HR Friday Afternoon?

[Danny Brotto]

Setting up for a HR afternoon. Start the weekend early... any takers?

Danny Brotto

[mcelrah]

If no Friday meeting at work. What time? - Hugh

[deveil]

thought i maight show up and thought i'd go ahead and commit and post in the event that having one more wire/retrieve person would entice additional attendees. please post your intended arrival time and eSPEcially post if you guys change your mind and bail.

garyD

[mcelrah]

I'm definitely in. Any tandem victims available? - Hugh

[mcelrah]

Anybody know how high the soybeans are and how big the fallow strip is? - hugh

[Danny Brotto]

Thursday evening looked to be the ticket. Can't get there early enough on Friday for an afternoon thermal flight and I think it will be on the light side for evening magic (although I might be wrong.)

Unless things change, gonna sit this one out; sigh.

Danny Brotto

[mcelrah]

I'm dialing for a tandem passenger and wirecrew - looks like a nice safe tandem launch to a sled. - Hugh

[markc]

Will keep an eye on things tomorrow, with the idea of heading up
there late-ish afternoon if the conditions turn out to be more like
10 than 5mph.

MarkC

[mcelrah]

OK, I have a likely victim (Anne-Marie) and David Churchill may be able to come as crew. Wind forecast is marginally improved from yesterday. I'll get there early afternoon and hope to pump out three tandems.
- Hugh

[deveil]

[quote="markc"]Will keep an eye on things tomorrow, with the idea of heading up
there late-ish afternoon if the conditions turn out to be more like
10 than 5mph.

ah c'mon you coward* - take the gamble
gary

*meant as irony (as 'was before(brian(you ignorant slut)))

we need an emoticon for irony

gary

[mcelrah]

Got there early and walked the LZ: foot-high soybeans, with a narrow strip in the first half of the field for landing. Went up top where wind was blowing in, but weak. Set up and chatted with wuffos till my peeps arrived: Gary, then David and Ann-Marie, my designated rated pilot/passenger. She is working with both John Middleton and Sunny/Adam - close to soloing in aerotow. She did great on these her first two cliff launches - or mountain flights of any kind. First launch we had maybe 4 mph straight in - only to be told a 10 mph cycle blew in after we had landed. Quite a chore getting up the deteriorated stairs with both of us hooked in. Gary had worked to adjust primary hang-loop length for her, but I may need to go to a longer back-up loop for my petite passengers. Or have them hook in after I have climbed the stairs. We arrived at the LZ with not enough altitude for a full downwind/base/final pattern from the upwind end, so landed past midfield on the up slope after the whack dip (all were wheel landings). Second flight was uneventful, but with barely 2-3 mph - less than I have launched solo in, but the big Falcon II Tandem 230 handled it well with only a moderate dive-out. Arrived at mid-field so pattern was normal, bit still landed beyond the whack dip. Getting tired, but we went back up, set up for a third flight, got up on the block and...nuthin'! Stood there for a half hour as the wind built to 5 mph over the back. Declared victory, backed down , broke down, and celebrated with Mexican food in Frederick. Stopped to sign out with Emma Jane and daughter Caroline. EJ was in fine form. 6 more tandems with pilot/passengers for T3. I intend to do all these by foot-launch since this will be my specialty instead of aerotow tandem. Many thinks to Gary and David for their indispensable contribution as crew. They took time off work and came out with no plans to fly themselves. - Hugh