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Hangola February 21-26, 2000

Doug Rogers from PA and I pulled up at about 10:30 to marginal NW, a nice morning burn off, and increasingly unstable conditions. We did a shuttle to the LZ and Mark C., Doug Wakefield, and Mike Balk were setting up when we came back.

We launched Doug R. at noon and he promptly skied out. Mark C @ 12:20 for 1/2hr and +300?, Mike Balk @ 12:30 for 6 or 10 passes, with Doug R @ +2000 going upwind hopping from cloud to cloud. Not too much later Brian VH and Jeff Harper for extendos, while Doug R was at +2500 and hard to find. Rob Millman and Chi Chi did a tandam leap, Doug R was no concern of theirs. I went to the LZ and 5 of us shuttled back while Doug R found bubbles out front, finally landing after an unbearable 2+ hours.

At 2:30 I got +200, 8 or 9 pasess and accepted my share. Rob did another test flight around 4:30 on a new Ultra Sport. Hitting a bubble right out front, he fooled Brian and myself into thinking he had hit a fat magic lift band. As we scurried for our gliders he sledded on out.

Nice warm day in the 40's with snow in the shade in the valley.

Ed

After getting back from Wallaby on early Thursday morning and spending the rest of Thursday sleeping I headed out to the flightpark this morning to do some truck towing in this beautiful winter weather. Did four tows, the first and third were sleds, but the second and fourth were some of the most enjoyable flying I've ever done. On the second tow I released at 1100' and was able to find some very light lift at 700'. I spent the 30 minutes working light lift between 400 and 1300'. It was a complete blast working the little bubbles which kept breaking off. At one point I was at 400' getting ready to unzip when I hooked the best lift of the day and went to just over 1300'.

The last flight of the day I released at 1200' and sank like a rock until I got to 400' I preceded to spend the next 10 minutes working between 350' and 450' over the silo in the NW corner of the field. Too much fun.

I will be at the flightpark tomorrow (Saturday) if anyone wishes to come out to aerotow but you'll need to bring your own launch assistant as Tex is still in Florida. Otherwise, I'll be truck towing again.

Roland

Pilots from MD, WV, VA, PA and OH were lured to Breeezwood yesterday. The forecast was for sunny skies, SE winds at 10 and cloudbase of 3000'. Well, I don't think cloudbase ever got above 600'. Both Fisher Road and Bill's Hill were socked in all damn day. This is the first major skunking since Thanksgiving 1998.

Matthew (Karen says I have to start shaving my ears now that I'm almost 40, of Karen and Matthew)

Matthew (thanks for giving us TMI!),

One glider was set up as practice for the new owner. The only other glider set up was Tweety the Attack Falcon by the ever optimistic Pete Lehmann. When last seen, Pete was still sitting on launch waiting for it to clear. Everyone else had bailed. Unfortunately for Pete, I didn't know his radio frequency, because as we descended the hill, it became apparent that cloud base had lowered dramatically.

During the day I had made a couple of trips to the LZ, and most of the ridge was visible. But as you looked towards launch, it just kept getting thicker and thicker. Hmmm. 20 pilots all in one location, and that was the thickest area of fog. . . (I'll let you make your own conclusions. . .)

-Mike (gotta love those weather forecasters!) Balk

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This page last updated February 27, 2000