Jacks 8/14

[XCanytime]

It's looking SE on Saturday. Jacks is a distinct possibility. Need to check the status of the launch and LZ prior. Bacil

[jyoder111]

This may be too short of notice, but if the conditions (ground and air) end up looking suitable for H-2, I'd love to connect with an observer there on Saturday. I had my first soaring flights at Woodstock last weekend and I'm pumped to fly again!
http://www.chgpa.org/forums/viewtopic.p ... 469#p22722

[XCanytime]

Jacks launch, according to Spoons, is in need of a trim. Spoons and a few are planning to get to launch early, swing a machete, then fly. He didn't report anything about the LZ. I'll inquire further. Bacil

[XCanytime]

From Spoons on the Jacks LZ status: "I land in the alfafa field that has been mowed the latest and if it is tall i try to spot land the dirt road near a "field seam" so my tromping has a minimum impact...If it is super tall i go xc to a near by field that is mowed... If we have a big crowd we might have to ask which field... Alfalfa gets cut four times a season so the chances aren't bad to find a suitable alternative lz...We did have a dry spell so there might be round bales....Plan to get high and go otb!

[dbodner]

I was thinking of doing my maiden return mountain flight tomorrow, but now it's sounding less-than-perfect. Also, it took a while for my directionally challenged brain to realize that I couldn't count on doing any warmups at Kirshner's on a Jack's day. So, I'm back to waiting for a H2-able evening at the Pulpit with a landing in the wide-open upper field.

[XCanytime]

More info on the LZ from Shawn MacDuff:

"I was in Lewistown today for business and I stopped by the LZ. There is only (1) row that has been cut (4th from the road), everything else is in crops. The alfalfa is high. The cut row is next to corn which is also high and will need your attention when landing X-wind. There is no room for error unless they cut today which is doubtful since it is raining. That along with the launch needing work, I think tomorrow is a good day for experienced (H3+) pilots only. All the other fields near the main LZ are in crops. I'll stop by the LZ in the AM and speak with the owner if he is around. Be sure to only break down on the road or on the strip of grass across the house...do not break down on their lawn.

We only have a few months left of growing season so let's try and not get the site closed again. I'm planning on going XC only because I don't want to have anything to do with landing there unless I have to.

Also, it might be hard to land on the road since there are (2) rows of corn (2nd and 5th row) that might be in the way unless you land further up which puts you right in the middle of the rotor from the tree line.

There is currently a windsock in the LZ so we don't need any more planted in the crops."

[XCanytime]

A very nice day at Jacks. Arrived just after 11A to cloudy skies and two pilots with chainsaws taking care of tall saplings near the bottom of the slot. Took a hike down the mountain and back since no flying was going to be done until we had an army there ready to tackle the waist high brush growing from the guardrail down. The army assembled in the form of 8 more pilots and the runway was completely cleared of the waist high brush and the highest saplings removed. Steve Krichten, Steve's friend Don, Mark Dunn, John Wiseman, Tom A, Shawn MacDuff, Steve Cortez (visiting pilot from NM), Daniel, Paul Donahue, Spoons, and I comprised the army. We finished at 1:30P and started setting up. It was blowing nicely up the now groomed slot. I launched first at 2P and worked to get up. It took some good effort to get above the ridge but once above it was golden. Gained a few hundred and flew back over launch and waved to a large group of Amish folks that had arrived just after I took off. I flew back to that nice rockpile where I gained the few hundred and gained some more. Drifted up the ridge and found another rockpile that was working and got my highest gain to 900' over. Crossed over the power lines with this gain and repeated the process over successive rockpiles up the ridge. However, never got more than 600' over. Got up to near the Rt. 322 gap and spied the Mifflin County Airport. Loitered in the area for a good while trying to find a climb to a good height to make the airport. Where I was, the wind was more out of the ESE. So I theorized that there wouldn't be much rotor if I went OTB at a lower altitude. Found some lift that got me to 300' over and drifted with it OTB. I promptly lost it so I committed and there was a little chop but manageable. My track for the airport had plenty of fields but nearly all of them had crops (corn, soybeans, alfalfa). I spied a cowfield in the distance, and a clear area next to a house by Rt. 655 that I could put down in. At the decision point for either field I hit some lift that gave me enough altitude to make it to the cow field. It was cut in half by an electrified fence, and the upper half was downhill, so I just flew over the lower half and turned gradually to the SE and had a nice landing, about a half mile from the airport. Two young girls about 12 years old came running over to the edge of the field to see if I was OK. They were on a back porch and saw me fly into the field behind a big tree and they thought I was going to hit the tree from their vantage point. Finagled a ride back to launch from one of the girls' father, storing my equipment in their yard just across from the cow field. Back at launch a group from a family reunion in the Ferguson Valley marveled at the gliders soaring and landing. They witnessed Paul soaring around launch and going in as the last of the group to land. Retrieved my stuff and high tailed it thru the Rt. 322 gap and down Ferguson Valley Road. At the LZ plenty of smiles were around. Spoons got a climb to 1800' over, and a mature bald eagle was seen by Daniel and John. Daniel and I broke the long drive home up with a stop at the Mountain House Bar and Grill for some chow and a few beers, studying the relief map of Jacks Mountain that I flew with. A few pics to follow.

Bacil

[XCanytime]

Closeup view of Jacks Mt. Road.

Same view from a different perspective.

The Kishacoquillas Valley behind Jacks.

Coming up on the power lines.

Looking down the power line clear cut.

[XCanytime]

My LZ, with the Rt. 322 gap in the background.

[hang_pilot]

My flight was 2:01 with 1164 over.

Jack’s is as long of a drive as I remember, but also as nice of ridge, too….steep and smooth…very nice.

The site had not been flown since April and we had to remove a lot of vines and brush. We removed so much, in fact, that if there’s a heavy rain in the next few weeks, we might have the east coast’s newest cliff launch there. We tried to leave the roots in place, but unlike other sites when we cleared the brush there was no grass underneath, just lose soil, animal carcasses and trash.

It stayed cloudy the entire day but there were narrow and light thermals. Those of us with varios were able to get around 1200 over, except Spoons who was top-o-stack at 1800.

Everyone flew for around two hours and then headed out to land. The LZ is planted in narrow strips of alfalfa, soy and corn and the current protocol is to land completely crosswind in a cut alfalfa row. Looked like everyone stayed out of the crops that matter, but the unusual approaches lead to some landings where wheels saved the day.

We had more pilots than seats in cars at the LZ, so Shawn flagged down a passing pickup truck and convinced the driver to go out of his way to ferry a bunch of us to launch. Shawn’s luck at hitch hiking increased dramatically when he stopped trying to show thigh.

It was fun flying with fellow Albuquerqueans. Steve Cortez was on Shawn’s old Fusion with a knee hanger harness. It looked like a H2 had stolen someone’s topless. John Wiseman went to grad school at UNM, so we had three pilots with Abq connections. Too bad no us had brought back east with us Sandia Peak or the New Mexican sun.

I hear the PG contingent had a good day at Fisher Road and Bill’s. Glad to see the Buchanan sites getting used. That helps with CHGPA’s relationship with the rangers.

Also, in the good to know category, the Mountain House is advertising an upcoming Jello wrestling event.

[brianvh]

"I hear the PG contingent had a good day at Fisher Road..."

??!!. I'm guessing they didn't land any of the usual places?

[hang_pilot]

Yep, conditions were good enough that they could fly down the ridge. ~Daniel

[brianvh]

Do you happen to recall the date for the Jello wrestling contest?

[hang_pilot]

No, I don't remember, but here's their phone number: (717) 485-3887.

[XCanytime]

Do you happen to recall the date for the Jello wrestling contest?

Saturday August 28th at 4PM.

[brianvh]

The Ellenville pilots due to visit that weekend will never want to leave.

[dbodner]

They held a Jello-wrestling event last year, too. The parking lot was absolutely packed. I didn't even try to get inside. Really.

[Matthew]

Hey, is Christy stll on the list? Didn't she want to become a professional Jello wrestler after retirement?

I think her favorite gelatin is--

CLEAR!!!!!



Matthew

[deveil]

you're a trip. just can't help yourself can you. ( that's listed as 'razz' btw)
garyD