? Woodstock Friday Afternoon 8/8 ?

[CraginS]

I think I can sneak away from McLean about noon. Anyone else? All burnt out from Wednesday?

[XCanytime]

Gary Smith and I should be at Woodstock by 4PM. Bacil

[Joe Schad]

I will give Woodstock a try. Looks a little north from the 3000ft winds.

Joe

[stevek]

John McAllister and I are coming -- not 'till a little later 2:00.

Weird weather for August. Usually no breeze and IFR. Must be that global cooling I've hearing about.

[XCanytime]

Woodstock was pretty good yesterday afternoon. Got out of jury duty at 1:30P in Annapolis and hit the major traffic from the Cabin John Bridge all the way out past Gainesville on I-66. Arrived at 5PM to find Cragin set up and ready to go and Gary Smith soaring above launch. Launch conditions were pretty swirly in the slot. I helped Cragin launch at 5:30P, and thanks to Joe Schad for coming back up and helping me off at 6P. Easily soarable so I headed north, getting a max of 1100' over on the way up to Signal Knob. Took a bunch of pictures along the way up and back. Got below the ridge once up by Signal Knob when it turned way west. Scratched and clawed my way back SW against the cross and got back up. Flew with an osprey for a little while around launch, trying to get a close-up pic, but they are too fast. Landed at 7:30P in a calm LZ and Gary, Cragin, and I got a ride back up with Steve K, who got 1800' over in his flight. Thanks Steve. Others that flew yesterday were Homer and Bruce Engen in his ATOS.

Bacil

[CraginS]

According to the Chinese, 8 is a very lucky number. Thus, the date 8/8/08 was particularly auspicious, and they opened the Olympics at 8:08 p.m. that day.
I chose to play hooky from work the afternoon of Friday, August 8, because the NW winds and open sky looked like a fine Woodstock day. Others on hand included Joe S, Bruce E, Homer, Steve K, Gary S, Pete S, and Bacil D.

I had brought the U2 to Woodstock several weeks earlier, but had not even set it up. This would be my first mountain flight with the new glider.

Bacil and I were the last ones still on the mountain, and he helped me launch. As I left the ground and floated into the slot, he hollered "Pull in!" I needed the advice. I launched nose-high, and was mushing out over the rocks, getting closer and closer to the trees. Finally, my brain engaged, and I pulled in to correct as I skimmed over the tree tops with only a few feet to spare.
My long lag between mountain flights led me to get the pitch wrong, Once I was airborne, I think my subconscious took over with the natural, but BAD, analysis of 'push out for height to get over those trees.' I know better, but dumbed up.

In any event, I used up my Luck of the 8's and made it out of the slot unscathed. After that, I had a pleasant 45 minute flight, primarily at 200' to 600' over launch. Landing on thee upslope of the LZ was very satisfying. I had impetus to get it right; I had just watched Gary S use every bit of the LZ, right up to the fence, to put his U2 on the ground.

I finished the evening by joining Joe, Zelda, their friend Louie, and Steve for beer, burgers, and bluegrass at the Strassburg Hotel. It was a fine flying day and a fun Friday night.