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Hangola May 13 & 14, 2000

In spite of another searing, mid summer-like temperature forecast, a half dozen or so pilots were on hand to commit aviation at the Manquin Flight Park, VA on Saturday. Forecast weather data suggested an early window of opportunity prior to the arrival an increasing SW wind and towering cumulus associated with the late afternoon arrival of a pre-frontal squall line. Also promising was the forecast for weak LOW pressure to form on the Delmarva Peninsula during the morning. If this verified, this would likely result in a NW wind @ field level beneath a relatively dry, W wind aloft. This change in wind direction with height is called 'backing' and causes the atmosphere to destabilize in a way most favorable to soaring flight.

After observing a few Blue Sky truck tows into the buoyant air by John W., a H2 central PA pilot at the field on an extended training holiday, and the first smattering of our friend the cumulus, I was first in a short line to aerotow shortly before 1 p.m. During climb-out, turbulent conditions over the adjacent plowed field put the glider in a position below the tug on the outside of the turn and banked away, all of which quickly conspired to force an early release @ 1500' agl into the vicinity of a small kettle of rising raptors. After a wee bit of wrassling with the textured air, I found myself rising steadily and drifting slowly to the east @ 200 '/", with an occasional 400 '/" core, toward a developing cumulus based at 6K'. Hovering for a while over State Highway 360 @ 5300' in 60? air temperature, the cloud eventually evaporated and I vectored a return toward the hot, 90? LZ.

By this time, Greg and Billy had launched and were circling up toward the scattered cumulus in their own right. Greg flew upwind toward the Pamunkey River with Billy staying in the local area.

During my 90 minute flight, the lift was reliable and widespread; and the sink was modest and infrequent. All in all, it was just another great flying day @ Manquin.

Cast: Doug, Greg, Billy, John W, Ray, and maybe one or two others.

Submitted by Jim Keller
Petersburg, VA

Left the house around 10:30 planning to go to the Pulpit. Got to 81 and 70 and the wind was really blowing so headed south on 81 for Woodstock. Walking in to launch, I meet up with Doug W who is carrying out his harness. He slipped while setting up the glider on the control frame and put a nasty dent in a crosstube. Wind really light on launch when I arrived. Some pilots launched anyway and some got right up. Cycles picked up around 2:30. I was off around 4:15 or so. Shortly before I headed for launch Mike C reported over the radio that a paraglider pilot was in trouble and having to land over the back in, I think, Brian VH's favorite over the back LZ. He got it in safely. I'd talked with the PG pilot earlier when he was debating whether to launch or not. He said he'd blown a launch there in a west cross already and so elected to walk to the old launch. His landing was ok. Maybe he needs to work at reading conditions...

I tried to get across the gap 3 times, but gave up and landed in a field near where Mike C had landed when he started getting that ol' airsick feeling. My shoulder was hurting from the 2 1/2 hours of weedwacking I'd done in the back yard on Friday and Saturday. Not getting any younger!

Gary Smith had a purdy landing in the LZ, but drug a tip leaving launch. Good thing he's tall and has a strong run. Mike Chittendon had a great launch, but drug a tip, nay, make that a whole glider, through the trees on landing. The glider is still there for future retrieval. Did someone stop by and let Mr. Fishburn know about the glider? If not, please either call him or let me know and I'll call him.

A bunch of other pilots flew including Cragin, JR (!!!), John McA, Adam Arkfeld (who is now married to his Odessa mail order bride), Greg DeW, Terry Spencer, Marlin Saville (got 3 hours), Rob Millman and friend(tandem), John Middleton. I know I'm missing some.

Christy

What a difference a day makes! Following a strong cold front that produced widespread severe weather across the mid-Atlantic States late Saturday afternoon and early evening, cool Canadian HIGH pressure spilled into the region and provided an afternoon of stellar soaring conditions @ the Manquin Flight Park, VA. After the previous day spent sweltering in the low 90s, Sunday/s forecast high was a refreshing, and more seasonable 78?. The low 40s cloud base temperature would be almost 20? cooler.

After arriving early at the field to exact a down tube transplant on my wounded SPAM 167, it wasn/t long before the fully leafed out oaks and maples began to rustle as the first shards of cumulus popped at 12:30 p.m. Being the only pilot at the field, the line for the tug was very short. Launching at 1 p.m. from Runway 29, Roland tugged me up and away from the LZ on a direct departure toward a growing gaggle of crispy cumuli. Off tow at 3K' agl and a mile or so upwind, I trolled across the wind for a few moments finding little more that 3-500 '/" sink. At this rate, I /d be on the ground in no time at all, so I vectored a return path toward the LZ. Now down to less than 2K' agl, I spotted a vigorous anticyclonic vortex running across a field of tall grass off to the right. Allowing for some tilt to the column as it rose, I dove for it/s likely position downwind of the grassy swirl and made a successful intercept @ ~1200' agl.

This buoyant bad boy had a real nasty attitude. It was unorganized as unorganized could be. The fresh, feisty thermal plume had a 500 '/" core, but it was hard to locate and maintain until it finally blossomed @ ~3K' agl. After a one thrilling trip over the falls, it was elbow out the window and with one hand on the suicide knob, cranking and banking toward 5K' agl where I made the decision to bail out. The plume was feeding a nice cumulus that appeared to be at least another 1K' away, and I was under dressed for the occasion, having only donned a sweatshirt and gloves before launching.

From there on, conditions only got better with every cycle as the sky filled with crispy, creamy cumulus. The wind aloft was light enough to permit an easy upwind sojourn and repetitious climbs rapidly back to 4K' agl. After two hours of flying around with a pegged fun meter, I had to core sink to get into the LZ.

Submitted by Jim Keller
Petersburg, VA

Four of us flew yesterday at the Pulpit, John D went over the back for 14.5 miles, Marc F got past Greencastle, and Mark G got across the High Rock ridge for 42 miles! I flew for 1:30 and landed out front in a nice big field north of the golf course. After launching at 4:00 into strong but steady winds I found myself going up, without turning, eventually at a rate of 700 fpm. Winds were strong enough that I didn't want to get too far back, and I stayed slightly in front of the ridge. At 2500' over I started looking around (turning for the first time) and saw Gardinator way high half way across the ridges and circling under a little wispy. It turns out that Mark was behind me the whole time watching me elevator up, and he was in a perfect position to see the wispy form at the top of that thermal. As I was staying out front, he got under the "cloud" and took it to 4K' over. From that altitude he says getting across the valley was uneventful, easily finding thermals along the way. He stayed north of Greencastle and north of Waynesboro and arrived at the High Rock ridge north of Rt 16. He says he crossed at about 3k' over, tried to get some more altitude in a crummy thermal over Fairfield gliderport, and from there glided downwind. Total time 1:30, launched at 4:00. He has a great story about the kids who picked him up!

Pilots who came but didn't fly include Sheila, John Paul Duffy (John D's visiting pilot friend), Brian VH, Carlos, Ralph, Craig Williamson.

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This page last updated May 15, 2000