This weekend: High Rock Hang Gliding and PG Festival!

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Ashley Groves
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Re: This weekend: High Rock Hang Gliding and PG Festival!

Post by Ashley Groves »

I will plan on showing up without my glider but with the kids, so I can help wire folks off.
Ashley Groves
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kcarra
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Re: This weekend: High Rock Hang Gliding and PG Festival!

Post by kcarra »

Wow! What a turnout and what a day! At least 20 pilots, including some old timers who hadn't flown in a while, such as Beard and Skip Brown.

Winds were much lighter than predicted. Jesse led things off around 12:30-1. He got up, he buzzed launch and then he found the ground. Greg Sessa followed about a half hour later and had an extendo. I went next, after having a wait a long while for some wind, and hugged the ridge heading North, finding mostly rotor. On the return trip I found a good thermal to save my ass and climbed out. Dennis Sheely and a cavalcade of pilots followed. I got 3:34 and 2400 over and lucked out surviving two sink cycles, a couple times having the sky to myself. Around 4pm it started to turn on and by 5pm it had gone magic-- with smooth lift going all the way out to the LZ. Karen got 2:15 and 1500 over. A lot of pilots, including Jesse and Greg and Steve K., flew twice and enjoyed the magic on their second go around.

Other pilots included: Richard Hays, Danny Brotto, Eddie MIller, David Churchill, Valerie, Chris H., Doug Rogers, Brian VH, Shawn McDuff going tandem with his girlfriend for 1:45, David Bodner, Mark Cavanaugh, Scott (who earned his H3 with his HR flight), Dan Tuckweiller, Kurtis Kemerer and more.

Great party and campfire followed.

Big thanks to Bacil for coming out to wire crew!

Matthew
Karen Carra
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jyoder111
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Re: This weekend: High Rock Hang Gliding and PG Festival!

Post by jyoder111 »

Yes, excellent day at High Rock. Great to see so many pilots! For once the conditions were good for a fly-in. I've never seen so many HGs in the air before. I think Dan counted 14 at once?

This morning Matt Ingram, Valerie, Mark C, and I headed over to the Pulpit to try our luck. Tom, Jim, Krista, Ben, and others showed up to fly their PGs. It was very light and north cross all day. Most of us took sleds. Ben made it up high in a nice thermal cycle and landed out down the ridge or OTB. Tom followed and after almost sinking out found something over the HG primary and skied out.

All in all, a pretty darn good flying weekend!

And Matthew, I had three flights from the rock yesterday, not two. :twisted:

Jesse
Danny Brotto
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Re: This weekend: High Rock Hang Gliding and PG Festival!

Post by Danny Brotto »

Just a fantastic evening at HR! At one point from the north, I turned to the south and counted a dozen gliders at various altitudes from about 800 ft down to launch level. It looked like a regular evening HR flight on a decent day "back in the old days". Thanks to everyone for coming out!

Thanks to Mathew and Karen for the veggie burger. After flying the sailplane (yes, I'm greedy) and fixing a flat tire on the way out to HR, it was either spend time to pick up something to eat or ho fly. I choose to fly and take my chances on food. A "burger" and a beer never tasted so good!

We should have A HR fly-in every NW WE!

Danny Brotto

PS: Thanks you Bacil for all of the crewing.

PSS: Mark C. was specked out to the south and wasn't one of the dozen gliders I mentioned but he doesn't count; he's the guy that screwed up the grading curve in High School anyway :)
Matthew
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Re: This weekend: High Rock Hang Gliding and PG Festival!

Post by Matthew »

And Matthew, I had three flights from the rock yesterday, not two.

Jesse


******

THREE FLIGHTS!!!!

You need a vario!!!!

Matthew
brianvh
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Re: This weekend: High Rock Hang Gliding and PG Festival!

Post by brianvh »

Double thanks to Bacil and Ashley for crewing. Especially Bacil who I think must have launched 3/4 of the pilots.
Brian Vant-Hull
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silverwings
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Re: This weekend: High Rock Hang Gliding and PG Festival!

Post by silverwings »

I was teaching on Saturday so missed a good flyin at the Rock. Was thinking about going on Sunday but with all the cloud cover in the morning just couldn't get motivated to go anywhere. Anyone fly there on Sunday? Some pg's flew the pulpit.
john middleton (202)409-2574 c
sailin
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Re: This weekend: High Rock Hang Gliding and PG Festival!

Post by sailin »

Me, Matt C. , Jesse, and Valerie flew HG at the Pulpit on Sunday. Took our sledders like champs :mrgreen: Damn cloud cover :evil:

Jon
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DanTuck
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Re: This weekend: High Rock Hang Gliding and PG Festival!

Post by DanTuck »

I had a great time on Saturday, thanks to all the pilots that came out to fly or just hang out.
For the second time in 5 years I flew without a vario. I accidentally left it in California last weekend and I didn't realize it until a couple days ago.
It's fun and satisfying if you soar but not easy! props to all of you that fly without one. I, however, can't wait to get mine back!
I launched after Matthew and sank out straight to the field. Once over it, I found a little burble and made a few circles. Managed to stay in it enough to climb back up above the ridge and over launch. I soared the ridge for a few passes and should have stayed with Matthew because I promptly sank out after I stopped following him... I went and had a rowdy landing in the field and broke down.
Big thanks to Charlie who came down and picked us up and took us back up so we could fly again.
Got set up and launched again into the afternoon magic. Found a few thermals a got pretty high - not sure how high without my vario! Flew for an hour or more and zoomed in for a real smooth landing.
Thanks to all the wire crew and everyone else who was helping to keep launch clear and the spectators safe. Good times around the campfire, great to see so many people out there!
Attachments
Jesse getting things started.
Jesse getting things started.
Cruising over launch on my first flight.
Cruising over launch on my first flight.
My turn at the top of the stack (everyone got theirs)
My turn at the top of the stack (everyone got theirs)
heaviek
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Re: This weekend: High Rock Hang Gliding and PG Festival!

Post by heaviek »

I went out Sunday. It was crickets where I expected a huge party! One pilot was soaring pretty low when I arrived but he still probably got in more then an hour. It was really light. I couldn't get set up fast enough and missed the window. The high stuff thickened and the spectators wanted to see a sacrifice. Not one to disappoint I showed them what a slightly arrested descent to the LZ looks like.

Visited with Emma Jane for awhile. She was really cute, thought I was Chris because his pilot data card was out on the table from yesterday. She told me I looked just like this pilot that used to fly there and went off and did all these competitions and stuff. We got a laugh when it finally came out she was telling me I look just like me, only older! That woman is sharp for her age! She has an incredible memory!

Kev
Ashley Groves
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Re: This weekend: High Rock Hang Gliding and PG Festival!

Post by Ashley Groves »

I did not actually help wire crew (as Brian thanked me for), as my kids kept on scampering off towards the rocks for climbing. They had a great time, but they were done before the party started, wish I could have partied in the LZ.
Ashley Groves
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