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Hangola February 2-3, 2002

Amazing day today flying sailplane at Morgantown. Wind direction was NW. Lift everywhere, flew from 2-3:30 pm and had to use spoilers to get down. Got to 6300' MSL, 5700" AGL and still figured I had required 500' clearance below clouds. Streets everywhere and often didn't have to bother turning. Comfortable under canopy in just polar fleece except feet were cold so I landed. Guess I should wear something warmer than sneakers in the winter. Can't ask for better in February.

Dennis Monteiro

I got a lift from the guy in blue house in next to the LZ by power station. I only got to fly for about 10 minutes because it got too light.

J

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In a message dated 2/2/02 4:51:42 PM Eastern Standard Time, brianvh@umd5.umd.edu writes:

Hey, looking at the current conditions, looks like I called it right on friday. Did anyone take my advice and go to the pulpit LIKE THEY SHOULD HAVE?

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Oh, I dunno, I'm pretty happy with my flight at Woodstock

btw, guys, Paul had a GREAT first woodstock flight!

almost an hour and 1000+ over. We lost him for a while and thought he had gone XC to meet Lauren at Smithsburg. But he came back and was stinking high. Must've borrowed some of Steve's glider up.

Lauren, hurry up and get that footlaunch sign off!

-- ellis

Hey Brian. I dunno about the Pulpit. Just yankin your chain. Went to WS where it was light but reasonably straight in at launch. The winds were light north in the LZ when I landed. I got to 2760 over and most of the time the drift was straight back all the way up.

When I first arrived at launch I thought we had screwed up by not going to the Pulpit.It was straight in but very light.Thought for sure I'd get a sled to the LZ. Set up & watched several others launch. Some stayed up a while, some dropped out quickly . Steve had a nice flight & got 2760 over, Tom had a VERY interesting encounter with some tree tops just to the left of launch but I'll let him tell you about that (extremely entertaining). So anyway, I got set for my sled ride but something very odd happened .I flew for nearly an hour, got to 2520 over & finished my flight by briefly sharing a small thermal with a bald eagle. Not a bad day for a new hang 2 . So I guess I've proved once & for all, there is almost no skill involved in this sport, it's all luck.

Paul

I missed the best part of the day at Woodstock on Saturday. It had been hit or miss most of the day with more hits than misses-- a North cross but thermal cycles bumping up against the ridge. But after helping Paul launch, it looked like it had turned on for the rest of the day. So I hung back and helped some others launch. Just as I was getting ready to launch my PG, Karen radios down that there's a big flush cycle. Not wanting to hold up the line of other bagwingers, I gave it shot. I found a couple of little bubbles but didn't try to work them because I had a branch caught up in my lines. For paragliders, Woodstock launch should be called 'sticks and stones'! I should've waited fifteen minutes, it turned back on again briefly. Tons of pilots flew-- Tom, Terry, Dave P, Mike C., Steve K., Paul, Homer, Pete Shuman and baggers Wayne, Thom Besch, Mike, Fred, Nigel and Ellis-- a few flying twice.

I went back up for another try (thanks for the lift Terry). It was coming in nice until I laid out the wing and then it just went dead or cross from the North. Fred (P4) suggested I try a forward launch. So we waited and waited and waited. Finally a puff came in and charged ahead. The wing came up crooked due to the cross winds above and I zigged and zagged and flew all over that damn slot but somehow made it out and had a nice bouyant sled. I should've just aborted the run. But I had my hang gliding mindset of just charging ahead and then I overcorrected with too much weight shift-- again like I was flying my Ultrasport.

The launch scared the Hell of out Karen and the other pilots but the wuffos thought it was great. With that bad launch and my previous reverse launch (that wasn't my best), we headed to the training hill on Sunday. Got to one of Richard's hills at about 4:00 (Karen had to go into work). Karen test flew the Falcon 140 twice that was just purchased by one of Richard's students and then had four flights on her bag. I had eight clean and easy flights on my paraglider. It's a fantastic little hill-- about 60 high with a huge open area in the back to kite the paragliders and a steep drop off so you can crank out a couple of turns-- what a blast. It was still blowing in after sunset and I was tempted to keep flying all night. Lauren and Hugh were there taking a lesson from Richard and George T. was playing with his Eagle.

Matthew (anyone else have anything interesting to post??? of Karen and Matthew)

It was a great day at Little Gap with the winds 15-25 until about 4:00pm. Then like magic it became a perfect 10-15,just long enough to get about an hour flying and to chase a few skiers around Blue Mountain. Only two PGrs showed up along with about 8 or so HG pilots. I actually got a few photos of the top of Guses wing while he set up to launch, a rare moment I'm sure. I think Doug had the best flight of the day with about 600+ over. Some nice thermals were working at least while the sun was out.

Jeff Shriner

Hey,

Yup, it's the old blind hog theory at work again. Though I have suffered mightily, I won the coveted walnut -- though it took lots of digging. I've spent five of the last ten days at training hills. Most of the days I've ridden four or five young, stupid, Thoroughbred, horses first. My arms are bigger than Arnold's, and I'm personally keeping both the Advil and Ben Gay companies afloat, but I did indeed get that magic slip of paper that allows me to leap off of mountains.

Richard Hays, at his special, private, hill yesterday, told me the happy news. BTW, it's amazing, folks will do almost anything for you, if you give them enough money, drugs, and alcohol.

After nine launches, Richard informed me that I had won the right to fly something more than a hill. Although overjoyed, I was exhausted, and I shook like it was twenty degrees. My heart flailed so hard against my chest that I thought it might hop out of my throat if I didn't keep my mouth clamped shut.

But Matthew had carried my glider to the top of the hill again (unfortunately, this fitness-machine-man wasn't there for most of the day). And walking down is always shameful, almost like eating dog poop.

BTW, I can almost see Richard flinching as he reads this. He's a very good instructor, who lectures about peer pressure and how one can garner respect by refusing bad conditions.

But it seemed sinful not to go one more time. Besides, I needed to practice holding my cocoon harness in my hand, the way I would on an actual mountain flight, instead of merely snapping it to itself, the way I do on my practice launches.

I ran and I ran on takeoff, but Ms. Target (my glider) seemed reluctant to fly. As we neared the bottom of the slope at Mach 10, she finally stuttered into the air. I went prone and pulled in, in spite of being uncomfortably close to the ground. However, besides not being in the mood for soaring, Ms. Target didn't feel like turning, either.

Then, I discovered I still had my harness hooked to my pinkie. I carefully unattached myself, but then I was landing the wrong way for the wind. It was way too low to turn, so I finished the day on my stomach, coated with cow-poop enriched mud, tail scooted along by the wind.

I tried to lay still so everyone would just think I was dead and I wouldn't have to explain, but then Richard's voice crackled over the radio. "I take it back! You don't have a foot launch rating!"

But he promised and I gave him a beer, so I got the paper, after all. After thinking about it all night, I think I tugged down on my down tubes because I was holding the harness. So I need to practice one more time, before I get my ass thrown of any mountain. (Richard is sighing with relief about now.)

I was very happy about my skill and preparation before I wrecked everything the last time. But I'm still going to go soon, even if it's to Bill's Hill instead of some cool sounding place like "The Pulpit".

Paul says no one could possibly be interested in my pathetic sign off, and asked why I'm writing this novel, so I better go. Will report back when I have something to report. Maybe sooner.

Lauren Tjaden

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This page last updated February 11, 2002