Pulpit Sunday 12/6

[XCanytime]

Looks like a chilly Pulpit day is shaping up this Sunday. May just tickle 40 degrees max. I'm looking forward to it. Any other polar bears out there ?

Bacil

[Luis]

Yes

[DanTuck]

Yepper.

[markc]

Not sure how much cold-weather flying I'll be up for this winter... But I don't think
I can resist a flight after the very first snowfall of the year! Looks like they
are calling for 1 inch on Sat at the Pulpit, then an additional 1-3" on Sat night.
And the 'casts are currently for W early on Sunday, going SW by 2pm or so.

If all this holds.... Then what the hell, count me in, with multiple layers, hand-warmers,
and a thermos of hot chocolate, woo-hoo!

MarkC

[carweill]

If it looks safe to launch and safe to land. I'm there.

Carlos

[dbodner]

Breakin' out the cold weather gear. Willing to carpool from Arlington.

[markc]

Some of the 'casts are looking a bit better, with the switch to the SW not
until 3pm. I'll be heading for the Pulpit early tomorrow (have to put in an
appearance at a holiday party), so feel free to call for a conditions report
by 10-ish.

MarkC

301-807-5414

(picked up some adhesive mega-warmers for the bar mitts, yeah!)

[DanTuck]

Out the door. ETA - 10:30

[carweill]

Luis and I planning to get there a few minutes after 11:00 AM

Carlos

[XCanytime]

Temp barely got above 30 degrees. 26 degrees and 2 inches of snow when I got there at 10:20A. Soarable and straight in, with plenty of clouds around. Should have got there earlier, cuz later it shut down. Polar bears were Mark C., Dan Tuck, Luis, Carlos, Tony D., and Dave B. I launched from the pad around 11:15A and got up in smooth conditions. The clouds disappeared during my flight. Maxed out at 400' over. Got scraped off the ridge down by Rt. 16, and had a nice landing in the main field at 12 noon. A few minutes later Mark and Dan took off, with Mark sticking and Dan getting an extendo. The rest of the pilots had sleds/extendos in the next hour. Mark finally came in and landed after a nice flight of an hour and 700' over. Mark, Dan, Luis, Carlos, Dave, and I grabbed some chow at the bar, watching the poor Redskins blow it.

Bacil

[DanTuck]

Yeah, what Bacil said. I got about 100' over at one point and that was it. My flight was 9min23sec. Woo-hoo!

[markc]

Very tough to stay up today! I was below the ridge multiple times, and only stayed
up because of some luckily-timed thermals blowing through. Very small, you really had
to put it up on a tip to gain anything. Not much ridge lift at all, I was surprised that
it was as light as it was, as early as it was.

FInally got high enough to enjoy the scenery and have a little fun in the air, but
*wow*, it was COLD!!! A few photos follow....

MarkC

Colorful gliders in the set-up area.

View towards the south:

Snowy LZ. Did I mention it was cold?

The property just north of where Rt 16 crests the ridge:

I'm really surprised this one turned out as well as it did! This is just as I'm going over
the top of my loop, after diving at the house. Woo-hoo, that was fun!

A brief look over the back. No XC's today:

Shadows getting long in the breakdown area. Luis, Dan, and Bacil, left to right:

David B on approach:

Ramps of rock and a ramp of snow:

Drifted snow on the old ramp:

The hang gliders outnumbered the bikers at the Mountain House for a change!

[tdilisio]

I arrived shorty after 1030AM to see 3 crazy pilots setting up their hang gliders in 28 degree weather. It was too friggin cold for me to setup, so I was going to do the fetch pilots thing. After a trip to the LZ to drop off cars I decided to go ahead and setup (It was much warmer in the LZ). The short of it is I launched and with a few angel breaths (tiny thermals) I sledded to the primary. Feet wet and cold I headed home. Thanks for the ride to the top Mark and DavidB for the launch assist. See y'all in the spring, at Demo days or an unseasonably warm flying day.

[dbodner]

It was a bit of zero-sink along Rt. 16 that got me to the main LZ. Before that, I was eyeing the secondary warily. Self-launch during 3 mph winds was a total non-event.

Mark, great shot during that loop. I wish I'd seen you do it.

[markc]

Mark, great shot during that loop. I wish I'd seen you do it.

Yeah, you and me both!

But I had my eyes closed the entire time.

MarkC

PS: Ok, ok, I didn't loop... But that photo, which somehow managed to take itself
as the camera was dangling, damn sure looks like it! Too funny!