Meet our Staff

Noelle Mayes - Office Manager/Tow Pilot - Private Pilot SEL & Glider

Noelle Mayes 1991-Present

Noelle started flying while still in high school where she worked at a local FBO in return for flight time. She earned her private SEL rating in 1990. Noelle starting working for the Mayes family at Lagoon Valley in 1991 where she met the love of her life and owner of Lagoon Valley Soaring, Rex Mayes. She and Rex were married a few years later and have 2 sons, Ben and Nick.

Noelle enjoys running the office, towing and the social atmosphere of the gliderport.
Email Noelle

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Rex Mayes- CFIG, DPE, Commercial SEL, Glider, Pvt MEL, A&P, IA, Repair Station Chief Inspector

Rex Mayes 1984-Present

Rex took over managing Lagoon Valley Soaring in Vacaville, CA the summer of 1984 in a temporary capacity while on break from Sacramento State University. He and his twin brother ran the family business until 1993 when the business moved to Williams, CA. Rex and his wife Noelle along with their two sons own and run the full service gliderport.

Rex is a DPE for Gliders, Chief Inspector for the FAA Repair Station, A&P and IA, tow pilot, and co-owner of Sage Variometers that is located on the airport. Rex strives to create an environment for pilots to enjoy all aspects of soaring. Email Rex

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Ben Mayes - CFIG - Tow Pilot

Ben took his first glider flight in a Grob 109B when he was just two weeks old. He soloed a glider years later on his 14th Birthday and over the course of a few years earned his Private, Commercial, and CFI ratings in Gliders and his Private SMEL.  He has been the official scorer at three National Contests and crewed at many US Regional and National competitions. In 2014 Ben crewed for Team USA at the World Gliding Championships in Poland. Ben continues to fine tune his soaring skills flying the ASW-24, ASG-32Mi, SGS-232 and FOX. He enjoys instructing in gliders and is working towards his next goal of earning his commercial SEL rating. Ben is currently working full time at the gliderport. Ben's spare time is spent as a Lieutenant with the Williams Volunteer Fire Department. Email Ben

 

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Nick Mayes - Tow Pilot, Shop Tech, Private Pilot Glider and MSEL

Nick soloed an ASK-23 on his 14th Birthday and has worked his way up to Private pilot glider and MSEL. He is involved with all aspects of running the gliderport. Nick can be found in the shop where he is apprenticing to become an A&P or in the Pawnee towing gliders. In his spare time, Nick loves to fly his Super Cub and Cessna 180 along with the the family Staggerwing and Cessna 310. He keeps current in gliders flying the WSC sailplane fleet including the ASK21, ASK23, ASW24, ASG32Mi, and SGS 2-32. Nick is a devoted husband and father and still finds time to volunteer with the Williams Fire Department. Email Nick 

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Charlie Hayes - CFIG, CFI SEL, Commercial MEL Instrument

I pulled the release. I was in awe. The rush of the air, the quiet, and the freedom of the sky were magical. It was August of 1967 and I was taking my first glider lesson at Sky Sailing in Fremont, Ca. The orderly layout of the communities below tucked in around the tidelands of the San Francisco Bay seemed other worldly. My enthusiastic instructor, Jim Indrebo, expertly demonstrated the basics of controlling the Schweizer 2-33 glider and then gave me the stick. At 16 years of age I could really fly this thing!

So began my adventure in aviation. With the support of my parents, Jim and Marge Hayes, I would go on to solo at Sky Sailing and soar at the other “good old” gliderports such as Hummingbird, El Mirage and Calistoga (to my regret I missed out on Lagoon Valley!). I cut my cross country teeth at Air Sailing and the epic Minden Wave Camps of the 1970's. I eventually obtained commercial and flight instructor ratings in gliders and airplanes during the following years. In 1993 I decided to make aviation my career. I have operated glider FBO's in Hollister, Reno (Air Sailing) and South Lake Tahoe and have “guest” instructed or flown tow planes for clubs and competitions at Ely, Truckee, Parowan, Montague, Byron, Minden, Sun River and Williams. On the power side of things (in addition to glider towing) I have flight instructed at West Valley Flying Club in Palo Alto and recently completed a stint as a bush pilot for a gold mining outfit in the Yukon.

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