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Hangola April 29 & 30, 2000

Showed up at the rock ready to blow sawdust this morning. Met Joe McManus with a friend whose name I'll not attempt to reproduce. Went down below, and thanks to Joe's rock climbing gear managed to survive the ascent to the top of one of the trees off left of launch. (I've left out some harrowing details...let's just say Joe's getting a big sloppy kiss when he least expects it).

Started sawing up top while Joe fired up the chain saw to attack stumps below. Rolf showed up, with cake which we decided to leave for a reward. After about an hour's work (details left out) on smaller stuff, we sized up the more important remaining items, and had to accept the painful humiliation of being Men Whose Tools are Too Small For the Job At Hand. During our ascent back top Brian Hardwick launched and sledded.

Decided to leave Rolf's cake for dessert and headed to Rocky's for lunch. Returned to find it blowing in quite nicely and I quickly set up. Richard Hayes was there, with Jimmy Long and eventually Eddie Miller. Richard Launched, and after tooling around below launch caught an elevator up. I launched and soon beamed up, followed by Brian Hardwick. One of the best thermalling days I've ever experienced at the Rock (WHERE WAS EVERYONE ELSE?) If I had put on my radio I would have attempted to head cross country across the valley chased by Joe.

Landed after an hour mainly because Joe had my keys and i didn't know how long I could keep him waiting. Richard also got an hour, and Brian Hardwick maybe about half an hour. Sparky arrived after conditions changed and sledded out, followed by Millman and girlfriend on a glider. When we got back up top Eddie had managed to climb out in very light winds and was boating about 300 feet above the parking lot.

In all the excitement, forgot about Rolf's cake. Still bummed out about that.

-Brian.

Arrived at 10 am to find perfect cloud streets forming right over the runway. The tug got started around 11. Mumford, Brian (a H II), Kinsley, Mike C., Marc F., and a few others. Some Tandum tourists, a lot of sailplane action.

I am trying to get my AT rating and had to wait until around six before Chad would tow me (How about now Chad? Now is it ok for you to tow me? Now?)

Mike went 24.7 miles and Steve decided to land next to him to keep him company. Marc got a few miles too.

Nice day out there.

Ed

The usual phone tag this morning, nobody making a decision until almost 10. I met up with Steve K in Bowie for the ride share and commented that we should be releasing under one of these big cumies right now, we're late. About the time we crossed the Severn river I realised I had forgotten my release, too late to go back. They should have a loaner at Highland.

It wasn't looking quite as good when we arrived and there were still large puddles in some fields. Sunny tells me he has no extra releases but to tow off my shoulder straps with just the backup release. I wasn't thrilled with that idea but he found a 3 string release and I used that with no problem.

I found a weak thermal soon after releasing and worked it's 50 fpm to 4500 ft over Denton. I crossed a big blue hole of sink and got down to 1000 ft. I saw some birds climbing over a brown field and went to join them and climbed out to 3200. Once again, saved by the birds. The sky soon overdeveloped and I landed at 24.7 miles, across the road from a housing development. You would have thought this was an everyday occurence the way I was ignored.

I wasn't sure which town I was near, Federalsburg or Seaford so I crossed the road and asked a guy washing a car what road this was. He didn't know. I tell him I just flew my hang glider from Ridgley. No interest. So I ask him what was the major road I could see to the south. He didn't know. Well which town is this that we're near? Didn't know. I wonder how that guy could find his way out of a paper bag much less navigate somewhere in his car. Some guys working on a car across the street also ignore me as does an old man mowing his lawn. Finally someone slows to look and I flag him down and find out I'm near Seaford on 552.

I make a few calls back to Ridgely and others negotiating a ride. Steve K lands at 20.7 miles and calls on the radio, Marc Fink calls from Ridgley and offers to drive. He asks where my keys are, !@#$, they're in my pocket. I tell him where my spare is kept and after hanging up remember that we took Steve's car. Duh! Marc figures it out and shows up later after picking up Steve.

MC

Posting for John Middleton

Saturday, April 29, John M and two students played road trip. They arrived at Smithsburg to find the field closed for flying. The sign announcing it as such was up, and crops definitely too high for flying.

They then drove to Luray to find the winds NE instead of NW. The result was a 300-mile road trip and no flying for John and his students.

John's Sunday plan is to start the day at Luray for training flights, and then a late day arrival at Woodstock.

Cragin

High Point

Mark Gardinator and Will Jenkins are the only pilots to really soar Saturday. Both get up and out. Will flies home and leaves his vehicle in the LZ (which we turn out to be grateful for). Mark doesn't know where he is as he heads over the back. The rest of us: JR, Doug, Larry Ball, Marvin, and I have pretty short flights to the LZ. I am 3rd off (after Mark and Will) and sink out in record time. Hit mostly 4-500 down on the way to the LZ.

I radio Mark and ask if he'd like me to chase him in his truck and he says that would be great. Little does he know.

So I bag my glider quickly and leave in Big Blue. The steering is really sloppy so those mountain roads are a treat. I head for the road that passes near Zirk's, the last place Mark named with confidence (and accuracy). He says he's heading south so I go on down 28. Outside Fort Ashby, I ask again and he says 'south, no southwest' so I head on 46 to Keyser. Before getting there, I ask again where he's headed and he says he's about to go over the back and would be crossing perpendicular to the ridges. I press on hoping to get a visual on him soon. South of Keyser I meet up with Rt 50 which is the road Mark thinks he's flying over. I head west (it being a L/V day and the cumies in this direction looking great, it isn't totally out of the question he'd be going west - Mark is really good in light air after all!) and go up and over a couple of ridges, talking to Mark at each high point. I finally reach the ridge near Gormania and try again to get Mark. No luck, I go on down the mountain past Redhouse before turning back, asking a bicyclist with an English accent if he'd seen a hang glider. He hadn't. No sign of any gliders (crashed or otherwise) along the road. I stop at a store and rummage through Mark's stuff looking for his cell phone number. Find it. Lucky shot there. The store people are nice enough to let me use their phone and I try calling Mark. No answer. Try again 10 minutes later. He's just landed and doesn't know where he is yet. He asks how the truck is running. I say ok. Little did I know. I tell him to get to the road and call me back at the store when he knows where he is. He calls back 10 minutes later. 'Rt. 50 about 10 miles east of Romney.' I tell him to ask for a second opinion - that I am a LONG way from there and need assurance before making that trek. He calls back, 'Rt. 50 about 10 miles east of Romney.' 'Well, Mark,' I say, 'It's gonna take me a while since I'm about 45 miles from Romney.' His truck starts making these weird noises on the trek east on 50. First there is a whirring sound, then a loud knocking sound. It's louder and louder. When I get east of Romney a little over an hour later, I reach Mark on the radio and tell him that he'll be able to hear his truck before he sees it. Oh, the look on his face as I come down the hill.... We make it back to the LZ where Doug has been waiting for hours. Larry and JR have gone off to dinner and Doug thought it would just be a little longer.... There is no way Mark's truck is going to make it back up to launch so we can get my truck, so we don't take it. (Thanks again, W!) And, as it turns out, there is no way Mark's truck is going to make it back to his lovely wife in Imler PA.

More notes: Mark had let me know on the way back to Cumberland that the oil pump had been going. Not a good thing to have going. That odd whirring sound I heard - when the oil pressure needle was going nuts swinging all over the place - must have been when it was saying adieu. There was still plenty of oil in the engine - just not getting sent where it was most needed! Fried rod bearings anyone?

Cast of thousands. I can't even begin to enumerate whoall was there: Steve K., myself, Jimmy Long, Eddie Miller, Kurt Kemmerer, Eric Wakefield, Carlos, Rob Millman, Mark and Sheila GARDNER, Matt and Karen (of Matt and Karen), Tom [who assembled his glider faster than Christy ever did, if that's possible], and many, many, more....

Woke up pointed forward to go to Woodstock. Wx channel forecasting NW 15-20; reported gusts to 23 at Dulles Airport. Got on the NWS website. Winds aloft forecast 350 @ 17 at 3000'; 330 @ 22 at 6000'. Huh? Matt called to lobby for HR and as it didn't look blown out in DC we decided to go there. I needed to get back home early anyhow.

Flags blowing due freakin' North and fairly strong from Frederick all the way to the Rock. Found it blowing straight in at 10 at launch with occasional cycles to 15. Huh? But not complaining, mind you. Uneventful first Mountain launch in 5 months into strong springtime thermals and sink. Peak lift and sink +1,050; -1,300. Winds at 3000' over 300-330 @ 15-25 mph. Would follow these great cores all the way back to the towers and be forced to bail out of sustained 600 fpm up to stay legal. Woulda been a great over-the-back day somewhere. Spent a disconcerting 15 seconds on a straight glide to the parking lot behind launch one time due to sink. I'm back to loving my Fusion again. LZ was active above the treeline, but it must have been reasonable as I even had a decent landing.

2+10, 3200 over, and a nice reintroduction to the mountains.

It was still eminently soarable when we left at 6:30 or so.

-- Joe

Cast of thousands. I can't even begin to enumerate who all was there: Steve K., myself, Jimmy Long, Eddie Miller, Kurt Kemerer, Eric Wakefield, Carlos, Rob Millman, Mark and Sheila GARDENER, Matt and Karen (of Matt and Karen), Tom [who assembled his glider faster than Christy ever did, if that's possible], and many, many, more....

***************

Joe,

I had a terse message on my answering machine from Dan when we got home last night telling me that it was going to be blown out at the Rock. Well, it was strong at times on launch but never freight trainy, scary strong and the lulls were long and predictable. I got 2.5 hours and 5000 over. I managed to fly half way upwind to Waynesboro only losing 1000 feet. When I returned to the ridge I discovered umpteen million pilots had launched. Karen got one hour and 1400 over. Sheila and Kurt Kemerer had their first high flights on their new Ultrasport 135s. Also there were Sparky, Kelvin, High Rock Bob, Judy-Judy, Juan Sonen, as well as Windriders Doug Rogers and Keith Olena. Marc, His Royal Finkness, had the flight of the day with 4 hours and 5400 over and Ellis, I must land at Sunset, Kim flew three times so that she could be the last pilot down.

Matthew (not Matt and Karen, of Karen and Matthew)

Lots of people at Woodstock. Basil first there, first off, first to land, first to leave. Can't remember the rest of the launch order, but it included (at least) the following: Doug Wakefield, Nelson Lewis, Mike Chevalier, Mark Cavanaugh, Dave Proctor, Mario ? originally from Argentina, Dan Tomlinson, Craigin Shelton, John McAllister, Rich Lawrence, Terry Spencer, John Dullahan, Ed Reno, me. Some Hang 2's and students of John's came later. Gary Smith got his first high (and soaring) flight. More later.

After over an hour in the air, I was called into service to help with retrievals. Then John showed and Gary was going to get his first high flight so I stayed up to watch his launch. It was great - he looked like a bat out of hell leaving the slot and for a bit afterward, until John's calm voice over the radio says (for the 2nd time) 'OK, Gary, relax. You can go a little slower now' Gary was in pig heaven. He flew all over the place. He finally landed close to 2 hours later. (Doug and I were up talking to Mr. Fishburn and raced back to the LZ when we saw Gary coming out to land.) Gary forgot to unzip his pod which might have been a good thing depending how you look at it. He gets the spot landing award in any case. He slid across the field after touching down on the biggest ripest cow patty there. He couldn't move because his shoulders were sore (pushing off the basetube for 2 hours maybe?), and he stank to high heaven with the cowshit coating everything visible, but !! he had the biggest grin on his face. Probably still there.

Christy

Not many reports of how pilots did, where they landed etc. I got to 4500 over and landed north of Luray for a measly 10.6 miles. Homer landed about 2 miles north after a struggle over the Shenandoahs.

Anybody else?

MC

What I did for my summer vacation and why I had to drive home with the windows down.

By; Gary Smith

Yesterday was a day I will never forget. Actually this weekend was a weekend that I will never forget. Got up early on Saturday to start work on a deck at home and had so many problems with the tractor and posthole digger thoughts quickly turned to flying. Called John M. at 9:00 AM and he said let's meet at Smithsburg so I packed up and headed on up to Smithsburg. I knew it was going to be a bad day when I arrived and the "Closed to HG" sign was up. I waited 15 min. and John showed up and we decided to head for Long's hill in Luray two hrs. south. We departed after another student by the name of Dan Smith showed up 1/2 hr. later.

Long drive to Long's hill to discover crossing winds from the NNE. Bagged flying there and headed north to check a couple of promising new training hills. One secret hill has a swimming pool at the top and the location can be had for a nominal fee. I think this day comes out on top for the worst driving/flying ratio I have experienced yet. I forgot to mention that John's muffler fell off on one of the many back roads we were driving. On the road again with a coat hangar repair job. Headed home for a beer and to commiserate about the long process of getting a H2 sign off.

Work on the deck on Sunday quickly faded away with the rationale that whatever was wrong with the tractor would require parts to fix and these parts could only be had from an implement dealer who is always closed on Sundays. Damn!! Alternate plan B let's go flying. Talked to John at 9:00 and we decided to meet at Long's Hill for another go at it. John broke his Cardinal rule of "two students per class" and drove all of the way to Luray for a one student class. Thanks again John. I took four flights from the top of Long's hill in an attempt to hit my required three consecutive spot landings. Missed the first one after coming up short in sink but made the next three. John took a flight and nailed the bulls eye. I couldn't believe it when John said "throw your glider on top of my truck, we are going to Woodstock". The adrenaline started pumping when I realized what this meant- that I was now facing "the ultimate challenge". A year before I can remember standing on the Woodstock launch telling my wife that "I would like to take up the sport of HG but I could never launch here". Looks like it's time to eat my words.

Another fast run up route 81 to drop my car in the LZ. Walked the LZ and went over approaches and put up a larger wind sock than the one that was there. Headed up to the "big training hill" as this was how I could make this leap more doable in my mind. Wire crewed for five launches prior to John saying "get your harness", you are up next. I tried to stay calm and focus on all of the pre flight details I learned on the "little training hill". Somehow it worked. I was able to keep a clear head and think rationally. More convincing argument that the many flights and all of the repetition on the training hill was paying off. Asked a dumb question (yes there is such a thing as a dumb question) of John before I launched; "what happens if I launch and start going up"; Duh, Duh tripple Duh; dumb question. John looked at me and smirked and replied "that's what we want you to do, that's what we call lift".

Waited for a calmer cycle, kept my nose down and ran like hell. Well I did go up even while pulling in on the bar with what seemed to be excessive pressure. Next thing I knew I was level with the ridge, then above the fire tower. I just don't have the words to describe this sensation. I was flying fast and "way out front" out of a fear of stalling or getting blown over the back. I had to turn my radio up to hear John and Christy so it took a few minutes of fumbling with the volume control before I could hear them clearly. Time to calm down and enjoy this new experience to it's fullest. Still fighting the bar; "shouldn't be this hard" I was thinking. "Relax, relax", I kept repeating to myself. Finally I released my death grip on the bar and started to enjoy myself. At first I turned parallel to the ridge to the north for a mile or so at 800'-1000' over and then south of the tower for a mile or so. I was not paying attention to my vario at first because I was in survival mode. When I tuned into my vario I was able to use it to turn into the sweet spots. I was able to gain 1800' over in the first thermal before I lost it. I sank back to 800' over and started thermal snooping again. I already was addicted to the altitude gain after one ride up. The second good thermal brought me to 2200' before I settled back to 1000' or so over. I was having the time of my life. Here I was, a very very lucky man; H2 in the morning, first mountain flight in the same afternoon, soaring consistent ridge lift and learning to thermal all on day one in the mountains. As the late, master of poetry and guitar, Jimmy Hendrix would say "xcuse me while I kiss the sky".

The third good thermal was the best of the day for me with a trip to 3020'. Thought I was in heaven. I was in the air for close to two hours when I noticed a glider in the LZ that looked Like John's (Orange leading edge)so I headed over the LZ to begin my decent so as to not to keep him waiting. Took a few minutes to circle down to the LZ and to set up an approach. I kept expecting to hear someone on the radio but suspected that my batteries were dead as I didn't hear a peep. All was well until I misjudged my altitude and thought that I might have enough altitude for one more trip around the block. "NOT" I soon realized that I was going to have to turn into the field and get my wing on the ground before I ended up in the trees. To make matters worse I could not get my landing gear down (my two left feet) because I had forgotten to unzip my brand new pod harness which I had only flown with once on the training hill. By the time I realized what was happening it was too late. I performed a perfect skidding belly flop onto a still steaming brown field grenade which was probably just left for me five minutes earlier by the biggest 10 stomached cow in the field. The damn thing exploded upon impact. What a way to end the perfect day. I was covered from parachute to pinky in brown stinky slime. I had to drive home with the windows open and you should have seen the look on my wife's face when I told her I was going to wash my harness in the tub that night.

I realized after I stopped sliding that the only thing hurt was my pride. Man was I sore though!!! Not from the botched landing, I guess I have never used "soaring" muscles before.

I was thankful to all of the pilots in the LZ who restrained themselves from rolling on the ground in uncontrollable laughter. I did hear a comment though, from Jose, the next pilot to land that he could hear Christy laughing while he was still 500' over the LZ. Ha Ha. I am thinking to myself; Self "it's a darn good thing that no one has a camera". I also felt better when someone offered the words of sympathy. "Any landing that you walk away from is a good landing" Amen brother.

A lot of valuable lessons learned on this flight; but even more to learn from the adventures ahead.

Gary

Not many reports of how pilots did, where they landed etc. I got to 4500 over and landed north of Luray for a measly 10.6 miles. Homer landed about 2 miles north after a struggle over the Shenandoahs. Anybody else? MC

Coming back from North Point I had hoped to reach at least Edinburg Gap, but as I approached launch at about 800 over, a mega flush cycle sank three pilots who had just launched - I also lost it quickly and just worked little bits of lift to about 2.5 miles short of the gap for 11 miles. There wasn't much; the leaves were quite still as I skimmed over them.

After landing in a very light north wind I thought it had shut down (the forecast indicated the high would be over us by the afternoon) and felt quite satisfied with myself; until I looked up and saw one glider stinking high (about 2,000 over) come on by and head south. It turned out to be Mario, whom I promised to pick up if he couldnt make the gap. Right; Mario just kept climbing and had no need for Bacil's retrieval services.

Then I saw you and Nelson, also nice and high, and toyed with the idea of giving it another shot. The only possible deterrent was that none of you seemed to be making much headway to the south. Outside of evening magic (it was only 2:30 PM)I couldn't fathom why there was lift when what little wind that existed was straight north.

You mentioned that Mario had made it as far as Washington, VA. I looked it up in the DeLorme and it's about 19 miles SE of launch. If that's where he landed, he must have specked out, crossed over Hogback and a lot of high tree country, to have had such a spectacular flight and make it that far.

Regards, John

I had a personal best too on Sunday. I took a turnpoint one bend south of the Strasburg reservoir then returned and crossed the Edinburg gap for the first time. I crossed it waaay out front fairly late in the day. There was nobody in sight by then. I landed right next to Hwy. 11 about a mile south of the E-gap road. 1:50, 3100' over and about 13.2 miles via the DeLorme and ruler method.

Thanks Craig for the help and thanks to the nice lady who gave me a ride back to the LZ. (:-)

Dan T.

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This page last updated May 1, 2000