House of Balsa

I've just completed a side project 2 meter R/C glider that was started on a rainy winter night some months back. Sometimes you just have to take a break and let your creative juices flow. I always wanted a model glider with spoilers so midway through the wing build I decided to steal a few ideas off the web. My cable operated spoilers work quite well. I have a number of flights on it now, mostly at the East Bay Radio Controllers field off of a Highstart(bungee) type launch. That gets me about 200 feet or so. Caught some nice thermals coming up off the dark runway that helped sustain my flights.

During this time I also dug my 25 year old Bridi trainer out of my parents' attic and completely rebuilt/recovered it. Flew it for the first time since 1983 this weekend. It was like visiting an old friend. It flew just like I remembered(maybe even better), except my teenage knees werent knocking this time. Life always seems to bring us full circle, just enjoy those moments of yesteryear as they pass by.

--Tony Derrer

Bob Hoover Flying an F-86

I was on YouTube and found this clip from 1951 of Bob Hoover doing a routine in a Philippine air force F-86 at Clark Field.

The footage speaks for itself...

--Tony

Flying Food Processor

This is as good of a reason as any to use transponders at altitude. I was sitting in front of a Boeing 777 Pratt Whitney PW4090 engine this afternoon and had a coworker snap this photo. That's a 90,000 lb. thrust engine and I'm about 6 feet tall. They say the outside cowling diameter is equal to the diameter of a 737 fuselage.

I think a single place ship could disappear in here without a hickup. It's a monster.

--Tony Derrer

Please Welcome Tony Derrer

I joined the NCSA on 1/25/07.

My work background has
been in Aviation Maintenance for the past 22 years. I've enjoyed many
aspects of the job from working on Ag Helicopters to restoring P-51
Mustang wings that went on to race around the pylons of Reno. This
month marks my 18th year at United Airlines, helping maintain their fleet of passenger aircraft.

Finishing
up my power rating in '87 I'd always felt that there was something
missing in my flying. Pulling the rope release on that ASK-21 in '94, I
had no idea I'd just changed my life forever. The freedom of soaring
captured my heart and soul, filling the void that was missing in my
power flying. Receiving my commercial glider rating allowed me to share
the sport of soaring with a variety of interesting people over the past
decade.

I look forward to flying my own ship and working with the members here at the NCSA.

--Tony Derrer