Yesterday was pretty spectacular and I finally got my first 100 plus mile flight on a flex wing! (I had flown 157 two years back on my ATOS) The forecast had looked great but the winds were borderline too strong for safe launching until 12:30 to 1:00. Davis, Paris Williams, Mitch Shipley, Tom Lanning and I launched and immediately went on course with 15 knot winds blowing us towards Georgia. Meanwhile, Lauren and Jim Rooney launched right behind us but found a blue hole developing over the field and sunk out into pretty treacherous conditions for landing. Both safely landed but left the audience on the ground gasping as they bounced and wheeled just above the ground before finally getting their feet on the ground. After surviving they both wisely decided to stay on the ground and Lauren was relegated to Driver.
I won't go into too much detail, if you're interested, Davis has a report in his Oz Report. We all had great fun but I ended up being the goat with only 108 miles versus everyone else making it to Georgia with 139. I missed a final climb that put the others in a convergence line and many miles down the road. Lauren and I drove on North to help ferry some of the guys home and after a great BBQ dinner, we arrived back at Quest just before midnight.
I was almost too exhausted to fly today but with more incredible conditions, I just had to go. This time Lauren didn't have to sit it out so I'll let her tell you about it later.
Nother Florida Report
Moderator: CHGPA BOD
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Lauren Tjaden
- Posts: 371
- Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2005 6:27 pm
Sunday was a bitter pill to swallow for me. I want badly to break a hundred miles, but try to remember that it is, after all, only hang gliding, and that if the risk factor is too great (which varies according to each pilot's skill level and tolerance) that I will walk away. When I sunk out, I landed in such turbulence that on the base tube in ground effect I had marginal control of both the direction and the pitch of the glider. I pulled it off but felt it could have easily gone the other way. I walked away.
Of course I drove for everyone then, but it was hard following them into GA, hearing their excited talk on the radio as they broke personal records, and forcing myself to smile as they called their friends after landing to report on the epic day. Ha, really I was just trying not to break down crying and totally destroy everyone's mood. BTW, Paul flew GREAT.
Yesterday was fun for me. We flew a 50 K triangle, about 32 miles. Davis wanted to use a waypoint a tic more to the east (Davis has a different set than I do) , but I flew the course I had put in my GPS, since I need the practice of actually making waypoints -- it is too easy for me to "cheat" otherwise. Paul flew with Davis; it turns out their course was about a mile and a half longer.
I started badly when I pinned off at 700 feet when I got out of whack on tow, but climbed out, so I didn't have to do that part again! I didn't see anyone on course until the second waypoint, way BELOW me! I thought everyone beat me until then (Wolfie from Austria, Peter, etc) but it turns out they didn't at all. I made it around in about an hour and a half. I would have beaten everyone if I had glided faster on final glide and trusted my GPS more. As it was, I came in when Paul did (since his course was longer, he beat me). I came in at 3000 feet, WAY too high, and then had to play around the field for well over half an hour until I could find a calm enough cycle to get down. I even landed well, so how much better could things get???
Lauren
Of course I drove for everyone then, but it was hard following them into GA, hearing their excited talk on the radio as they broke personal records, and forcing myself to smile as they called their friends after landing to report on the epic day. Ha, really I was just trying not to break down crying and totally destroy everyone's mood. BTW, Paul flew GREAT.
Yesterday was fun for me. We flew a 50 K triangle, about 32 miles. Davis wanted to use a waypoint a tic more to the east (Davis has a different set than I do) , but I flew the course I had put in my GPS, since I need the practice of actually making waypoints -- it is too easy for me to "cheat" otherwise. Paul flew with Davis; it turns out their course was about a mile and a half longer.
I started badly when I pinned off at 700 feet when I got out of whack on tow, but climbed out, so I didn't have to do that part again! I didn't see anyone on course until the second waypoint, way BELOW me! I thought everyone beat me until then (Wolfie from Austria, Peter, etc) but it turns out they didn't at all. I made it around in about an hour and a half. I would have beaten everyone if I had glided faster on final glide and trusted my GPS more. As it was, I came in when Paul did (since his course was longer, he beat me). I came in at 3000 feet, WAY too high, and then had to play around the field for well over half an hour until I could find a calm enough cycle to get down. I even landed well, so how much better could things get???
Lauren