Eric Rupp sits in the cockpit of his glider while awaiting takeoff Wednesday morning for his flight from Hollister to the Mexican border. If completed, the trip will be the longest glider flight from Hollister, and should take about seven to eight hours.
An airplane tows a glider for 6,000 feet before it is released for its flight attempt to Mexico, which would be the longest glider flight from Hollister.
Hollister - Eric Rupp and his friends don't live in Hollister, but they still think of it as their "soaring home." When the weather is right, they assemble at the local airport and fly their gliders all over California.
On Thursday morning, Rupp was out on the runway with Steve Brockman of Gilroy, Ron Hess of Los Gatos, Tom Hubbard of Carmel and Ramy Yanetz of San Ramon. The sun was out and the wind seemed to be just right, but they knew the good weather wouldn't last forever, and each pilot scrambled to assemble his glider as quickly as possible.
It's a common sight at the airport, but Rupp and his fellow pilots are aiming to fly farther south than normal: the U.S.-Mexico border. If they succeed, they'll set a new record for flying out of Hollister.
"We're pushing the boundaries a little bit every year," said Rupp, a laundry business-owner from Soquel.
Normally, most of the men would be working on a Thursday, but the good weather was too much to resist. Not all of them plan to make the entire trip, and even for those who want to go the distance, Rupp said success isn't guaranteed.
"It's a matter of weather and stamina," he said.
Yanetz, a software engineer from San Ramon, said that although Thursday's weather was good, the lack of clouds was problematic. Without clouds, the pilots could have a hard time detecting wind patterns.
"We hope (it's a good day), but it's not what we would call 'epic,'" Yanetz said.
At press time Thursday, the flight's success was still unknown. But even if they don't make it, Yanetz and Rupp said they won't be too disappointed.
After all, a successful flight to the border adds a lot of complications. They'll probably land near San Diego, Rupp said, then catch a commercial flight north. But when they get back to Hollister, Rupp and his pals will have to drive back to San Diego to pick up their gliders.
Drew Pearce of the Hollister Gliding Club pointed out that there are more than bragging rights at stake. The club has created a "Hollister Mad Dash" challenge, offering $500 of towing services to anyone who sets a local gliding record. Pearce said pilots need to top the old record by 10 percent if they want the prize. As of Thursday morning, the existing record is a flight to Palm Springs, which Rupp, Yanetz and the others will beat handily if they make it to the border.
Of course, none of those distances seem all that challenging for a normal plane. But a glider, which is towed into the sky by a traditional plane and released to soar in the wind, is another matter.
Rupp said it's the challenge that keeps things interesting, along with the bonds with his fellow pilots. It can be an expensive hobby - Rupp's glider alone cost $30,000 - but he said there are moments that make it worthwhile.
"When you're up there and you find yourself in a thermal circling with a red-tailed hawk or an eagle, you say, 'I must be doing something right with my life,'" Rupp said.
Anthony Ha Anthony Ha covers local government for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or aha@freelancenews.com.
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