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Hangola April 10 - 15, 2002

Flight Reports

Florida was good to us again this year during the week of the Wills Wing Demo Daze. The Ranch supplied the tows and there were plenty of those sticky sweet orange blossom thermals to ride to cloudbase. Lots of activity at the ranch getting ready for the comps this week, pilots were arriving daily from all over the world. PA pilots who made the trek south to soak up some sunshine were: Doug and Natalie, TR Johnson, Ed Messina, Dennis, Jennifer and Dylan Monteiro with Yolandi, and Fred and Raen. Over at Quest we had Lenko, Bill Buffam, and John Wiseman. Here is a quick break down of some flying.

Sunday 3-31-02- Flew North to Apoka lake and back a few miles to land at an RV dealership along Rt 27. Natalie was there before I landed and gave me a report on the l/z, (flying X/C with a great driver sure makes it fun!) Winds that day on the ground were pretty steady at 15 from the southeast. Distance was 30miles, flight time was 1.5hrs and base was 4800'.

Monday- We visited Wekiva Springs State Park. Its about 45 minutes northeast of the Ranch and well worth the trip. We spent the whole afternoon canoeing, biking and swiming in the natural springs.

Tuesday- I took 3 flights.
1st was 10am flight for 30minutes with base at 3300'
2nd was a 1 hour flight with base 3900'
3rd was an early evening flight for 25minutes and only 500' gain to 2800'.

Wednesday-We drove Northeast again to Mercado Village. There is a ton of stuff to do here and lotsa places to eat. We went to the Titanic Museum which was really well done. It's a walk through Museum with characters dressed in the 1912 garb to guide you through the making and sinking of the Titanic. Then we went to the Guiness Book of World Records theater which I would not recommend, it was just a tourist trap. Then lunch at the Cricketers Arms Pub followed by a leisurly drive down the back roads of florida to the Ranch.

Thursday- 1 Flight 1.45hrs and never getting more than 2600'. Thought I was going to have to land out a couple of times but would find lift at the last minute. It was real work out but challenging and alot of fun.

Friday- We flew south down Rt27 past Cypress Gardens and Haines City then landed next to a Home Depot. Again Natalie was there within 5 minutes to pick me up. Distance was 21 miles, flight time was 1.20hrs and base was 4000'. It was slow going at first, I left the ranch just drifting in zero sink at 3000' just hoping it would get better down the road where there was more sunshine. I got the first good thermal right over the hospital on Rt 27 which took me back up to 4000' then it was pretty easy until I ran into a blue hole and decked it.

Overall, the flying was good the week we were there, and the evening parties with TR, Ed, and the Ranch regulars were a blast! Of course the week before we arrived was Stellar so I'm told by the many pilots who broke many personal records, but thinking back isn't that always the way it works on a hang gliding vacation!!

Thanks Natalie your an awesome driver!!!!

Doug.

Beautiful day, great prognostication, high hopes. Somebody should have told Old Man Sac. Arrived @ 1300 to J&K setting up and STFI @ 15. YEAH BABY today was to be the day. Blue thermals to 6K, smooth fat air, warm evening magic. Somebody should have told Mean Old Man Sac. Set up with visions of sugar plum thermals dancing in my head. Then Karen got on launch and Old Man Sac ( that nasty SOB ) said "FU all" and shut the valve right off. Other than Doug briefly sniveling a runny watery thermal to 300' and then finding Old Man Sac's big fat thumb right to the field, it was a blood bath of multiple sledders. Pilots being punished.....Joe, Karen, Doug, Keith, Lenko, Craig, Bob, and a brief walk on (and off) appearance by Shawn. Final Score, Old Man Sac 8 pilots 0.

Near incident at the Sac today. I flew earlier, then came back up for a second flight, but conditions did not improve so I helped launch a few pilots before breaking down my glider. While giving everyone hang checks I made sure they were hooked through main and backup, leg loops, buckles, zippers, helmet strap and chute pins. I will always say this out loud when someone gives me a hang check and most pilots did today also. The next to last pilot comes up to launch, I ask him if he wants to do a hang check. I have ahold of his nose wires and he lays prone. I notice right away that he is hanging from the gate of his carabiner and also had an extra hang loop added to his main and back up that 'looked different'. I had another pilot who was standing right next to me fix the caribiner and double check the extra hang loop while I held the nose. The pilot was flying with a cocoon type harness with lots a lines. We both checked to make sure his lines were staight. I was still fixated on the caribiner and hang strap, making sure it all looked right. The pilot never acknowledged, out loud, that he had leg loops, buckles, zippers, helmet, or chute pins. He was satisfied with the hang check and moved to launch. Even when he was standing on launch I made a double check on the caribiner and hang strap thinking to myself I'm glad I saw the biner hanging from the gate before he launched. But as soon as he launched it was obvious that something was wrong, I did not know what was wrong, but he could not get into his boot to prone out. I've watched other pilots launch with cocoons and it always seemed awkward as they step into the boot and prone but this looked worse. He ended up flying to the l/z and landing, flying his whole flight from the down tubes. After landing, another pilot in the l/z asked him if he forgot his leg loops, the pilot responed back "no I'm through my leg loops". But after checking he realized he wasn't! Luckily he was held in his harness by his armpits and the back strap along with some other lines in the rear of the harness.

I can't believe there was three pilots present during the hang check and none of us caught the mistake. I can think of many excuses why I didn't notice,1.I was too fixated on the carabiner and hang strap,2. He was flying a different harness than most people and you really can't see the hang straps from the front as they are standing in the control frame, etc, etc. But none of these excuses would have made diddly if he would have fallen from the glider!!! Lesson learned, always look over the entire picture, hang strap, biner, loops, buckles, zippers, helmet, chute pins and also ASK and MENTION them outloud!! Lets look after each other better so something like this will never happen again!

Doug

Jack's Today:

Blowing almost straight in (_very_ slight cross from the south; 10-15deg max); at 2pm it was 12-16mph; at 6pm it was 9-12mph.

I flew for 1:15 (PR), got 2900 over launch (PR), and went 3 miles down the ridge and back (PR).

I *SO* wish I could have gone someplace better (like Bill's or Fisher).

R2

for photos of the day check http://photos.sickinger.net/

Okay, it's midnight. Paul and I just got home and as usual I'm too hyped to sleep after flying. Carlos, Ralph, Steve, Joe, Paul, Terry, Curtis, Bruce, and I (God forbid I forgot anybody) all showed up at Jack's early afternoon.

At launch, the wind averaged 13-17 mph with gusts over 20. Bruce was the first to fly, and his glider pitched like a bronco immediately after launching. I could see the entire top of it once. Steve's comment was that it wasn't "Lauren air". Then Bruce radioed back that he wasn't having fun, further diminishing my chances of flying.

Still, everybody launched but Ralph and I (Ralph decided to be nice and hang out and keep me company until it got smoother). Conditions may have been rough (I heard stories of wires snapping later -- though, for my non-flying friends, snapping doesn't mean breaking, just a sudden, dramatic tightening of the wires), but lift could be found everywhere.

Paul got 3715 over launch, and Steve disappeared XC. Terry turned into a bit of dust against the clouds. I sat, chatted with Ralph, drank diet Sprite, and thought about how I was perfectly capable to fly the conditions. But that was before I saw the carnage in the landing field.

Carnage is too strong of a word, but Terry said the turbulence was worse than a bad day at Woodstock. The rotor was fierce. The only one who landed on his feet was Terry (and maybe Steve, but we don't know for sure because he was miles away). Tubes got broken and tempers were frayed.

At 6 PM, the conditions at launch were nearly as strong as before, but everyone agreed that the landing zone should have settled. So I struggled into my harness and climbed over the guard rail and prepared to sprint. However, I hated the way my glider felt.

Ms Eagle (I still haven't come up with another name for her) felt as heavy as an elephant on my back. I couldn't lift her nose at all. Paul was on my keel, and I ordered him to pull on it. But still, she kept trying to drag me down the cliff, like she had rocks strapped to her base tube. I had four big men to hold me down, but several times she rose far above me before slamming down on my shoulders again. I screamed at everybody more than once to pull me back up the mountain. Real panic. I decided if Ms. Eagle didn't cooperate in the next few minutes, I'd just break her down and crawl home in shame.

I finally got a decent cycle. Ms. Eagle perched on my shoulders like a pet parrot. My launch was strong, nose down so I could run a step or two. Having been scared into obedience, I flew straight half way out into the valley before turning. Nevertheless, I hit a bubble and climbed to 2600 (1600 over launch) right away. Never quite flew in this much air.

Ms. Eagle would suddenly, without warning, decide to veer towards the ridge. She was so opinionated I couldn't turn her, even with all of my strength. I was high above any obstacles, so it didn't matter, though. Learned that if I was lower, even if it meant sinking out (fat chance) it would be a good idea to pull in for speed for more control. Not that I ever got lower.

I could see ponds glimmer off the backside off the ridge, and the patchwork of the fields. Ms. Eagle was beautiful against the sky, an impossible flash of red in the haze. When a hawk soared below me, at exactly my speed, I knew that I was the luckiest person in the world. What a great life I have.

I tried thermalling for the first time, and it worked -- but the air beat me up so bad half the time I just flew out of the thermal and back into the good ol' ridge lift. After an hour, my shoulders hurt, and I aimed at the landing zone. I put the bar to my waist to lose altitude, but midway there I decided that I was going to come down eventually and shouldn't use all of my energy. But my stupid vario started singing as soon as went back to trim, and I rocketed up again. Finally, when I got over the landing field, I started to come down without effort.

I had this neat little plan for my landing. I needed to be more exact than the last time at Jack's, because the field got plowed and I can't land in the plowed sections in case I coast in on my wheels. But my plan didn't work. Things got really hairy. I think the reason the landing zone was so wild was the turbulence was caused by rotor instead of thermals, so it never quit.

First, I rolled left. Ms. Eagle banked hard right. She refused to even go remotely where I pointed. She leapt up and plummeted. I hung on and steered and somehow hit the little section of alfalfa that I'd aimed for. When I turned final I figured I had 75 feet but I was next to the earth in half a second. I admit, I landed on my wheels but I was very happy to be down with my wings level. Had a long damn walk back to the setup area.

Okay, gotta go. Sorry to be such a bore. This is really cool for me, though. I learned lots today.

Lauren Tjaden

Jack's was pretty good, but a huge huge drive. The only other time I had been there, I showed up late, after a sledder at Bill's, and found Jack's to be 6000ft. under beautiful cloud streets. Yesterday, was blue haze.

Easy to thermal, I got 5100agl, and flew upwind and beyond the ridges out front and then beyond the river. Would've pressed on, affraid to sink out, had to be sure Steve got back from XC.

Conditons were pleasant (as long as you didn't go over the falls sideways). People boated all around and up and down the ridge. I flew for 1 1/2hr and went in to retrieve Steve (which Ralph was already doing). Conditions turned ratty. I watched Paul perform an ugly approach and I was looking forward to executing my own.

They farm in strips in Pa.... lush green strips and bone dry dirt. That's a recipe for a "downtube boogie". The ridge out front was kicking off a rotor and everybody was having problems. When I flew in a thermal at 300ft, I was reconsidering my plans to land, and thought about joining Steve wherever he landed!

All the landing approaches that I saw, except for one, were well executed but were botched at the very last moment by conditions that were beyond the pilots control.

Conditions in the LZ were fairly calm.. and Ralph and Lauren were itty bitty specks when I started the 10hr drive home!

Terry

FYI: I was only in the air 45 minutes. I neglected to look at a map before I left and found out that there is a huge forest 10 miles downwind. You must be this tall to cross.

Great pics Ralph!

I had a great training hill morning with Richard Hayes today at Oregon Rdige.

The wind was N turning NE at noon -as predicted-, good thing #1.
The glider survived the new truck rack, good thing #2.
Setup and preflight was uneventful, good thing #3.
Three good training flights, good thing #4.
Nothing wacko, crazy, or squirrelly, good thing #5.
I landed on my feet every time, good thing #6.
It looks like I can still fly these things and all those tandems down in Kitty Hawk paid off, good thing #7.
I'm in position to spend more time with a great bunch of people like Richard and Chad and Sonny, and all of you, good thing #8.
I got home just as it started rainging, so my glider didn't get wet, good thing #9.
I read Lauren's post and found I have a lot to look forward to, good thing #10.

It was a great day.
2 minutes in the air
20 feet AGL
2/10 mile

I'm easy to please.
Steve.

BTW, George Tutor and Steve ?? stopped by to say hello too.

Four our us showed up at Manquin (Rich Cizauskas, Billy Vaughn, Zelda Uttal and me). We all flew.

Overcast but we found a few thermals that gave us some short soaring flights.

Joe

Much to my surprise, there were beautiful cumies at Manquin today. I was told that the base of them was at 4300ft at 11:00am. There was a pretty stiff wind on the surface too.

Only three of us were there to enjoy the weather. Chris Coiffe did a couple truck tows with little success. I flew off of the truck twice, and behind the tug once. Three attempts and I had struck out!

Steve Kinsley showed up in time to pin-off in a boomer. Took it to base, then headed off downwind.

I was looking up at these beautiful Cumies while I was driving down the road to retrieve Steve, and wondering how I could be stuck on the ground with the rest of the Ten Million people in Richmond!

Terry

Sure looked great but the cumis were cycling rapidly and winds were strong enough to break the lift up in a lot of places. Ended up in the middle of huge area of dead and dying cumis and sank out after a massive 8.6 miles. Five minutes later there were brand new cumis.

Terry had a stuck ptt on tow and the tows were rough. Pretty funny. I remember a day at the Pulpit some years ago when Gardinator had a stuck ptt. "Get over there you ...." First prize for imaginative profanity.

Packed up and headed for Ridgely Sunday morning. On arrival at 11:30, jagged cu filled the sky and a breeze from the SW was about 10 to 15. Clouds were reported at 2300 and were moving at a decent clip. Other than the staff, there were no other HG pilots present. Odd - the day had promise - were all the die-hards home finishing up taxes?

The AeroSports Team had pulled a few tandem rides reporting strongish winds with little lift. Adam yanked me at about 12:45 for my first tow this season. We towed to the NW with a 10 to 15 SW cross. Releasing at 2500 ft (CB had lifted to ~3500 estimate), I scouted under promising clouds to the SW of the runway to no avail bailing to the files NW of the runway. We had towed through some bumps there and the area had smelled of onions. True to form, I found an onion thermal at ~800 AGL taking it to ~2300. It was a rather mellow thermal of about 2 to 3 knots but with the winds blowing at 25+ at altitude, downwind drift was a factor. (I needed to land back at the airport.) Leaving that thermal, I boogied upwind in ole pokey for a couple of miles in a fairly cohesive lift street not losing much altitude until falling into a hole with an eventual landing into 5 to 10 mph SW.

The winds an hour later had definitely picked up and had become more gusty. Ric Niehaus showed up and rigged. I took another tow just ahead of Ric. This tow was a bit sporty especially about 5 seconds post cart liftoff. Ric towed out right after me and the ground crew reported good entertainment on his launch too. I released at 2000 AGL into a nice light thermal, climbing to 2700, pushed forward, and found a lot of frustrating reduced sink. It became pretty choppy at 300 AGL but smoothed out at about 20 AGL for an uneventful landing into a 10 MPH headwind. Ric had headed downwind for a landing at Baltimore Corner, about 6 or 7 miles downwind of the airport.

Packed up and watched the t-storm cells develop to the NW on the ride home. My trusty lightening detector (AM radio tuned to static) indicated that lighting was in fact about. Beat the weather home by about an hour. The day looked better than it was but hey, it was supposed to rain but I got a chance to fly. No complaints!

Danny Brotto

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This page last updated April 15, 2002