Vintage Gliding USA Style

There is something about America that makes everything appear larger than life and the “International Vintage Soaring Meet” of 2005 was, I am glad to say, no exception. Held every five years at Harris Hill, in Upper New York State, and best described as the US version of the Wasserkuppe, if everyone knew what the Wasserkuppe was like, which of course they don’t.

This gives me the first excuse I am looking for in linking a rally an International Rally in Germany in July/August with IVSM that took place in late August, for they are both part of the same family of gliding enthusiasts. “Goodbyes” in early August, turned to “Hello’s” later in the month when friends from the Germany rally were met again, and joined old friends at Harris Hill, for the second major international vintage event of 2005. I have quoted him before but attendee Rolf Algotson, from Sweden once described the rally experience as “Meeting old friends you have never met before”

I am not aware that there is anywhere else in the gliding world that is similar to Harris Hill and the Wasserkuppe, if there is I want to go there. Both are situated in attractive hilly tourist areas, have major gliding museums, excellent soaring conditions, world famous, played a major part in establishing gliding in their country, have, or had, a glider manufacturer beneath the hill, and finally are popular public recreational areas. Perhaps less advantageously they both have the habit of taking of and landing in different directions at the same time. Picture doing a right hand approach circuit to the south, and on your descending base leg see a tug combination climbing out and starting a left hand departure to the north and you will see what I mean, three dimensions of freedom are not always fun. Not withstanding, it’s a great place to fly from, and, if you want a site that attracts both the public and glider pilots alike, you could not find a better venue.

“Larger than life” is perhaps harder to explain for the rally, in terms of gliders, 36 or so this compared with over 100 in Germany, but in terms of impact, impression, hospitality, atmosphere, and family involvement it is in a class of it’s own. As I say this as organiser of, what in most years is the world’s second largest rally, you will understand that IVSM is something special, and with a character all of its own.

Whilst this year there was only one glider brought in from overseas, an SF27 from Germany, to be put on sale, pilots came from seven countries as the display of flags at the International Evening, a multi-cultural booze up for those with a designated driver for the evening, showed.  In a subsequent US show of marketing skill these flags were sold of the next morning, though quite why a German wanted an Australian flag I do no know. Mind you I also find it difficult to explain why “Vintage Kiwi” “T” shirts sold like hot cakes, but Pat can be quite persuasive.

Like all vintage rallies IVSM was non competitive, although daily prizes were given for things like height, distance, duration or in one dramatic incident flying off, and below, the end of the runaway into a narrow valley, doing a 180 and then undershooting onto a near 45 degree slope before the threshold. Heights exceeded 7000 feet, durations 6 hours and distances over 150 miles, in conditions that the organisers had to say were not “Typical of Harris Hill”, this the week before “ Katrina”.  Just, if not more, important is the “fun”, the talks, the meeting of old friends, and discussing how we can put over to the sceptics of the gliding world the importance of our gliding heritage, the low cost advantage of vintage flying. Reminding pilots, who think we are just a bunch of under performing cranks and that flying expensive glass is not the universal measure of flying skill, is something we cannot do enough of.

The range of aircraft types covered both the European and US Scene gave overseas visitors the chance to see types they may not have seen before. The Schweizer brothers were of course well represented, Bill Schweizer and Ginny, Paul Schweizer’s widow, both attending, Ginny flying, I understand, for the first time since we flew together at Camphill some 9 or 10 years ago. The pictures will give perhaps the best impression of what there was to see, for the only opportunity of really understanding the atmosphere, being there, is lost to you.

Whilst this report is being written for a wide audience I think it is appropriate that the “Vintage Kiwi” aspects should be mentioned here, for as the “new boys on the block” we have much to be proud of. We are the fastest growing vintage organisation, a very rough, and therefore potentially contentious, statistical analysis puts us in the top five of the world’s vintage organisations, and we have already received important backing that other organisations would be jealous of. We may be 18,000 miles away from the heart of vintage gliding, great for being awarded the prize for travelling the greatest distance, except to America, when Australia steps in, but we are now truly part of the world scene. After all our T-shirts are now being worn on four continents, Africa and South America, currently evading us.

The standard of the gliders was very high and as a member of the judging panel it was often hard to balance out the features of every glider in each class. Was an exceptional finish, but in a modern colour scheme, better than a lower standard but more authentic finish? How did one judge, the best foreign glider, when condition was only one factor? Despite the problem, and the suggestion that a bribe box be placed in the briefing room agreement was reached and the following was the result.