Mountaineer Airtimes-Eastern Edition

Christy Huddle - Flying, what's that? Christy reports that she has had only 2 decent flights in the past 3 months. A 3 hour flight at Woodstock in fun conditions in October and an hour flight at High Rock in fun conditions in November. In between and before and after those flights, she was spending most of her free time on weekends occupied with the workshop construction next door. It's almost done - just in time for flying during the really cold season.

Doug Wakefield - I'll start with the North Mountain flyin, since I didn't include that last time. Flew Saturday and Sunday at the Mountaineer North Mountain flyin, and made it to the Rocks both days. Saturday I started down the ridge without being very high, just to see what was happening. Got sort of high a couple times, but also had to stop twice and zero sink awhile to wait for lift. Found the best lift of the flight at the point where the finger ridges run out toward the Rocks from the main ridge and headed out. Made it to the valley at about 2800 over, thinking how cool it was to make the Rocks, and was really surprised when I couldn't find them. I identified a field we pass driving in and realized I'd gone too far, looked back and identified the Rocks only by the glider soaring low over them (Gardner). Man, the Rocks are thin when you see them from edge on! Boated for a while, then landed downwind with 1:05 even though John McA. warned me it was switchy in the LZ. Sunday Larry Ball and I flew after Kelly's accident; I got high around launch (2300) and then eked it out down the ridge to the spines and out to the Rocks at 400 over in light lift/sink. Landed in the right direction this time after 0:45.
Took some time off work to get 2:15, +3600 at Woodstock on Thursday, 9/10. Big thermals, small thermals, slow thermals, fast thermals; all going up. Didn't do as well at the Pulpit (Fisher Road) flyin, though, with only a 5 minute sled on September 20. Had a very strange launch back at Woodstock on Monday, 9/28. The glider felt heavy through the entire run, and I almost stumbled on the rocks at the end. Sort of fell into the glider but then got right into the air and out of the slot for a beautiful day - 2:40 and +4300, flying out to Route 11 and back to the ridge.
Went to Tennesee for the Team Challenge with Larry Ball, Steve Krichten, Sheila, and Mark G. Each of us had some good individual flights, but we didn't do very well as a team. The entire field landed in primary at Henson's the first day (Sunday, 10/4)- not a promising start. Then next day at Whitwell was better; I got 0:30, +1200 for 4.85 miles, landing in the same field as Steve K. and half the New England team. Tuesday at Whitwell was my best day, netting 1:00, +1700, and 11.41 miles. The Whitwell ridge is challenging, with lots of large gaps. After a rain day on Wednesday, I scratched for an hour (and +425) at Henson's on Thursday, but ended up in primary. Friday I skipped the scratching and just sledded to primary.
On the way back home Larry took us to Big Walker; a nice 850 foot site with a moderately shallow launch. The primary LZ is a big upslope guarded by two foothills - fortunately the wind was in the perfect direction for the easiest approach. I got 1:50, +1400 in beautiful air, landing as the shadows started across the LZ.
Got a special flight at Woodstock the next Wednesday, 10/14. One of the people I'd worked with closely for 10 years or so died at work Tuesday night. After we were told about it Wednesday morning, I knew I wasn't going to do anything productive at work that day, so I went flying. It was a beautiful fall day with sunshine and bald eagles, and I flew for 3:05 topping out at +2300. Flew out almost to route 11, getting to where the road from the LZ makes a left turn along the tree line before turning right at the Moose lodge and heading to 11. Started to turn right to go back to the ridge and was surprised to see another glider (Bob Radcliffe) right behind me. Turned left instead, and made it back to the ridge. Remember to clear your turns even when you think you're the only one in the area. Thursday, 10/29 looked like a good day for Woodstock, but when we got there the Woodstock effect was in full force. The air was kind of turbulent even though the wind in was light. I got 0:30, +300, 20 minutes of which was a long, slow, begrudging sink out. Oh, well. Flew with Bob Gillesse at High Rock on Friday, 10/30, using a roped in wuffo crew. They were great, and the air was, too. I had to be home early in the evening, so I landed after an hour and hiked back up to launch, helped launch Eddie Miller and Kurt K., then drove home. The next day at Woodstock I got 3:10, +2400, and a bonus of 4.4 miles by following Tom down the ridge to the field where the Mikes C&B had landed earlier. Popped my nose some on launch, but pulled in and got out cleanly. Landing was fine. Most recently I flew High Rock on Saturday, November 7, when Woodstock was probably the place to be. But I had to be home early, and hadn't called flight services for the winds aloft, so ended up at the Rock. I launched in a nice cycle and found a boomer over the rock pile after slowly gaining for a couple passes. But the wind kept picking up, and after about 20 minutes I decided to see how hard it would be to make the LZ. I got out there about 300 over, but decided to land after the wind straightened out since it seemed to still be increasing, and there were pilots in the LZ. It was a couple of refugees who'd been blown out at the Pulpit, Bacil and a Hang II, looking for a place to fly. Netted 0:30, +1800 with a reasonably good landing (ran it out) in strong conditions, and a ride back up.

Ben and LE -Paragliding - Ben and I flew Fairgrounds in October (perhaps JR has the date) and had some epic flights. I got higher than I have ever attained getting to 5,000 msl and flew for nearly three hours coming down because I got way too cold. Ben styled the day with the second ever, and the most elegant pg top landing in the tomato field for an easy vehicle retrieval. Ben and I flew Cheat Mountain with Dwayne and friends. We all had some really good flights at this very complicated site. Ben flew to Sri Lanka (airplane) I flew Woodstock and awed the galley with the "worst" launch I have ever had. Every thing worse was called a crash. When I got pushed to the right, popped up and caught the right side of my wing in a tree. I was "had to see it to believe it" able to hover up and out, fly sideways to clear and fly out of the launch.

Mike Buckley - I flew Kagel Mountain for the first time and had a blast, flying for 2:20. Much different terrain out there than back east. I also went to Ft. Funston and watched people soar the cliffs on Halloween.

Judy McCarty - Since the Labor Day fly-in most of my flying has been at the Towfarm and at Woodstock The best flight was 11/15 at Woodstock: 3950' over, ventured down over the foothills toward the gap for the first time, and landed off the north point for the first time! Another highlight was boat towing on the Sassafras River--what a blast!

John Dullahan - Four of five flights on my new US Aero's Stealth KPL 13 (142 sq ft) resulted in beaks. I tried running it out, as I used to on my trusty HPAT 145, and although I can produce a credible 10-yard sprint, I just couldn't keep up with the Stealth because it stalls earlier and I touched down with greater speed than on the HPAT. So on Saturday, November 14, I went to Steve Wendt/Rawling Davenport's truck-tow/ultra light flight at Manquin, about 20 miles NE of Richmond (a professional and impressive operation). As luck would have it, Greg DeWolf was there, doing some tandem towing with CHGA-member Ellis as a passenger. When I told him why I was there he graciously offered to assist. When helping me set up on the dolly (topless gliders are not placed on the truck due to their possible vulnerability caused by the retaining strap stressing the nose), he noticed that I was hanging low in the glider. Although I had a fist clearance between chest and basetube, my hips were hanging below that point. (When prone, I was not parallel to the keel; head was higher than hips). This lower hang point gave me insufficient control authority when attempting to flare. When unable to shorten the hang strap, he used his only stretch of perlon to construct a higher substitute (with the old strap as a backup). As a result, I nailed four of four landings. However, with a laminar 8-10 mph wind, conditions were ideal, and I did have trouble staying on tow, having to release early on three of the four tows. Had Greg not been there, I probably would have continued beaking. I think we in Washington DC, and northern VA are very fortunate that he moved to Stanardsville VA, thus placing his dedication, judgment, and experience at our disposal. His contributions to our sport should be freely and frequently acknowledged.

Mike Chevalier - In the last couple months I've managed to test fly a Stealth, a Fusion and a CSX. I liked the Stealth the best and ordered one, it should be here late December. I did my first boat tow on the Sassafras river in late September. We all flew the same glider, an XS-169, and made a few passes on the bluffs before landing in the water. Something fun to do on a very hot summer day. Lots of tows at the Towfarm, a short over the back at the Pulpit and two flights to the end of Short Mtn. at Woodstock. I've seen more bald eagles this year than ever before, sometimes several at a time.