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Hangola
Saturday May 30, 1998

Saturday at the Pulpit:
Bacil and I arrived at 10:00am and the wind was blowing straight in at about 5. We were optimistic that it would be a good day to get high and go over the back. I was first off at around 1:00pm into light wind. I flew along the ridge, losing altitude slowly as I went. I was able to make the main LZ and turned in a small thermal over it, but wasn't able to stay in it. After I flew, Mike Balk launched and had the flight of the day with 20 minutes. Conditions lightened up through the afternoon and everyone else had sleds to include: Tom McGowan, Jose, Joe Gregor, Karen Carra, and Dave Johnson. Janet Gregor and John Middleton's students, Eric and Chuck, had their first flights at the Pulpit yesterday, too. Many people landed in the secondary LZ.
Sure hope we get some good soaring conditions soon!
Mike Buckley

ps. Bacil didn't fly because he got spooked when he decided to catch a
black snake and got bit in the finger. He's fine.

In which we all get sleds ('cept for Mike Balk who managed 20 mins or so) and our friend Bacil is attacked by a snake. Initially looked pretty promising but died off after Mike B launched. Sledees to the primary: Me, Tom McG, Jose. Sledees to the secondary: Karen, Janet, Joe G, Mike Buckley, Dan T, couple of new 2s -- Ed and Chuck(?). Everybody did fine. Despite a lot of heavy breathing on launch nobody overshot the crest of the hill in the secondary. Sorry if I missed anyone. Totally Unimpressed with Conditions: Mathew, John Middleton and Bacil (on injured reserve). Bacil reportedly tried to capture a black snake by stepping on it and trying to grab it whereupon the treacherous serpent bit him on the thumb. Imagine that.

Well, those of use who attended the work party for the Cumberland sites were rewarded - as it should be!!
The work party started at 8 for those who stayed in Cumberland for the night. For those of us who didn't, it didn't start until 11 or so. Being among the late arrivals, Doug and I skipped the Fairgrounds launch and went straight to Zirks where we helped clear the road up (part of our agreement with the landowner for use of the site) and the launch area. It now looks like the usual country club setting. We then went to High Point where Doug and I cleared stuff hanging into the road while the others were on top weedwacking. We then set up despite conditions looking light and variable. John McAllister and Will Jenkins thought it was blowing over the back so they went over to the SE launch. In the meantime it started cycling in and we started hopping off. Soaring flights were had by all, although poor JR who probably does the most work got the shortest, with Larry Ball who does the second most amount of work, getting the second shortest. Other Mountaineers rewarded more fully were Mike Chevalier, Ben and LE Herrick, Rick Menas, Marvin Presley, and Dave Proctor. Mark Gardner and I got the flights of the day with Mark on top the whole time. We got through the inversion and spent most of the flight above 2000 over (for a little over an hour) while the others couldn't get much above 800 over. I was feeling nauseous the whole time (probably all the OTC medicine I've been taking for the cold I've had since Monday), but it was such nice flying, I wasn't going to stop any sooner than I had to. About the time we all finished sinking out, Will and John, who had returned from the SE site (where it was blowing over the back) were ready to launch. Will got a soaring flight, but John sunk out right away. Sheila showed up in the LZ from visiting George and went up for a quickie flight along with Danny Loudermill. We all signed up for the baby pool for Will's wife Alex in the LZ, paid JR for winning the spot landing contest, and with the little remaining money, went out to eat.
Christy

Craig

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This page last updated May 31, 1998