The Aero Experience: Wabash Valley Soaring Association Hosts Vintage/Classic Sailplane Regatta at Lawrenceville-Vincennes International Airport, IL

By Mark Nankivil

The Wabash Valley Soaring Association hosted their annual Vintage/Classic Sailplane Regatta at their home field on the Lawrenceville-Vincennes International Airport outside Lawrenceville, IL. The club is heavily into vintage and classic sailplanes and many members are part of the Vintage Sailplane Association.

With the International Vintage Sailplane Meet coming up the week of 4th of July in Elmira, NY, a number of sailplanes came in from parts well to the West, such as Jeff Byard's Schweizer 1942 TG-2 and 1930's Bowlus Baby Albatross all the way from California. We stopped in on Father's Day Sunday, the last day of the Regatta, and after 4 glorious days of soaring weather many were packing up to head home but a few decided to get in another flight or two before calling it a day. Jeff flew backseat in the TG-2 while others flew for a couple of flights and Jim Croce, Club President, brought out his homebuilt Miller Tern for a pair of flights. Leland Cowie flew his Mu13D-3, which was originally built in Germany in 1943 and brought back to Canada as war booty after the war strapped to the gun turret of a destroyer! Also flying was an Italian designed postwar sailplane, the Morelli M100. The Baby Albatross, along with other vintage sailplanes such as the Grunau Baby II and Slingsby T31b trainer, were tied down out on the ramp and easy to photograph.

There's a grace and elegance to sailplanes and vintage/classic types in particular, as they circle in lift and travel from thermal to thermal. Here are some views of the aircraft: