Sitting here in the shade after another great day of flying at the US Championships. Lauren and I both made goal today (45 miles out and back with a dog leg). Lift was very light today causing everyone to wait to launch and then all try to take the last start time. I was a bit later than hoped for and was still two miles from the edge of the srart circle at the last start time. Davis and I flew most of the course together but towards the end Davis tried to push ahead and got low letting me go to goal ahead. Unfortunately, I finished about two miles behind the leaders, approximately where I had started. Lauren flew more conservatively (and got VERY low a couple of times) but gritted her teeth and made it home, probably putting her in the lead for the Women's National Championship.
Yesterday, I was the first into goal but we had an unusual start allowing everyone to leave the circle whenever they wanted with their start time starting when they crossed the circle perimeter. Some of the pilots leaving later flew faster so I finished the first day in seventh place. Todays scores are not in yet.
Tomorrow looks even better!!!!!
Paul
Florida Ridege Comp
Moderator: CHGPA BOD
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John Simon
- Posts: 300
- Joined: Fri Feb 11, 2005 12:33 pm
FLA
Hi Paul and Lauren,
I'm jealous but also very happy for you guys. Sounds like Great flying and challenging. Last year was such a drag, I hope this year is much better and it sounds like it going to be. Any links to the daily results? Fly far AND fast!!!!! Have fun.
John
I'm jealous but also very happy for you guys. Sounds like Great flying and challenging. Last year was such a drag, I hope this year is much better and it sounds like it going to be. Any links to the daily results? Fly far AND fast!!!!! Have fun.
John
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Flying Lobster
- Posts: 1042
- Joined: Fri Feb 25, 2005 4:17 pm
Man, that's fantastic--both you and Lauren in at goal, and placing very well to boot! Nice to see that you're still kickin' butt even though you've switched back to flexies.
Jim Lamb was in town yesterday on his way down to FLA with a brand-spanking new ATOS-VR and with Ollie we all went to Henson's. The wind was quite cross at times, and when Jim got out to the red line a gust started lifting the left wing, and the "wirecrew"--which had nothing more to hold onto than the slick top of the LE--started losing it and the wing continued going up. Alex, the guy on the left wing, held on somehow but was lifted off the deck. I rushed out and grabbed the control bar sidewire, and even though Jim told me to let go of it I held on because the wing was clearly out of control and Alex stood the real posibility of rotating out over the edge of the ramp. Ollie finally got the nose down, but not before the right wing tip scraped the ramp and tore a superficial tear in the LE cover material. A real shame--but it could've been worse.
As if that weren't warning enough, I proceeded to have the worst cliff launch of my flying career when I launched a little later into what I thought were benign conditions. Although I fancied myself as good at cliff launches, I allowed my nose to pop and simultaneously got my left wing rolled up. ONly becuase Henson's is so forgiving did I manage to get it back together and fly away in one piece--at HR or Lookout I'm sure I would have crashed. I think my critical mistake was that I underestimated the probability of a gust just after leaving the ramp's edge, and was not as ready to force the angle of attack down as I should have been, since I though it was an easy light wind launch and had perhaps too relaxed a grip on the glider.
marc
Jim Lamb was in town yesterday on his way down to FLA with a brand-spanking new ATOS-VR and with Ollie we all went to Henson's. The wind was quite cross at times, and when Jim got out to the red line a gust started lifting the left wing, and the "wirecrew"--which had nothing more to hold onto than the slick top of the LE--started losing it and the wing continued going up. Alex, the guy on the left wing, held on somehow but was lifted off the deck. I rushed out and grabbed the control bar sidewire, and even though Jim told me to let go of it I held on because the wing was clearly out of control and Alex stood the real posibility of rotating out over the edge of the ramp. Ollie finally got the nose down, but not before the right wing tip scraped the ramp and tore a superficial tear in the LE cover material. A real shame--but it could've been worse.
As if that weren't warning enough, I proceeded to have the worst cliff launch of my flying career when I launched a little later into what I thought were benign conditions. Although I fancied myself as good at cliff launches, I allowed my nose to pop and simultaneously got my left wing rolled up. ONly becuase Henson's is so forgiving did I manage to get it back together and fly away in one piece--at HR or Lookout I'm sure I would have crashed. I think my critical mistake was that I underestimated the probability of a gust just after leaving the ramp's edge, and was not as ready to force the angle of attack down as I should have been, since I though it was an easy light wind launch and had perhaps too relaxed a grip on the glider.
marc
Great Googly-moo!
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hang_pilot
- Posts: 662
- Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2005 11:13 pm
- Location: Tallahassee, FL
Florida Ridge Comp
Hi, Paul and Lauren-
Congrats on your performance and I love reading your posts. Davis has results from the comp on his site: http://www.ozreport.com/2007usnats.php
~Daniel
Congrats on your performance and I love reading your posts. Davis has results from the comp on his site: http://www.ozreport.com/2007usnats.php
~Daniel