East Coast Comp

John Simon · Post by **John Simon** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 12:46 am

Paul won again today, for the second time. Wow!! He's really taking to
the good ship "Viagra". Down in the Sport class there are 6 of us.
Danny B won day one, and JD from Providence (Lives in FLA) won today. A
short downwind task of 15 miles and pretty weak lift out there. Mostly
around 50-150 fpm... Got low a few times, including a 750' save. Got a
chance to pimp Danny B. today as he made the mistake of launching right
in front of me... He shook me off like a bug and we basically flew on
alone. Fun day and my first time making it to goal. Much better than
my 3.6 miles yesterday!!! Yikes.
Also flew the U2 160 Demo for about 1/2 hour. Really nice, lighter
handling and no yaw compared to my Discus. The VG pulls easier and it
lands a touch easier maybe... So what's good about my ride?? Not sure
but I think my Discus is faster, and it handles very well in it's own
right.

Off to bed and more flying tomorrow... Cya

John

Flying Lobster · Post by **Flying Lobster** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 7:41 am

Good going John. You did well to hang with Danny--he's a master pilot and something of a ringer, if you ask me, for flying in the sport class! hah hah.

By the way, I know JD--could you send me his cell number (privately) so I can call him? Thanks.

marc

Post by **hang_pilot** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 12:49 pm

(John) Also flew the U2 160 Demo for about 1/2 hour. Really nice,
lighter
handling and no yaw compared to my Discus. The VG pulls easier and it
lands a touch easier maybe... So what's good about my ride??

(Daniel, proud U2 owner) The Discus seems to have a tighter sail (thump
your trailing edge and then one of the U2's) and a lower price-tag.

Congrats on making goal! I flew around 13 miles but only made 10 miles
on the course line in my 2nd ever flatlands XC. I'm at work today, but
hope to fly again tomorrow.

I assume the Wills Wing demos are there all week, check with the park to
make sure. Come on out and free-fly.

~Daniel

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John Simon · Post by **John Simon** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 10:42 pm

Well,
?? day 5 is done.? JD is still in the lead followed by Danny Brotto and then me... Daniel Broxterman and then Alek followed by Dan T (I think).?
?
But first Day?3/4.
Day 3 (Tue).? Very, very weak lift... cirrus overhead.?Danny Brotto takes first with 11 hard earned miles .. nice.? I Never got above 2200' off my 2000' tow.? Drifted down wind in zero and barely cleared the 5 mile start circle.?? Spent plenty of time circling and just drifting at 500-1000'.?? I made 2nd place edging out JD by a whopping 1/4 mile.
?
Day 4.??Somewhat of a boomer.? I climbed to 4700 right off tow and took off under a beautiful street feeling pretty confident.? I flew right under 3-4 big, dark, flat bottomed clouds all lined up in a pretty row.? I got nothing, zippo, nada.? Every cloud I went to was deader than Lizzy Borden's Mutha.? Landed 12.3 miles out.? Ick.? Incredibly hot out there on the ground, I don't recommend it (the ground).? Both JD and Daniel B. make goal, with JD taking first again... nice job.? I squeak out 3rd place.
?
Day?5??Forecast to be zero lift and?maybe 2000' cloud base getting worse very quickly.? They set a short task and we all head north 23 miles to Massey.? Winds are 8-10 south, the clouds look decent but are low.? It's supposed?to not last and what we are supposed to find is?very weak stuff.??We all go early, they have moved the start up a bit for the lousy afternoon forecast.?? Most?found much better than we'd hoped for and I climbed to cloudbase (2700') at 200-250fpm.? Went out and worked very light stuff scratching and sniffing and doing a bit of climbing and gliding here and there.? Made it 18 miles and again I'm second, this time it's Danny Brotto again.? He's the only one at goal for the sporties, and he's?very happy when we get there.? The rest of us less so...?? JD and Dan B. make 5 miles, and Alek 8-9 miles.? I don't think Dan T. flew.??
?
?
The crew at Ridgely is great and things are going smoothly.? There's plenty of help and good food and plenty of water and?free kegs at night!? Sweet.? Special thanks to the drivers, especially Paul Adamez, Drew, Heather, Linda B., Erica and anyone who?has pitched in.? ? We all went out last night to Dave's for some blues and beers and food, very good local joint.??
?
John Simon

Lauren Tjaden · Post by **Lauren Tjaden** » Sat Jun 11, 2005 7:03 am

?I love Highland. I have so many close friends here,?it is like coming home to a long lost family --?a big, dysfunctional family that knows how to have fun! Flying, drinking, blowing up pumpkins, or deep-frying marshmallows, are all possible activities for the terminally immature. ????As to flying, even driving in the area gives you confidence, since almost everywhere you look has a big, flat field where a pilot could land. I have become used to challenging tows in the Florida conditions (though I am told they are nothing, if I want to know what a clenched butt feels like, just wait for Texas) but at Highland they seem easy. I guess that comes with the soft lift we have experienced so far!
????My goal for the meet was to place in the top two thirds of the regular class, but I am just shy of that in 13th. Maybe a couple of other pilots will have car wrecks or decide not to fly and I will get to move up more. One can only hope. Actually I made a few "short-bus" moves, like hitting the wrong button on my GPS one day, which sent me back the wrong way after I had made the first turn point. I laughed later thinking of David Glover downloading my flight. He never asked why I was flying the wrong way. I guess people expect that if you are left-handed.
????I have been totally relaxed the entire meet, and I am meeting my other goal of learning all I can. I have been fighting a nasty virus throughout the competition, which has been the only bad note for me. I party hardy until 7 PM, when I slink off to bed.
????Of course I wanted to be the big star but Paul took that role for the meet. With one more day of flying, it will be extremely difficult for him to lose the lead for the rigids. He is doing almost everything right, and I am very proud of him. Paris has won all the days for the flex-wings, with the exception of the one where Pete L beat him.?Danny Brotto is in the lead in the Sport class, while John Simon complains of being second every day in the same division.???
????Daniel Broxterman and Alek and John Simon have all become cross country pilots, like real go-get-em, play-the-game pilots. Every day everyone is out there flying, trying their best. I am impressed with everyone.
????Yesterday was called due to gusty, 90 degree crossing winds. I think almost all the pilots were happy about the decision. I was disappointed to miss another chance to try and improve, but have to applaud the decision. One accident could easily overshadow the joy of the rest of the meet -- the personal accomplishments so many of the pilots have achieved, the camaraderie,??the sheer fun.
?????I wanted to take the day to visit my horse and get our rental into order, but eventually decided to sleep for 16 hours instead. My body is worn out.
????Best memories: the giggly feeling?I got?inside when?I passed high over?a grounded glider. I can see ya, but I wouldn't want to be ya!
????Towing in formation with Jim Prahl around the field on the day we didn't make it away from Highland, late in the evening. We decided to fly for fun, and?so we wouldn't have to hump our gliders over to the setup area. The air flowed over our wings without a ripple, and the airport became tiny underneath us. The Dragonflies spiraled down together after we released from tow. Very beautiful, very Highland.
????Hearing Daniel B made goal.
????Seeing Laurie and Russell Brown's truck in the distance, when I landed on a road that only had deer tracks on it. Two miles from goal and I might as well have been in the North Pole.?They have a laptop with a map and GPS or I might still be there.
????Hopefully we will have another chance for fun today. This has been such a positive, fun experience.
Lauren

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stevek · Post by **stevek** » Sat Jun 11, 2005 9:25 am

Looks like a windsurfing day to me. Strong south. You guys be careful. Nothing ruins a good time like somebody getting hurt.

batmanh3 · Post by **batmanh3** » Sun Jun 12, 2005 9:37 am

Awesome job Guys and Gals. Congrats on 1st Place in Rigids Paul. If you have longer than a 4 hour flight, due you have to notify a doctor? I look forward to joining you all in the air within the next couple of weeks (Wills Wing Dependent).

Chris