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Hangola June 8 - 10, 2001

Whatta day at the Pulpit today. As of 4P, 6 pilots had launched, and all 6 had gone over the back, with one pilot reporting a gain to 9K' MSL. Wow!! Can't wait to hear the flight reports.

Bacil

The mountaineer work party went well. High Point, Zirks and Fairgrounds were mowed and trimmed. Later in the day, pilots flew from High Point and Zirks. I launched last at 4pm from High Point and followed lift to 7200 msl. I could see several pilots at cloudbase (much higher than I). Perhaps we'll hear some XC tales. I landed in the primary after an hour.

'spark

p.s. Thanks to Bob Gillisse, the HR LZ is looking great!

Sorry I bailed on you today Bacil; decided ( believe it or not ) to go to Ridgely instead. The ( lack of ) any surface wind in Hunt Valley at noon today made me worry about it being any good in the mountains. Great to hear it was. However...I got to Highland ( too late ) as a pack of pilots went xc. Fred flew to Ocean City. Joe Gregor went almost as far. I, on the other hand, arrived in time for the infamous "blue hole over Ridgely" and only climbed up to 4200 msl for a little flight of 30+ minutes. Oh well...beats a blank. Good time had by all.....:)

Short Version: I launched from the Sac at 1:50 on Saturday. Landed in Malvern 3 1/2 hours later. That's 3.6 miles from my house, 71.8 miles from the Sac. Cloudbase was 8k to 8.7k, which I reached a couple of times. Broke all my records (XC dist, altitude (msl and launch+), duration), and a downtube (which surely constitutes an ironclad guarantee of the continuation of the Buffam-gets-the-aluminum-bender-award tradition).

MAJOR thanks to Lenko for sacrificing a shot at evening magic to drive retrieve.

Film at 11.

Long version for next Cloudbuster.

Bill fly-me-to-the-moon Buffam

Yesterday @ MFP, John Claytor was the only one pilot who soared. He reached 4200' before bailing out while over Hwy. 360.

The tug was not in service and pilots were not able to gain from truck tow releases between 1K and 1200'.

Cloudbase over RIC was reported @ 6K and 7500' over HGR.

A bunch of Mountaineers showed up for the clean up. JR and Marvin had gotten a really early start and had already done most of Fairgrounds and High Point launches. John McA and others were at Zirks. The conditions were looking good for flying so several of us set up at High Point. Didn't launch until 2 pm as it was looking light. Larry Ball and Marvin off first and worked a long time a couple 100 over. I didn't launch until a little after 3 and also spent at least an hour low on the ridge before finding a thermal near the big gap that took me to 9,127 msl (cloudbase). Larry Ball was in the same thermal but below me. I was freezing having decided at the last minute to switch the coat for the jacket and I was flying the SuperSport and was already too far back to come forward so decided to head out. Found a little more lift near the Highway Dome field and kept trucking to PawPaw where I crapped out. 2 hours, 18.5 miles. Interesting event of the day was hearing Larry Ball (who was 4K over at PawPaw asking Adam Arkfeld (who was also over PawPaw, but low) what he was doing and Adam responding, "I don't know." Larry then says, "You're too low. Land at that intersection below you, off your right wing." Adam was flying JR's old HP AT (JR, by the way, landed in the LZ) and was having the best flight of his career (about 20 miles). He had a good landing also with full VG. Probably the best landing of his career too. Larry ended up at 522 for 28 something miles.

Christy

A most perfect day: 5 out of 5 pilots launching from the Pulpit landed at HR with room to spare. Conditions at HR were similar, and looked soarable even after sunset. And to boot, Mr. Tree-Landing here managed 1:15, so you know conditions had to be good. :)

Thanks to Matt G, Mark C, and Steve K for rides, wire, and all that stuff. Kudps to Karen for showing me how to get from The Pulpit to HR, and giving me a moving(rising) target to catch up to.

William Garrison

Actually, it was 6 out of 6 that made the crossing from the Pulpit to the Rock. I was the last man off from the Pulpit at about 3. After twenty minutes of rotor soaring, I hooked a good one in fornt of launch that took me to 4500 over just behind the second ridge. After hunting a bit, I found another one that took me up to 5k over and I drifted across the blue hole with it, maintaining at 5k over. When I got to Greencastle, a big cloud was forming, so I dove towards it and it took me up to 6400 over (8800msl and 7500agl-- my highest ever!) It was damn cold. I was still going up, but a cloud street now extended the rest of the way to the Rock. So I dove and purpoised through the next cloud and arrived over Waynseboro at 4k agl and thermalled back up to 6k agl before gliding on to the Rock. Arrived over launch at 3500 agl and boated around a bit before heading out to land. Had the damnest time getting down. In full slipping turns, I was still going up. Mark C., Dan T., Steve K., Kelvin and Dennis Sheely (sp) all made the trip as well. It was the first complete crossing for Dan and I and Dan's first Pulpit OTB.

Karen was set up at the Pulpit, but decided that it made more sense to break down and head back to the Rock since there were no cars in the Pulpit LZ and none of us had made retrieval plans. Bacil and Keith Ford were also at the Pulpit but didn't fly. So when Karen arrived at the Rock, we threw her and Bill Garrison off and then I drove everyone back to the Pulpit. She had about a 90 minute flight-- 900 over. Brian Hardwick, Rob Millman, Eddie Miller and Kurtis Kemerer all flew at the Rock.

Had planned to return to the Pulpit today (Sunday), but Karen is stuck at work and we're going to miss another epic day. RATS!!!

Matthew (might squeeze in some kayaking, of Karen and Matthew)

I knew the FT was for lite North this weekend but decided to try Hyner or the other local sites any way. Fri it was NW @ 10-15 and flipped a coin between Hyner or Pleasant Gap. Hyner won, I lost. Randy Grove did 100+ from the Gap and I got beat up for 30 minutes at Hyner. Sat. it was straighter in and lighter at Hyner so Shawn, Tom G., myself and six local pilots decided it was the place to be.

Shawn dummied at 1230 and slowly worked his way to the field. I launched next at 1300 when a Raven showed some up air out front. Got right up to 500' and lost it, when kindly Mr. Raven showed me where it was again. I thanked him by bumping him out twice before I got centered in a very tight very nasty core to 2400 over. I left light lift to find better lift out front ( I hate when I do that ). Of course I fell directly to where I had my harness upzipped for my approach. I got very lucky and blundered into a very lite thermal to cloudbase. After that it was pretty much cloud hopping for the afternoon up to North Bend and back getting my face washed at 7200' over ( 9140' MSL ).

Unfortunately, Old Mother Hyner was very niggardly with her charms, and other than Tom making a brief gain of 1600' it was doggers for all.

Judging from the reports from the Sac and Jonestown, from which Jesse F. flew to Ringtown, we definately were not at the right site. But it was a wonderful weekend to be alive, and in the mountains, where ever you happened to be.

Cheers............Bob.

After witnessing an epic event of 6 pilots making the Pulpit to HR crossing yesterday, I returned today at 11A and set up. It was blowing 12 to 18 MPH and ridge soarable. Mark Cavanaugh, one of the famous 6 from the day before, returned for another go at it. John Dullahan and Dan Tomlinson (another of the famous 6) also showed up. The sky filled in with mucho clouds and almost OD'ed. The McConnellsburg valley was in shadow and winds at launch turned completely S and SW and light. The sky cleared some, the valley was in sun, and the conditions picked back up to straight in at 15+ MPH. I decided to go around 1:45P after 10 minutes of 15+ MPH cycles. Gained a couple hundred but quickly lost it. John and Mark joined me and the 3 of us struggled for the next 1:15 before it turned on. All three of us got 2K+ over and went OTB, with John and Mark together and higher and me bringing up the rear from below. A blue hole was directly OTB, and the 3 of us did 3 different things. John pulled on VG and blazed thru the blue hole, got down to 800' AGL near Upton, and scored a low save, and went on to make it to the High Rock LZ for the first time. Mark decided to go slow like he did yesterday when he crossed the valley, hanging out at the edge of the blue hole, and ended up landing near Upton for 10 miles. I saw clouds over by Kittatinny and Broad Mt., and headed that way. Caught a light thermal over the fish ponds and gained a few hundred. Headed east and caught a stronger thermal south of St. Thomas and drifted SE with it. It was very dark all around me so I bailed out of the thermal at 4600' MSL. Continued drifting in light sink and lift, crossing I-81 north of Greencastle, and glided to a landing at Shady Grove for around 18 miles. Heard later that John Middleton escorted Brian Vant-Hull OTB for Brian's first OTB at the Pulpit. The Pulpit was working today as well. I don't think there has ever been any back-to-back flying days at the Pulpit like the past two days, where an unheard of 6 pilots made the crossing on one day, and another pilot made the crossing the next day.

Bacil

Paragliding Pictures from Wind Gap and Ringtown with Gerry Donohoe, Matthew Szczepanowsk, Jeff Shriner and Lena Shriner. Jeff and Lena Shriner

It was truly epic on the Eastern Shore all weekend, as well.

Saturday looked pretty stable on the drive out. Got there reasonably early (no beach traffic to speak of) and began setting up around 11:30. By noon-time the sky had gone from completely blue to 50% little puffy cumies, all quadrants! Got off third, climbed out to 6k or so, and began following a glider which turned out to be Fred (no comm). Spend about 2/3 of my flight south trying to keep up with the guy. He finally scraped me off when I missed one thermal he had hooked but good. Still managed to stay up for another hour or so and worked my way down to Berlin, MD, 7-8 miles due east of Ocean City, for 54 miles, 3+20. Cloudbase was at 7600 MSL near Ridgley and a little lower South. Shoulda followed that cloud street to the high rises, but I had visions of making it down the peninsula since I was clear of Salisbury, and didn't want to paint myself into a corner. That's what you get for being greedy. Anyway, Fred went out towards the beach and landed at the bridge for 60 miles.

Important note: I had a serious downwind landing at the end of my flight. Like, 8 mph off the tail. On a Fusion. It weren't pretty. I picked a nice big newly plowed field with absolutely nothing in the way of wind indicators anywhere nearby. Being shy at throwing smoke due to my recent experience at the Pulpit, I decided to land into the direction of the prevailing drift aloft. Bad Idea. Drift aloft was average 330-270/4. Wind on the ground upon landing turned out to be more like 140/8 . Sea breeze, I guess, but 8 miles from the shore? Figured it out in the last few seconds, flaired moderately, ran a step or two, and let go of everything when the mains touched down. Ended up on top of an upside-down hang glider. A very ignoble position for a HG pilot to find oneself in. Nothing damaged, astoundingly enough. But next time I can't positively establish wind direction, I blow smoke, period. I'll just have to avoid landing in fields that are covered in tinder.

Sunday turned out to be a repeat of Saturday, only without the clouds. Third off again, I tried vainly to hook up with Rae and Danny B., who were racing to OC. Gave up just before Denton and worked my way back to Ridgley to hook up with the next gaggle. Ended up boating around for 2 hours in essentially blue skies. Shoulda kept after them. Rae and Danny ended up at OC for 55 miles. Mike Chevalier, whom I didn't even see go, ended up a couple miles North of my (crash)landing spot the day before for 52 miles. All alone on a blue day! Whoda thunkit? Way to go Mike! Anyway, got some tug training in and home at a halfway decent hour.

Need more weekends like this!

-- Joe

Great flying this weekend! I went to Ridgely both days. Slept in Saturday and missed the boo-wah window but thoroughly enjoyed my flight. Launched at 2pm, got a satisfying hour fifteen in the blue, 4200'; resisted the drift and landed at the field. Happy pilots all over the place.

Hardly any cumi's all day Sunday. For a while everyone got up, then it became increasingly more challenging, and then there was the big flush. My flying muscles have gone to waste and I was worn out after an hour ten, 4300'.

Judy

Light westerly and a bit of occasional upper level cloud made for easy PG flying on Sunday afternoon at Elizabethville. Early morning drive out included rain but the forecast held up with about 5k westerly in the afternoon till 7pm

Lift included thermals with 2-3 m/s lift at times with a nice glass off for an hour enjoyed with John Banta, Tery Landis and Sigrid Eckardt.

Where were you Brian?
Wie is das wetter in wurstchenland Wolfie?

John McL

Below is great story from one of Steve's students from this weekend. The other two guys he mentions also had major airtime. Tim got 3 hours, 25 minutes and 7300' and Greg got over 2 hours. Hell, Steve hasn't even signed Greg off for his H2 yet.

Roland

Date: Sunday, June 10, 2001
Place: Manquin Flight Park, Virginia

Prologue
Sum total of Steve's thermaling advice to me: "When you find lift, count to 3 and turn!" :->

The flight
It was late in the day and I had already had 2 really good flights for my log. The first was a 16 min 1500' gain up to 2500' (A personal best for time and a first for gain) and another 13 min 500' gain. These were going to be my first gains I got to log and I was stoked. But then I looked up and saw Greg and Tim, 2 of my fellow student pilots having long flights. Tim was specked out and an hour into his flight and Greg was scratching out about 30 minutes at 1500- 2000.

"Hell, tows are cheap, get me up there!" I thought as I climbed onto the truck. Go through the checklist and check the wind.The wind was 90 cross, but only 1-2 mph at most. Traffic was clear and Steve said the call was mine. "Go to cruise!" and away I went.

Just for the record I was thinking I might get a 15-20 minute extendo or maybe just another sled run, I didn't care.

I got off tow at 1000' and came back mid field where I felt a little lift on tow. Climbed back up to 1200' and lost it. "Hmm, there's Greg over the pond. I think I'll go pimp off him for a while."

I got under Greg and my vario started beeping. 1.2.3.turn. The left was weak, but I started climbing nicely. "Cool, well I'll get up to 2000' and bail out." I was tired from a bunch of shorter flights earlier so I just wanted a little extendo to log.

2000' - The lift was still weak, but it seemed a little more consistent. I hadn't drifted too far so I thought I'd match my earlier flight of 2500' and then call it a day. At some point I saw either an eagle or a hawk off my left wing tip. He did a 360 with me and then took off. He was probably just as amazed that I was climbing as I was!

2500' - The lift was quite a bit easier to work. Hmm, I've been to 2500' on tandem, but I've never been to 3000'. Let's see what that's like.

3000' - I tired. My arms are sore. What is it that they say? Ah yes,"Never leave lift" I take my hands off the bar and let them hang and I try to shake a little feeling back into them. 3500' anyone?

3500' - Hmm, I'm still climbing slow, but steady. I can't get much higher this late in the day. lets see if 4000' can be found.

4000' - Wow, it's nice up here. I don't know if my arms can take much more. I wish I had a speed bar, but I put my wrists on the bar by the wheels and fly like that to 4500'.

4500' - I'm still right over the flight park but my arms are in some serious pain now, still can I make it to a full mile AGL? I gotta find out.

5280' - WOW! A mile high! I toy briefly with starting to work my way down and then decide to try 6000'. I crank and bank another turn and up I go.

5800' - AHHH! The lift she stops! I can't believe I'm getting so close yet so far. I scratch around for a few minutes and find a few little bubbles that tease me with life for a while. I scratch around looking for any old lift, just 200' more! It's during this time that I turn south and glance over to my right. There's Greg about 200' over and 75-100' above me. He had been above me the whole time!

Greg keeps going south a bit and I found a little pocket of lift that left me kiss 6000'. 6035' to be exact. I'm now cold, tired and am having a hard time keeping in a turn due to shoulder soreness. Then I remember that I have a pair of gloves in the pocket on the left side!

Very carefully I reach back and pull out what I hope is only 1 glove. It takes about 45 seconds to get the glove on because my hand was used to gripping the bar and didn't want to unroll. I got both gloves on and found myself at about 5500' AGL.

I was then confronted with a sight I've only heard of: the tops of other people's gliders. I hadn't paid attention on the way up, but there they were. This was seriously cool! The gloves took care of the cold and the endorphins I seeing where I was made the shoulders a whole lot easier to deal with.

The rest of the flight was uneventful, I would boat around and whenever I found easy lift I'd let it take me up a few hundred feet. I didn't try to work any lift very seriously so I never went too much higher.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end and I could see that my flight was definitely coming to an end. I was the last glider in the air and was losing altitude. At about 800' I started planning my approach and started some aggressive 360's to get into position. I wanted to come down and land near the hanger so I wouldn't have to walk very far. The wind sock was showing light (at best) west so I was all set.

As a pulled in on final my shoulders were screaming but I kept my mind on the landing. As I entered ground effect I realized that there was no wind and that the windsock just showed the last direction that there had been wind. The full impact of this didn't hit until I realized that I had just missed my flare window and pounded in hard. After the flight Steve gave Tim and me our H2 paper work (we did our spot landing the day before).

Total airtime: 1:44
Altitude gain: 5000'+

Not bad for a brand new H2 flying a Falcon. The sport rocks!

Next time its cloudbase or bust!

Chris

I know this is late but thought I'd let everyone know how High Point turned out on Sunday. Mark ended up going 32 miles to south of Berkeley Springs, Jim, Tom, Homer, Larry Ball, and one other (can't think of who it was right now), landed in the Highway Dome Field for 12 (or 14?) miles and Marvin, Adam and Greg (local landowner) landed in the primary.

Gorgeous day!

Sheila

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This page last updated June 14, 2001