After John Dullahan had a short yo-yo flight in the early afternoon, the
rest of us sat around and waited. For about an hour things didn't look
any different. Dan and Bacil went to the bar to get food, Bacil came back
quickly complaining about too many bikers crowding out the bar, but Dan
was in his element and returned about 20 minutes later with tales of a
cute biker chick. We didn't believe him.
About half an hour later lo and behold, a couple of guys show up with an
absolutely gorgeous biker-blonde in tow, and they wanted to see some
flying. Suddenly I decided conditions looked good and suited up. Now
I've been through this before: it does no damn good to show off to a woman
by launching because then you're out there and she's still back where you
left her. Whatever. But it turns out she brought us luck because I went
right up (the glider, I mean). Then I came down, and went back up, and
there was alot of sinking and close to the ridge puckering involved.
Well my flight skills are a little rusty and recurring sink in
a low performance glider exacts a psychological toll, so after about
half an hour I decided there must be other people on launch who needed
wire crew so maybe if I landed they would come pick me up. So I landed
and nobody came to pick me up because they all managed to get launched.
Well damn. They didn't look like they were coming down any time soon
either. But I had a nice talk with Lee Glaser, the land owner, who finds
us fascinating, and is perfectly happy with us. nice to know.
Marcel had hiked up the power lines earlier in the day and looked
pretty pleased with the result, so I thought I'd do the same. The main
problem came gaining access to the power line slot: by the road it's
guarded by a couple deep trenches. I thought I'd save myself some sticker
bushes by skirting somebody's backyard, only to discover that they were
emptying raw sewage straight into the trenches. I don't recommend that
route. Partly up I saw the secondary powerlines that come up from the big
grassy paragliding only field. Next time.
As I climbed higher the breeze freshened things up and I started to
appreciate life again. 2/3 of the way up there's a rock outcropping, nice
place to sit and look over the valley, and since it's blocked from above
you have perfect privacy. A majestic, lofty throne from which to survey
your dominion. It would be a sublime place to take a dump.
I was supplied with neither tp or ballast, so I'll save the experience for
later.
Drove down to pick up glider and passengers, and upon arriving back up
top, found it blowing in beautifully with about a half hour of daylight
left. Slapped together the glider and marched up to give it a go.
blowing a little stronger than expected, but my wire crew provided a
perfectly coordinated release. I expected to run and gave a hoot of
surprise when I lifted straight up. but conditions were sbb and I had a
beautiful flight. Coming down to land I had remembered that the grass
strip was at the top of the hill, but the contour plowing showed the crest
came a little earlier. I opted for the grass because I preferred that to
corn stalks, which is a little like searching for your lost watch under
the street light because the light's better. Came in to discover that old
Lee Glaser did know what he was doing and the grass strip at that location
is something of a ditch right beyond the crest of the hill. but I did hit
my spot and I have the grass stains to prove it.
Thanks to Dan for driving my car down, and to Cragin for driving down to
pick up Dan. I went back up top to find Cavanaugh there thinking about
camping out. Decided to join him and we had a nice fire and some cold
ones. Mark played some guitar and I went to bed happy. Next morning when
I finally arrived home I was sweaty and smoky and never more in need of a
hot shower followed by a nap. That's when I discovered they were working
on the pipes and hot water was out. The cold water matched the outdoor
temperature of a few hours ago: around 60 degrees. I didn't need a nap
afterwards.
Brian Vant-Hull
301-646-1149
Notes from the Pulpit (long)
Moderator: CHGPA BOD
Notes from the Pulpit (long)
Ha ha! Priceless! You should submit this to the USHGA mag. Don't
want to display ignorance, but why do you need ballast to take a dump?
- Hugh
(Note conformance to edict of network czars and erasure of long
original post.)
On 18 Apr 2005, at 11:54, Vant-Hull - Brian wrote:
>
>
want to display ignorance, but why do you need ballast to take a dump?
- Hugh
(Note conformance to edict of network czars and erasure of long
original post.)
On 18 Apr 2005, at 11:54, Vant-Hull - Brian wrote:
>
>
-
Richard Hays
- Posts: 315
- Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2005 9:13 am
- Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Notes from the Pulpit (long)
Keep an eye out for snakes in "them thare rocks" when you drop trowel. Prime
Eastern Timber Rattler territory. Nobodys' gonna be real anxious to
perform the poison extraction technique on ya', should you get bit. LOL.
Nothing personal.....LOL.
>From: Vant-Hull - Brian <brianvh@umd5.umd.edu>
>Reply-To: hg_forum@chgpa.org
>To: hg_forum@chgpa.org
>Subject: Notes from the Pulpit (long)
>Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2005 11:54:47 -0400
>
>After John Dullahan had a short yo-yo flight in the early afternoon, the
>rest of us sat around and waited. For about an hour things didn't look
>any different. Dan and Bacil went to the bar to get food, Bacil came back
>quickly complaining about too many bikers crowding out the bar, but Dan
>was in his element and returned about 20 minutes later with tales of a
>cute biker chick. We didn't believe him.
>
>About half an hour later lo and behold, a couple of guys show up with an
>absolutely gorgeous biker-blonde in tow, and they wanted to see some
>flying. Suddenly I decided conditions looked good and suited up. Now
>I've been through this before: it does no damn good to show off to a woman
>by launching because then you're out there and she's still back where you
>left her. Whatever. But it turns out she brought us luck because I went
>right up (the glider, I mean). Then I came down, and went back up, and
>there was alot of sinking and close to the ridge puckering involved.
>Well my flight skills are a little rusty and recurring sink in
>a low performance glider exacts a psychological toll, so after about
>half an hour I decided there must be other people on launch who needed
>wire crew so maybe if I landed they would come pick me up. So I landed
>and nobody came to pick me up because they all managed to get launched.
>
>Well damn. They didn't look like they were coming down any time soon
>either. But I had a nice talk with Lee Glaser, the land owner, who finds
>us fascinating, and is perfectly happy with us. nice to know.
>
>Marcel had hiked up the power lines earlier in the day and looked
>pretty pleased with the result, so I thought I'd do the same. The main
>problem came gaining access to the power line slot: by the road it's
>guarded by a couple deep trenches. I thought I'd save myself some sticker
>bushes by skirting somebody's backyard, only to discover that they were
>emptying raw sewage straight into the trenches. I don't recommend that
>route. Partly up I saw the secondary powerlines that come up from the big
>grassy paragliding only field. Next time.
>
>As I climbed higher the breeze freshened things up and I started to
>appreciate life again. 2/3 of the way up there's a rock outcropping, nice
>place to sit and look over the valley, and since it's blocked from above
>you have perfect privacy. A majestic, lofty throne from which to survey
>your dominion. It would be a sublime place to take a dump.
>I was supplied with neither tp or ballast, so I'll save the experience for
>later.
>
>Drove down to pick up glider and passengers, and upon arriving back up
>top, found it blowing in beautifully with about a half hour of daylight
>left. Slapped together the glider and marched up to give it a go.
>blowing a little stronger than expected, but my wire crew provided a
>perfectly coordinated release. I expected to run and gave a hoot of
>surprise when I lifted straight up. but conditions were sbb and I had a
>beautiful flight. Coming down to land I had remembered that the grass
>strip was at the top of the hill, but the contour plowing showed the crest
>came a little earlier. I opted for the grass because I preferred that to
>corn stalks, which is a little like searching for your lost watch under
>the street light because the light's better. Came in to discover that old
>Lee Glaser did know what he was doing and the grass strip at that location
>is something of a ditch right beyond the crest of the hill. but I did hit
>my spot and I have the grass stains to prove it.
>
>Thanks to Dan for driving my car down, and to Cragin for driving down to
>pick up Dan. I went back up top to find Cavanaugh there thinking about
>camping out. Decided to join him and we had a nice fire and some cold
>ones. Mark played some guitar and I went to bed happy. Next morning when
>I finally arrived home I was sweaty and smoky and never more in need of a
>hot shower followed by a nap. That's when I discovered they were working
>on the pipes and hot water was out. The cold water matched the outdoor
>temperature of a few hours ago: around 60 degrees. I didn't need a nap
>afterwards.
>
>
>Brian Vant-Hull
>301-646-1149
>
>
Eastern Timber Rattler territory. Nobodys' gonna be real anxious to
perform the poison extraction technique on ya', should you get bit. LOL.
Nothing personal.....LOL.
>From: Vant-Hull - Brian <brianvh@umd5.umd.edu>
>Reply-To: hg_forum@chgpa.org
>To: hg_forum@chgpa.org
>Subject: Notes from the Pulpit (long)
>Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2005 11:54:47 -0400
>
>After John Dullahan had a short yo-yo flight in the early afternoon, the
>rest of us sat around and waited. For about an hour things didn't look
>any different. Dan and Bacil went to the bar to get food, Bacil came back
>quickly complaining about too many bikers crowding out the bar, but Dan
>was in his element and returned about 20 minutes later with tales of a
>cute biker chick. We didn't believe him.
>
>About half an hour later lo and behold, a couple of guys show up with an
>absolutely gorgeous biker-blonde in tow, and they wanted to see some
>flying. Suddenly I decided conditions looked good and suited up. Now
>I've been through this before: it does no damn good to show off to a woman
>by launching because then you're out there and she's still back where you
>left her. Whatever. But it turns out she brought us luck because I went
>right up (the glider, I mean). Then I came down, and went back up, and
>there was alot of sinking and close to the ridge puckering involved.
>Well my flight skills are a little rusty and recurring sink in
>a low performance glider exacts a psychological toll, so after about
>half an hour I decided there must be other people on launch who needed
>wire crew so maybe if I landed they would come pick me up. So I landed
>and nobody came to pick me up because they all managed to get launched.
>
>Well damn. They didn't look like they were coming down any time soon
>either. But I had a nice talk with Lee Glaser, the land owner, who finds
>us fascinating, and is perfectly happy with us. nice to know.
>
>Marcel had hiked up the power lines earlier in the day and looked
>pretty pleased with the result, so I thought I'd do the same. The main
>problem came gaining access to the power line slot: by the road it's
>guarded by a couple deep trenches. I thought I'd save myself some sticker
>bushes by skirting somebody's backyard, only to discover that they were
>emptying raw sewage straight into the trenches. I don't recommend that
>route. Partly up I saw the secondary powerlines that come up from the big
>grassy paragliding only field. Next time.
>
>As I climbed higher the breeze freshened things up and I started to
>appreciate life again. 2/3 of the way up there's a rock outcropping, nice
>place to sit and look over the valley, and since it's blocked from above
>you have perfect privacy. A majestic, lofty throne from which to survey
>your dominion. It would be a sublime place to take a dump.
>I was supplied with neither tp or ballast, so I'll save the experience for
>later.
>
>Drove down to pick up glider and passengers, and upon arriving back up
>top, found it blowing in beautifully with about a half hour of daylight
>left. Slapped together the glider and marched up to give it a go.
>blowing a little stronger than expected, but my wire crew provided a
>perfectly coordinated release. I expected to run and gave a hoot of
>surprise when I lifted straight up. but conditions were sbb and I had a
>beautiful flight. Coming down to land I had remembered that the grass
>strip was at the top of the hill, but the contour plowing showed the crest
>came a little earlier. I opted for the grass because I preferred that to
>corn stalks, which is a little like searching for your lost watch under
>the street light because the light's better. Came in to discover that old
>Lee Glaser did know what he was doing and the grass strip at that location
>is something of a ditch right beyond the crest of the hill. but I did hit
>my spot and I have the grass stains to prove it.
>
>Thanks to Dan for driving my car down, and to Cragin for driving down to
>pick up Dan. I went back up top to find Cavanaugh there thinking about
>camping out. Decided to join him and we had a nice fire and some cold
>ones. Mark played some guitar and I went to bed happy. Next morning when
>I finally arrived home I was sweaty and smoky and never more in need of a
>hot shower followed by a nap. That's when I discovered they were working
>on the pipes and hot water was out. The cold water matched the outdoor
>temperature of a few hours ago: around 60 degrees. I didn't need a nap
>afterwards.
>
>
>Brian Vant-Hull
>301-646-1149
>
>
Notes from the Pulpit (long)
Okay Richard, just kiss my ass! 
Hugh - many people "drop ballast" before they fly. That should be enough
to help you figure it out. Congrats on your first pg mountain flight!
Brian Vant-Hull
301-646-1149
On Tue, 19 Apr 2005, Richard Hays wrote:
>
> Keep an eye out for snakes in "them thare rocks" when you drop trowel. Prime
> Eastern Timber Rattler territory. Nobodys' gonna be real anxious to
> perform the poison extraction technique on ya', should you get bit. LOL.
> Nothing personal.....LOL.
>
Hugh - many people "drop ballast" before they fly. That should be enough
to help you figure it out. Congrats on your first pg mountain flight!
Brian Vant-Hull
301-646-1149
On Tue, 19 Apr 2005, Richard Hays wrote:
>
> Keep an eye out for snakes in "them thare rocks" when you drop trowel. Prime
> Eastern Timber Rattler territory. Nobodys' gonna be real anxious to
> perform the poison extraction technique on ya', should you get bit. LOL.
> Nothing personal.....LOL.
>