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Hangola August

Saturday August 22, 1998

Sunday August 23, 1998

To everyone that showed up at the Bill's Hill Clean-Up and worked their butts off, THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Including Karen and myself, the following pilots braved the heat and made it out to Bill's on Saturday: Tom, Mike Balk, Mike C, John Middleton, Mark Cavanaugh, Craig, Brian VH, Ed Reno, Alex Semyonov, Mark G, Kevin, Kelly, Lewis Truitt, Joe Branch and Carlos. Through a lot of back breaking labor, we managed to clear the slot on both sides to it's original dimensions and clear the brush and a couple of rows of small tress at the bottom of the slot. The slot is so wide now that it's big enough to (theoretically) launch two gliders at the same time, side by side. The grass in the set up area has been mowed and Brian and Alex cleared and blazed a trail from the LZ back up to launch. Just follow the blue blazes until you see the top of the hill and then scramble up the last 50 feet.

After the clean-up, a bunch of us headed to the Pulpit and then to High Rock in an attempt to fly. Kelly and Kevin stayed behind at the Pulpit to work on the gate. Super Kudos to Kevin and Kelly! Once at the Rock, most of us were just too tired to set up our gliders for a light to dead air launch and sled. Though, Ed Reno braved the light conditions and had a nice long sled with his new reversible base tube configuration.

Matthew (see y'all at High Rock this weekend, of Karen and Matthew)

I called Jim Rowan's house Sunday morning and found out he was out of town (his father answered the phone). I called Will Jenkins and no one answered. I called Marvin Presley and, finally, got ahold of a pilot. He was thinking of flying a Shenandoah site, but I talked him into going to High Point. We didn't find anyone else going so we each drove out and met in the LZ (we live about 10 miles from each other). When I topped the last big mountain after Sideling Hill, the scuzz ended and it was blue skies and cumies. Unbelievable.
The lock had been changed on the LZ gate so we left my truck outside and took Marvin's vehicle up. It was crossed (WSW), but looking good. We set up pronto. Marvin launched first and scratched around the NW facing part of the ridge near launch before figuring out that the lift would probably be better on the more westerly facing part. He was 1000 over by the time I got off. I got right up and we spent the new couple of hours boating around. The highest I got was 3500 over. There was lift (and sink) everywhere. I flew down to Zirks and back. I passed the ridge in front and got almost to the mall before heading back. There wasn't much drift to the thermals, but you could see the wind blowing about 10-15 on the top of the ridge, esp. when the thermals came through. I landed when the thermals shut down and it turned to light ridge lift.
2:13 hr. (Marvin got around 3:30.)
Christy

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This page last updated August 24, 1998