met Marie when he and Mary had first started going together in 1949. The two of them had not seen each other since that time and to add to the coincidence it turns out that they now live about six blocks from each other in Fresno.
Norman began taking flying lessons in June from Harold Gallagher, a Certified Flight Glider, FAA licensed, in the Club owned Schweitzer 2-33 two place glider you see in the pictures (affectionately called the “orange crush”).
For those of you interested in National soaring news and events go to www.ssa.org the web page of the soaring society of America, Inc.
The following is a journal entry from July 19, after Norman’s first two lessons.
Saturday, July 19, 2008, Lessons Numbers One and Two.
Met Harold Gallagher at Avenal at 11:45 a.m.. He was taking a student up for his second flight. I had my lunch while they were up. It was a relatively short flight. Harold gave me 20 minutes of blackboard instruction. Very helpful. Different ways of looking at the information I’ve been reading about and getting from Mario. A couple of people had taken off in other gliders. When Loyal got back we went out and settled into the 2-33. It was quite windy on the ground, winds out of the N.W. Harold got us off the ground and let me take the stick (with lots of help) as we climbed to 3000’. Lots of turbulence, hard to know when it was me or the turbulence that was screwing up. Released tow at 3000’ and started trying level flight, even 50 mi speed. Did a few 30 degree bank turns, not real well coordinated. Harold’s chalk talk said foot to rudder pedal first, then move to the stick. That’s good for a beginner because last time with Mario I kept forgetting the rudder pedal altogether even though I knew it in my mind from my reading. We found a little thermal and Harold tried to get us into it but couldn’t. We did (I did) more easy
turns, found the I.P. and started our descent for the field. Harold made our landing (looked a little close to the fence to me) in good shape. We went to the patio and sat and talked about the flight. Phil Decker and his wife came by. Phil was going to take Tara up for a ride in the 2-33. Her friend and fellow Lemoore pilot Christ and his wife Loren had also come for a ride but never got one. Phil took Tara up. When they got back Harold and I went back up for our second ride. Loyal’s plane was heating up and gave us a little scare but he did take us up. I did a little better at following the tow plane this time although Loyal was flying a little strangely, probably because of his fears about overheating. We got to 3000’ and released the tow rope. I started doing some straight, level flying trying to keep the wings level, did a few turns and was getting the coordination a little better when we were at 1800’ we hit turbulence on a turn and Harold said “stay in that turn, we’ve got a thermal.” Darned if we didn’t. I kept the plane in a 30 degree right turn, kept the nose up where it belonged, watched the yaw string, and pretty soon Harold was whooping and hollering in the back seat whacking me on my shoulder, “Look at that, you’re climbing at 400 feet per minute, now its 500 feet, we’re up to three thousand feet! Look at that, 500 feet per minute, you’ve got it! Stay with it, we’re passing five thousand feet! I’ve never had a student on their second flight ever thermal like this! Look at that we’re almost to six thousand feet. You did it! You feel it flattening out? We’ve hit the top.”
And we had. I could feel it slowing down. The end of the ride. But what a ride! Then a flew straight, level wings, tried to hold steady speed, 50, then 45, made a 30 degree turn, left, then right. Before I knew it there was the field and Harold had me pull the air brakes out to allow us down and lose some altitude. We landed and it was over.
Harold was beaming as we got out. We went to the patio and He gave me my log book and filled it out. “Call Mario and tell him what you did. He’ll be proud.”
“I will” and I did. What a day. Over a mile up in the air flying a heavier than air craft whose 4D is 12/1, at a mile high in perfect conditions it will glide 12 miles before it lands. And I took that baby a mile up in the sky, what a feeling!