can-09

SOGA Monday July 26, 2010

Another great day at SOGA and I flew with Bob Bonner, Steve Younger, Terry Davidson and Peter Morgan. We all had good flights and I topped out at 4,700 feet above take-off and stayed up for two hours and twenty minutes.

Peter Morgan and Terry Davidson Land Together after Great Flights

Peter on Approach

Peter Landing

Terry Davidson Lamding

Bob Bonner After a Great Flight

Terry Davidson - A Happy Pilot

Peter Morgan - Another Happy Pilot

SOGA Monday July 19, 2010

Flew with Rick Hines and Terry Ryan and I had 2-tows - 60 minutes total flight time. Rick and Terry had nice flights also.

Steve Tows Skydog Above the Clouds

Photos by Steve Younger

SOGA Monday June 21, 2010

Gilles told me that he was going to fly Monday so I drove up to the SOGA field and all the way there were great cumulous clouds until I came closer and they were gone and blue sky prevailed. After we set up we could see some cummies forming to the north but they would dissipate before they reached the field where we take off from. Gilles tried a flight at 3 pm and was down right after the Dragonfly landed so we were disappointed so we waited another hour and Don Vermeer tried a flight at four pm and he stuck for a while so I tried it and found a good one right up to base at 4,100 feet. An hour later Steve Bellerby towed up after work and I could see Steve close to cloud base so I pulled on the VG and headed a mile or so toward Steve and was 2,000 feet below him but quickly caught up to Steve and we thermalled together for about fifteen minutes at base when I went searching for my camera and when I looked for Steve again he was gone and I could not find him anywhere so I flew around aimlessly catching some lift here and there and later saw Peter Morgan floating around at two grand above the field so I stayed with him for a while and finally Peter landed and I landed ten minutes later. Steve Bellerby landed a half hour later. I had the longest flight of the day at 1 hour and 36 minutes and up to 4,200 feet so I was a happy HG pilot. We had also driven up on the day before and found the wind to be pretty strong so I left at 2 and Gilles stayed and had a one hour flight at 5 pm when the wind went down enough.

Steve Younger Towes Bob Grant - Photo by Steve Bellerby

Steve Bellerby Shoots Bob Grant From Above

Mustartd Fields - Photo by Steve Bellerby

Bob Grant at Base - Photo by Steve Bellerby

Steve Younger and Peter Morgan

Pretty Fields

Peter Morgan

SOGA Tuesday June 10, 2010

Patrick O'Donnell and myself drove north to the SOGA field on a Tuesday morning and on arrival we found Ryan Wood setting up his Atos VX for tandem use. We set up and Steve Younger towed the three of us up at around 1 pm and we had mediocre flights. Terry Davidson and Don Vermeer came by at 4 pm. Peter Morgan towed us the next time and I stuck for 40 minutes while others had three to five hour flights the longest being 5 hours and twenty minutes by Steve Bellerby. The pilots flying later in the day got up to 5,400 feet ato while I stayed closer to the field and I only got up to 3.800 feet. I should have flown again but my zipper was broken and I was not excited about flying it that way. This turned out to be a really good day and I was not at my best. Patrick had an amazing flight getting up to 5,400 feet for over one hour.

Steve Bellerby now has the new field time record of 5 Hours and 20 Minutes. Congrats Steve!!!!

Patrick O'Donnell Coming in Close for a Photo Op.

Peter Morgan Ready to Tow Steve Younger on the VX

Patrick

Steve Ready to Tow - I Think Don Vermeer

Ryan Takes a Tandem Student

Patrick Soaring Friendly Skies

Steve Younger Test Flying Ryan's Atos VX

Ryan Wingin Around the Hanger

Terry Davidson Landing

Don Vermeer with Terry in the Background

Patrick Happy Face O'Donnell

Steve Younger

Peter Morgan

Steve and Peter - The Two Tug Pilots

SOGA Flying Field May 10, 2010

Sunday May 09, 2010 Ryan Wood posted to the SOGA Yahoo group that the forecast for Monday was great with lots of lift under beautiful cumulous clouds so I took the two hour drive North from London, Ontario to join Ryan for some lift. We both arrived at ten thirty and set up our gliders and as we were about finished Steve Younger drove in and got the Dragonfly ready for towing. Around one o'clock Ryan took the first tow of the day and appeared to be doing well so I got onto the cart and Steve towed me upwind close to Arthur, Ontario where I hit a boomer that twisted me away from the tug so I released and watched Steve return to the strip so that I would be able to find the strip because I was not familiar with this area and I did not want to get lost and land out. By doing so I missed that boomer near Arthur and by the time I got back to the strip I was down to 1,400 feet and searching desperately for lift and luckily I spotted Ryan turning in some lift so I joined him and eventually took that lift to 5,000 feet ato and base. From there on there was good lift throughout my 2 hour and fifty minute flight but for the first half hour I had to be careful to avoid the big sinkers. Ryan got stuck in a big sinker and took a reflight after waiting an hour and from there on Ryan was out of sight on a 39 kilometre triangle. Mark Dowsett and Rick Hines Joined us around 3 pm and had real nice lift until we all landed at about 5 pm. Ryan came back into sight at 5:30 and after landing told us that it was difficult to get down and explained that his VX just loves to stay up.

Hey, we had a great day and I topped out at 6,005 feet above the field and as usual I did not venture very far from the field but I do plan to try some XC this summer.

A special thanks to Steve Younger for putting us into some great air.

A Great Set-Up Area and What a Wonderful Sky at 11:00 am

Ryan Wood Setting Up His Atos VX

Steve Younger Watches as Ryan Sets His Glider on a Cart

The Soga Runway and Notice the "Y" Branch Driveway Entrance

John a Visitor Talks with Steve Younger

Mark Dowsett After a Great First Flight of 2010

One of the Two Close Lakes

Ryan Lands at 5:30 pm

Terry Davidson Repairs the Dragonfly Mirror

Ryan after Landing His 2 Hour and Fifty Minute Triangle Flight

Steve Younger, Bob Grant, Mark Dowsett and Rick Hines.

SOGA Flying Field November 2009

Early November Patrick O'Donnell and I tried a weekday at the SOGA field just east of Arthur, Ontario, Canada and we met Ryan Wood there and Ryan Flew is Atos VX for his first high flights on his new glider. Mark Dowsett was also there and Steve Younger was our tug pilot for the day. We enjoyed blue skies with few thermals. All of us had high extended flights and Steve made us happy with the high tows.

Steve Gets the Dragonfly Ready

Ryan Wood

Ryan and His New Atos VX

Patrick O'Donnell

The Hanger

Steve Younger

Mark Dowsett