Back to Main Page Back to Archive 1998

Index to weather maps

Hangola

Friday August 7, 1998

Saturday August 8, 1998

Sunday August 9, 1998

Geoff, Doug and me. Sleds all around. Nice day and if there had been 10 people there launching at various times during the day, someone would have gotten up.

It is possible that the main LZ may be closed for up to a month -- new foal /colt whatever. But you need to stop in and see the new kittens in Anna's barn anyway.

Fisher Road, Saturday Aug 8

Mike B, Tom M, Brian VH, Kelly B, & Kevin M went to Fisher's. Surely it was going to be soarable. Not for us. Sleds and extendos were the order of the day. Primary closed, middle field was used by all. I saw two nice landings heading towards launch on the far side of the power lines. That was different.

I had a bad approach and rediscovered the wonders of flying downhill... all the way. I was wearing sandles and shorts when I flared into the saplings and trees and got scratched up a bit by prickly bushes. After unhooking, glider remained 'glued' and had to be flipped over on its back to extract from the brush. I straighted out one #9 pretzel shaped batton, relaxed in the shade, and called it a day.

Other warriers went for seconds. Mike even had a momentary above ridge experience. And Kelly enjoyed here maiden flight as a H3. Pizza debriefing followed.

-Kevin

Kevin Madden wrote:

> I had a bad approach and rediscovered the wonders of flying downhill... all the way. I was wearing sandles and shorts when I flared into the saplings and trees and got scratched up a bit by prickly bushes. After unhooking, glider remained 'glued' and had to be flipped over on its' back to extract from the brush. I straighted out one #9 pretzel shaped batton, relaxed in the shade, and called it a day. >

You flew in sandals? DUUH! You can get away with that on the dunes but definately not a good idea around here. About 9 of us were at the Towfarm, wind was east just a bit too strong to be a really good tow day. Two flights for me, 15 and 45 minutes, got a low save over the farm to 2K but the drift had taken me all the way to the river. Struggled to stay east of the river and get back but couldn't make it and landed at the subdivision with the smiley face mowed in the grass. Another pilot landed there TWICE. Geoff was last seen at 4500 trying to cross the bay, he was never seen or heard from after that. MC

It was an unexpectedly wonderful day at Jack's on Saturday! Mark G., Dan Tomlinson, Karen and Matthew and I all carpooled together and were debating taking our sleds at Fisher Road or Jack's the entire trip. We finally defaulted to Marc's determination that there was a better chance of sunshine farther north and Jack's is higher and headed to Jack's. Thanks Marc!

Arrived to overcast conditions and about 10 gliders in the air with the strongest surviving the flush cycles. Not sure what everyone's stats were but Marc and Brian H. were up 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Then flew again later in the day for the same!

Our carload was under specific instructions (from Mark G.) that since we're all H3's we'll take our one sled then head out to dinner. Well, we followed those directions to the letter by taking our sleds then coming back up for a second flight and staying up as long as we wanted in the evening Magic.

Mark G. flew 2 hours and 1000'(?) over - I'll let others tell about their flights. My first flight shortly after 4:00 was an extended sled - gained nothing on multiple passes and headed out. Second flight was 1:45, never getting more than about 600' with the lift extending way out in the valley.

Others in attendance were Pete Lehmann, Larry Ball, Larry Huffman, Clare Pagen, Carlos, Jesse (from the Windriders?), Fred Carter and others.

Still can't believe how wonderful the day turned out!

Sheila

> Second flight was 1:45, never getting more than about 600' with the lift extending way out in the valley.... I'll let others tell about their flights. ....................Sheila

************************************************************

Karen got 1:10 on her second flight and I got a little over 1:30. Once again I got stuck helping others launch and was the next to the last man off. I hate being nice. I was ready to leave the ridge after an hour since my neck was getting sore from all the pushing out to stay above Sheila (it's really not that hard actually), but I damn well wasn't going to land before her. No more Mr. Nice Guy! Finally she gave up and went out to land about 10 minutes before 8:00, the time I figured that I head better head out so I could still land before sunset. She had thought that I would go out to land first-- HA!!! So now both of us have sore necks. That'll teach me. I guess it's back to being Mr. Nice Guy.

Maybe.

Matthew (if you read Sheila's post again you may figure out that someone got their H3 a couple of weeks ago but didn't say anything, of Karen and Matthew)
PS Fred Carter found his glider. It wasn't stolen after all. Some hikers had found it and had thought it had rolled down the hill. So they had moved it. We were unclear as to how Fred found this out.

Met Bacil at the Pulpit, then took the scenic route up 522 to Jacks. Wind was straight in at 6-8 mph and sky was overcast but it didn't rain. Robert Flatly, a Hang II from Lancaster turned up. He had flown Jacks the day before, so Bacil observed him off for his sled ride. I followed, and although I scratched for all I was worth on a borrowed Eurosport 167 from Mark Gardner, got no more than an 18 minute extended sled.

Bacil, who had earlier patiently listened to my advocacy of higher-performing gliders, waited until Robert drove back up, launched, and promptly climbed to about 200 over launch. He got about 50 minutes before landing in the main LZ. Maybe I need to discard my vario and look for a MK IV 17?
At least the extended scratching familiarized me with the flying characteristics of the borrowed Eurosport, perhaps producing more accomplished future flights.

Why was the main LZ closed on Saturday, and how long will it remain so? Did anyone fly there on Sunday?

Still waiting on British certification and eventually delivery of the retweaked Xtreme 138.

John Dullahan

	previous page	back to top	next page

This page last updated August 10, 1998