On Saturday Morning August 8th 2009, nine NSA pilots left airsailing for the Black Rock desert. Here is the story as told by Bob “Chukar” Spielman.

Saturday morning looked grim.  Doug Armstrong said there was a stable layer from 9-13000′ and only about 500 ft/min and soft conditions.  Add to that a 15 knot headwind,  smoke from callifornia forrest fires, and it didn’t seem like we would make it at all to Gerlach.

We launched 7 gliders, Stoney in the ASK-21 with Chris Drake, a new student who LIVES in Gerlach, Skimmer in the Pegasus, Taylor Nichols in the 1-36, Rich Miller in his LP-49, Rolf Peterson in his HP-14 PE, Varian in his 1-26, and Ed “DODO” Lord in the 2-33 with Greg Herold and Goose towing in Blue tow.  They got to 9500′ on the Dogskins and went to Tule and got to 10500-11000′ and headed out.  The short story is the little gliders didn’t get high enough (Varian and DoDo) to make it but the others all made it without a landout.  Lowest altitude was about 6000′ enroute and highest was 11500′.

Chukar drove his pickup with fuel and stakes for tiedown.  Everyone was on the ground by 4:00.  When we tied the gliders down a little bird landed under the tail of the Pawnee.  We don’t know if it liked the shade way out on the Black Rock or wanted something to eat, but it stayed there most of the time we were there.

GERLACH LANDING

We headed to Bruno’s and got the cheap rooms and at 7:00 had the great raviolis and banquet.  There were alot of Burning Man folks in town.  We told many stories and enjoyed the evening.  It was 78 degrees in Gerlach and really enjoyable.

The next morning we flew the ASK-21 local for 3 flights and Skimmer flew the 1-36 over the Granites to about 9500′.  At 12:30 Stoney and Verio launched first and towed southeast over the railroad tracks to the north end of the Pah Rum range and the gliders released at 6900′ (Stoney, that was gutsy) to 9000′. That’s Indian country between Gerlach and Sanno.

Goose was in the Pegasus southbound and Skimmer and Drake drove the pickup.
All the gliders were ahead of Chukar in Blue tow and I flew ahead of Osprey (Nichols) who was the last to release and enjoyed peace and quiet and lunch under the wing of the Pawnee on Tetrahedron dry Lake.  Osprey got down to 7000′ at Flanigan but started climbing out and Blue Tow headed for home. PE headed to Hallelujah Junction to put on more miles.

This year was one of the most successful trips I’ve been on.  We wondered why there weren’t more folks to join us. The predocessor to theGelach Dash was the Fallon Dash which lasted 25 years. We used to fly to the Fallon airport and enjoy a wonderful BBQ at the Burnette home.  The last Fallon dash took place in 1997.  In the Fallon Dash the short wings went direct and the long wings went to Ferias Wheel and then to Fallon. The Gerlach Dash is now in it’s 12th Year.  This is the first year that Norma Burnette didn’t go with her motorhome and Heart of Gold cantelopes from Fallon.  Also this is the first year that Bob McKay and Frank Waxham didn’t make it.  We missed them.

The Gerlach Dash will continue, it’s a very old tradition.  Plan to be there next year.

Chukar

See pictures below;

Peggy waiting for her bath.

Skimmer and Dickey Bird Leaving ASI

Skimmer enjoying Peggy's company on way to Gerlach

Skimmer and Dickey Bird 8,500 at Sanno Siding

Pegasus spotted from the Pegasus

Worlds longest runway

Granite Peak at Gerlach

THe shadow on the black rock is where we landed

Going up along granite ridge

Top of Granite ridge

Stoney thermaling with Skimmer over granite

skimmer over ASK-21 at Granite

ASK-21 cruising Granite Ridge

Stoney thermal sharing

Dirt road is Guru Dr. on way to burning man.

Expansive playa view

Tying down after landing.

End of landing roll. Osprey parked in front of me after I stopped.

Stories start after landing

Osprey taking mobile pictures

Goose Gives the thumbs up.

Little bird seeks shade

The Gerlach Gang.

Pappa Echo

Dickey Bird and LP-49

Stoney and Drake with ASK-21

Osprey with SGS-1-36

Skimmer with Pegasus

Goose and Osprey hitch a ride

Skimmer and Drake at Bruno's

Goose and Osprey, Bruno's dinner.

Dickey Bird in Gerlach

Osprey and Drake heading back out.

Stoney and Chukar going back up to slope Granite ridge

Skimmer towing up to granite for sloping

Skimmer hot on Stoney's tail

Where is Stoney going?

Granite peak looking over LP-49

Pegasus

20T

Peggy's tail touched first then main

Black Rock Operations

Goose looks on

I.F.R I follow rope

Oscar risks becoming a playa pizza for shade

"Chukar" Our fearless leader and tow pilot

Stoney and Goose going for a ridge ride

Stoney and Chukar going for a ridge ride

ASK-21 heading up for slope soaring

Skimmer taking out the 1-36 for slope soaring

Hanging out

Stoney and Osprey heading out for slope soaring

ASK-21 and blue tow

ASK-21 launch

Tetrahedron dry lake

Pyramid lake under ASK-21 wing

Pah Rum range

Picking up lift

Skimmer up in the clouds

Bringing in the glider

Black Rock Ground control

Stoney prepares stakes

Skimmer lands Peggy.

Drake says, "Gladiator Skimmer returns triumphant."

The line

Stoney and ASK-21

Chris Drake with ASK-21

ASK-21 landing 23 right

ASK-21 landing 09 left