Real-time SPOT trace for sailplane pilot...

[Danny Brotto]

Near real time flight trace using a SPOT device of Baude Litt flying today. Looks to have launched from Fairfield in the early am and has just made the transition to the Massanutten at ~11:15 am.

If I can't fly today, I may as well live vicariously through his adventures.

Link here:
http://share.findmespot.com/shared/face ... LcIshWiELA

Danny Brotto

[jclaytor]

Is he going for some kind of record? Out and Return? Distance?
His speed seems a little slow...

[Danny Brotto]

I suspect the day won't support a record flight but might be okay for a 500K to 750K. Distance/speed records are typically started at a ridge site like Mifflen (near Jacks) or Ridge Soaring (State College). Starting at the HR ridge and heading south with the low and broken ridges is slow. Even in wave the going is slow.

Report is that the Massanuten is working 10 to 20 with higher gusts. From the latest SPOT, looks to not be using all of the Massanutten but perhaps a transition to wave/thermal to hit the main ridges upwind for the return run up to Loch Haven.

John, you are right that the progress to the south seems a bit slow. So as to not run out of daylight (in order to get home) the run to the north started a bit eariler.

Baude is an outstanding pilot; I hope to crew for him at the Worlds in Ulvalde TX in 2011.

I just think watching things progress on SPOT is cool.

Danny Brotto

[jclaytor]

Wow - At a little past 5 pm, he has been in the air for over 9 hours!
Looks like he has made the break for home if he keeps in his curent direction...
Very Cool!

[Danny Brotto]

SPOT shows him landing out at the base of the mountains near Waynesboro which is what he did. At the gport catching up with him earlier this evening, he said that he was 10 minutes too late to cross over the mountains to get home due to sunset. He abandoned the ride to the end of the Massanuten as the ridge was not working too well; the dreaded "Woodstock effect"! However he was able to trasition to the wave back up near Front Royal allowing an upwind jog to the main ridges. Height in the wave in the 10K to 12K range.

SPOT is really a cool device. Not too useful as a real-time logger for HG if just boating around near launch but would be interesting for near real-time XC for the guys back in the office. Also there are some unique "emergency" and "just checking in" features.

Danny Brotto