High Rock Sunday

[stevek]

Mark C and I went to the Rock because we thought it would be l and v and because Fisher Rd is a long ways. But it wasn't l and v. There was a determined OTB breeze. 5 to 10. Can't get off in that. But now and then it would go dead calm for maybe 10 seconds so I set up. I'll do a no winder at the Rock. Mark said the heck with it and broke out the beer.

Anyhow.... I got off ..... annnnd.... I got up. Pretty neat. What's more, I came this close (hold thumb and index finger approx 1/8 inch apart) to making it to the Pulpit. But I didn't. Ended up landing at the base of the power line cut. Shucks.

Mark came to get me. Thank you!!!!

ps. While I really like my Sport 2, it is not much of an XC machine. Would have made it easily on the Talon.

[Matthew]

Big Congrats Steve! I talked to Tom C. at Fisher Road, He said there were good thermals for HGs and PGs all day and it glassed off at the end of the day-- too strong of a glass of for PGs, but great for HGs; several were in the air when I talked to Tom. I flew my PG at a Kirk's Ridge. We were up visiting Mike Balk and Julia for the weekend in Bath, PA. Got 2K over and 35 minutes in small, punchy and sometimes wild themals. Went back up for a second ride. But it was blowing 15-20 at launch and everyone was sitting on their thumbs... even the HG guys with topless gliders. The launch is huge, open and cut grass. I would've launched my Ultrasport without hesitation. Mike B. had an extendo early. We went out to dinner and then Mike went back for another flight while we made the long drive home (4 hrs). It glassed off at Kirk's ridge too, everyone flew and Mike got an end of day soaring flight.

Matthew

[Dan T]

great flight Steve, congratulations!

[breezyk1d]

Seriously about the XC capacity on the sport 2? I'm th inking about buy9ing one, and growing into it, and i thought it was supposed to be a good XC glider. Maybe not by comparison by a very experienced pilot on a talon, but what is the general impression that you have? For instance to a newb-o-file pilot it might seem okay for several years? Yes, Yes? Anxious to hear your thoughts, offline or on. - Linda

[heaviek]

You have to crawl before you can walk.

Kev C

-----Original Message-----
From: breezyk1d [mailto:lbaskerville@wba-arch.com]
Sent: Sunday, July 31, 2005 9:22 PM
To: hg_forum@chgpa.org
Subject: High Rock Sunday


Seriously about the XC capacity on the sport 2? I'm th inking about buy9ing
one, and growing into it, and i thought it was supposed to be a good XC
glider. Maybe not by comparison by a very experienced pilot on a talon, but
what is the general impression that you have? For instance to a newb-o-file
pilot it might seem okay for several years? Yes, Yes? Anxious to hear your
thoughts, offline or on. - Linda

[Flying Lobster]

Yep the Sport 2 isn't going to get you the world distance record. But if you can get 180 miles on a Falcon you sure can get further than that on a Sport 2! The Sport 2 out-performs the HPAT--which for years was the Wills Wing dominant comp glider and held the world distance record for a very long time. And it didn't handle or land as easily as the Sport 2.

So, in reality, I'd say that long xc's (not comp racing, mind you) on the sport 2 are probably more accessible to a wider range of pilot capabilities than just about any other glider out there.

marc

[stevek]

Linda: Shouldn't have said that about the Sport 2. It is an excellent machine. I love it. It is just that when I topped out on it and went on glide it definitely was not equal to the Talon . As I actually had a goal, the Pulpit, I was wishing I had better performance..It would be perfect for you.

[markc]

Mark said the heck with it and broke out the beer.

Well... actually, I hung around for quite a while, hoping for
more no-wind cycles. But Steve got the last of 'em, that dog.

--mark c.