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Sugar Valley Composite Squadron Does Glider Flights

glider on runway
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The NC Wing's glider on the runway ready to take off. Photo Credit: Photo by C/SMSgt Michael Herman, CAP (click image to view full size)
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NC-052 Cadets Soar!

3/16/2018––It was a spectacular day for soaring for 8 Sugar Valley Composite Squadron cadets and 2 senior members on 24 February 2018. Cadets spent the entire day at the Triangle North Executive Airport either flying in the NCWG’s glider, assisting with ground operations or just marveling at other aircraft traffic at the airport. Cadets got to learn and observe, as well as fly.

Cadets arrived at the airport’s Main Building. After signing in, everyone gathered around for a safety briefing from the Air Boss, Maj Frank Donahue, of NC-145. Maj Donahue took cadets outside to the ramp to observe, tour and learn about all the different aircraft at the airport. After a hearty lunch of hotdogs from the moms of NC-145, cadets moved over to the glider on the airport’s grass strip.

After shuttling in a Civil Air Patrol (CAP) van across the airport, everyone waited for their turn to fly in "Merlin" - the NCWG’s glider. For each flight, the CAP tow plane, piloted by 1st Lt Michael Bennett of NC-048 and Lt Col Richard Netherby of NC-145, was connected to the glider by a tow rope. The tow plane waited for the glider pilot’s signal, then took off with the glider close behind. The tow plane pulled the glider up to a certain height and the glider then detached. The tow plane dropped the tow rope by the side of the runway and then landed. 
 
The glider pilots, Capt John Styers and Capt Justin Barnes of NC-145, let the cadets fly the glider around and taught them some basics about gliders and aircraft. All ground operations were provided by NC-145’s cadets and senior members. When a cadet was ready for takeoff in the glider, Sugar Valley cadets assisted by attaching the tow rope and doing wing running.
 
Cadets got to do much more than just fly in a glider: they observed, learned and assisted with flights. As the day grew short, the Sugar Valley Composite Squadron members headed home, appreciating the many CAP volunteers that made the glider flights possible.
 
The Sugar Valley Composite Squadron meets weekly at the Sugar Valley Airport, 249 Gilbert Rd, Mocksville, NC, on Tuesdays from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM.