MOUNTAINEER AIRTIMES - EASTERN EDITION

Mike Balk I've been a low air-time pilot for 6 years, averaging only 11 hours a year. Well this all changed in February and March. In those two months I got over 11 hours. At the end of March I also received my Advanced Hang Gliding rating! So will my new commitment to the sport continue into April? Well in April I flew for over 11 hours! Imagine (from my point of view) a whole year of flying in just one month! Over the years I have heard of pilots flying well over 100 hours a year - so this is what it is like!

April found me at High Rock once and twice at Woodstock, Pulpit, and High Point. From Woodstock I flew over the back with George Price and Mark Cavenaugh for a measly 8.51 miles, but I really do like elevator (or helicopter) landings, where you just hover straight down.

Back in 1993 I stumbled into a couple of thermals and flew for 31 miles. It took me 5 stinkin' years to break that distance! But finally on Friday April 24 (thanks Tom McGowan for twisting my arm into taking Friday off) I flew from High Point a total of 32.2 miles (talk about blowing a record out of the water)! Since it was my first time to potentially go XC from High Point, I listened very carefully to what everyone was saying about where to land, where to get high etc., all the way back to Paw Paw. After that, there was less to be said, and my brain was already full with what to do for the first 18 miles. It figures then that I stayed at 4000' over launch until well past Paw Paw. Once over the ridges behind Paw Paw, I found only sink, and basically took a 5600' sled ride to Cross Junction (complete with a perfect elevator ride down into an uphill into the wind no-step landing!)

Christy Huddle I had a lot of fun flights these past two months, most of which were in Venezuela. I wrote a long story on it, so I won't repeat that here. When I got back, I got to freeze again at a strong day at Woodstock. Didn't go over the back, went forward about 3 miles instead, before landing at regular LZ. Had a really fun flight from the High Point on April 11. Decided to follow Larry Ball and it paid off. We split after reaching the ridge west of 522. I landed in Evelyn's field near Ridge, WV, after flying 28 miles. I found out it was Evelyn's field when I met one of Evelyn's neighbors at the BathHouse in Berkeley Springs the next weekend. He'd received a call from another neighbor asking if he'd seem the hang glider pilot who landed in Evelyn's field. Three tries at High Rock on the 18th netted me an 18 minute soaring flight - unusual since Eddie Miller sank out after I got up. Had another fun flight at High Point on April 25, but didn't follow Larry this time. Should have followed Marvin instead. I got a mere 5.69 miles, landing in Fort Ashby after playing on the ridge above the town for a half hour. Hitchhiked back to the truck at the Fairgrounds LZ, bought some beer, went back to Fort Ashby to pick up JR. Should make up for some of the times I've gotten a ride with him to the top!! Christy

GeeOff Mumford Avoided those weekend crapshoots to fly the bona fide thermal days midweek. April was 1000% better than March with high flights (but zero miles) at Woodstock, Fishers, Sacramento and my first flight at High Point. The new column in my logbook (cumulative altitude gain, hey why restrict it to hours?) indicates a cool 19,200' for April. The High Point flight was a blast and many thanks to the locals for the ride up to launch that day and for useful info in general. While everyone else bailed for epic XC, I hung around launch for an orientation tour. Caught some good thermals out in the valley and watched Doug mix it up with a sailplane for awhile. Decided to create a little mischief by dropping my hook-knife over the prison exercise yard from a few grand over. Saw a flurry of activity as several convicts dove for the shiv. It was pretty standard from there; obligatory hostage-taking, guards in riot gear, lock-down, strip search...you know the drill. I yawned and landed uneventfully in the Fairgrounds lz. -geoff

Doug Wakefield March 15, got 210 and 2800 working the ridge around launch at Woodstock. Did much the same thing for 335 and 1800 on the 22nd, but also flew out to the far end of the river finger to the left of the LZ. Of course everyone else was scoring big miles on the ridge run, but oh, well. Back at Woodstock on May 4th for 315 and 3900, and learned something that should help my thermalling. Except for a sled at High Rock on the 18th, the rest of my flights in April were at the High Point in Cumberland, practicing cross wind landings. Got 4000 over but only 050 on the 11th. Should have gone over the back with that one (4 grand and climbing) but bailed to wait for a chance to go with someone else that never happened. Got 205 and 4400 on the 24th, and flew across the valley to Haystack Mountain, then got 315 and 4500 on the 25th on a similar day. Flew with 3 or 4 sailplanes and 5 or 6 hang gliders within the same couple hundred feet of altitude for a while on the 25th, then went out front and found a beauty up to 4500. Started to follow Larry Ball, who was at 4600, over the back but the lift turned to sink so I went back to the ridge.

Mark Gardner Had a good day a Woodstock on 4-5 along with everyone else. Got extemely high a few times (4000-5000 over) and chased clouds around. My radio had a problem tho', so I had an excuse to land in the LZ after a couple of hrs. Went 10 miles from the Pulpit on 4-11 on what I figured was a certain sled day. Everyone got high, but the thermal drift was nearly non-existant. Went to Pulpit again the next week (4-18)for nearly identical conditions and landed in the LZ after a couple of hours. Had to work on "big miles friday", somebody has to work for a livin' I suppose.

Mike Chevalier I got stinkin' high at the Pulpit april 11th, 4400 over, over Mercersburg. It was north on the ground but no drift at all at altitude. Staying up over the back was real easy, I thought I had High Rock made that day. That is until nearing Greencastle, heavy sink everywhere. Go figure. My hands got cold that day wearing the neoprene gloves given to me by Bill Bennet, now I see why he gave 'em away. Jim Dulahan picked me up after getting his brother John. 16.5 miles, that's the best I've done so far this year, just can't seem to hit it. At least I got to fly over Gardner on the ground while I was stinkin' high.

Judy McCarty Many uneventful late day flights, waiting for the mellower side of those strong spring days. Two flights that were highlights of the season were on Easter Sunday and the following day at Fisher Road. Sweet, easy air. 4600' over at High Rock and 3000' over at Fisher Road. Spectacular views!

George Price My last flight was April 12, a sled at High Rock. Since then I visited my parents, watched the wind blow at the Pulpit and watched it rain on my glider at Dickey's. I feel like a heroin addict without any money. I need a fix man. How do you know what that feels like, were you once a junkie? MC