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Hangola August 22 - 25, 2003

Flight Reports

We all migrated from Pulpit, which was major cross to HR. We arrived around 4ish and set up to fly. Winds were great, coming straight in. I got 2:05 and 1150' over, almost everyone who flew got at least 1.5 hours. Lets hope the NW weekends are getting ready to be more regular!!!

Christopher McKee

My last and only previous HR flight was in 2002 and was a sled (while everyone else soared). I pounded in while landing and broke two down tubes - my glider was flat like a pancake with me underneath. (Matthew and Carlos had to rescue me.) This time I got 1 hour 35 minutes and 1500 feet over. Even had a nice approach and landing. I guess I've improved. Now I understand why "High Rock rocks". Howard

Having gotten moving too late to be much help at Breezewood, I guiltily left for woodstock with my battery operated weed whacker. Winds were sweet when I first got there. Cleared the slot of the starting to get tall grass. The winds were sweet.

Alex a paraglider pilot and eventually John Middleton arrived with a vehicle full of brush clearing tools as well. We set up winds had died.

I launched in my nemesis light winds and bit it again, significant damage to the glider lots of bruises but no serious injuries to me. Once again it felt like the air was pushing down on the glider. No nose pop and a reasonably good run I think. John saw it and only noted a very small lift under the left wing. Terrible timing, 20 minutes later it had picked back up again.

I'm not sure I'm going to rebound from this one, at least as far as foot launching is concerned.

dan t.

Primo day, soarable from morning to dark. We gobbled our wings and beer on the deck of the bar at the base of the mountain and the leaves were turned rite till dark. Doug, Shawn, TR, Jesse, and me were the recipients of 5000+ gains (7000 msl) and multiple hours. (No strange pussy for Shawn this time).

Paul arrived before anyone else, and managed to get stung 5 times by hornets in quick succession. He started heading down to Breezewood because he was alone and didn't want to go into toxic shock out there, but halfway down the road decided he'd be okay and turned around and came back. We've always known he was a tough S.O.B. Sparky and Bruce Engen showed up with power tools and all three were working on it when I got there. Sparky called Matt and had him pick up some hornet spray blaster.

So we were joined by Ellis, Matt and karen, Carlos, Cavanaugh, Howard, and Dave Bodner. Discovered three hornet's nests on the upper left side, but ran out of spray before we found the 3rd one. So the upper left side remains to be done. We cleared out enough to make it nicely launchable though.

Then migrated eventually to High Rock. Goerge Tutor helped launch the entire field, and Dave Bodner got his first HR launch!

Brian Vant-Hull

ps forgot to mention: Karen, Bruce and I also got stung. I guess a fast launch run will get you out of the danger area soon enough.

It was pretty good at High Point, too. Spent the weekend with the Gardinator, who drug me out to the mountains kicking and screaming. turns out I can still foot launch. Beautiful day. 25+ miles visibility. Clouds were flat, and a lotta blue, but it was still working good. 2+15, 33.5 statute miles, 7100 MSl max altitude (okay, I'm slow). It's not as bad over the back as it looks on a topo map.

-- Joe

Brian brought over his "new" 1990 Honda Civic and did some minor cutting and drilling to adjust his rack system (very high-tech and aerodynamic looking with Sparky's recycled sailboat mast material on the front), then we loaded up on a crystal-clear, low-humidity - and low wind - day. Matthew called while we were still on 270 to invite Brian sailing - too late. We also considered Ridgely, but were already committed to the Rock. Turns out Matthew encountered light and variable winds on the Bay while Ridgely was blown out - or so we heard - huh? Arrived at the rock to find half a dozen gliders and a crowd of spectators. While Mark, Doug, Kelvin, Steve and Carlos hang-waited for more wind, we set up (Pete and Eddie arrived after we did). Brian decided to break the ice. There was a bubble over the rock pile to left of launch, but most pilots got only brief extendos. Mark and Pete, I think, were the only ones to get above launch for more righteous extendos. I had a nice launch with moderate diveout and a perfect two-step landing (the first time). Hiked back up and did it again, but beaked the second landing and bonked my helmet so hard on the apex of the control frame that I crazed the shell and will have to replace it. Doug had stayed up top all day launching everybody, but was going to break down without flying. We offered to shuttle his truck to the LZ and talked him into taking the sled, but he ended up breaking both down tubes. (Not sure he's thanking us.) Kelvin had a flat tire on his truck, too. It was still a gorgeous day! - Hugh

P.S. Here's my tale of woe from Montana. I got a couple of replies to my e-mail to the Montana flying community and took up Dan Gravage of Livingston, east of Bozeman, on his offer to let me use a Falcon II. Dan took me out to a neat south facing site, but the thunderstorms just kept rolling in so we called it a day and went to dinner. A local sky god, Barney Hallin (flies a rigid), put me up for the night and we went to a different site further west the next day. At 7000 feet, had to hike the glider 500 feet up a steep scree slope. Setup was on that slope - Barney directed me to set up with one wing in a small mining excavation. Wind was light. I had all but one batten in and walked away about ten feet to hear another local pilot explain where the lift would likely be. A puff of wind picked up the glider and set it down a few feet away, but the tip batten was broken and I was done for. Drove retrieve for Barney and another pilot. Really spectacular sites and friendly pilot community - I want to go back! The other pilot in our retrieval group, Will Lanier, is trying to open up flying in Eritrea (!). The capitol, Asmara, sits on a 7000-foot plateau. You can fly to the port of Massawa at sea level below. He's bought a Fensterwalder glider that will fold to airline specs. Is looking for someone to help him publicize it (Matthew?).

Since Hugh squealed on me here is my downtube story. I wasn't going to fly since the winds were a bit iffy and the previous flights had been less than spectacular. Wasn't sure I wanted to fly for ten minutes and spend an hour breaking down and driving, etc.

Brian and Hugh hiked up and offered to drive my car down so I went. Take off was good and I made a few decent passes. Actually felt I had a chance to stay on the ridge but was wrong. Headed out and set up my approach. Was coming in right on line with the target. Stood up and noticed I had a lot of speed. Was told the wind had switched. I flared and was still moving along pretty good but I stayed in the flare. Glider stopped and I came down. The nose continued to rotate through and the right downtube went. Very interesting because I did not go down until the tube went and then my right knee just gently touched down. Not a lot of force. As I was taking the tubes off the wind was switching back and forth. No, Hugh I do not blame anyone but me. I think if I had pulled in a little and then punched it I would have been in position to run it out. Bad execution.

=====
Doug Henderson

Speaking of switchy winds, Steve Padgett pulled off a most amazing downwind declared spot landing. I had launched first, hit nothing but sink after leaving the ridge low, and had to land on the near end of the field. I think I had less downwind, but my landing wasn't nearly as nice as Steve's.

Brian Vant-Hull

> Mark and Pete, I think, were the only ones to get above launch for more righteous extendos.

Extendo!? Hey, 25 minutes and 500' over counts as a soaring flight in my book; especially since I caught that thermal a few hundred below launch! A brief but very satisfying flight.

Hiked up afterwards, then set up again for a sled around 6:00. Never went magic. Beautiful sunset from up top, where winds were tailing at about 5mph.

--mark c.

The first time I went over the back from the Fairgrounds (which is on the same ridge as High Point, but lower) I didn't know that the dirt road I could see was the tow path. There are lots of places to land over the back. It just looks intimidating from the ridge, but once you get to the next ridge, you can see that the valleys between them are fairly wide and have places to land.

I went down to check out Eagle Rock. This is a site near Clifton Forge VA that a PG pilot bought and has been turning into a PG mecca of sorts. I was hoping to get a lesson on the PG, but ended up flying only the HG since there were no training hills around to practice on and it was warm down in that valley. It was the first time some of the PGers had seen a hang glider launch. So I got to wow them even if it was a late day glassoff. Fun group of people down there.

Christy

The wind was light and switchy some early but improved. We had some fairly good cycles and the students got between 6 and 9 flights each before the wind got lighter and more cross. Did a bit of weed wacking as well a 4 flights myself. Stopped by the Pulpit on the way home and wind was coming in about 5 mph. Did anyone try to fly the pulpit on Sunday?

- john middleton

Well, it was my first over-the-back up there. Took a more southerly track, because that's the way the winds were favoring (down low, at least). Don't know if that makes a difference. And I was being super-cautious, and basically stayed stinkin' bloody high from the time I left the High Point ridge. Still, it was just alot less scary looking out there than I was 'spectin'. Did look somewhat less inviting SE of the ridge that finally stopped me, I'll grant you. I'd have wanted to be stinkin' high again before proceeding onward from there.

Anyway, nice site. Perhaps I'll make some time to get out to the mountains once in a while, for variety.

-- Joe (Tow-head) Gregor

Work decided to kick me out of my office for a couple days (yeah, I'm sobbing) so I headed down to Ridgely for a nice 4 day weekend. Someone was smiling on my because Thursday turned out to be the day to be there. Nice big lift under poofy clouds. Base was 3500 and pretty easy to get to. Had lots of fun running upwind and drifiting back downwind while thermalling back up (for 2+hours). As an added bonus, Sunny and Adam broke out the combats and came out to fly solo for a change. Now, don't get me wrong, I love the hell out of my Talon and it's a screamin demon, but those combats are quite obviously faster ships.

Friday wasn't as good, but still worked out quite well. Saturday was blowing stronger than I care to fly. It looked awesume and it sounds like the mountains were working out fantastically. Sunday was strong early but mellowed as the day progressed. Lift was kinda weak and drifty. In his usual "gotta go" fashion, PK rode the low stuff (tops around 3k) XC out to somewhere near the beach. The views all day were spectacular! It was crystal clear flying.

Great flying and great people... I just can't get enough of that place.

Cheers,
Jim

Have to laugh. I had so much fun at Taylor's yesterday that I couldn't wait to post. Found out Pete S. had a fabulous flight at Dickey's, but he's too modest to say anything. Oh yeah, hours of high flying are boring. However, I'm sure you are waiting with bated breath for my training hill report! Tada! Here it is.

This was actually one of the most educational days of flying I've had in a long time. Tried to be smarter about learning, not just go out and beat myself. You know, practice doesn't make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect. We brought the video camera, and Paul filmed all of my launches. In between flights, we would review the footage and critique the launches. Then I would go up the hill, where it was almost flat, and practice the changes I wanted to make before I tried them in an actual launch.

Turns out that my launch was pretty strong in most regards. However, I had a small tendency to allow the nose up a hair as I transitioned my grip from the grapevine to the bottle in my run. I think I was just being so aggressive that I was slamming my hands into the downtubes. On my second launch, before I had the flaw fixed, it nearly bit me. The temp was 93 degrees, there was only a trickle of wind, and the hill isn't that steep. Figured it was a good time to test myself. Never said I had the brains of a rocket scientist.

Ginny wallowed off the ground like a pig, and for a moment I wondered if I was going to be decorating Chris's favorite tree like an ungainly Christmas ornament. Managed to wrestle Ginny out of mush mode and away from the tree, somehow ended up on my feet. Very glad that didn't happen at the mountains. Scared the crap outa me as it was.

Let me tell you, I had religion my next run. Jackie Joyner couldn't have caught me, and the nose stayed down until we gained lots of speed. I gotta get it drilled in better, but I had a couple of launches where the pitch never changed at all. I wanted to do more, but I couldn't have been wetter than if I'd been swimming, and my legs kept shaking. The heat was just too much. After my last flight Paul drove down the hill to help me break down, so I didn't have to climb it one more time. He is so great.

Was interesting landing, too. The whole field slopes a bit down. My first flight, as soon as I launched I was 100% sure I would easily land in the mowed part of the field. I dropped to within a few feet of the ground quickly, but then stayed in ground effect forever! I coulda done my nails. Damn near flew past the whole pond. It was kinda like landing with a slight tailwind. Gives me lots of respect for the pilots that do XC in the mountains. The slope dramatically changes the glide. Rolled in which really pissed me off. I knew what to expect the rest of the flights and landed them all OK.

Visited with Laura-Stewart Taylor, the owner, on the way out. She is wonderful. She did mention that the tractor is still broken, so the whole farm is overgrown, except for our bit of it. Good thing John mowed the field or it still wouldn't be usable.

Lauren Tjaden

Sorry to have missed the cleanup this weekend but it had beed six weeks since the Wed. at HR where Karma had flown last. I have also been sitting on my new Talon due to weather and a severed tendon in my hand. It was a fair weekend. I did two truck tows in late day conditions Sat. Three mid day truck tows and two late day pattern AT Sunday night, and a mid day thermally AT Mon. All landings were on my feet. I had to run two of them out due to trying to determine the flare window with the greatly reduced bar pressures of the Talon. Managed to gain about 500ft off the AT though. I can see it is going to take me a bit to dial into the Talon but so far the prognosis looks promising. Karma was feeling a little under the weather and only took 1 mid day tow Sun and had a slightly rough landing. Unfortunatly Monday was to cross and strong for any truck towing. Going back down for the Labor Day weekend then plan to head to the training hills to practice footlaunching.

Hank

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This page last updated October 4, 2003