Mon 3/28 and Tues 3/29 at The PULPIT

[sailin]

Anybody up for some early week flying at the Pulpit. Monday (tomorrow) and Tuesday are looking like they could both be pretty sweet. NW 10-15 with a not too shabby thermal forecast thrown in as well. A little cool but plenty of sunshine.

Are any observers available and willing?? I can be there and set up when you arrive

thanks,
Jon

[mcelrah]

Hi Jon,

Tuesday would work better for me - got a hard deadline Monday (and Wednesday - every M & W for two months) to be downtown DC at 6:15 PM. (Taking a German class at the Goethe Institut.)
Gotta ride Metro, so that means I would have to be home by 5 PM. That would mean packed up leaving Pulpit at 3 PM.

I haven't looked at weather. Let me know what you see for both days.

- Hugh

[John Simon]

Hmmm... Tue? Missed flying this weekend due to a bit of a cold. Might be ready by then, but then there's the work thing. ???

John

[mcelrah]

Oh, I thought you had both days off. - Hugh

[sailin]

Hugh has graciously agreed to observe on Tuesday (3/29) at the Pulpit....thank you Hugh!!

ETA around noon.

Will check the weather again Monday night to confirm.

Hope to see a bunch of you out there!!!

Jon

[sailin]

Strong, gusty and north. That about sums it up I didn't fly.

Big thanks to Hugh for coming out to observe during the week. We'll have better luck next time

Jon

[mcelrah]

Jon showed excellent judgment backing down off launch three times after we hang-waited most of the afternoon. We observed launchable cycles when we were up there measuring the wind speed, but it seemed as if it always gusted up when he was suited up with the glider on launch. I got off in the Sport 2 155 (40 fewer squares than Jon's Falcon) in a lull after it had moderated at 4:30. Ridge lift was unreliable in the north cross, so I went out toward the secondary and circled a couple times in a thermal. Got jerked so my feet went up once. The LZ was lifty, I turned base with 275, slipped the turn and threw in an extra one, still ended up in ground effect beyond the crest. Long downhill glide with trees looming, had time to think, got hands on downtubes up at my ears, threw a perfect flare ten feet in front of the trees - best hang-glider landing in the last half-dozen. Who says pressure doesn't make for better performance?! Gorgeous day, if a bit chilly at first... - Hugh

[cthornberger]

Wow, sweet landing Hugh.
Sorry you couldn't get off this time, Jon. Next time.
I hope to be out there next non-work day.

[stevek]

I was headed to the Rock Tuesday but diverted to Woodstock based on some flags stickin' out a lot straighter than I thought they should be. Woodstock alas was Woodstock and the opposite of the Pulpit. Zero, Zip, Nada and sometimes over the back. About 5 I gave up on enough air to reverse the PG and launched the HG. Went up! Surpised the hell out of me. Found a thermal over the spine low on the way to the bridge field and worked it back to 1k over. Once up it was easy. A while later, the PG contingent Jim and Alex launched. Reverses, so it was obviously getting better. They didn't go up tho.

[mcelrah]

Hey, Steve! Are you on the PG list too? 'Twould be better if we coordinated all flying here, but what ya gonna do...

dmv_pg@yahoogroups.com

Ellis is the list manager.

- Hugh

[stevek]

OK. I think I'm on. Had to promise to kill a HG pilot