Pulpit Tues 8/2

[sailin]

Looks like it could be a nice Pulpit day tomorrow. I'm in. Amy's in. Anyone else interested????

Jon

[XCanytime]

I'm up for it. Bacil

[Matthew]

We're in.

Matthew and Karen

[sailin]

Nice!! Looks like we will have a good group for some midweek flying! Our ETA will be around 1030ish (morning traffic will help decide our true ETA )

Looking forward to it!!
Jon

[Matthew]

Our ETA is much later-- noon-thirty-- waiting for traffic to back off before leaving.

Matthew

[silverwings]

I will probably be going also.

[silverwings]

Will place a windsock in main LZ around 12ish. (202)409-2574 c

[XCanytime]

Got to the Pulpit at 10A. Already soarable but north cross. Jon and I set up to the strong conditions. I launched at 11A with Jon and Amy's help and fought the north cross over the power lines and Rt. 30. After a half hour of struggling in the strong conditions to get a measly 400' over, I elected to land at the driving range. Very turbulent coming in. Got popped up around 15' after rounding out. A late flare resulted in a knee landing on dry grass. Dry grass is like sandpaper, and you can guess the rest. John Middleton picked me up in the golf course parking lot, thank you John. Back at launch it was gusting to 30+ MPH, so we diverted to High Rock .... Bacil

[mingram]

Man! The Pulpit seems to be north cross and cranking every time we go out there...

[Danny Brotto]

30+ at McConnelsburg makes it what, 20+ at HR? HR handles a north better but I was seeing NE on afternoon the updates.

So how was it at HR?

Danny Brotto

[XCanytime]

HR was good to every pilot who flew. Matthew led the charge around 2:30P I think and launched into 12 to 18 MPH on the cube and easily got up. John Middleton had a "twanger" launch and easily got up as well. Jon Brantley had the best launch of the day and was rewarded with a 20 minute soaring flight when a flush cycle hit not long after he took off. This flush brought Matthew and John down to just above launch level. They eventually got back up and high again. Karen launched last into smoother air and was boating around in the magic conditions after 6P. Hagerstown Airport was reporting 310 at 13 knots around 5P, according to Eddie Miller's radio that was tuned to the AWOS frequency of 126.375 MHz. Eddie and I were the main wiremen for the pilots that launched. Thanks to Matthew for bringing "ropes" that secured Eddie and I as we assisted in all the launches from near the edge of the cube. Bacil

[Matthew]

Yes-- a great day at the Rock-- 3 hours and 4 minutes and 3200 over launch-- Karen got an hour fifty and 1300 over, having the skies to herself at the end of the day. John M. got 2 hours and 4 minutes and 2K plus over. There was so much lift all the way out into the valley at the end of the day I had to struggle to get down-- haven't felt that in a long while.

Big BIG THANKS to Bacil and Eddie and Amy for wire crewing.

On a side note-- Emma Jane has more kittens -- eight of them. So if you want a kitty of know someone who wants one, please contact me via PM. Also, please, please put the message out about the kitties to friends, co-workers, neighbors, et cet.

Thanks,

Matthew

[kcarra]

Echoing thanks to Bacil and Eddie - how cool is it to have those two on your wires? Jon on the keel rounded out the team nicely. My launch wasn't as pretty as Jon's but it was safe and a big improvement on my previous one several months ago.

It was kind of weird having the sky to myself for that long. No sign of anyone at launch, no sign of anyone in the LZ - kind of felt like I was the only person alive! Not that I'm complaining!

Karen

[rlweber]

Woodstock was also working. I launched at approx. 4:30pm and had a 2hr glass-off type flight with evening thermals until it clouded over. There were a "bunch" or is that a "flock" of paragliders flying. Tom, Alex and Eric ( who launched earlier in the day) jumped the gap but did not make it past Short mountain. When I left there were still gliders in the sky. I heard a voice on the radio that sounded like Matthew. I was puzzled. Now I know I was hearing conversation from HR. A great way to end a work day. It was cooler at 2500 over.

Randy

[Matthew]

We could hear Tom C. on the radio over Woodstock. He was whooping and hollering and giving commands to other pilots excitedly. Who knew he was that expressive???

Matthew

[Danny Brotto]

Perhaps they were experiencing "parachutals"?

Danny Brotto

[sailin]

Fun day in the mountains!! Got to the Pulpit early and it was already soarable!!! Bacil launched into some strong stuff and was a welcome sight to a family that had come to the overlook to enjoy the views. There was about 6 of them and I think they ALL had cameras out!! The Pulpit did what it does best.....blow hard and then HARDER!!! Too strong and gusty for me, so I broke down and bailed to High Rock.
Got Matthew and John M off the cube and then I was up. I definately didn't get the highest (think John M got that), definately didn't get the longest (think Mathew got that), but I definately think I was in the running for the funnest flight (i know funnest isn't really a word , but it just seems to fit better there Worked lift out from and was having a blast, losing it and finding it. Got several hundred over for a short bit but didn't capitalize and found myself scratching out front. Definitely could have done better with the lift out front but I had a blast working it so I can't complain too much Rodeo show ride into the main dry, dust bowl LZ with a nice landing at the end.
Really enjoyed chatting with Eddie. Wish we could of stayed longer and enjoyed some cold ones on top but had to be back at work for 24 hours today........
Looking forward to the next mountain road trip already!!!!!

Jon

[Matthew]

... I definately didn't get the highest (think John M got that), definately didn't get the longest (think Mathew got that), ....

No, I also got the highest-- just want to keep the record straight.

No ego problems here.

Matthew