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Hangola September 9 - 13

It was fun yesterday, but kinda frustrating at times. Steve K and I arrived at woodstock to find it blowing in nicely. By the time we had set up 25-30 mph gusts were blowing through. After a brief period of waiting we decided that it not only looked dangerous but didn't look like much fun either. We knew the only way to calm the wind down was to make a sacrifice.
Since there were no virgins around we only had 1 choice. With alot of bitching and moaning we decided to break down the gliders and go home. It must have been the sacrifice the wind gods were looking for because by the time we were broke down it was blowing 10 mph straight up the slot. So of course we set up again and of COURSE it stared to blow like stink again as soon as the gliders were together. This time we decided to wait it out. We both got off in a lull. Then after only about 45 min of some decent flying, we both realized that a rain shower was heading our way FAST. I got down in time to cover up my glider. Steve being much higher than myself made it down in time to land safely, but his glider took a bath.

-Brian Hardwick

Doug picked me up at 1:35. Raced to Harpers Ferry. Loaded the gliders. Called Mr. Fishburn ("The wind is pretty strong.") Raced to Woodstock. Looking perfect. Got to launch. It WAS perfect. 10-15 WNW. Skip Brown showed up as we were setting up. We all marvelled at how good it was looking. I launched first. Got right up. Doug next. Ditto. Skip next. Ditto. Big, stadium sized thermals going up around 4-500 fpm. Topping out (me) around 3K over because of the cold. Skip got 3900 over. Flew out to Rt. 11. Had to work a little to get down. Total time, 2 hours 10 minutes. Doug got 2:15, but he whacked his landing. Terry (?), Hang 2 who lives on Rt. 55 west, showed up in the LZ asking if we needed a ride up to launch. Doug and I had driven both vehicles, so we didn't, but it's something to keep in mind. Terry (hope I have his name right) learned from Steve Wendt and is looking for an observer. (Not at the moment, however, since he hurt his leg - not from hang gliding.)
Skip and I agreed that it would have been a good day to run to Harrisonburg - if we had a driver.
Christy

Since none of the hang-glider pilots who were there have posted anything yet, I'll start with the paraglider perspective. Wayne Elseth and I arrived at the LZ about noon, just in time to catch a ride up with a van-load of hang-glider pilots (thanks guys!). The wind wasn't very consistent, either in speed or direction for the next couple of hours, and much hang-waiting and para-waiting was accomplished. Everyone who set up eventually flew, mostly extended sled rides, but I think that 3 paraglider pilots were the only ones to get in two flights. Best flights of the day were the last two launches, Wayne's and mine, at about 5:55 and 6:20 PM. My flight was 77 minutes; got to 675 feet over launch, flew over a mile south and over 4 miles north (Wayne went about 5). I spotted a hummingbird about 300 over launch, and a couple of dragonflies about 500 over. Got to watch a falcon parked about 50 feet below me. There was no wind in the LZ when we launched or when we landed, but the wind picked up a bit before we landed and I had to use the speed bar to move out front and then big ears to lose altitude because I was still way above launch (and still going up) when I got over the LZ.

It looked like there was plenty of wind for paragliders (and probably hang-gliders) to launch at least until 6:45 or 7 PM.

Apologies to Michael Hulett and Michael Selig, who were stuck in the LZ until we landed because I neglected to leave an accessible car key (other than the one I'd left in the ignition behind locked doors - fortunately I did have one hidden elsewhere).

David Inouye

Well, Doug and I were planning to go to High Point to fly Saturday, but after the second plaintive call from a Hang 2 wishing to be observed off at Woodstock, I changed my plans. The wind was light from the SW when we got there (first ones), but it came around and picked up midday to provide soarable cycles for the 3 Hang 2s I saw off: Craig Shelton, Ed Reno, and Steve Padgett. I raced to my glider, but wasn't fast enough. By the time I launched, it was pretty light and only Rich Donahue was still above the ridge (just). I couldn't get the zipper closed on my harness (funny how when you have a discussion and the other pilot is telling you why they prefer a cocoon harness because that way 'your foot doesn't get hung up on the closing line' and you say 'I rarely have that happen', that it's a guarantee it's going to happen) and that little extra bit of drag didn't help my case. I spent 11 minutes in the bowl trying to get up without no luck.

I called JR Sunday to find out what it had been like in Cumberland: a little strong, but soarable to the end of the day. Eh oui.

Christy

LET THREEDOM RING! LET THREEDOM RING!

Fred Permenter awarded me the big 'un at high rock today. For those of you who may ask, I was planning work with Mike C, but the two of us just haven't had much luck linking up. Fred has just happened to be around nearly everytime I flew recently. I thank both of them for their input. Ditto for all the other sky gods.

-Brian VH

A great time was had by all at the Towfarm Fly-In! Saturday was breezy, north to northwest. Many flew, and most had sleds or extended sleds. New-to-the-area Charles Cozean had the flight of the day with an hour plus and 2800' over. Others who flew: Geoff, Steve T, Steve K, Joe, Tom, Mike Balk, John Middleton, Jose, Mike C, Marc F, Danny, myself, many PA pilots and a few out of state pilots joining the weekend festivities. Bill Moyes had delivered the new tug last week and did some of the towing over the weekend.

Sunday was a great day!! Light winds (east turning nw) and lots of thermals! I think everybody got to stay up and most (if not all) made it to cloudbase. Geoff, Steve T, Steve K, Joe, Tom, Mike Balk, Mike C, Marc, Danny, Skip Brown, Steve Vogel, myself, PA pilots.

A wonderful weekend!

Judy

The day was interesting for me because it was basically the first time that I tried to fly in marginally light conditions. I found out what it means to time my launch and WORK for my flight! We all kept each other pretty well entertained while we waited for things to turn, no kevetching. Patience paid off because we all waited until about 3:30 to launch and were able to get something more than a sled. There was basically no sustaining lift anywhere except over the power lines. It was either stroke the fur off of that cat or land. If we had waited until sundown we might have been able to soar the magic air the way the two Paraglider pilots did. We finished with an intimate meal for 9 at the Strausburg bar.

So Christy...

>From the H2sters: I made 12 calls before getting you. Thanks again for changing your plans to go to High Point and coming to Woodstock to observe us.

At risk of weathering out down a perfectly good event, I attended both days of the TowFarm Fly-In.

Sat. was marginally soarable and the Fusion got 0+40 and 2400' AGL max from an 1100' release. I even managed to land the thing properly, but that turned out to be a fluke. Great Party. Sun. looked to be a good day to finish (re)learning how to land my bloody glider once again, and still get home at a decent hour. In other words, it looked sleddy. Left the glider lying flat the night before so I was like 4th in line, ready to go. Turned out to be soarable at 12:00 noon(!) with thermal tops climbing from 2600' initially to 4000' or so later on.

After two hours of messing with my radio wiring in the air I managed to raise Steve and we flipped the verbal coin as to who would go XC. I won(?) Sticking to the route back home so as to reduce the retrieve delay to 5 mins or so, I get a grand total of 9 miles and a bent downtube. The downtube was inevitable, you see, since I landed in a field harboring another pilot (Mike C.), said pilot acting as witness and ensuring my outlanding was a total BONK. Next time I land at least one field over, beans or no. The zero wait-state retrieve plan didn't work either, as Steve ended up collected 4 units of CHGA retrieve money by picking up everyone who jumped, including Mike "16miles" Balk, and delivering them to the TowFarm in time for leftovers.

A good flight, anyway, 4000', 3+00, and what sounded an awful lot like a near miss by a heavy jet while circling near cloudbase over the TowFarm. Never saw the guy. It is a wise thing to diligently obey those cloud clearance regulations, folks, there be C-5's flying into Dover out there.

-- Joe

Fun days in the air. Great and special thanks to Christy for coming out to Woodstock on Saturday to throw us off. I played wind dummy for the second set of flights, about 4:15. Struggling in light stuff, I got 500'over launch, and 24 minutes. Really worked hard in tiny thermals over the bare spots in the trees.
I had brought a Hang Zero driver along, Chris Williams. On the late afternoon body ride shuttle, he went up and drove Doug n Christy's truck back down so thay could finish breaking down. This was after Christy noted that Ed was waiting for Dan to drive Ed's car down, rather than HIS OBSERVER's truck. Ed, you gotta learn the right way to suck up to the observers!
On Sunday, Dan and I headed to High Rock, arriving in time to watch Fred & Rae throw Brian V-H into the air. They were set up, ready to go after Brian. We worked a deal for new observer Bob Gillesse to launch me so The Flying Permenters could get airborne. It was very light, nothing working on the ridge. We were all running off from the back of the rock. This was Fred's first running launch on his newly repaired foot. He did fine, and got some time en route to the LZ. As usual, Rae stayed up in near nothing. I picked up a couple of minutes at the tracks, then worked the silo for about 10 minutes. At one point, I saw Raean give up on her first thermal and head toward me. I was keeping an eye out for her to join my tiny thermal, when she it something en route... next I knew she was 2000' up! I landed at 13 minutes, and Fred was on the radio encouraging Rae to head west. She did! Not sure her final distance... we'll let them tell the details.
Dan got about 20 minutes. He tried for a second flight about 5:00, but the winds were cross or tailing for 45 minutes, so we bagged it and went home.
Thanks to Fred and Bob for my Sunday support.

Cragin Shelton

(WAY TO GO BRIAN!)

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This page last updated September 16, 1998