Back to Main Page Back to Archive 2002

Index to weather maps

Hangola January 16 - 22, 2002

Hey,

Got a couple of fun flights at Smithsburg yesterday before the wind changed to southerly (after I had lugged my glider all the way to the top again). Paul and I are going to try to make it Friday, as well, if anybody wants to go.

Lauren Tjaden

The winds at Woodstock at 1:30 when we arrived were launchable even though the flags in town were West Southwest. Bruce Engin tested the water first and his flight began with a BIG POP leaving the slot. Soon, he was away and soaring while Gary Smith and I finished setting up.

Meanwhile, the winds picked up then deminished again to allow me to launch. I surfed the rotor for 20/25min. before heading out. It wasn't too rowdy, but I didn't want the cross winds to scrap me off and then have to get hammered by rotor in order to make a Landing Zone.

Bruce and I landed out and the only turbulance we experienced was due to the shear. I'll guess that the winds at 200ft were 20-25mph while the surface winds were light.

Gary launched last and seemed to have the most enjoyable flight. Although, He did suffer more in his approach. He chose to land in the primary and was first rotored by the finger, then rotored again by the treeline. All went well, and he scored an hour of airtime.

Terry

I left a windsock, pole and hedge clipper at the Woodstock LZ. The bent hedge clippers can be used to make a starter hole for the fence post pole before you try to push it into the hard ground. The pole and sock are at on the fence at the corner of the breakdown area in the LZ.

Four of us hiked the trail with gliders for some exercise today. Wind forecast was a bust.

Joe

Terry and I had an exceptionally sweet day at Daniel Mtn. Blue skys, light south winds, 50 some degrees, and thermals to 1,000 over. Can't beat that in January. After we had been boating around a while, Terry pulled string and ran across to Parker. He wanted to see if the backside, the side covered in snow and ice, the side totally in shadow, the rotor side, was soarable. Hello? Terry likes a challenge. 'course I didn't do any better on the front side.

With low expectations, Steve Kinsley and I drove down to Stanardsville to see what Daniel's had to offer and were pleasantly surprised. The sky was crystal blue and highlighted by wispy Cirrus. The temperature was climbing into the mid fifties and the light breezes were blowing sorta in the direction of the launch.

Steve launched first and with a few rollercoaster 360's, made it over the top, down the ridge and vanished.

I was next and after doing a hook-in check 10 times over, had a clean launch... pushing out in the liftband once I cleared the trees. I spotted Steve a comfortable couple hundred over. It'd be a few minutes before I could enjoy that comfort.

The thermal bubbles were small and short lived. They had nice edges and were punchy enough to require and steep bankangle and push-out to carve out a turn that might gain 10ft. A couple of 360's and it was gone! I was in front of and below launch, and not doing well when I was lured into the West bowl by Steve who was still enjoying a couple hundred. Steve was working a little of something, but when I got there, it was next to NOTHING. I barely escaped! I flew back to the East, turning in every pop that I ran into. Soon, I was a comfortable couple hundred over too!

Satisfied with "scoring a soar" and with the threat of the looming flush cycle, I started taking in the Mid January view. Absolutely wonderful! The crest of the ridge was clearly defined. The front was toasty golden brown and basting in the Sun, while the back was shadowed, cold, and covered by ice and snow!

After a short search, I stumbled into a thermal that offered a better climbrate. Steve joined in from below and soon we were soaring together a thousand feet over. I began looking downwind, searching for Old Rag Mtn (my new goal from Daniel's... on a day when Nelson or Rich is there to lead the way)

After a while of soaring with Steve in a zipping, criss cross kinda way, I decided to see how far upwind I could get. Maybe, I could get to Parker Mtn.! I pulled the VG, got small, and headed out! I was doing pretty well and looked up from time to time to checkthe angle I had with the mtn. As I approached Parker, it became evident that I had less than the desired amount ot altitude. I'd be sneaking in over the back. Given the light winds, I thought that any turbulance would be minimal. With a couple hundred feet,I eeked in over the "rotor zone", got over the spine, and found NOTHING! OOPS! I turned and ran! I didn't get very far when I started getting hammered! The turbulance was strong and the sink was worse! As I was fleeing, I saw Steve sneaking up on the Western face of Parker. He was turning and looked to be in good shape.

While Steve was assaulting Parker, I was downwind of the LZ with 500ft trying to pull off a save. I was able to maintain in a mixing bowl of lift and sink. Whizzing around in tight turns and scoping out LZs in case I couldn't make the main. I was hoping to hang out long enough for some thing to happen. I was low, and the broken lift that I was working was drifting too fast. I tried to stay closer to the field and in doing so, I fell off the edge. I had plummeted a hundred or so but was not ready to give up. I did a quick check on things, (altitude,angles, LZs and stuff) and spotted Steve. He had tried to work the "Kinsley Magic" but pulled nothing outa the hat! He was upwind of the LZ and only a hundred above me! I cranked out a speedy S-turn approach into an LZ with no room to overshoot and Steve right on my heels!

I begged for Steve's pardon for luring him off on a failed escapade but he wouldn't hear it! He was grinning from ear to ear and was as ecstatic about his flight as I was with mine!

	previous page	back to top	next page

This page last updated January 31, 2002