Friday is looking good for woodstock

[uplandann]

Calling for NW winds 10-15 with gusts to 25. I have to work (figures ). But looks like a good post frontal (TD 16) day! Keep your eye on it.

Ann

[garys]

I am taking a vacation day Fri. so I will be there at 1:00 pm. Come on out.

Gary Smith
H 540-955-3956
W 540-535-7590
Cell 540-686-0351

[jyoder111]

I'm free Friday. Any observers willing?

Jesse Yoder

[sailin]

Hi all,
I am a new H2 , name is Jon Brantley. I met several of you at Gary's house during the CHGPA meeting a month or so ago. I have been training regularly with Jon Middleton from late spring and thru the summer, did several scooter tows at Blue Sky with Steve Wendt and just got back from 11 wonderful days at Lookout Mountain (did my first mountain launches and aero tows).

I am really excited to start flying here at home and this Fri, Sat, Sun looks like a great weather opportunity! Are there any observers out there that would be willing to work with a new H2 and help me fly some of our mountain sites??

thanks and I look forward to flying with you,
Jon

phone # 703-four-zero-five-7505

[rlweber]

I am planning to be there around 5 pm. Get off work at 3:45. Hoping for a glassoff.

Randy

[g.sessa]

Have the day off on Friday. Will check the weather in the morning, but plan for an early afternoon arrival.

[mcelrah]

Come on out Jesse - I have agreed to observe Jon Brantley also. Dan Tuckwiler and I are planning to get in a sailplane flight at Front Royal first, then proceed to Woodstock. May be Falcon/H2/PG-able later in the day. - Hugh

[rasmussenv]

I just talked to Hugh ... now that I know an observer will be there I'm heading out too. I won't get there untiil around 5pm - need to see the LZ and set up, so won't be flying before 6:30, probably, but even a short flight is a flight at a new site!

Valerie

[XCanytime]

I should be there early. Initially planning to fly to the north tomorrow but it looks like the system won't move out quick enough to damp the winds down. Looks great for Woodstock in the PM. Bacil

[mcelrah]

For the H2s/P2: it will be a race - will the wind back down before the sun goes down? Like the lottery, you can't win if you don't play. Breaking down your glider on top in the dark is a good exercise - we should all be prepared to do that if the conditions don't pan out. (North cross, too.) - Hugh ("observerman")

[chuckok]

Dicey! ... Hoping for a 4:00 arrival if I can break away from work, and the call backs down just a wee bit.

[mcelrah]

We came, we saw, we conquered! Bacil launched first in rowdy "Hang 5" air - and went to Luray (wonder if anyone went to get him)? Said he went weightless a couple times - stand by for a good report from him. Bruce Engen (!) showed up and flew his ATOS VX. Then there was a long wait as we considered the long strong gusts blowing through. Dan Tuckwiler launched about 4:30 when it started to moderate, then Gregg Sessa broke the Falcon ice. Gary Smith, then H2s Jesse, Valerie, and new guy Jon Brantley about 5:30. Randy Weber was in there too - he and I had paragliders with us and it might have been doable, but the air was still "textured" and I already had the Sport 2 set up. Randy launched his U-2 right before Jon. H2 Amy (another John Middleton/Lookout product) is awaiting delivery of her new Falcon - I was grateful to have someone left to launch me at the end of the line. It's great to see all the new talent showing up. John's really producing for us! - Hugh

[XCanytime]

Went to Woodstock today with a goal of XC to Luray Airport. The goal was achieved. Had time to burn on the way down, so I cased the airport, the golf course next to it, and the LZs along Rt. 675 and along Fort Valley Road. Dan rang me up as I was just cresting the mountain by the overgrown Edith's Gap slot. He was at launch and reported strong conditions but nice launchable lulls occurring. A half hour later I found the same conditions. Lots of cumies over the border into WV, but few were making it across the valley to the mountain. Dan and I set up and waited for others to arrive. Hugh, John and Amy, Bruce Engen, Jesse Yoder, and Gary Smith showed. I suited up as it was lulling nicely. Of course, as soon as I get ready in the slot it starts crankin' up again. Picked a lull and had a nice launch just after 2:30P. Exiting the slot got hit by strong lift and went weightless/wire slap. Okay, so I saw it was going to be a rowdy time. Got to 1K' over figure 8ing in plentiful lift in front of launch. Headed south a few fingers and found good lift under a cloud to 4400' MSL. Flew back upwind under another puffy, losing a couple hundred, and climbed back to 4600' MSL and drifted OTB into Fort Valley. Lost to 3500' MSL and ran into lift in the center of the valley. Climbed back up to 4400' MSL and drifted towards the second ridge. Started heading SW towards Kennedy Peak and hit some more lift to make it back to 4600' MSL. At this point I decided to head OTB into Page Valley, having spotted Luray Airport, and went on glide. The drift was SSE, so I stayed in a line that enabled me to stay at 4400' MSL for a few miles. The airport was still far away, but sure enough, I ran into a monster thermal that was rowdy as heck. I went weightless and almost hit my head on the keel. Stood it on a wingtip and climbed upstairs like a bat. At 5300' MSL I had the airport easily made and pulled out. Major turbulence until I lost down to 3500' MSL. It smoothed out somewhat, so I started snapping pics of the local area. Tuned into the UNICOM frequency for the airport, and sure enough, some pilot comes over the blower and enters the pattern. I see the shadow of the plane on the ground, then see the plane going on the 45 degree xwind for the downwind leg. The windsock is pointing right down runway 4, so I'm planning on landing behind this guy. When I get lower the windsock has switched to a 90 degree xwind. Since the Caverns Country Club Golf Course is right next door, I go for a huge fairway facing into the wind. Put down nicely in the rough next to the 6th fairway around 3:30P. Packed up and stashed the equipment in some brush and headed for the clubhouse for a bite to eat and some drink. Spent an hour talking with the course supervisor about hang gliding and the Civil War . Went back to check on the equipment, and a nice lady stopped by to chat. She had her husband come up and invite me back to their house to hang out on their porch while waiting for the retrieve. The views of the Blue Ridge and Massanutten Mountain are breathtaking. Dan Tuckwiller showed up just after 8P to pick me up. Thanks a bunch Dan. Back at launch at 9P it was honking in the dark. We stopped at Fox's Pizza for flight debriefing and some pizza. Pics tomorrow. Bacil

[mcelrah]

Congratulations, Bacil, on a great flight! - Hugh

[mcelrah]

Jon and Amy:

Tex Forrest glider racks: 703 492-9908

Seems to me I checked a few months ago and he's still doing it.

- Hugh

[XCanytime]

Getting high to the south.

Over Fort Valley looking at Kennedy Peak.

Looking for the airport in the Page Valley. Kennedy Peak at the right.

Looking south down the Page Valley.

Found the airport!

[XCanytime]

Sun glinting off the South Fork of the Shenandoah.

The city of Luray.

Houses on the golf course.

US Rt. 211 heading west to New Market.

Old style golfer.

[XCanytime]

Caverns Country Club neighborhood.

Glider parked in the rough, with Kennedy Peak in the distance.

Twin windsocks at Luray Airport.

Clubhouse view of the Blue Ridge.

[DanTuck]

I ended up getting to Woodstock around 11:00 and hung out up in the tower for a while. After Bacil launched the wind got even gustier so I decied to wait it out, hopefully fly later, and try for the airport another day. After a couple hours, things finally started to calm down so Bruce got suited up. When he got on launch it was too light. Seriously, it was coming in at 2 or 3 mph. After 5 minutes a cycle started to build and Bruce took it with a nice clean launch. I thought, damn I better get in the air before everything shuts down. So I hooked in and got on launch just as it throttled back up. Typical. I had to wait 5 minutes for a lull that was doable, but when it came I had a nice launch and climbed right out of the slot. Honestly, the air was nasty. There were pot holes all over the place, I didn't get anywhere close to any trees for fear of being dropped right into one of them in this air. The North cross was pronounced so I explored the fingers closest to launch, the northern facing sides of which seemed to be working, getting about 1,300' over. After playing around in the fish bowl for a little bit, I decided to push North on the ridge and try to make Signal Knob. I dolphin flew the whole way between 400-500 over, not stopping to turn in any lift. Pushing into the cross wasn't even that slow, and I made good time up there. Bruce started heading up there with me. He would stop in lift, I'd leave him behind, and then he'd turn on the afterburners on the ATOS and catch up. We ended up getting there at the same time, worked a few thermals to 1,100 over and enjoyed the scenery. With a much better cushion we turned back towards launch. Again, I didn't turn once on the way back and made it to launch at 700' over. There were lots of people in the air by then. At that point I was beat up from the turbulence and played over the LZ while Bruce landed. My approach was pretty bouncy until final, then it smoothed out and I had a real soft touch down. Surprisingly the wind in the LZ was light and out of the West. Weird. I saw lots of good approaches and landings by our new H-2's. Nice job everyone! Looking forward to some reports!

[jyoder111]

I had my third Woodstock flight yesterday. It was quite strong when I arrived around 2pm, but with all the talk of it backing off later in the day, I wasn't too worried. The setup area was a bit crowded so I didn't set up right away. This turned out to be a good decision, as the freight trains coming through blew one half-assembled glider over and threatened to mash a few others into the trees.
It backed off like advertised and I launched around 5:20pm. Had a good launch and climbed right away almost to ridge level. The lift was bulletproof, but bumpy as hell. After a half hour of dolphin flying back and forth at 2-500ft above the ridge, I went out to land, as I was feeling airsick. I found a thermal on my way out to the LZ and circled four or five times, gaining in a thermal for the first time ever!! I don't have a vario yet, so it's been hit or miss till this point. I landed strong with plenty of altitude on approach- previous flights here I got too low on approach. No-step landing- the cows didn't seem too impressed though.

Thanks to Hugh and everyone for observation and wire crew. It was fun to have a couple of fellow H2s out to share the excitement.

Jesse Yoder

[rasmussenv]

Another milestone! And again great thanks to Hugh for giving me guidance to safely experience another new site. This was my first non-ramp mountain launch.

That rock strewn field and ‘runway’, surrounded by trees, was intimidating at first sight, and I was glad for the opportunity to see several others launch before me. I’m perfectly happy with Hugh’s assessment of a ‘not pretty but safe launch’. After taking off in my Falcon in a light cycle sometime around 6pm, I lifted immediately, and am glad I did because Hugh reported that after I launched for the next 20 minutes a strong cycle was coming in, and I felt it aloft – hanging fairly stationary at times and wondering if penetration to the LZ might be a problem. If so, it would be a problem that could be postponed, as I was never below 200 feet above launch, and in the course of 45 minutes of soaring (my first local-mountain soaring) was as high as 900 over launch a few times - periodically enjoyed very strong lift. Generally I was free to fly where I wanted (within the two fingers framing the LZ, as Hugh recommended), but periodically a stiff wind left me stationary facing into the wind – times when I was very happy I had a vario to give me concrete evidence that I still had plenty of margin for losing elevation. That experience left me perfectly happy to stay in close proximity to the LZ. I was never blown back when facing into the wind, but during a few 360’s ascending in thermals I crossed perhaps 50 feet over the top of the ridge. When that happened, I quickly left them to move forward and spent most of my time well forward – 100s of feet - of the ridge.

The trees were casting ever longer shadows over the LZ, and about five gliders where gathered there when another stiff wind convinced me to move away from the ridge and towards the LZ. I had sufficient elevation above the house to do a full downwind, base and final, but the turn into final was just completed – just had time to get wings level – before performing a ‘not pretty, but standing’ (my assessment of an unobserved landing), as the nose dipped forward.

That setting is just stunning – amazing views – and after shuttles we ultimately left the LZ in the dark, to enjoy a nice Mexican meal in Strasbourg with Jon and Amy, Jesse (so four of us H2s) and our observer Hugh, before heading home.

Valerie

[brianvh]

wow, four H2s! Wish I was still in the area.

I saw Hugh was recommending Tex Racks. Those are good serious solutions. I may also recommend Mike Balk's suction cup racks, which I found are good for nearly everything but you should keep your eye on them on a bumpy road. Cheap and quick turn around with a mailing option. mike@talismanenterprises.net

[sailin]

Just wanted to say thank you to Hugh and all the other pilots at Woodstock on Friday for an awesome day. Although I think I was the only one that didn't soar, my sled ride to the LZ was an awesome ending to a fun day in the mountains!! It was really cool to meet everyone and I can't wait to fly with you all again. Big thanks again to Hugh for observing!

Jon

[g.sessa]

Woodstock turned out well on Friday. Several pilots made it out and all got to fly once the gust trains stopped rolling through. I launched around 5 pm to find decent conditions once airborne. I flew for slightly over an hour staying near to launch and mostly maintaining between 400 and 1000 feet over. Thanks to my wire crew for the help, and congratulations to all on a successful day of flying. It was a great start to the fall flying season! Video posted below.

[A0213]

Hi all,

This post is long overdue... so I do apologize for its lateness!

I am the ‘Amy’ as mentioned above! Similar to Jon B., I am also a new H2 and have done the majority of my training with John Middleton.

I had the opportunity to meet some of you at the CHGPA meeting last month and others at Woodstock this past weekend. I was/am not quite ready to fly off of Woodstock… however, I really enjoyed spending time walking the LZ, talking about the intricacies of the site, and learning how to work as wire crew- all of which will help prepare me for when I am ready! Thank you to all that assisted with this!!!!

Hugh- thank you for the contact info for Tex Forrest Gliders… will be making a phone call out to him today.

Brian- I have been looking into different suction cup options as well- still trying to decide on the best way to set my system up. Thanks for the recommendation- will check that out. I drive a Toyota Prius (which is about 14.5’ long) and I have ordered a F3 145 (measures 15.5’). I have contacted a few people who own a Prius (and other small cars) and have some great ideas… now to just put them into play…

Looking forward to seeing you all again soon,
-Amy