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Hangola August 22, 1999

Went to Highland AeroSports Sunday after seeing high cirrus in Lancaster, but would chance it. By the time I hit the MD border at 9:30 am it was clear with cummies popping all over, when I got to Ridgely they were streeting and it looked like a good xc day toward the SE. In fact 11:30 looked like other days at 2 pm.

I would setup and fetch the early xc crew. Fred was over Ridgely but decided it was not yet time and came back, others did not stay up, Steve Vogel reported light lift but not much of it. Cloud base was below 4,000' at this time I think. Wait for about an hour but the clouds beckoned so up they went. Sunny was soaring a tandem so that might have motivated the crowd, inside of 5 minutes the flight line was long.

Tom McGowan and Steve Crichton had weak link breaks and there may have been a few more as the field was popping off. Bob, Brian and Wayne flew their Falcons and the following folks went XC after Fred, Raean and Steve Vogel flew together a few miles behind and I went to fetch. Base seemed to be at 4,600' if I remember.

Monitoring the radio it seems that John Middleton and Christy Huddle were going as well and Steve C. followed later in the day.

Fred got a low save that got him back up to 1,000' and over the river and over Denton but landed soon after in a small challenging lz on 404 East of town. Meanwhile Rae and Steve were flying in site of one another and it helped. They made Denton and then turned due E but then doubled back and Fred and I were in Delaware before we realized we'd been snookered.

They landed within a 1/2 mile of each other in separate bean fields at around the 10-11 mile mark also on or near Rt. 404, these two would be the longest flights of the day. Christy did not make the river but John and Steve C. did but found nothing much beyond that landing just East of Denton. I wonder if the river might have shut things off? The clouds looked magnificent though.

Jeff Vaughn flew down to Ridgely in his plane and reported solid deck up North with varying bases from 3-6,000'. Some pilots from Baltimore area reported some light rain on way here in the am, maybe the air mass was really more stable than it seemed.

Bruce flew his US, Mike Chevalier and John Dullahan their Stealth's, I finally met Steve Turner whose old Pulse may now be in the hands of my mechanic. Mason, I think, was on the Target working on his AT rating.

Later in the day I took my first hop solo, being one of Sunny's better students I was good to go. Not really knowing exactly what the bar pressure would be still caught me off guard and I popped off the cart as if out of a toaster.

Quick correct in time to get prop washed and yawed a bit sideways as Chad climbed out, but in no time I was with him and tracking well. Off tow the vario chirped for about 3 seconds and I found a little 0 but did not want to drift much as the wind had picked up, late afternoon liftoff? Was fun though to wang (sort of) and otherwise fly.

The second hop was windier and 90 cross but went really well, air was stable and I swooped it down near the hangar but then walked it over to the setup area to see about one more. Passed on the idea, as I saw folks packing and getting ready for dinner so I broke down and lugged the Gemini back to the hangar.

Dinner and Killian's courtesy of Fred and Raean, the perks of being a driver!

Entertainment was the usual good conversation, Steve C. telling us about Team Challenge and Brian Vant-Hull's tabasco drinking exploits. Thanks to the Sunny and Chad for getting me into the air.

Robert towhead wannbe

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This page last updated August 24, 1999