Looking kinda strong for PM Pulpit...
Sorry Shawn
Looking good for Woodstock.
Got stuff to do in the AM, I'll check in and most likely arrival around 2. I may have a driver. I will have 2 pounds less vario, so that fushia shadow blocking the sun will be me!
Will this be the weekend?
Will he attempt mountain flying again?
Will the fushia glider be blocked by the Batwing?
Will his wife allow the tights?
Stay tuned...
Same bat forum.
Same bat mountain.
I would be interested in Woodstock tomorrow afternoon. However, I haven't flown the site yet, and I need an observer. Any observers going and willing to assist?
I'll try not to let you down. I'll pull out a tye-dyed t-shirt just in case! If weather looks good in the morning, I'll go pick up Joe G and we will head to Woodstock with Suzie in tow. Tye-dye ... but no tights!
I am planning on heading out early. The current forecast is slightly less wind, but Woodstock still looks good. If the wind forecast backs off, I may try Cumberland. I will confirm my plans in the morning.
Awesome flight Tom! And Hank Hengst made it to Lake Anna, and Bruce Engen landed somewhere near Elkton. These guys left me in the dust as I approached the Edinburg Gap. They executed their flight plan perfectly, going down the ridge to somewhere just up from Massanutten Peak, diving over the back, and two of them made it over Skyline Drive, an awesome feat in itself!
As for my flight, I took off after Tom around 12 noon. Bruce and Hank had already taken to the air and were up at Signal Knob. With the west cross I didn't go past the reservoir. On the trip back to launch got below the ridge twice and had to surf the rotor to get back up. Saw an adult black bear just off of the trail that goes along the spine of the ridge. I couldn't imagine hiking along that trail and coming up on that size of bear. Fighting the west cross low made for slow going. An osprey flew under me on the way down to the Gap from launch. Finally made it to Waonaze Peak and climbed to 4600' MSL in a raspy thermal. But the headwind was very strong as I attempted to jump, so I decided to go with the flow and go back to Signal Knob and dive off the end in lift. By the time I got to Signal Knob I was just above it so I dove off anyway since the winds were completely from the rear. Headed downwind to find some more lift but none was to be found. Put down in the graveyard at the corner of Rt. 55 and Fort Valley Road. Thanks to John Dullahan for picking me up.
Back at launch the paraglider guys were groundbound, and around 4 gliders were set up. The conditions were strong at launch, and pilots in the air reported getting beat up pretty good.
Congratulations to Tom on his awsome flight, also Hank for his flight to Lake Anna. Bruce also got over the Blue Ridge.
I launched without the wings being level and went into the trees just to the left of launch. I went between two trees at about ten feet from the ground, sustained no injuries, but dinged the two leading edges and broke two battons. After talking to other pilots at launch and from my own assessment, I simply didn't have the wings level when I started my run and went into an immediate left turn; it was 100% pilot error.
The gloves I wore didn't help; they kept slipping on the downtubes (my other glider has tennis raquet grips) Nevertheless, it was a major pilot error and I was fortunate to get off so lightly. I will submit an accident report with USHGPA, and in future pay particular attention to keeping my wings level at launch.
Thanks to John McCallister, Kelvin Pierce, Joe Shad and others, who helped me carry the glider back to launch for breakdown.
I spent the rest of the day on wire crew (lots of pilots kept arriving throughout the day), driving retrieve, and in the evening, picking up empty water bottles at launch.
At least it was only my spare glider (old Litespeed 4), not the newer Litespeed 4.5S.
Joe Gregor was not so lucky. Conditions were pretty knarly in the main LZ, and we watched Joe's glider impact hard. The EMTs didn't take long to respond - with two vehicles. According to Carlos, Joe was conscious, and the preliminary injury assessment was two broken arms. Carlos also accompanied Joe to the hospital.
About five paraglider, including Juan, turned up, but conditions were too strong, and the last two finally left at about 6:45.
Gary Smith and I convened north on the ridge toward Strasburg and discussed going somewhere, since John Dullahan had generously offered to drive. Conventional wisdom is that 2500 over launch is departure criteria for going over the back to Front Royal airport. I did this a few years ago in an Eagle. Gary found a huge thermal that we took to over 6000 MSL, and I dove over the back. Gary said he was plummeting like a rock and was aborting to land in the primary and liberate Sub-dude from his car. I was committed, going downwind at 68 mph GPS groundspeed - but going down at 980 fpm! Kept the northernmost LZs in the Fort Valley within reach, found refuge on the eastern ridge that forms the valley, but I couldn't go anywhere - there's an ocean of trees between that ridge and Front Royal and there would be no thermals back there. Went upwind to land in the valley: my first LZ turned out to have a power line bisecting it, the next had horses and, it turned out, a long-horned bull. I made a straight-in approach to the third and last LZ in rotor-y conditions and ended up bellying in. Gary relayed my whereabouts to Joe Schad who came and picked me up (thanks, Joe). The friendly landowner came out to chat. The redbud and dogwood are in bloom (visible from the air). "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." - Hugh
Make that "over 5000" on the top of that thermal - finger fumble. Does anyone know whether Tom and Hank's flights were site and or regional records? - Hugh
Wow, what a day! GREAT flight, Tom. Absolutely spectacular. Not too snotty from Bruce and Hank, either!
Joe, I am so sorry about your crash. And John, I'm glad to hear you are unscathed.
Paul and I tried a down wind to the south but the day was blue and not so good. I flew maybe 30 miles and heard on the radio everyone else had landed so I tried to fly back upwind to Wallaby for an easy retrieve but landed short. My retrieval took HOURS and it turned out Armand was still in the air so I sure didn't save anyone any hassle.
We'll see you all VERY soon and again, HUGE congrats to all, Tom especially -- what an epic flight.
Lauren
hang_pilot wrote:Was very glad also to read that Kathy and Chris D. were out yesterday. Did either of you get in a flight?
I'm afraid not. There were certainly reasonable launch cycles throughout the day, and at one point I was hooked in and about ready to carry down to launch when the wind really picked up again. The expected "backing off" never really materialized. I even had trouble breaking down at the end of the day because it was still so windy up top. After Joe's accident, and other reports of rowdy air in the LZ, I don't regret the decision not to fly at all. It was still a beautiful day and a great opportunity to meet a bunch of pilots. There will be other days to fly Woodstock.
Joe - I wish you the speediest of recoveries and hope to see you again soon!
