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Hangola April 22 - 29, 2005

Flight Reports

Not that it makes a damn, but here's what I saw at Woodstock when I arrived at 3:45P: Smooth winds 6 to 15 MPH in the slot, straight in to some west cross, sometimes very light. Isolated rain showers across the valley over the WV border. Vultures soaring back and forth in smooth air, with some tucking to head SW, but not a lot. They didn't seem to encounter any rotor. Showers never made it to I-81. Winchester's reading at 4P was west at 12 G 21. Left at 5P. May have been OK all day. Sad

Bacil

Bruce Engen called me at work today to say he was going to Smithsburg this afternoon, so I drove over to meet him there after work.

Winds had calmed down from 23+ to approx 15-20 and slightly cross from the WSW when I arrived at 6pm. Bruce was already set up and ready to go, so we headed to the top. He made two flights (his first flights after recovery from a skiing injury) and then offered his Falcon II 225 to me.

I could not resist the opportunity, and made two more flights. Not too gusty, or too turbulent. That Falcon 225 is such a floater ...

The grass at the top is short and sparse. On the slope and the bottom it is maybe eight inches. The field in front is plowed and may be planted.

The sign still says 'open', but that is probably because the new owner would not know to change it. I will check with Eddie and find out if we should stop or continue to train there. When I find out, I will post the status to the forum.

I am hoping that the top and the hill are hay this summer. It is not difficult to fly a PG there without ever landing in the planted area below. Maybe the owner will let us fly PG on the slope ...

Congrats to Bruce on his new 'first flights'!

'Spark

Was out there on business and brought my harness along having Wednesday afternoon free.

Flew Mission Ridge just north-east of San Jose. Last time I flew there, the Moyes CSX was the hot ticket having just come out (early 90's?). Kenny Brown set me up with one and it was the first topless glider I flew.

I've flown most of the sites in the Bay area but I'm partial to the coastal soaring at Ft Funston (west of San Fran and about 45 minutes north of Mission Ridge) While the local shop (Mission Soaring... Pat Denevan and Stacey ?... GREAT PEOPLE, COOL SHOP) would rent me a glider; they couldn't get me a ride to Ft Funston. No matter, I got a ride to the top of Mission from an old pilot friend (Carmela.) She flew nabbing about 15 minutes before losing it. I launched (self launch, warm, ligt wind, open meadow, no stress) and pretty much had the sky to myself. Got below launch about 250 ft (it's a 1500' AL site) 15 minutes into the flight and thought I was toast when I saw a swirl in the long grass working up the hill side. Cruised over to the movement and cranked that very sweet 147 US up on a wingtip gaining 800 ft saving my LWA. Had the sky to myself only sharing it trading altitude thermalling with a PG pilot who seemed to know what he was doing. Got my Mission hour landing a no-stepper next to the windsock. Carmela dropped the glider off at the shop for me the next day; door-to-door service. Sometimes it's perfect.

This month I've been in the sport for 25 years. I've had lots of flights and most I've forgotten. For better or worse, some I've remembered. This is one I'll remember for the better.

What were we talking about? Oh, right... helmets... whatever.

Danny Brotto

Instead of writing post about helmets, Homer, Adam, Hubble, Bruce, and I decided to take ours flying. Conditions when I arrived at 3:00 were pretty light. Hubble had an extendo. Homer and Adam did a great job scratching from 100 ft under to 300 ft over launch netting around 30 min + or so. I launched at 5:00 into a very light cycle resigned to taking my sled like a man and break down in the LZ. I was more suprised than anyone when I went right to 1000 ft over in baby but smooth lift. Got considerably more punchy and windy to the north. I got 2000 above launch and did a short 7.5 mile cross country to a friend's house and put it down in his front yard entertaining his wife and kids. All in all a great day.

Hank

Got blown out at Ridgely this morning and headed for home, met Sparky and went to Smithsburg for some moderately high wind glider handling and foot launch practice, a bit apprehensive and intimidated at first, but received excellent tutelage from the Sparkezoid and learned some new tricks, real pleased with the day and the confidence gained in the process. Thanks man really dug it. Rich Bloomfield

I took off early on Thursday to fly with plans to meet Bruce and Hank at Pulpit. When I finally left the office, it looked a bit O.D'd, so I decided to go to Smithsburg with Rich Bloomfield, who was intent on getting some foot launch practice. I had planned to test-fly a PG I had just purchased, but winds were a bit too strong for that

Shortly after I arrived, I got a call from Bruce reporting that it was raining and winds at the Pulpit had been over 50mph, so he was headed home to dry out his gear. I informed Rich of the potential for rain and strong winds. We observed that the rain was travelling north of our position, and Rich wanted to experience some 'high-wind ground handling', so he set up his Falcon 195 while I flew Zagi and chatted with Eddie Miller.

Once Rich was ready, Eddie and I assisted. I tied a piece of webbing to the keel (an Eddie Miller idea), near the noseplate on the Falcon, and Eddie shared some advice on high-wind ground handling. Finally, the last vestiges of the squall moved past us, and conditions settled down ... a little.

Rich made two flights from a position half-way up the hill, waiting each time for a suitable lull in windspeed. I think he did well in his ground handling and in countering the turbulence.

Rich loaned me his glider and I made one flight into the sporty air, experiencing periods of zero ground speed followed by quick changes in altitude.

I made it home in time to cut the lawn and get the garden vegetables planted before the rain and sunset.

Another 'great' day

'Spark

Arrived at 10:30am and winds at the top where pretty good; 10-15 and relatively smooth. But the sky looked like conditions coud Revvvv-up which...by the time my students arrived and the glider was set up, they did. ( Of course...arrrrrgh. )

We hung out for a couple of hours in hopes that the high level clouds would shut down the intense thermal activity. But.....it didnt'. Conditions would go from literally 1-2 mph to 30+ gusts ! VERY SCARY.

Broke down around 2pm. Passed Sparky coming as we were leaving. Wasn't sure who it was at first until this mornings' posts.

Oh well, with a cruddy weekend forecast, it was worth taking the chance for a mid-week lesson. Ended up taking the class up to High Rock for a look-see. Recorded 40+ mph gust there.

Rich Hays

Joe Schad and I arrived about 1:00. Launchable but cross. WSW. Cloud track was west but they were moving pretty good. I would say 30. We had our Dickey Ridge gliders -- Falcon for Joe and my Sport 2. Not the best choices for the conditions.

Just as we finished setting up we got word from Hank and Bruce that they were giving up on the Pulpit because of rain squalls/gust fronts and high winds. There was nothing like that at WS but the Pulpit is just up the road a piece and we both stared hard at the clouds a while looking for signs of violence. Seemed ok so I volunteered to launch first.

Out of the slot it was running straight down the ridge which I expected. And it was rotary and nasty which I expected. Got to 1,000 over and it smoothed out some but was just really strong and still surprisingly nasty. Lots of lift in streets (flew out to the bridge field in lift) but I didn't want to go higher. After a short while, I decided flying around with the VG almost full and the bar at my tummy wasn't a whole lot of fun and belonged more in the stunt category so I landed. Told Joe it was not Falconable and he broke down.

Pete and Tom arrived after I landed. It clouded up but also backed off and straightened out. When Joe and I left they were doing fine. So we shoulda...

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This page last updated April 30, 2005