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7.   May...1962

This was continued for the hour required to travel the 20 miles to Fresno at an average altitude of 2,000 ft. The huge Fresno Air Terminal lay well out of reach to the west. A farm strip, a new subdivision, and a golf course with its inviting clubhouse slowly drifted past on a course that kept the highly desirable airport out of reach. If I had been near enough, I am sure I would have landed. An honest thermal was found right over a radio tower (maybe it was putting out a lot of hot air) and its lift gradually strengthened and soon 4,000 ft. was reached. A growing cu appeared downwind and the airport, so desirable a few moments before, now rated only a scornful laugh as I turned tail to its smooth, wide runways. The best thermal of the day with 16 feet per second climb was found under the cu and cloud base was soon reached at 6,800 ft., and I set out at 55 mph with good clouds ahead. The towns and airports now came by so fast it was hard to believe the charts which were checkered and rechecked.
At Visalia, a turn was made to Exeter to reach the last solid looking cloud at 5:00P.M. The wild hope of actually making Gold distance at Porterville, visible some 20 miles ahead, surged through me for the first time. The clouds were now losing their firm look and the lift was quite weak. Position was verified and speed reduced to 40 mph or less in the zero sink encountered from time to time. Ten miles to go and it is now a sure thing. Such a good feeling isn't to be had often. Porterville was reached with 3,500 ft. A moment's thought was given to the Diamond goal of Delano, only 25 miles away, but the lift was gone; so tail to the wind and add as many miles as possible! The "last" farm and telephone was reached 10 miles southeast of town with about 1,000 ft. altitude. A good look on a fly-over verified a safe landing place and a careful pattern resulted in a safe landing within 200 feet of the telephone at 5:40 P.M. Total distance was 196 miles; time, six hours fifty-five minutes; average speed, 28 miles per hour; average speed the last 70 miles, 43 miles per hour.
When I telephoned Hummingbird Haven to give directions for my crew to find me, Earl Menefee answered and informed me that this was "a great day for the Asdels" as Rob had just completed his five-hour Silver duration flight. A call to Carlton Kibler (a Cherokee II wonder) in 

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-3-1-26s, 2-22C, TG-3A    -25 MILES FROM SAN FRANCISCO
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Summer Soaring School at Dry Lake near Reno, Nevada, in June, July and August, Gold and Diamond C opportunities. Plan your soaring vacation for out west in '62. [/boxed]]

Porterville resulted in both he and his son coming out and we towed the 1-26 to the farm gate near the road. They generously provided the warmth of their car and companionship until the crew, Gabby Hansen and my wife, Dorothy, arrived at 7:30 P.M. We all helped load the ship on the trailer with the aid of flashlights in the dark and were on the road in half an hour, arriving home at 2:00 A.M.
The Diamond goal that I declared wasn't completed, but we found out when we returned that this was the first Gold distance ever made from the San Francisco Bay area. Somehow, that desk full of paper work that I hadn't completed Friday or Saturday was cleaned up in short order Sunday morning.

KUETTNER NAMED AS SATURN-APOLLO MANAGER
SSA Member Dr. Joachim P. Keuttner has been named as manager for coordinating work on the APOLLO spacecraft and its boosters by the Marshall Space Flight Center of NASA. Formerly, he was chief of the MERCURY-RED-STONE program at Marshall. Dr. Kuettner's new job will be to manage the systems integration of the manned APOLLO with the SATURN C-1 and advanced SATURN launch vehicles (CRONUS). He will represent the SATURN Systems Office in contracts with the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center and its contractors in the systems integration area.
In the soaring world, Dr. Kuettner has earned the Gold badge with three diamonds and is noted for his meteororolical research, particularly as it pertained to mountain waves and the jet stream.

SAILPLANE CENSUS AGAIN
Another reminder for everyone who owns or is building a sailplane in the U.S. to make sure that SSA's new census keeper, C.A. "Gus" Street, Jr., has the N#, make and model and owner's name and address. If you have a sailplane that is not listed correctly in the 1960 SSA Soaring Directory, send the information to Gus at Rte. 1, Strawberry Hill Farm, Advance, N.C.
Whenever you sell or buy a sailplane and fill out the official FAA forms, or whenever you change your address, let Gus know, too.

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