I thought it might be fun to document the ships I have had, if only for posterity. This was my first molded ship, a Stork 2 Pro.
When I joined the Inland Soaring Society in Riverside CA I had a Calypso, my first plane. Upon meeting me and hearing I had an electric glider, Ed Stewart said to me "We'll get you up on the winch!". I thought to myself "That is not going to happen in a million years".
A month or so later when I arrived at the field Ed ran up to my car, and asked me if I had any money. As I was pulling out my wallet to loan him a twenty he told me they had been holding the Stork for me. One of the members had passed away and they were trying to get his planes to good homes. It was an opportunity I couldn't pass up.
The next week when the Stork was launched up the winch for the first time I was hooked immediately. I suddenly understood why people still used what I thought before was an old, outdated method of launching a sailplane. Why use a winch when you can put a motor in the nose. Seemed silly.
But it wasn't silly, it was a rush and a half. The feeling of flinging a plane into the air like a rocket with no safety net to keep you there but your own skill and the rising air can't be easily explained to those who haven't done it. Then, once you come down, to have to land it in one piece with no go rounds. Wow.
I had the Stork for a few months. I decided I wanted to get into the competition aspect of the sport, and the Stork was pretty heavy. But she was a great learning airplane.