Weather here has taken a turn for the spectacular. Partly cloudy skies, temps in the mid 80's, light winds and great soaring conditions are expected to last for the next several days so, of course, I have come down with a nasty cold.
I did have a nice flight yesterday, though. Davis came up with a 101 kilometer triangle and was going to try for a world speed record so I tagged along. A few miles into our task, and getting below 2,500', I stopped to work some light (250-300) lift but Davis went on in search of better and found a boomer with 800 plus about a half mile further. I joined him but he got a big jump on me and headed south from 5,000' while I was still much lower. I decided to climb to CB at 5,500' before going on glide after him. I soon got a radio report that he was just a couple miles ahead and getting low. My extra altitude payed off big as I found good lift about a half mile west of where Davis was landing and, after radioing Davis' position to Belinda, continued on to my first waypoint which was about 4 miles SE of Wallaby Ranch.
I used the flying thermal markers around Wallaby to help me along to that waypoint then dashed off down wind about 20 miles to waypoint number two. Pretty much made that distance with one good thermal just west of Wallaby and one more to top out in just before making the turnpoint and heading for home more into the wind. CB had risen to nearly 6,500 by then with lift still in the 500 to 600 range with occasional boomers of 800 plus so getting home was pretty easy.
I did bend the line home a bit to the east to keep from getting too far out over the huge Green Swamp which lies to the west and south of Quest. Peering down from above and seeing all the water beneath the forest always gives me the chills. I can't imagine what it would be like to land out there with all the gators and snakes so I take no chances around it.
I didn't put the world speed record at risk. My total flight time was 3:15 from launch to landing with 2:36 from my starting waypoint to finish for an average speed of just under 39 KPH. Probably need to take a few more chances, like Davis did, in order to go faster. I also finished way too high at around 3,000'. Someday I'll learn to trust my instruments for final glide and come in lower and sooner. Another problem with speed was the VERY textured post frontal air. High speed glides got pretty interesting at times and I was exhausted from keeping a death grip on my base tube as it tried to jump from my hands. This, as you might imagine, had me slowing down to manuvering speed on a regular basis.
Hope everyone had a great day at the mountains!
Paul
Florida Report
Moderator: CHGPA BOD
Florida Report/Woodstock Sunday
Cool! Can't wait to see that infernal machine you've got. I haven't
been out to Ridgely for over a month - every time I think there's a
chance, conditions in the mountains are too attractive - or else Sunny
says he wouldn't fly HIS ultralite in these conditions. I was grumpy
all Saturday 'cause I had to deal with an outboard problem on the boat,
then Sallie had planned a Derby party, so I couldn't fly. Paul
Gerhardt and I had had tentative plans to fly to the Massey fly-in (one
with the Phantom, the other on a motorcycle, then swap), but headwinds
looked a bit strong. Sallie actually found Brian's bourbon of choice
for juleps (I.W. Harper) - the liquor store found one bottle way in the
back, but it had the tax stamp indicating it had already been sold at
some point and they couldn't sell it again - so they gave it to her.
We had a nice last hurrah with juleps in the hot-tub (I presume you got
Brian's voicemail telling you to bet on the Derby). Brian and I
loaded up for a noon arrival at Woodstock. First time I've ever been
first to arrive. People having mother's day picnics in the slot. Nice
to have time to set up without rushing. Hank, John M, Joe S., Cragin,
Dan T., Adam, Hubble, Daniel, Linda. There had been launchable cycles
while I was setting up, so I suited and helmeted up and hooked in, then
noticed an interesting noise and asked John what it was like.
"Strong!" Decided to run another shuttle to the LZ... Finally
launched after Hank at 4:50, flew for 2:15 up to 2900 over launch in
winds that were fast, but it wasn't as bouncy as the week before.
(Took four days for the soreness to go away last week.) Joe and I both
found that we would get high in blue thermals just upwind (north) of a
finger but when we tried to crab north along the ridge toward
Strasburg, we got stopped by a rush of faster wind and sink two fingers
north of the LZ. The "sink" was mostly just pulling in to keep from
getting blown backwards. Even penetrating at constant altitude
straight out to the LZ with 80% VG in a U2 yielded low single digits of
knots groundspeed. It was a spectacular day with nary a cloud and
decent visibility (a layer of haze from the power plants further west
whose sulfur/ particulate emissions continue to be grandfathered by the
administration - harumph!). Cragin testified he had gotten beat up a
little on approach a bit after 6 PM, so we waited and landed in nicer
conditions around 7. Very light wind from the north (cross-field) in
the LZ. John and Daniel (in his new U2!) were airborne and counseled
caution, so Brian waited until 7:30 to launch Linda for her first
soaring flight (Happy Mother's Day!) while Dan T. returned from having
Cragin retrieve him from Edinburg and brought Linda's two adorable
daughters down to the LZ for the celebration. A caravan of four
vehicles drove around Strasburg late Sunday looking for an open eating
establishment, finally had to settle for McDonald's (at least they have
salads now). Home at midnight. Happy Mother's Day, Mom - I kept
calling all day, but it was either busy or no answer - are you
travelling? - Hugh
On 8 May 2005, at 18:52, Paul Tjaden wrote:
> Weather here has taken a turn for the spectacular. Partly cloudy
> skies, temps in the mid 80's, light winds and great soaring conditions
> are expected to last for the next several days so, of course, I have
> come down with a nasty cold.
>
> I did have a nice flight yesterday, tho
>
>
>
been out to Ridgely for over a month - every time I think there's a
chance, conditions in the mountains are too attractive - or else Sunny
says he wouldn't fly HIS ultralite in these conditions. I was grumpy
all Saturday 'cause I had to deal with an outboard problem on the boat,
then Sallie had planned a Derby party, so I couldn't fly. Paul
Gerhardt and I had had tentative plans to fly to the Massey fly-in (one
with the Phantom, the other on a motorcycle, then swap), but headwinds
looked a bit strong. Sallie actually found Brian's bourbon of choice
for juleps (I.W. Harper) - the liquor store found one bottle way in the
back, but it had the tax stamp indicating it had already been sold at
some point and they couldn't sell it again - so they gave it to her.
We had a nice last hurrah with juleps in the hot-tub (I presume you got
Brian's voicemail telling you to bet on the Derby). Brian and I
loaded up for a noon arrival at Woodstock. First time I've ever been
first to arrive. People having mother's day picnics in the slot. Nice
to have time to set up without rushing. Hank, John M, Joe S., Cragin,
Dan T., Adam, Hubble, Daniel, Linda. There had been launchable cycles
while I was setting up, so I suited and helmeted up and hooked in, then
noticed an interesting noise and asked John what it was like.
"Strong!" Decided to run another shuttle to the LZ... Finally
launched after Hank at 4:50, flew for 2:15 up to 2900 over launch in
winds that were fast, but it wasn't as bouncy as the week before.
(Took four days for the soreness to go away last week.) Joe and I both
found that we would get high in blue thermals just upwind (north) of a
finger but when we tried to crab north along the ridge toward
Strasburg, we got stopped by a rush of faster wind and sink two fingers
north of the LZ. The "sink" was mostly just pulling in to keep from
getting blown backwards. Even penetrating at constant altitude
straight out to the LZ with 80% VG in a U2 yielded low single digits of
knots groundspeed. It was a spectacular day with nary a cloud and
decent visibility (a layer of haze from the power plants further west
whose sulfur/ particulate emissions continue to be grandfathered by the
administration - harumph!). Cragin testified he had gotten beat up a
little on approach a bit after 6 PM, so we waited and landed in nicer
conditions around 7. Very light wind from the north (cross-field) in
the LZ. John and Daniel (in his new U2!) were airborne and counseled
caution, so Brian waited until 7:30 to launch Linda for her first
soaring flight (Happy Mother's Day!) while Dan T. returned from having
Cragin retrieve him from Edinburg and brought Linda's two adorable
daughters down to the LZ for the celebration. A caravan of four
vehicles drove around Strasburg late Sunday looking for an open eating
establishment, finally had to settle for McDonald's (at least they have
salads now). Home at midnight. Happy Mother's Day, Mom - I kept
calling all day, but it was either busy or no answer - are you
travelling? - Hugh
On 8 May 2005, at 18:52, Paul Tjaden wrote:
> Weather here has taken a turn for the spectacular. Partly cloudy
> skies, temps in the mid 80's, light winds and great soaring conditions
> are expected to last for the next several days so, of course, I have
> come down with a nasty cold.
>
> I did have a nice flight yesterday, tho
>
>
>