Early Woodstock 12/30

[XCanytime]

Looks like the timing is right for an early Woodstock day tomorrow. Hitting the road early to take advantage of the leftovers from the overnight blow-thru.

Bacil

[tdilisio]

So far I'm in... what time would you like to meet/where?

[XCanytime]

Tony,
I'll meet ya up top. I plan on being there between 9:30A and 10A. See ya sometime after then.

Bacil

[tdilisio]

Upon waking this AM, I checked the wind forecast... looked kind of strong for Winchester, so I decided if nothing else, I'd go and help launch and retrieve. Arrived at launch around 0930, took the trusty vario and speed sensor out and checked the winds. Pretty much 8-12 straight in and a couple gusts to 20+... outside my range. So I waited for Bacil. and managed to get a pretty decent nap until 11, when he arrived. By then conditions calmed considerably, and it was blowing about 4-8 with gusts to about 10 or 12. He suggested setting up and see what happens. Can't fly a glider that's not setup. We setup and conditions continued to improve... until a batten tip thingy broke on his glider. Bacil wouldn't be flying today . I didn't want to be the only one up there flying for some (unfounded) reason... so I waffled around a few minutes and decided conditions were within my limits. Bacil helped me get the glider to launch and perform a hang check/check. I waited through one cycle that was a little cross and light... then one came straight in and I launched. Good launch... turned left and managed to gain a couple hundred over the bowl on the left finger. Flew mostly between the 3 fingers, found some good lift above the 2 bowls to the right of launch and climbed to about 1100 over launch. Some places were a little rowdy... a bunch of lift, then falling out the other side into sink... turn around and head back to the lift. I was up for about 50 minutes and headed out to land. Had to stuff the bar to lose altitude... there seemed to be a lot of lift in the valley... lots of bumps trying to get down. At about 200 ft it calmed down and I was able to pull off a few step landing in the bridge field. Bacil gave me a lift back to my car and we talked about flying the rest of the ridge.... when I grow up. I only got about an hour of airtime because of other commitments later in the day, but could have stayed up much longer. All in all... for me, it was a great day flying. Not too cold... probably 45-50ish. Thanks Bacil, for the launch assist and ride back to the top.

[Dan T]

Great flight Tony, it sounds like classic Woodstock conditions.

Congratulations!

Dan T

PS, sorry you missed it Bacil, you certainly nailed the conditions report.

Dan To