November 1970: Contest Report, by Bill Staley

November 1980: SSA National Convention Committee

CONTEST REPORT
by Bill Staley, Class B 1st Place Winner
November 1970

I spent most of my flying time on Sunday, September 6, on tow. The next day I found a good thermal over the Dells and I was able to reach 1,500 ft. This was much higher than I expected and I became over optimistic about the days, conditions. Before' I had taken .Off; I carefully assessed All the conditions and formulated a plan of attack. I decided that there were probably only 2 or 3 places where I would be able to find lift since the valley was still wet from the rains. This would be the Dells, Granite Mountain and the hills to the south of Paulden, the turn. With this in mind, my flight became: 1. Get as high as possible over the Dells; 2. Go through the gate and head for Granite Mountain where I hoped to get high enough to make the hills by the turn; 3. Make the turn and back to the hills; 4. Try to get back to Granite Mountain; 5. Gain enough altitude to finish.

However, being high and therefore optimistic, I headed straight for the hills and the turn. I made 11 miles; there was no lift over the hills. I landed in the same field as Pete Williams, however, he had gone to Granite Mountain and was able to make the turn.

On Saturday of the second weekend, George Kulesza flew and placed first for the day. The next day I flew again. The task was speed to Marana and return. Being the eager beaver type, I elected the first takeoff at 11:30. I got off tow and had an easy climb to 9500 ft. I had drifted over to the Tucson Mountains during the climb. This was on course but there was a big blue hole from the edge of the mountains to the turn so I waited. As I flew up and down the mountains, I noticed a cloud street forming over the dry river to the west of Ryan Field. I decided to go back and go through the gate, which would place me under the street. I waited until the street was developed and made my start. When I pulled under the cloud I had headed for it was dying. Everything was coming down and I couldn't get out of it with the 1-26. Fifteen minutes later I landed had been
in the air just over an hour.

The next open takeoff : time was at 1: 30 so I waited and watched Woody Payne start and head out high. The KA6 was still in the area so maybe I still had a chance. I figured I had missed .the best part of the day. I got off in a good thermal on my second flight and again got to cloud base over the Tucson Mountains. This time there were clouds all the way to the turn but the ones over the flat area, were cycling very fast. I flew along the top of the mountains maintaining altitude above 9000 by slowing in lift under the c1ouds. At the north end of the Tucson Mountains, I headed for a cloud Just east of the turn point. When I arrived there I saw Al Hume working a thermal west of me. I joined him but couldn't do well in that thermal so I went back to the cloud I had left. I got back to cloud base and headed in to get my picture of the turn. When I left the cloud I hit sink. I lost 5000 ft in about 4 miles. When I arrived at the turn I was at 3500 ft. I banked for my picture and the camera wouldn't work. A quick check showed that it had been tripped accidentally so I advanced the film and shot the turn point. This mistake cost about 500 feet of altitude. I was now about 1000 ft. above the ground. Lift from the ramp at Marana airfield kept me aloft until a small cloud started, rained 500 ft., cloud quit. Looking again -another small cloud, another 500ft - net gain about 600ft. This went on for 25 minute's. I, fina1ly got to 5000 ft (3000 AGL) and headed for the clouds to the southeast. More sink - 2300 ft. at the town of Marana (300 AGL) headed for a bare field across the freeway - zero sink over the field; made one circle in zero sink, then, 2,3,4, finally a slight bump, then a little gain; up to 2500, drifting towards the Catalinas to the east, over the rising ground now lift picked up. I again got to cloud base about 3 miles west of Oracle Jct. with solid cloud most of the way back to the Tucson Mountains. I was beginning to have hope of finishing. Approaching the Santa Cruz River, I ran into good lift. I slowed up and gained then headed on when it quit. The
Mountains were beginning to look larger and my next problem was rising towards me. Very little downwash was encountered and the crest passed 100 ft. below me. Good ridge lift was on the west side so I turned and gained 1000 feet, what I considered necessary to make the field. As I turned towards Ryan Field, I had another slight problem - what field - I couldn't see it. I headed where I thought it was and hoped. Now the head wind began to show itself and I still couldn't find that field. I had been careful to look back from the mountains when I way to be familiar with what it should look like. I knew there were cultivated fields at the west edge and a ranch along a dry wash to the east. Everything to the west was cultivated; and which ranch? There's a flash - an airplane landing - I see it. About 3 miles out and it looked like I had it made. The wind was really a
Factor now. Any sink and I would land short. That would be great after getting off the deck at Marana to have to land a half-mile short of finishing. Two miles out - lift, I'm back. Lower the nose, call the gate and dive across to finish. Sure feels great.

SSA NATIONAL CONVENTION COMMITTEE
November 1980

Commitments for Symposium session chairmen includes:

These chairmen actually wear two hats - they're not only busy at work firming up the finest speakers in each subject area, but also most of them will take a turn at the podium, too.
ASA members hard at work include DOROTHY HOHANSHELT, banquet coordinator; HANK HALVERSON, Civic Center exhibit chairman; PETE WILLIAMS, in charge of publicity & advertising; Bob VONHELLENS, accounting & information; and TED ADAMS, who has volunteered to mastermind a soaring film festival in the exhibit hall.
Also, NANCY HUME is in charge of pre-registrations at this point, and is forming a committee for registration desk duty, FRAN PETRY is coordinating the various details of the special breakfasts, and JERI RAISANEN has been working with Firebird Tours to set up a super group of Valley (and beyond) tours.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED???(I hear you ask...) ring up Wally Raisanen, 945-0466 with ideas, volunteer! In the not-too-distant future, we'll need to hold a packet-stuffing party, so our 1,000 expected registrants get all the right info when they sign in. And, of course, during the convention itself, we'll need volunteers to man our ASA booth in the exhibit hall, people to take tickets at various functions, sell T-shirts, proceedings books, etc. Obviously, the larger the number of members who volunteer for these jobs, the less time anyone person has to spend doing his/her bit for old ASA.
AND...preregistrations as of right now are el zippo for Phoenix area soaring pilots...we haven't got a one! Your registration fee covers attendance at all Symposium Features -the hard part will be choosing which ones to go to! Also, the Civic Center Exhibit Hall will be jammed with nifty new and not-so-new gliders...ever seen the vintage '39 models? - an assortment of soaring gear will
also be on display, from your basic instruments through spiffy trailers, and once again, your registration badge is your ticket in. 50 - please send in the Convention form thoughtfully provided,
and let us COUNT YOU IN!!