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Index to weather maps

Hangola March 28 & 29, 2000

Terry and I went to Dickey Ridge tuesday. It was cloudy and SW at about 10 when we dropped off a vehicle in the LZ. Not very inspiring. Even less inspiring when we got up on the drive -- sprinkling. Decided to go over to Hogback and see how the launch looked. It's not bad. A line crew has been thru and cleared out the set-up area (which is underneath some power lines) so that part is good but there is some new growth in front that needs attention. Sorry, didn't have any cutter implements.

When we got back it was looking better -- still cloudy but with some sun in the valley and pretty much straight in. Started stuffing battens. Got the wings spread and a gust blew my glider forward, folding the control frame under and collapsing it. Terry ran to help and his glider blew over. Aluminum ok but mine suffered a half inch long tear in the undersurface. Ram air look. After that we set up one glider at a time.

Got them both set up just in time to get rained on by a small cloud but it looked good behind the cloud. The sun returned after the shower but a cell started developing out front. It got bigger and bigger and blacker and blacker and closer and closer. There was thunder and lightning. We clearly had to do something fast. Considered suiting up and diving for the LZ but Terry had taken a picture of the cell and was afraid that if we got killed you guys would develop the film and find out how stupid we were. So we started tearing down as fast as we could. Got them in the bag in record time. Christy would have been impressed. Meanwhile the cell moved off to the north and disappated but we had had enough. Carried them out in bright sun and mellow west winds. Tied them on in the middle of a hailstorm. Went home.

Wallaby

Friday: arrived at the Ranch at 11:30 am. Set up gliders. Launched around 2 pm right behind Mike Barber (I was doing the Academy thing). Wind blowing NE around 10 mph. Got right up and headed SE. I was flying the bagged out K-2. Mike was zigging and zagging around looking for the strongest lift. He spent more time coring sink than lift so he could stay near me. Highest lift I found was around 3800 (cloud base), but without memory on the Tangent, I never know since I don't look at it too often. I landed somewhere in the middle of nowhere SE of Lakeland for 22.2 miles.

Doug had launched and sunk out (which he does a lot the first day at the Ranch). He then got in Mike's van and drove for us. Mike stayed in the air to direct Doug to the field. Doug came up against a locked gate not too far from where I'd landed. We lucked out when the land owner drove up and let him in. Mike then landed in the field and we bagged it and drove back to the Ranch.

Saturday. Light SE wind, higher cloud base, stronger thermals. No driver. I launched at 1 pm right after Mike Barber. The radio transmission wasn't working well and I was only hearing one out of every 10 words Mike B was saying. He was getting really tired of me not following his instructions, but I gotta admit it was nice not to have the constant talking!!! We flew down to I-4 and continued zigging and zagging to the best clouds to Haines City (10 miles from the Ranch). Mike was also getting pretty frustrated by the low performance of the bagged out K-2. One of the transmissions I did catch was when he said my wing got the same glide as a paraglider. Jeez. I started feeling pretty airsick (before he made that comment) and it wasn't getting better since we were thermaling all the time. I finally told him I needed to land so we went back to the Ranch. There was lift the whole way back over Rt 27 and I had to work 20 minutes to get down. It was actually kind of funny. There were a bunch of gliders over the Ranch circling - all in sink or the least strong lift they couuld find trying to get down. Just under 2 hours. Doug had launched before us and was still up when we got back for a total of 4 hours and 15 minutes. Later that evening I took a sled on the new WW Eagle which is in the Pulse-Mark 4 class. Nice handling puppy. (Decided to retire the K-2 and paid JR and Greg Beyer to take it back for me.)

Wills Wing threw a big party with nonstop Margaritas, a great meal, and a band. I danced with Dave Glover, a NH stock broker pilot, and a guy from Colombia - all great swing dancers! Found Doug sleeping in the car when we left the Ranch at midnight.

Sunday. Already blowing fairly hard when we left the Super 8 for breakfast on the Ranch (the best place for breakfast in the whole area). Set up an XC 132 I borrowed from one of the local pilots (Chaudy) and took a short flight. Did the next sled on the demo Fusion 141. It reacts quickly to input, although it felt like it might be a handful in rowdy conditions for me. I took a third sled later on with the 132.

Steve Vogel and Nick Stammers and their families showed up. A lot of pilots from New England and PA were also there during our stay.

Monday. Rain and wind all day. Doug and I spent the greater part of the day sitting on a bench under cover at Celebration, the new town Disney built next to D-World. Relaxing.

Tuesday. My last lesson with Mike Barber. My first tow was not successful. Tiki is new to the towing and is still learning how to ease the 'ups and downs'. It made for a ride on a bronco. First she shoots up into the air when she hits a thermal. I shove out to catch up and next thing I see is her going into the trough and is now way below me. I pull in as hard as I can to get down and, boom, she's way back up there. I shove out, but the glider starts tilting and locks out. We release about the same time, but my release doesn't work since the line is too slack. I find myself with the whole line and take it back to the Ranch to dump. The Tangent gets knocked down somehow in this whole fiasco and when I try to pull it back up, the mount breaks. I have 2 safeties on it so it's now dangling. I hit my secondary and drop the line by the swimming pool, set the Tangent in the corner of the control frame on the side and rear wires as I come around for my final, hoping it stays put for the landing. It does. Whew! I borrow another vario and get up as soon as I can to join Mike Barber who has probably enjoyed his respite from teaching. We play around in the clouds and the sink inbetween for a little over an hour before I lose it. Doug in the meantime has gotten over an hour before sinking out. Later I take another sled on the XC, the wind strong and thermals nonexistant. Bagged the glider. Greeted Raean and Fred who had driven down with their new La Mouettes (Topless) before heading for the airport.

The usual great time at the Ranch. Lots of fun people, great food and flying, what more could you want?

Christy

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This page last updated March 29, 2000