Friday flying?

[Dan T]

Is anyone interested in flying on Friday?

Either wing?

Dan To.

[XCanytime]

Dan Tuckwiller and I are thinking the Pulpit Friday afternoon. The warmest afternoon of the next 3 days. Winds should support both wings late. I hope Ward will be able to take off (work too!) and have his first mountain flight in 25 years!

Bacil

[Ward Odenwald]

I'll be there!

Ward

Cell: 410-977-0988

[John Simon]

Is the 'Berg open? I'd like to do some flying this winter? If it goes OK, then Pulpit is good Friday. Almost warm enough for my lame constitution.


John

[MRWilkens]

Hey guys, I'm interested in trying to fly Friday...if I can get off work early enough Pulpit sounds good. I'm debating whether or not to just make it a 4 day weekend.

When were you all planning on getting there? Also, Bacil, you thinking of going XC or would you be able to be an observer for me?

matt

[DanTuck]

Surfing around this afternoon I stumbled on this article about the Pulpit Fly-In 2005 - http://www.herald-mail.com/?cmd=display ... _id=120134

One pilot preparing to launch had a map hanging from the frame of his hang glider; when he was lying down in the flight position, it was directly in front of his face.


"He's not a GPS-kind of guy," one of the helpers said.

Sup, Bacil! lol!!!!!

Tomorrow's gonna be great!!!

Matt, we're looking to get there around 2PM. You've flown the Pulpit before, right?

John, it's open. Bacil, Ward, BrianL, and I flew there on Saturday.

[DanTuck]

BTW, Matt, what are you talking about "4-day weekend"?

Oh yeah, I forgot. The state of Virginia doesn't observe MLK, Jr. Day. But don't worry, we do observe "Lee-Jackson Day" tomorrow in honor of our confederate war "heroes."

What year is this?

[mcelrah]

Dan Tomlinson and I have agreed to arrive closer to 1200. We will have both hang- and paragliders, judging that it may be a bit strong for the latter. Matt, I am an observer in both regimes. - Hugh

[carweill]

Can not make it, but I would like to validate the forecast.

Can you measure the wind at launch at 1PM and/or 3PM, depending when you launch?

Have fun, it will be warmer than is has been in a while!

Carlos

[mcelrah]

When I arrived at Pulpit at 1200 it was honkin' - maybe 20 on launch. Ward (first mountain flight in 24 years!), Tony Dilisio, Dan Tomlinson and I set up slowly - there was a low overcast and we felt colder than it was. When Bacil arrived about 2 PM with Matt and Wonchuk (sp?), he yelled at us to get off our butts and fly - it had backed off just enough. It was smooth in the air and we boated around in 15-20 to about 600 feet over launch until about 3 PM when wave started to sweep out bands of blue sky and sun, but an orographic cloud stayed on the ridge, dissipating on the backside and replenishing on the front. This was accompanied by a bit of turbulence - say 3 on a 10-point scale - and we sank to about 300 over launch. It was a little rowdy as we circled over the LZ, but almost nil on the ground. All four of us waterskiied in the watery mud on landing and anointed our gear. We went up to help Bacil launch (it was out of the question for H2 Matt on his Falcon), but found him and Dan Tuck already breaking down on launch as it had ramped back up to 20 with gusts by 4:20. Bacil has some pictures of the wave clouds out front. - Hugh

[mcelrah]

I should mention that Ward has a wealth of knowledge of an earlier time in hang-gliding around here - he was an instructor and dealer back in the day. His remarks while setting up and later celebrating his return to the mountains after 24 years with libations at the Mountain House - were an education to us all. Ward, would you be willing to show pictures and explain things at a meeting? - Hugh

[Ward Odenwald]

As the saying goes, any day that you can fly is a good one and today was no different except for me, it was GREAT! Looking down along a mountain ridge that I hadn’t seen from that angle in a long, long time made me smile and I still am. Winds aloft were as predicted – strong but the ridge lift mixed with fast moving thermals made for a great day. I can’t wait for more. John M and Bacil D, you guys are the best – thanks!

Hugh, I have a wealth of stories which on a generous day may, just may, pass for knowledge and would be happy to share them.

[XCanytime]

Congratulations Ward. Welcome back to the mountains. It's been a long, long time coming, but I know, a change has come, yes it has.

Bacil

[XCanytime]

Ward returns to the mountains.

Wave cloud out in the valley.

Wave cloud in phase with and directly above Tuscarora Mountain.

The valley wave cloud a half hour later. Massive.