[Bob Kuczewski]

Add to the list of participants “Dockweiler Bob” – Bob Bendetson. When the history of Dockweiler is finally written “Dockweiler Bob” will be credited as the pilot with the most flights at Dockweiler Beach, at this time numbering over 10,000.

I second that. DW Bob impressed me years ago when I learned that he was an H4 who still came to the beach almost every day to work on his launching and landing. That's been an inspiration to me.

[Frank Colver]

second that. DW Bob impressed me years ago when I learned that he was an H4 who still came to the beach almost every day to work on his launching and landing. That's been an inspiration to me.

That continued launch/land practice was always important to me. When I was regularly flying the big mountain sites I would return to Little Norco (see photo) every few weeks and spend an afternoon making short flights to keep up on shallow slope launch and small field landing. I once saw the great Bob Wills blow a shallow slope launch at Cantamar, which I attributed to his usually launching from steep mountain sites.

Frank

[Neil Larson]

magentabluesky : Thanks for the great info on D&W BOB ...
but . . . . . . ? Fcolver : the Little Norco photo is a departure from all the
Dockweiler specific photos ?

[Frank Colver]

Oops, sorry Neil. Let's say i was planning to hook into a boomer and fly across SoCal to land at Dockweiler. Hey that gives me an idea,; how about a Dockweiler liar's club?

Well, I sure wish the Little Norco site was stil open to HG. It is still intact and I think that is because it is an open space preserve now, but not sure. It was great for me to walk the site a few months ago and let my memories of great days gone by, float on the breeze.

FC

[Bob Kuczewski]

Hey that gives me an idea,; how about a Dockweiler liar's club?

Maybe at next year's Otto meet (45 years!!) we could offer an award for the best "story" telling.

In all seriousness, I think it would be great to have some kind of after-flying banquet similar to the Newport Beach event. We could make it a combined dinner / awards festival / film festival. With a year to plan ... there are a lot of possibilities!!!

[Frank Colver]

Have I told you about the time I reached 10,000' ASL after launching at Dockweiler Beach............oh, I gotta go now, no time to talk.

Frank Colver, Chief Potentate and Grand Poo-bah, Dockweiler Liar's Club

[Bob Kuczewski]

... Dockweiler Liar's Club

On the date of this meet (May 23rd, 2015) a new club was established operating essentially as a "Friends of Dockweiler" club to support gliding efforts at that site.

The name is still being discussed, but the one that's currently used for this forum is "Friends of Dockweiler Gliding". I propose that all attendees of the 2015 meet are given reserved membership numbers in the new club in the order of their first flying dates.

I plan to call each attendee to gather this information, but I encourage people to post that information here to save me the call. I'll start with myself:

- Bob Kuczewski - First hang gliding flight in the fall of 1978.

Any other suggestions for how to bootstrap the membership list are welcome!!

[JoeF]

First flying dates? Or first hang glider flying dates? Or first date of flying at Dockweiler?
Etc.
PIC or passenger?
George Uveges, now 92, flew the second version of Miller's Bamboo Butterfly; he flew it at Dockweiler in 1966. But he had sailplane flights before that year. He came to the May 23, 2015, party at Dockweiler.

What if we stayed without numbers? Friends. Names. Interests. A newcomer to "Friends of Dockweiler Gliding" might be someone who never intends to fly a hang glider, but surely wants to be friends to the the gliding taking place at Dockweiler. We just have a Shane Useem join the "Friends of Dockweiler Gliding" but has not flown and may not ever, but she is a friend of what goes on at the site; she supports people reaching for a fulfillment of the dream to fly; and she is willing to help clean the site and otherwise promote gliding at the site in ways within her talents. A newcomer pilot feels for himself or herself ... young in the sport they are experiencing; would numbers damp things that are felt; for him or her the universe changes to a youthful point. Fun competitions for distance or spot landing ... yes. But numbered status among those supporting Dockweiler gliding? Just exploring nuances ....

Members: alphabetical, not numbering. Numbering is occurring elsewhere. Do "Friends" needed numbering in this case?

[flyingbrian]

Had an awesome time! Thank you Bob and Joe for making this year's meet a great success! Here are some photos...

[flyingbrian]

And a few more pictures later in the day...