Pulpit 3/22

[hepcat1989]

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[dbodner]

I'm seriously considering either Pulpit or HR.

[davidtheamazing1]

I'm game. I was leaning towards HR, but looks like the extended TFR is up.
http://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_9_0192.html

[hepcat1989]

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[lbunner]

Need to work out permission on the home front after flying at Highland yesterday. Looks promising.

[dbodner]

I'll be hitting the road late this morning.

Janni and Carlos are already on their way.

[dbodner]

I hit the road and hit the air, though I had little more than a sledder. Some did the same, some did much better. Dave Proctor and Carlos went OTB. Dave, at least, landed east of 81, not sure of Carlos. He called me a little after 3pm, which my cell phone sitting next to my front door dutifully answered. Sorry for not getting back to you, Carlos.

David Churchill had a good launch in strong conditions, elevatored up, and stayed there for probably over an hour. Good flight, David.

The primary at Pulpit hasn't been planted yet. It still has last fall's corn stubble. The stubble's nothing to be concerned about.

[hepcat1989]

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[hepcat1989]

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[davidtheamazing1]

Wow, what a day! Sometimes you get lucky!

At what I'm guessing was 15mph, it was the strongest that I've launched in but I had a great observer and crew. I'm going to miss Shawn. He's always been up for helping me out or any h2, even if he ended up being pushed to the back of the launch line. I love his informal observing style and how he shows up to help even without his wings.

Thanks crew, the sky was lifting but you held onto me until I was ready. I couldn't have done it without you.

While up on the ridge, I went over towards launch to watch Shawn on the ramp... only to hit the biggest sink monster of the day. Once I had turned away, looked like he launched right into it! At one point some clouds came over the ridge with alot of lift.

The early bird gets the worm. (Luckily I don't like worms, eating off the ground, or getting up early.)

You should have been there... but not too early

-David

[deveil]

Keith Ford? is this the keith ford who was shawn's predecessor as invaluable, unheralded caretaker of the pulpit? anyone catch where he's hiding his sorry butt these days?
garyD

[RedBaron]

I was the first one off and only had an extendo. Made the mistake of launching when the valley was in shadow. Dave Procter and Carlos launched when the sun was out and both had amazing XC flights, it was fun watching them speck out from the LZ. I later heard that Gregory flew 35 miles, too. Too bad I couldn't join them.
My landing was interesting. Tried to land across in the upper field but was too high so I turned towards the road now remembering it was downhill for the most part. The slope was matching my glide, no wind to help me either so there I was, 10 feet off the ground going 30 mph. Once I left the upper field I hit a pocket of sink, I actually touched down with my knees throwing up a cloud of dust that was seen by Shawn from launch. Kept on gliding for another 100 yards until I was finally flying trim and able to flare. Phew! Need to reactivate my drogue.

[carweill]

I finally broke the sled pattern at the Pulpit last year. When we got there conditions were about 8MPH crossing from the North sometimes, but good potential. The forecast was to increase slightly during the day. After Janni and Dave launch I wasn’t inspired, Janni had landed and Dave seem to be struggling. When Dave came to launch flying by I decided it was time, unlikely to get much better. Shawn, Dave C and Dave B help me launch. I saw Dave on the ridge and just went after hoping to survive on the ridge where he was. Barely on the ridge turning trying not to lose any gain, I could feel it was getting easier and easier then I just got a screamer took me all the way to 5400 msl. For only a minute was above Dave, most of the time on the ridge I could go after him to find lift. Then I lost him I was waiting for the moment to free my hand to tell him that I was going OTB. I had been caught in the sink area behind the ridge in previous OTB flights so got out of there as fast as I could, saw I cloud nearby and work very well. Found I gigantic field, landed into the wind.
Once on the ground I realized I didn’t save Dave’s driver phone and left my wallet. Decided to do some shotgun phone calls but got no response. Eventually I heard from Shawn that everyone was able to launch.
[To Janni’s credit, a had commented how inefficient I had gotten working on thermals. He mentioned something that made sense, when the lift gets stronger flatten the turn; that is contrary to what I heard. The difference is the first helps center in the thermal, the second should put the most wing in it. I don’t try to oversimplify, there entire books written on this very subject. This just help me.]

Carlos

[Dave Proctor]

I arrived at the Pulpit at 10:15 with our driver Judy. Was still cold but direction and strength was great. Around 11:30 Carlos and Janni show up. We all set up and Janni launches around 1PM with a short flight to the primary. I launch about 15 minutes later and struggle on the ridge, never getting more than about 700' over. After about 30 minutes, Carlos launches and we both struggle. Eventually we both get high and go OTB. As I am climbing in the first thermal back there, about 5 miles back, I see Carlos come in about 2-3K below me. He is circling so I am thinking he is going to get up but he sinks out and lands. There is abundant lift, but it is inconsistent, always snaky (I didn't have a single climb where I just got in and went up), sometimes extremely strong-but not for long. Had to constantly recenter and re-acquire cores. I got lucky and hit +600 right before the Michaux forrest, a few miles south of rte 30. This got me to 5K msl before it really dropped off. I just hunted around the cloud for anything that wasn't going down and drifted back over the sea-o-trees. Topped out around 6K and kept drifting until it turned into sink. Went on glide and found another thermal about 3 miles from the far side of the trees. It is a great feeling to be within glide of the end and be climbing... you can just relax and concentrate once again on the lift. Flew right over the south end of the runway at Gettysburg at about 4K and continued on, right over the south part of town, recognized the Cyclorama building, which was cool. Continued on, landing south of New Oxford, PA for around 45 miles (not sure about distance as I forgot to put the pulpit launch in as a waypoint. (do this every year after all my waypoints get nuked at the ECC)). Total flight time about 3:30. Spent about a hour just getting high enough to leave the ridge.

Spring is here

DaveP

[carweill]

Great job Dave (I have much to learn)

I did have a good time. (I think the radio got disconnected in the begining of the flight)

Carlos