Soaring the Sky Podcast
E093: Monkeys, Coconuts, Field Fires and John Denver | An Interview With Don Ingraham
Our ninth instalment of this ongoing series where we select and present episodes from Chuck Fulton’s highly regarded soaring podcast. See Resources, below, for links where you can find Soaring the Sky, or simply click the green play button below to start listening. — Ed.
Don Ingraham was living in Minneapolis when he was bitten by the soaring bug in 1993 at age 39. Thanks to the tutelage of Bob Wander, by age 40 he had soloed, earned a PPG (private pilot, glider) certificate and purchased a Jantar Standard.
Over the next couple of years he flew the Jantar to more than a dozen Minnesota state soaring records and kept busy during the winters refinishing it in gelcoat — with much phone advice from George Applebay. Don started flying contests in it in 1996 and moved up to a Discus in 1999. His wife, Kathy, was always willing to track him down, trailer in tow, when he couldn’t make it home from a cross country flight. He won the Hilton Cup in 1999 and got to make a dream come true — meeting top pilots and flying different gliders from the Hilton Ranch for ten days straight.
A few years later, in 2003, he asked Kathy what she thought about the idea of going into business running a commercial glider operation. He explained the six-figure salary would be gone and there was a very steep and potentially perilous learning curve. And it would take a big chunk of money. And he had no idea how to do it. And they had two toddlers, Chase (2) and Ali (4). Kathy paused for a moment, then asked how he would feel, years from now, looking back, if he went back to the stable-yet-now-soul-crushing computer world and never tried to start his own business. Don said he’d feel like a frumpy, cowardly, wimpy loser. Kathy said she didn’t want to be married to that guy, so game on!
Don and Kathy built a website, bought a tow plane (Socata Rallye 235E) and a glider (Grob 103 Twin II) and opened the doors of Cross Country Soaring, Inc. in Faribault, Minnesota in 2004 (see Resources). They now operate a second Grob 103 and a have a winch. He is beginning his 17th year in operation. Check it out with the link in Resources below.
Bob Wander was a key factor in Don’s success in pursuit of life in the sky and they have remained good friends. Bob asked Don to write a book based on a talk he delivered at the Sport’s Aviation Conference in Minneapolis in 1996. That book, The Final Four Minutes — Landing Out, is now available for a song! Again, see Resources below for the link.
©2021, 2023 Chuck Fulton
Resources
- Cross Country Soaring, Inc. — “We are a commercial glider operation based at the Faribault Municipal Airport, about 35 minutes south of Minneapolis on I–35W. We operate from April through October…”
- Bob Wander’s Soaring Books and Supplies — “Here at bobwander.com, sixty bucks will buy you a number of books and deliver them to your door as well…”
- George Applebay — “The United States Southwest Soaring Museum exists because of the vision and efforts of George Applebay…”.
- Soaring the Sky — “an aviation podcast all about the adventures of flying sailplanes. Join host Chuck Fulton as he talks with other aviators around the globe”. You can also find Chuck’s podcast on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter
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