Dickey's Ridge action

[mingram]

Saturday 6/30 - launched at 2 and found punchy thermals due to the high pressure. Second flight at 4pm was more mellow and was really nice soaring. I had two flights with basically the same track landing on a farm just north of the visitor center. It's easy to see because there are two pools there. There are two horses in one of the fields, but they're both big enough to make for easy landings. The owner John Smith picked me up on his 4 wheeler and offered me a beer and his pool, but I instead had a nice, long, x-alps training hike to the park entrance where Dan picked me up. 1 1/2 total air time.

Sunday 7/1 was strong wave/smoke flying! The surface forecast was stronger than Saturday, maybe 10mph, with high temps and lots of sun. The stronger base wind kicked up the thermals which resulted in strong wind on launch and stronger wind aloft. I had a small collapse getting out of the slot. I was using full speed bar to penetrate just south of launch and crabbed to the south to make more headway. Once in front of launch and a little lower I was off the bar and able to penetrate, but active air kept me on my toes. I could only make a couple of turns in thermals before being pushed back to the ridge. Tom saw wave clouds so I spent the next 30 minutes trying to get upwind of the LZ. I used big ears to get out of what felt like wave lift. I flew for an hour. It wasn't that enjoyable due to penetration issues, but it was great active piloting practice!

Wednesday 7/4 was very nice. 3-5mph cycles on launch. Winds were decreasing throughout the day. It never overdeveloped, but cloud were growing pretty tall so I kept my eyes on them and didn't get too close. Nice thermals with little drift. I managed 3 flights with nice launches and landings. 45 minutes total because I was conservative and stayed near launch to keep my options open for landing because I didn't have a driver. The valley was shaded on my 3rd flight - I should have waited for better conditions, but it looked pretty good all day.

The PG pilots with permits are watching this Saturday's forecast - probably for an evening flight. It looks lighter than last Sunday so it could be ok earlier, but still has the potential for being too strong. The fields in the valley are extremely dry and will be very active during the day.

Matt

[AcTiOnJaCkSoN]

Awesome, I'd love to watch a HG or PG pilot take off from skyline or hogback. Shame the people that own most of the land within the valley are unaccommodating to PG/HG activity.

[mingram]

Tom and I flew Dickey's again today (7/17). Base wind was minimal with nice lift. Launched at 4pm. Short and sweet XC for me. About 12 miles just past Front Royal. 1 hour 40 minutes. Tom maxed out at 6k ft msl and flew to Berryville. I was flying a Gin Zoom M which is too big for me and I got kicked around in the bubbly thermals over Front Royal. Tom flew back to coach me and helped me get up and out of there! I crossed I-66 for the first time. Got to fly over the Shenandoah River. Saw a train and a quarry! Tom and I both managed to hitch rides - me to my car and Tom almost all the way home!

Tracklog
http://paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/637121

Matt

[markc]

Wow, you guys are really tearing up the skies at Dickies! Keep the flight reports coming!

[AustinKasserman]

Hey Matt - that's kick ass. Keep me posted about this weekend.