Dickey's/Woodstock Sunday 9 August?

[mcelrah]

A few PGers are looking at Dickies today, but it may be strong for PG. I'm thinking of packing both wings. There's also a hint from NOAA that there may be a little NW - enough for WS to work??? Never launched a HG from Dickies before (only PG a coupla times) so looking for a quorum... - Hugh

[tdilisio]

Hmmmm... Woodstock looks good to me. A little on the light side for HG... but maybe get up in a good cycle. Gotta do domestic chores before heading out, though (cut grass). Bring lots of water if we do go...

... Survey says??? Time?

[mcelrah]

That's two. PGers waiting till 1100 to make the call. Loading... - Hugh

[tdilisio]

10AM Cutting grass... should be able to get to WS by 1230-1300.

[TwoFly]

New to flying in the area-p4-I'd love to check out a new site.
Directions/location of Dickeys?
703-424-0806

[mcelrah]

That's two. PGers waiting till 1100 to make the call. Loading... - Hugh

[mcelrah]

Stampede has begun. Heading out for WS/Dickie's, make decision on site. 301 980 6381 cell.

Two fly: Dickie's is past the first visitor center on Skyline Drive. Alas, you MUST have (rangers check) a Shenandoah Park Hang-gliding Permit ($50 - can't buy on site, must do by mail) and be a member of USHPA/CHGPA. Welcome to come out and watch. Woodstock/Tom's Brook is first exit south on 81 after intersection with 66. - Hugh

[TwoFly]

Doh!
Thanks for the heads up-Might be a bit hot to PLAN on sitting on the ground!
Will work on getting those permits for next time.
Mark

[markc]

To me, it looks a bit southerly in VA for Woodstock. Check
the hourly obs for Martinsburg, Winchester, and Shenandoah.
Interesting that the satellite is hinting at wave in PA/WVA ?

And to toss in another option: The surface text 'cast and the
hourly plot are calling for W@10-15 at the Pulpit. Don't know
how real that might be...Prob a good idea to wait for the
update of the text cast, usually happens by 10:30 .

I'm still trying to decide if I've got three days of HG in me.

(well, ok, I'm actually still trying to convince myself that I can
blow off all the other things that I _should_ be doing today)

MarkC

[TwoFly]

Watched a couple of folks launch PG's off of the Pulpit a while ago. Looks like a nice easy launch. I did not have my ushpa up to date at the time, so i did not fly. Count me in if folks are going there.

[markc]

Hmmm.... WInds aloft forecast is certainly saying Woodstock.
As that warm front pushes north, maybe we'll get some decent
W/WNW flow from the H to our south.

Double Hmmm.....

MarkC

[markc]

Tony and I have talked each other into giving WStock a try. Been watching the
current-surf map for the last couple of hours, and it's definitely trending W,
from the initial SW. So.... What the heck, will head that way around noon,
and maybe the wind gods will smile.

MarkC

[DanTuck]

I think I will join you guys. Nice day to spend on the mountain...and maybe possibly above it. ETA 1:30 or 2:00.

[markc]

Well, what an unexpectedly nice flying day.

I was kinda/sorta thinking/hoping that the day might go magic, given a lot of sun and the fact that it seemed like there should be some decent velocities all day. But with the W to SW direction, and the hazy-hot-humid forecast.... Thinking full of wishes, right?

Who woulda thought, it *did* go magic, in spite of the cross and in spite of the heat. So put this one into your 'never say never' scrapbook of site lore. Not totally sweet 1500' over Woodstock magic, but still, there was 700' over at times, which had Dan Tuck and I in boat-around-as-slow-as-you-can mode (to help survive the occasional near 90-degree-cross cycles that rolled through). When not cross, it was as smooth as glass, hands-off, enjoy-the-view type of flying.

Tony and I had met in the LZ at 1:50 and dropped a vehicle, then we headed up top, where Hugh, Dan Tmlnsn, Tom C, Alex and a couple other pilots were hoping to fly their PGs. Randy Weber, Dan Tuck, Tony, and I were the HG contingent. After watching the cross cycles, Tony and I took our time setting up, and we all debated the merits of flying now vs. later.

'Now' seemed to be an option after we saw Hugh get to about 1000' over launch. But a PGer just before, and then Randy not long after, both had sled rides. Then we saw Hugh encounter massive sink in the valley and land. This sight convinced some of the remaining PGers to head to Dickey's.

The hemming and hawing among the HGers resumed. Eventually Tony decided enough-is-enough and gave it a try. He had an extendo, flying towards the finger to the north, and mentioned that there *was* some lift to be had. More hang waiting.... Conditions started to lighten dramatically... The clouds dried up... The wave clouds up-wind dissipated... Uh-oh!

Dan Tuck was the next to lose patience, but just as he was at launch thing started to improve a bit. Not dramatically, but the slot seemed to be a bit fuller, and the periods of cross-left and straight-up (before the pronounced/predictable switch to cross-right as the wind bounced off the right side) started to lengthen. Dan was off with a super agressive run, and.... No more Dan! Woohoo!

I ditched my glider bag in the truck, headed back to launch, confirmed 'still no Dan', and suited up for my own try. Unfortunately things were back to the trickle-cross-left, then hard-cross-right that we'd been seeing. I timed a few of them, and eventually a cycle came through which stayed decent for more than a couple seconds. So I ran off before it had time to change its mind.

I was maybe 100' below, but found scraps of lift along that steep spine past the power line cut, and then again along the spine just before the old launch. Worked it, got lucky, and was above. From there: Absolutely golden. Conditions above the ridge were fine, and even when a significantly cross cycle passed through it was mellow/surviveable. But if you weren't above, you were hatin' life. We saw one PG pilot and one (later arriving, don't know who) HG pilot give it a try, but no joy.

I flew around launch for a while, then headed south, to that last bend of the Shenandoah which is guarded by a large curving bluff. At that point I was in rotor and had to head back. But not before I got to enjoy watching a fully mature bald eagle cruising the ridge a few hundred below me. I tried to keep up for a while (damn they fly fast!), probably pushing a bit too far south.... But heck, landing out would be a small price to pay for the experience.

Luckily I didn't have to do that, and my flight lasted about 2 hours. Three different sites in three days, with soaring flights at two of them. I think I've done that only a couple times in the past 15 years of flying, so it was a hugely rewarding day!

No pics this time.... Dan had two cameras rigged for his flight, so I figured he'd be able to capture the day way better than I could. Maybe we'll get to enjoy another of his fine videos later in the week, assuming no camera glitches.

Enjoyed a beer back at launch with Dan, then headed back to the LZ and finished breaking down by the light of my 4Runner. As I drove home, I saw a HUGE backup on I-66 West, and couldn't help but reflect on what a fun day it had been. Moonrise too, to the sound of The Blues Hour, hard to beat.

MarkC

PS: Major thanks to Tony for sticking around to help with rides back up top!

[mcelrah]

Thanks for the summary write-up Mark. My 45 minute PG flight was marked by a bit of a wang as I was coming out of the slot, possible caused by the crosswind, but I could probably be criticized for not controlling it more. The wing stayed firm and I was not concerned. (My theory is that with this wing, big control inputs might actually hurt, while it is quite solid on its own.) Anyway, I worked light lift at first and got a couple hundred feet over launch. Lift was to right of launch, but had to keep working left due to west cross. Survived one sink cycle then went out front in a line of lift to 2000 above launch - well past the bridge (taking care to stay upwind of the LZ). When that finally ran out, I ran half way back to the ridge, then tried to penetrate again toward a wispy on the same line, which is when I encountered the massive sink Mark observed. It seemed a bit late to run back to the ridge low, and I really liked my position exactly upwind (SW given the cross) of the LZ. I was also interested in getting back up top to observe Dan Tomlinson in case things mellowed some more (they did later, but then died too much for him to feel confident getting the wing overhead evenly - better to have his first launch after getting his P2 with Rooney last week - congratulations! - be a confidence-building one...) To give you a clue how strong the cross was, I made the normal "downwind" part of the pattern over the trees back towards the ridge - facing south, away from the LZ, as I crabbed. Once on short final over the hole at the bottom of the LZ, main concern was that I had set up with enough clearance in case I got blown backwards toward the trees at the NW corner. Another way to keep things in perspective: as I was purchasing more fluids in the convenience store on the way back from the LZ, I heard the local farmers mention that they were out raking hay in this heat (my vario showed 91 degrees at 4000 MSL). And here I was disporting in the air as they labored... I too had a nice three-day weekend: got another hour solo in the sailplane Friday, then sailing Saturday. The aristocrats in pre-Revolutionary France didn't have it this good! Gotta go back to work to rest up... - Hugh

[stevek]

I ended up at the Pulpit. Haven't been there in years. Thought it would be too light and x at the stocker and couldn't get it up for hiking in to Dickeys in the heat. It was straight in at the Pulpit but on the strong side (at least for self launch --up to 20). Didn't back off until about 5:30 when a typical reading was a more reasonable 12 and the gust factor had moderated. So I boated around for an hour (1000 over) in the evening glass. Walked up the pipeline cut. Long day.

Love the new ramp.

[DanTuck]

Great day at Woodstock! I was a hit or miss kind of day. Set up was slow and easy with many breaks to cool off in the intermittent breeze. We were all reluctant to launch with the hopes of an evening glass off, though none of us were too sure of that. There were short cycles and long cycles and if you were lucky you launched into one of the long cycles and got up. I gave in and launched at 5:20, was fortunate and got up, finding enough to get about 500' over the ridge and hang on until it went magic. From then, it was smooth sailing in very steady but light lift. Just enough to climb if you flew real slow. Spent most of the flight around 2-300 over, boated around for 2.5 hours and didn't want to break down in the dark. It was beginning to shut down anyhow so I went in for a decent landing. I flared a little late and barely got my feet under me but managed to run it out. Beautiful orange hazy dusk across the valley viewed from launch with a cold beer, thanks Mark. We are a lucky bunch. Huge thanks to Tony for sticking around and driving us up. I owe you one.

[DanTuck]

Here's a quick edit I did last night of our day Sunday. Enjoy.


Bonus video: This is from 4th of July weekend at Hyner. Never got around to posting it until yesterday....