The Great Western Trip

Soaring in Ohio

Phase 1 – Mark Miller

In mid June Dan Reagan, Rolf Hegele and Mark Miller drove 1780 miles towing their gliders to Parowan, UT, where they flew 20 times and covered 8,541 kms of southern Utah.

Dan did about as many kms as Rolf and Mark together, but we won’t hold that against him.

July 10, 2018

There were about 30 motor gliders and 10 regular gliders at the camp. Every day we were launching about 30+ gliders with tows going off between every 2-4 motor launches. This fiberglass and carbon fiber flock would climb out over the foothills behind us and then head over the first range of mountains to get a second climb on higher ground before proceeding east or north along several mountain ridges. Here is a view of the ramp and the flock:

The views and the terrain were spectacular.

Here is a picture of the line of gliders waiting for the one tow plane while the motor gliders are taxing to the runway.

Every night one of the local restaurants would set up a buffet dinner in one of the hangars. You needed to land by 1900 if you wanted dinner and to swap lies. Soft drinks and wine were provided followed each evening by a talk by one of the camp members on some aspect of flying. Some of the longest flights in the USA and the world were flown out of Parowan by these participants.

Meanwhile John Lubon towed out to Moriarty, NM and flew four times for 3,849 kms.

Phase 2 starts 1 July when Rolf, John and Mark join up at Bernie Fullenkamp’s place next to airport in Morgan, UT for some flying in the Uinta Mountains and Dan heads to Ely, NV for some flying in the Great Basin desert area.

[Mark submitted the above Phase 1 article for publication a week ago, but the holiday precluded a newsletter on July 3. Mark is still on the road returning from the Great Western Trip, so we will have to wait for the rest of the story. However, the Online Contest website gives a little glimpse. – Editor]

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