Pulpit Weekend

[XCanytime]

'bout time!

[eggzkitz]

Are we allowed to camp there on non-fly-in weekends? I'm thinking about flying both days. Saturday looks like it might be better at Dickies, but Sunday looks great for Pulpit (so far).

[dbodner]

Are we allowed to camp there on non-fly-in weekends?

Absolutely.

[jyoder111]

I'm hopeful.

Jesse

[Dan T]

Jeff,

The launch site at the pulpit is owned by.... drum roll... the CHGPA! You can most definitely camp there. Your club dues at work!

Dan

[dbodner]

The launch site at the pulpit is owned by.... drum roll... the CHGPA!

Almost. The Pulpit is owned by the Pulpit, a joint venture of CHGPA and MHGA. Isn't bureaucracy wonderful?

[Matthew]

Sunday is looking like the better day to me.

Matthew

[markc]

What's up with the "gusts to 20" that the NWS surface cast now includes for Sunday? Anyone seeing anything that would support that?

Looks like there might be a couple hours of WSW->W winds at the very end of the day on Saturday.... Maybe head up for a late-day flight, camp, and then be on-site for Sunday?

MarkC

[markc]

Cool, the gust factor has been dropped from the NWS surface forecast on Sunday!

The hourly is forecasting just a tiny bit south of due West at The Pulpit on Saturday by 6pm. So I'm hoping for a late-day sunset flight, and will be planning my day accordingly. Jesse, Chris T, and Brian VH were all thinking about it, as of tonight's meeting.

Then, camp out on Sat night, looking forward to the W@5-10 forecast for Sunday. The ADDS 3k shows 15-20 aloft at 8am, but then backing down by 2pm, which is definitely a good trend for The Pulpit. If this all really comes to pass it could be a good day!

Keep yer fingers crossed!!!

MarkC

[markc]

The links for the hourly forecast at The Pulpit aren't working on the weather links page at CHGPA just now, so here's a direct one:

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.ph ... =graphical

Still calling for W at the end of the day,though a bit stronger than yesterday's 'cast. Looks like it could be a good opportunity for a late-day flight, with the promise of a really good day (hopefully both PG and HG?) tomorrow.

I plan to arrive by about 4pm. Who else wants to give it a go today?

MarkC

[DanTuck]

Sounds good to me, Mark. I'm gonna try to be there by 3:00. Let's fly!

[Ashley Groves]

I am in, I'll try for 3PM.

[jyoder111]

If it looks like I can make it by 5:30 or 6pm I'll give it a try and camp out for tomorrow as well. Otherwise, I'll just head up in the morning.

Jesse

[dbodner]

Brian is leaving my glider up there tonight. I'll be going in the morning.

[mingram]

I confirmed Matthew Graham will be at the Pulpit observing an H2 on Sunday and is willing to observe for PG. I'm thinking it could be ridge soarable early, but that it will be too strong there after midday to launch PG.

I'm trying to decide if I want to fly tomorrow and delay the beach trip a day since it will be rainy there tomorrow.

Matt

[markc]

Nice day at the Pulpit, but unfortunatel y only for the hg pilots...

Dan Tk, Ashley, me, Jesse and Brian all flew. Nice early, then it went north and strong and ratty. Go figure! No PG flights unfortunately...

We headed to the place in Mercersburg for dinner, then back to the launch with hopes for a better day tomorrow!

MarkC

[cthornberger]

we are also heading up- ETA noon.

[eggzkitz]

So an interesting weekend of chasing PG flying weather, mostly unsuccessfully.

Started at Dickies Saturday afternoon with Tom and Matt.... Sledders all around. Then I drove to Pulpit where I found Ellis on launch looking at honking winds, so we went to (a very nice) dinner in Mercersburg with the HGs that flew, and then I camped on Pulpit with Mark and Jesse (thanks for the rides guys). This morning was launchable by 8, so I had a nice albeit short ridge soaring flight, as the winds were not strong enough to stay up. Fearing the strong uppers and the possibility of a blown out Pulpit day, I drove back to Woodstock and was on launch by 12:30 with Matt and Noah and his P2s. Again, sledders all around... It was super light and kinda south. I dare to ask, but how was Pulpit today for PGs?

Here's to good wx next weekend.

[markc]

Jeff, you made the best call based on the info at the time....

But go figure, conditions at the pulpit backed down dramatically when I launched at perhaps 1pm or so. Briefly above but then I decked it after 20 mi.utes or so.

Things deteriorated, with dark clouds and even some rain.

But later in the pm, we could see clearing skies to the west. Matthew flew his pg while things were still light, and then at least 10 hg pilots got to.soar at the end of the day when conditions turned back on and got strong. I was happy to get a second flight and some airtime. Many pilots in the air, including new hang 2s, very good to see.

At the end of the day Da,n, Andrew, Charlie, Bacil, and I shut down the Mountain House

Camping out at launch for a second night and hoping to see some meteors

[Matthew]

Got a whopping 8 minutes and a couple hundred over on my first PG flight and about an hour forty five on my second PG flight. Hitch-hiked back to launch and got forty minutes in the HG. Karen got about an hour thirty five in her HG. Great day!


Matthew

[mingram]

The Pulpit forecast on Sunday morning backed down from the night before with increased clouds. I should have recognized that trend and realized Woodstock would be too light. Bummer!

Brand new P2 Austin and P2 John Hopkinson had nice reverse launches in light cycles. John had an extendo and Austin had his best thermal flight ever and flight of the day in the only good cycle of the day. He soared for at least 20 minutes and got several hundred over launch.
After that a blue hole opened up over launch and cumulus were stationary in the valley.

Glad to hear the Pulpit worked out!

Matt

[DanTuck]

Finally! A good weekend at the Pulpit. I hadn't flown there since 2010.

Saturday evening was great. I launched from the newer ramp around 5:00 with Ashley and Mark on my wires (thanks), mostly smooth ridge lift with a few thermals until later it got a little Northy like Mark said. Never got more than 700' over launch but most of the flight - 2.5 hrs - was spent around 3-400' over. Landed in the primary on the crest in waist high stuff, not crops, but you need to be on your flare timing to land in it.

Got up Sunday and it was blowing in like a fan at 8-10. Watched Jeff float effortlessly along in his PG in the morning air. It was almost enough to make me want to try it! Almost... Weird day though, conditions kept picking up and backing off. When I got on launch on the old ramp it was not that strong but very bouncy. Pretty difficult to control the wing. Big thanks to my wire crew for their patience! Finally launched into a good cycle and soared for another 1.5 hours. The air was sportier Sunday and the thermals were better, got to 1,600' over. Again landed in the primary in the tall stuff. The upper primary is in better shape with grass and some pilots opted to land there.

The highlight of the weekend was meeting the new pilots who have joined the club. Hope we get another good weekend soon!

[XCanytime]

Was moving slow Sunday morning so I didn't get to the Pulpit until near noon. On the drive up the sky looked great with cloud streets and clouds over the Hagerstown Valley at 11A. Got to launch and found Jesse soaring and multiple gliders set up. Jesse landed on purpose and then the sky changed its character dramatically. For the next 5 hours all kinds of clouds dotted the sky, dark and wide some of them and we even got a brief sprinkle on us. Matthew took off in his PG and was soaring for a half hour before I took off at 5P. A curtain of blue skies and wave clouds were moving our way and I launched to meet its arrival over the McConnellsburg Valley. The timing was right so I shared the air with Matthew while Dan battled the turbulence on the old ramp trying to take off. Soon after Dan launched he and I nabbed the best thermal of the day and I got to 1200' over while Speedy Gonzales Dan got more by drifting behind the ridge and flying back out in front following the lift line. Many other gliders joined us and it was nice to see multiple soaring gliders over the Pulpit again. I flew until 6P then had a nice landing on the golf course driving range since I am still new to the glider and the reports of high grass in the main did not sound enticing. Stashed the glider and hiked the harness to the main. Much thanks to the recently retired Rich Bloomfield for a ride back to launch. A bunch of us had drinks on the bar deck reviewing the day and looking forward to the next nice flying day, which looks like late SATURDAY and SUNDAY of next weekend . Bacil

[jyoder111]

Great weekend camping out at the Pulpit and hanging with awesome pilots!! Got an hour Saturday night in boaty evening air and then another hour Sunday morning (max 800 over). Forecast didn't match afternoon conditions but it's good to hear people got to fly late in the day on Sunday. Way to stay hopeful!! It was fun to see new pilots around-- Chris H back in the air in his colorful Falcon and the other guy (can't remember the name).

I hadn't flown since early July and it was great to get back in the air.

Jesse

[sailin]

Sounds like a nice weekend....with a good turnout!!!! Would have joined you all but I was at Ridgely for the last weekend of the Highland Challenge..standby for a post on that
Looking forward to flying with you all soon and meeting some of the new pilots.

Jon