Early History of Albuquerque Soaring Club (ASC)

Originally presented by Ken Harper at the Jan 2003 Awards Banquet

Additional information provided by club members.

Members of the Albuquerque Soaring Club 1960-1961

George Ashley
C.S. (Buzz) Averill
Dr. Lou Bothell
Bob Davis
Sgt. Don Jackson
Maj. Clay Keen
Lt. Bob Maiden – Pres.
Lt. Bob Mercer – Ops.
Capt. Herman Moore – Treas.
Gerhard Schirmer
Jim Stark
Maj. Marvin Sullivan – V.P.
Hank Tendal – Maint.
Herman Wente – Sec.

Aircraft owned by ASC in 1961

1-26C Serial Number 98 N3831A (built from kit by Buzz Averill)
2-22C N10351 (sold in Mexico)
150 HP Super Cub (privately owned)
Chrysler Powered Winch

Location(s) of Operation 1960-1971

Otto, North of Moriarty
Field immediately NW of present West Interchange at Moriarty
West Mesa Site:  Was the original Albuquerque Municipal Airport and base of operations for TWA West of Coors and North of Central.

Move to Moriarty 1971

Members added 1962-1970 included:

·         Tom Beaman

·         Ken Harper

·         Hugh Bivins

·         Ray Johnston

·         Gault Bowen

·         Al Santilli

·         Tom Brandes

·         Paul Scates

·         Ed Burnett

·         Ralph Shellenbaum

·         John Davis

·         Ted Nagy

·         Leo Doyal

·         Don Ott

·         Glen Fowler

·         John Wheatley

·         Frank Gorham

·         Bob Woods

Aircraft

• 180 HP Super Cub
• 2-33 N5711S
• 1-26 N8671R
• Negotiations with City of Moriarty, March 1970
• Construction started on Hangar, Summer 1970
• Move to Moriarty location, November 1970

Costs

• Monthly dues $7.00
• Membership $100
• Glider $6.00
• 2K tow $5.00
• Hangar $25/month

Aircraft owned by ASC through the years after move to Moriarty:

Tow Planes:

• 180 HP Super Cub
• Replaced by brand new 180 HP Super Cub (was stolen)
• Replaced by really old 180 HP Super Cub
• Replaced by Pawnee and then another Pawnee added

Gliders:

• Swallow T-45 N7477Z 1973
• 1-34 N7643 1975
• 1-26 N8671R replaced by brand new N2505H
• Astir CS single place
• Libelle 201 N12RU  - bought in February 1989 from Colby Blodget (club member)
• A second 2-33 N2905H – bought from Karle Jessop in December 1991?
• Towplane 69Z purchased from Dan Gudgel in February 1992
• Sold the Super Cub in May 1992
• Lark 2 Place N51947 in 1981 then a second Lark 2 Place N2273P
• Lark 77B purchased from the Lark Flyers in July 1990 and sold April 1994 [where does this fit in? - Brian]
• 2-place Grob 103 N916G – purchased from Carl Herold in March 1994 then lost during summer of 2005.  Shortly after liftoff, the towplane 10Z was hit by a dustdevil and experienced a prop strike.  The Grob ended up in a groundloop after release and was totaled.  All occupants were okay.
• Purchased Lark from Durango Soaring in October 1995
• Purchased Towplane 62Y from Steve Guest in October 1996
• Sold 2-33 N2474W to the CAP September 1997
• PW-5 N104PW purchased from Uvalde Soaring in September of 1997 and sold to Jeff Bloch in April of 2001
• Lark 73P [hope this is the right one since we had two – Laurie] sold in February 2000
• Grob Astir N126TA purchased from Jay Weishel in June 2001
• 2-place Grob 103 N427BG – purchased in Fall 2005 from George Applebay and Steve Hill to replace the lost Grob 103.
• Off site camps

Winter Wave

• Mountainair, NM (two times in 60's)
• Pendaries, NM (in 60's)
• Angel Fire, NM (in 60's and 70's, last 1975)
• Alamogordo, NM (in 90's)

Summer

• Durango, CO Beginning 1980
• Taos, NM Beginning 1985
• Silver City, NM 1989
• Springerville, AZ 1996,1997+

Contests

• Santa Fe, NM Regional 1978
• Las Vegas, NM Regional 1981
• Moriarty:

• Regional Contest, 1993
• 1-26 Assoc. Nationals, 1995
• Standard Class Nationals, 1996
• 1-26 Assoc. Nationals, 2005

Conventions

• SSA National 1991
• SSA National 2000

Other Milestones and Events

• 1967 Santilli's Utu delivered
• 1974-1975 Mescalero Test Flights by Rick Apgar
• First Paving Project at Moriarty 1985 (ASC operated at Diamond High)
• Consideration and Study to buy Diamond High as our private field 1990
• Major Paving Project at Moriarty 1992-1993
• Support of US Team Advanced Soaring Camp for Juniors, July 2004
• Albuquerque pilots (ASC combined with Sundance Aviation) overall score placed 1st in the USA and 4th in the World in OLC points scored during 2004
• Support of US Team Advanced Soaring Camp for Juniors, June 2005
• Albuquerque pilots overall score placed 1st in the USA and 3rd in the World in OLC points scored during 2005

Diamond Badge Holders

• Harland Ross 1958
• Richard Merian 1967
• Tom Brandes 1969
• Al Santilli 1971
• Frank Gorham 1971
• Hal Bonney 1972
• Hugh Bivens 1974
• Tom Beaman 1974
• Ed Burnett 1975
• Buzz Averill 1977
• John Baumer 1978
• Richard Apgar 1979
• Carl Ekdahl 1980 ***
• Dick Bartsch 1980 ***
• Bill Hill 1980
• Ken Harper 1984
• Colby Blodget 1987
• Chip Garner 1988
• Paul Chase 1989
• Robert Gibson 1995 ***
• Renny Rozzoni 2003
• Kathy Taylor 2006

*** Indicates a pilot who earned all 3 diamond badge legs in a 1-26

National Contest Level Participants

• John Wheatley
• Tom Brandes
• Harland Ross
• Carl Ekdahl
• Chip Garner
• Art Hale
• Bill Hill
• Jim Cumiford
• Paul Chase
• Mitch Hudson

Memorable flights:

• First (? Is this really the first ?) 1000km free distance flight (OLC rules) flown from Moriarty: Chip Garner, Discus 2a, 1045km, May 9, 2004
• 1000km OLC free distance flights flown from Moriarty: Chip Garner, Discus 2a, 1087km & Garrett Willat, Discus 2a, 1000km. Both July 16, 2004
• Another 1000km OLC free distance flight flown from Moriarty: Chip Garner, Discus 2a, 1009km, July 10, 2005

Miscellaneous Stories: