11/1/09 - WINTER ACTIVITY - This the season of limited flying activity for a glider pilot, of savoring past accomplisments and preparing for new ones. So in place of reporting about flights, we will report on what's going on in the organization of Alby's future path and adventures. More plans and more e-mails will be shown in this column.
Sergio to Robert Hey, October 31:Hi Bob (Hey). So here is the answer from Bob (Herndon). The two of you can agree which week you want to try first.
Now a word about the reservations: The Rules are applied literally if there is no different agreement between you two (or more) guys: so one pilot has one week to do the flight, after which the other pilot may try. But the Rules are very flexible depending on you: If Bob (Herndon) finds that he cannot fly in the week he has reserved, the other Bob (Hey) can fly instead. If Bob (Herndon) finds that he cannot fly for three days in the week he has reserved, the other Bob (Hey) can fly for those three days instead. Etcetera. Provided you two (or more) agree, any arrangement is good.
It is always recommendable to tell the Albymaster, who will update the calendar, so everything is clear for everybody. Remember that this includes the people at home following the adventures of Alby. So when you answer an e-mail, push the "Reply All" button and the information will go to everybody interested including the Albymaster.
Thank you Bob (Herndon) for your hospitable move to Bob (Hey)! Sergio
E-mail from Robert Herndon, MS, October 31:
I can arrange a tow at Pisgah if Bob Hey wants to take the leg when Alby gets here. If he can't do it, I may give it a try. Bob Herndon
Sergio to Eric Hey, October 31 :OK now the first thing you want to do is to read the Rules in the website at
http://www.blogger.com/. We have established these rules just to try and accommodate everybody. The Rules have been purposely kept short and simple to adequate to this age of fast an essential information.
Yes, you may want to contact the people at the glider site of your choice to make arrangements for a tow, to tell them that you want to fly that particular leg etc., and in general as a courtesy call to introduce yourselves to your fellow glider pilots.
According to the Rules, one pilot or one team reserves one week and has that week to try and make the flight. If they do not make it, next week somebody else can try etc. In the Calendar (at the bottom of the website) is shown who is the pilot or team that has that particular week reserved.
You can reserve any week right now, but only one week in a particular gliding site. If you cannot make the flight in that week, wait when it is your turn. As a courtesy to that glider site, please give them the first choice. After they do it, or if they renounce to do it, go ahead and ask to reserve your desired week. You can do the reservation at any time, either now or next spring. In Pisgah, the contact is Robert Herndon.
Always cc: to
albymaster@pacificsoaring.org so we know what is going on. Go for it! Sergio
E-mail from Eric Hey, AL, October 31:Sergio, we would like to offer to fly two legs of the Alby Voyage flight. My father, Bob Hey, is game to handle the Harrell Field (Piscah, MS) to Starkville, MS leg. I will fly the Starkville, MS to Sylacauga, AL leg. Do we need to contact the two respective glider clubs to make arrangements for tows? Eric Hey
Sergio to Robert Hey, October 27:Hi Robert. Ok we'll try our best to let you fly a leg. Now the leg from Sylacauga to Huntsville has been claimed by your friend Bill Elliott and he will be the first to try. However, you can try to fly other legs. For example, the leg from Mississippi State University (Starkville) to Sylacauga. That is not that hard to do. Or, the leg form Pisgah to Starkville. That is a little more "harder" but remember that it can be done in more than one flight, landing somewhere along the track and then taking off again, having one week to complete the task. Read the rules at
http://albysvoyage.blogspot.com/.
Anybody can ask to fly with Alby. You can also fly the leg from Sylacauga to Huntsville if your friend Bill does not make it in one week. When the time comes, follow the adventures of Alby in the website, and be ready to ask to fly a leg. Got it? There is fun for everybody if a body is just ready for it! Sergio
E-mail from Bob Hey, AL, October 27:Sergio, my name is Bob Hey. I have an interest in being a player in the "Alby Flight". My son Eric owns a LS4a and I have a LP-15 Nugget - based in Sylacauga, Alabama. We are active members with the Sylacauga Soaring Society.
Each of us is willing to help bring "Alby" on it's way to Kitty Hawk. If there is any leg in Alabama that we can help with please let us know. Perhaps we can handle a leg or two on this journey. Thanks in advance, Bob Hey.
10/17/09 - SOME MORE POOR WEATHER - Well at this time of the year, it is more reasonable to have poor weather. However, still some cold front may produce usable conditions.
10/08/09 - TEXAS WEATHER: THUNDERSTORMY! -
E-mail from Dean Forney:Sergio, I’m sure you and everyone else is wondering what’s going on with Alby! As you have seen, the weather has been terrible for soaring attempts for the past month or more. As I write this, the forecast in this part of the world is for possible tornados and severe thunderstorms with flash floods likely for the next 48 hours. We continue to watch for the possibility of another attempt to move Alby on to Louisiana, but it looks bleak for the near future. Presently Alby is safe and warm, sitting in my study here in Gainesville, TX. Will keep you posted of any developments.
I was crewing for Steve on Sept 7, and Elizabeth & Glenn Maynard, as well as Steve were crewing for me on Sept 27. Bless their hearts, they sat on the ground all day at TSA and cheered my futile attempt on! Thanks to all of them for the effort.
By the way, on the last flight, Spot worked perfectly as shown on the website for a few days.
10/03/09 - AWFUL WEATHER IN TEXAS - The worst weekend weather as of today. But as they say, if you don't like Texas weather, wait for tomorrow because it will change dramatically.
9/26/09 - TEXAS WEATHER STILL UNCOOPERATIVE - Not much to hope for this weekend too.
9/18/09 - AWFUL WEATHER FOR DECATUR PILOTS - Weather is absolutely poor east of Dallas this weekend - not much to do but wait.
9/12/09 - BAD WEATHER FOR DECATUR PILOTS - The weather for this weekend is very poor in Dallas. Improvement is needed before a flight can be attempted.
Email from Dean Forney today: We will be watching the weather closely and will give it another try at the first opportunity. Take care, Dean.
9/08/09 - MONDAY ATTEMPT BY DECATUR -
E-mail from Dean Forney this morning:Sergio, Monday was as good as it was forecasted to be and Steve took off from Midlothian with Alby on-board. Unfortunately, we did not properly activate Spot, so no signals were sent. I'm sure that Steve will be posting a detailed account here and in logbook. Steve ran into rain showers and had to land in a field. Field is not big enough to tow out of, so it's back to Midlothian. Terry at TSA has passed their next turn to us, so next try will be again by Steve. More Later, Dean.
From Sergio: It is great to see some action! Anybody is good at flying at great speed under a line of well developed clouds. But it takes commitment, organization and enterprising spirit to set oneself for a goal and work at reaching it. Good Job!
9/07/09 - MONDAY IS FIRST TRY FOR DECATUR -
E-mail from Dean Forney yesterday:Soaring forecast for Saturday was poor. Sunday is better. Monday looks very good, therefore Alby and Steve are scheduled for take off out of Midlothian Monday. Dean
Sergio's answer: Is Monday night , and I see no messages on the SPOT page. How did it go?
9/02/09 - SATURDAY IS FIRST TRY FOR DECATUR -
E-mail from Dean Forney today:Hi Sergio, I just finished talking with Steve Altman and he would like to reserve Sat 5th til Friday 11th, then if needed he would like to continue the reservation for Sat 12th til Fri 18th. We need to make arrangements with TSA for tow(s) and when and where to pick up Alby. We also need to know who to contact at Shreveport club for how to make delivery of Alby, especially if it is during the week. Thanks, Dean.
Sergio's response:
OK and I will place the Sat 5th till Friday 11th reservation in the calendar. For the following week, Sat 12th till Fri 18th, according to the rules it is the turn of Midlothian to try the flight. However, if they agree to let you fly instead, you can reserve for another week. Midlothian has time until Thursday Sept 10 at 6:00 PM (local time) to reserve for the following week, after which you can make your reservation.
E-mail from a fan: Just a quick note to let all of the Albypilots and crew know that your fan club is watching! I'm in northern cal not far from the start of Alby's voyage and am the sister of pilot Dean Forney who just completed the most recent leg to Decatur, TX. I am and will be one of the many fans following the trip and want to send kudos to all of the participants, especially for the Tales of the Flights. May the soaring gods shine upon you all! Diana Ingram
The flight of the Albatross across our Country caught the attention and the fantasy of a newsmaker, Adam Breen, who published a well written and inspired article in Hollister's "The Pinnacle" newspaper: http://www.pinnaclenews.com/news/contentview.asp?c=255106
Alby enjoyed his stay at Hollister but he was getting restless and wanted to get going on his journey to the east. Alby wanted to get to Avenal and I offered to give him a ride in my glider. He has enjoyed flying around in a Discus, ASW-27, and DG
-800 so he was looking forward to seeing what it is like to fly in an Jantar. He wanted to go last weekend but the high cirrus made that impossible. This Sunday was looking promising and with the rain coming in on Saturday evening it was looking like a good post-frontal day.
rified with the Albymasters that the conditions in Hollister would probably require special dispensation and received a waiver from the tow height and release rules for my flight. Alby said he felt our flight met the spirit of the rule as we released as low and close to Hollister as possible on the day we flew.
ached from the east it became obvious that the rain was more to the south and the airport was in the clear. I flew a little past Avenal to show Alby the direction he would want to go later before landing at Avenal about 3:35PM. Ironically, with all the wind at altitude the winds at Avenal were light when I landed but picked up later in the day by the time I towed out.
an official welcome.
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