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The
Sierra Soaring Blanik L-23 sailplane in flight beside
the east slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range
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Photo
by Tomas Bozack |
Sierra
Soaring Club
by Bertha Ryan
The current soaring club at
Inyokern Airport had a crisis two years ago (2004) when the
commercial operation providing tows decided to sell their
tow plane. Inyokern is a world wide known soaring site because
of its outstanding soaring location. This favorable desert/mountain
geography has resulted in the achievement of world and national
soaring records in the vicinity. Many past accomplishments
of soaring pilots from this site have been previously documented
(see web page archives). Would the lack of a tow plane end
soaring at this long time and well known soaring site? |
Dan
Kline, instructor and tow pilot, beside the Cessna
182 tow plane |
An enthusiastic member of the Sierra Soaring Club, Dan Kline,
said emphatically, "No!" He had an idea to save
the sport in the local area. Kline decided to purchase an
airplane that could be used both as a tow plane and also
rented out for personal use. He recruited three other possible
partners and went looking for an appropriate airplane.
After
a search, they found a 1957 Cessna 182 at nearby Fox Field
in Lancaster. Good news from a corrosion viewpoint
-- the airplane had spent its entire life in the desert.
In spite of its age, it had only about 2000 hours on the
airframe, about 200 hours on a factory rebuilt engine and
only two previous owners. Dan and his one remaining willing
partner, Mike Martyn, purchased the airplane and brought
it to Inyokern. |
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Dan
Kline at the controls of the Cessna 182 tow plane
with the snow capped Sierra Nevada mountain range in
the background
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Photo
by Tomas Bozack
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The first task was to perform a thorough inspection and
then design, check out and install a towing system. This
task was accomplished by local master airplane mechanic and
engineer, Bill Hickle, with the assistance of the two owners.
As expected with every newly purchased aircraft, they found
a few small items to be fixed and, surprisingly, one screwdriver
left over inside the airframe by a previous mechanic. The
FAA had enough confidence in Hickle that the towing installation
was approved via snail mail.
The Cessna 182 joined the fleet
of two sailplanes in the club (owned and completely paid for,
unusual in clubs) --
a two place Blanik L-23 trainer and a single place Schweizer
SGS 1-35 cross-country sailplane. The Cessna's primary duty
is to be available for towing but the aircraft can also be
used by members for personal flying by appointment when not
towing. The club flies by appointment weekends and alternate
Fridays. Weekday appointments are also available. |
Bill
Hickle, engineer and mechanic, working on a sailplane |
The spark plug -- Dan Kline serves both as Chief Instructor
for the club and tow pilot in addition to his personal flying.
Kline is a Metallurgical Engineer on base who came to the
area from the Long Beach Naval Shipyard. He had always wanted
to fly since his father, a World War II veteran, took him
flying as a child. He refers to his father as "the best
Dad in the whole world -- he flies airplanes!"
Kline
at last found the opportunity to learn to fly himself when
he came to China Lake. After earning his Private License
for airplanes in 1990, he found sailplanes in 1991 and determined
to become an instructor. Kline trained with BJ Holden, a
local record setting pilot and long time instructor for both
airplanes and sailplanes and earned his Commercial Glider
license in 1994. Next he became a Glider Instructor and is
now the Chief Instructor for the Sierra Soaring Club. BJ
continues her association with the club as tow pilot. |
BJ
Holden, tow pilot |
The club has three main missions -- the first is to increase
the membership so they can purchase an additional airplane
for power instruction and obtain a high performance composite
sailplane for cross-country soaring. The second is to teach
and encourage cross country soaring. They do this now by
providing demonstration cross country flying in a privately
owned Schleicher ASK-21 two-place medium performance training
sailplane. The third objective is to train pilots in sailplane
aerobatics, a useful skill for soaring in the turbulent desert/mountain
air.
At the time of this writing (Fall 2006), the main thermal
soaring season is behind us and the wave soaring season ahead
of us. Thus, we choose to illustrate a typical non-soaring
weekend of activity with the Sierra Soaring Club. |
Dan
Frame, tow pilot, beside the Cessna 182 tow plane |
Perhaps one of the most important contributors to the success
of Sierra Soaring is the tow pilot. One of the most dedicated
has been Dan Frame. He is a retired Navy veteran who served
his last two tours at China Lake as a Naval Flight Officer
for Weapons Systems Operations with the A-6 and EA-6B. He
became a civilian pilot approximately ten years into his
Navy service -- earning a Private and then a Commercial and
Instrument civilian certificate. After his service at China
Lake, he decided to spend his retirement years in our valley,
first as a contractor and now as a government employee responsible
for many of the upgrades to the software for the F-18. He
is the happy owner of a Piper Comanche based at Inyokern
Airport. He took the tow pilot's course at California City
under the tutelage of Cindy Brickner and Marty Eiler and
is now a fully qualified tow pilot for the club at Inyokern.
His initial desire to take part in soaring was just to help
out with the towing. But, as he learns more about the sport,
he is considering the cross-country possibilities in the
club sailplanes. |
Isaac
Warner, student pilot, beside the Blanik L-23 training
sailplane |
On this particular Fall desert day there was a student who
was making his third instructional flight -- Isaac Warner,
a Private Airplane Pilot who wants to add sailplane soaring
to his list of flying accomplishments. He is a graduate of
Cal Poly at San Luis Obisbo and currently an instructor at
the Charter School in Ridgecrest. He has always been interested
in flying and wants to take advantage of as many opportunities
as possible to be part of the joy of flight. Just think what
great opportunities and imagination of possibilities he can
offer to his students! On this day he took a high tow so
he would have the time to learn the characteristics of the
sailplane. |
Isaac
Warner, student, and Dan Kline, instructor, prepare
to depart on a training flight |
Isaac brought a friend with him from high school days --
Todd Monson who is now actively engaged in aviation activities
in Visalia and currently preparing for his instrument pilot
certification. He flew over in a Mooney to visit his friend
and then took a mountain flight to enjoy the scenery and
become a little more knowledgeable about the sport of soaring.
He originally saw a Grob sailplane trainer at Lake Tahoe
when he was just a child. This intrigued him and we suspect
he too will be captured by this sport and become a soaring
pilot. His current occupation includes restoring a Luscombe
Silvaire powered airplane for his personal use -- one of
the most interesting of early airplanes. |
Dan
Frame, the tow pilot; Todd Monson, the visitor; Isaac
Warner, the convert to soaring; and Dan Kline, the
soaring instructor |
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The
President of the club is Alex Zobell, an engineer at the nearby
China
Lake Naval Air Weapons Station,
who is hoping to make some long cross-country soaring flights
during the next thermal soaring
season in the
summer
of 2007.
Many of the club members work at the local military base and
one is a pilot stationed at China Lake with the Navy.
You can
learn more of the club's activities and, better still, participate
in them, by contacting the club through
Dan Kline (see below). You may also find yourself captivated
by utilizing the unseen power of the atmosphere above us
to enjoy our unmatched mountain and desert scenery only available
to the few fortunate soaring pilots who are privileged to
enjoy this unique combination of our world's best experiences.
Even if you cannot become deeply involved, you can at least
take a flight and learn some of what fascinates the explorers
of the air. |
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The club
has several classes of membership to serve the needs of the
members:
1.
Basic -- fly the Blanik ($250 initiation, $50/month
dues, no charge for sailplane)
2. Advanced -- fly the Blanik and 1-35 ($500 initiation, $50/month
dues, no charge for sailplanes)
3. Power -- fly the Cessna 182 (towing tasks primary) ($500 initiation,
$75/month dues, $100/hour wet)
4. Premier -- fly the Blanik, 1-35 and 182 ($750 initiation, $100/month
dues, $100/hour wet for the 1-82, no charge for sailplanes)
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Schweizer
SGS 1-35 sailplane |
Photo
by Alex Zobel |
5.
Tow Pilot -- must meet FAA requirements, complete Caracole
Soaring Towing course, 500 hours power minimum (or
be named pilot) -- no charges, no salary. Tow pilots
earn one hour of Blanik time for each hour of towing.
6. Private Owner -- No charge but tow fees slightly higher
7. Inactive -- no dues, no vote; reactivate by resuming paying dues
8. Distant (greater than 50 miles away) -- initiation fee, monthly
dues only when flying.
Note:
Instruction fee (Kline) $15 for club members; $30 for non-members;
tow charges additional to all other fees.
For
further information Contact Dan Kline
ckline293@mchsi.com
760-375-7018
Photos by B.M.
Ryan (except as shown)
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