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Hangola November 26 - 29, 1998
Thanksgiving Weekend

We got skunked at Woodstock today (30+ mph winds). Should have known better to go out on a marginal forecast without Chuck or Ed. We bailed at 2:30 and went to check out Edith's Gap. Couldn't find the LZ that anyone was referring to unless it's the narrow scar in the landscape that's only partially cleared. We also checked out the secondary and had a good laugh. The primary wasn't too bad; but neither of us would want to take the risk in trying to get there....

Matthew (hmmm, maybe tomorrow, of Karen and Matthew)

Conditions looked almost exactly the same as last week. Bright sunshine, with the same sort of NW flow. The air was about 30 degrees warmer however and rather than nice thermal columns, we were treated to warm bubbles of various size and frequency. It took me a little while to pick up on that. I would hit a nice updraft, fly out the opposite side like I usually did, then go back with a planned turning pattern. Unfortuantly I was consistently greeted with mixed trash and sink. (Sounds like someone just did the dishes). After about 45 min of scrambling around with large question marks over my head I figured it out and turned immediately upon hitting any lift. It made for hectic flying but I managed to break 2000 over a number of times.

Others figured the day had Harrisonburg written all over it. Tom, Mike B, Joe, Marc, Dan and others helped form the Gaggle at the Gap. Several made the jump but I didn't hear of anyone making it past Short mountain.

I didn't have my radio so I lost track of almost everyone but others at launch were Adam, Homer, Doug, Christie, Judy, Mike C, Basil, a couple of faces that I didn't know and Nelson who last week as you may remember caught the Big Wave to 7300 MSL and went over the back. He said he hit a zero sink wave at 6100 over the 2nd ridge and then straight lined it for the Front Royal Airport.

Around 3 or 3:30 there was a gerneral flush and most people sank out. I happend to be about half way to the north end and so had my first XC landing at a reported 5.5 miles. I landed in the field of a very nice farm that from the air looked like a country club. A group of about 8 people came toward me as I made my approach and I recieved a round of applause for my stand up landing which enabled me to take a bow. It turn out there was an engagement party under way and I was told that if I went up to the house I could have a beer and be a celebrity. I went up to thank and congratulate the host and Judy was already there ahead of me surrounded by the host and a crowd of well dressed, well to do guests. It was like being in some sort of pretentious commercial. ("Well Steed, So glad you could 'drop in'!" "Oh, Thank you for warming my place Emma!" "Champaigne?")

Ed

Here's my weekend round-up:

Friday, Woodstock, :40, the lift ran out where I was up to the north and I had to land. Turns out the landowner is hosting an engagement party there that day and who do I find there but Ed, who also found this field attractive (well, necessary anyway). 5.37 accidental miles.

Saturday, Dickey Ridge, :20, 200' over. My first Dickey Ridge flight!! What a kick!! Fortunately launch conditions were ideal -- straight in and steady. Tom and Pete got three hours mostly scratching, Mike got :15 and then flew a second time along with Jose for an hour in the evening glass off.

Sunday, Towfarm Brought a camcorder to videotaped landings. Had three landings of my own. Sleds all around. Geoff, Steve Turner, Steve Kinsley, Joe, Mike B, Mike C, Marc, Jose, Charles Cozean, Dale R from DE, and the Williamson boys.

What a gorgeously warm weekend!

Judy

While I don't want to post sailplane-centric exploits to this server, I wanted to share an interesting wind phenomena I observed in the Hagerstown Valley on Saturday.

Conditions at the gliderport (Fairfield) were mostly west to southwest, 5ish with gusts to 15+ on the ground, severe clear. First launches to 2000 ft left 6 of us on the ground within 20 minutes. Secondary higher tows to 3500 ft put us squarely into the wave to 9000+ ft. At least 4 parallel wave bars were mapped out before we spread around laterally in the wave. There was a fire burning on the NW side of the Whitetail ski area ridge. The copious smoke being produced laid down indicating a strong, NW flow which was consistent with the direction at our altitudes (velocity at 8K msl = ~50 mph corrected.) What was really strange was the smoke from the fire that was burning about 2 miles out in front of HR launch. On the ground, it was strong and due SW; straight up the valley. However, as the smoke rose it changed direction to NW. The change was very abrupt, almost 90 degrees. This condition existed for at least an hour from ~2:30 till 3:30. I'm not sure at what altitude the shear occurred but it seemed to be about 500 ft. (I ran into Juan Sonen on Sunday at HR who mentioned that he was there the previous day with John Middleton who was faced w/ a SW cross at HR on Saturday and did not fly.)

We all commented on the very interesting and unusual shear condition.

d.

The warm high pressure this last weekend made for very pleasant days, but non soarable conditions at Manquin Flight Park. Extremely light thermals allowed extended sleds of 15 minutes and a bit of aerobatics and spot landing contests. There were about 10 pilots towing on 2 rigs Sat and 6 pilots Sun. Those there Sunday got to see me whack my Fusion as I attempted to slow the glider below stall speed (at least for the right wing), but no one had a camera. I landed on my feet and there was no damage to the glider.

Greg DeWolf

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This page last updated November 30, 1998