Flying Tuesday Oct. 16th

[sailin]

Anybody up for catching some midweek airtime tomorrow? Looks WNW so Pulpit, Woodstock, High Rock could all work. Although possibly blown out at the Pulpit and light at Woodstock.
Anybody interested?

Jon

[rlweber]

Seriously considering and evening glassoff flight at Woodstock, arriving at 5:30 pm. Let's see how the day develops.

Randy

[mcgowantk]

I am looking at it too. I want to take an afternoon off before the time change. Not sure about the forecast though. I will check later tonight and in the am.

Tom McGowan

[heaviek]

Ditto. Want airtime before conditions go HTFU. Looks like not too windy, sunny, and unstable.....perfect!

Kev

[sailin]

Sounds good. Will check the forum in the morning and see what everybody's thoughts are.

Jon

[Kurt Kemerer]

can fly high rock today - looks like it should be good anytime after 1:00 - kinda overcast at the moment but forcasted to clear out nice -

[sailin]

Cool. Anybody else? Might need some wire crew for High Rock today.

Jon

[heaviek]

I could go either way. hope to leave by 12. Kinda prefer Woodstock, it's been a while.
Kev

[sailin]

I am in Strasburg right now ( close to Woodstock) breezy with lots of blue sky amongst the clouds. .... Makes me kinda biased towards Woodstock but I will go where other pilots are cause I just wanna fly

Jon

[sailin]

Kurt would you be interested in Woodstock?

Jon

[Kurt Kemerer]

i've never flown there, not even sure how to get there - and i think it is going to get very light winds as the day goes on, forcast looks better for high rock - Kurt

[sailin]

Gotcha Kurt. You are probably right on about it getting really light later on. I think I am going to commit to Woodstock as it is already getting pretty late and I am in Strasburg already.... Think Kev may be heading this way too. Hope we all get great flights no matter where we launch from.

Take care,
Jon

[Lostgriz]

Flight reports?

[heaviek]

It was good. I wish I could have gotten there earlier as it appeared to start stronger and end weaker. I didn't get off till around 3. Conditions on launch varied between 2mph up to mid teens and almost always very close to straight in. Prevailing winds were light and cross except just above the ridge, reducing in velocity with altitude. Just above the ridge the wind had a bit of kick and the drift was tricky. Lift was not rare but it was not as high a quality as I had hoped (too late?). The wind seemed to be pulling it apart and it was a challenge to find the cohesive and rare lift that actually got more then a few hundred over. I am guessing a weak wind shear and late day softness. At one point I headed north but turned around short of the knob. It seemed to be getting weaker, it was getting late, and I wanted to be sure I could get back for a ride from the earlier pilots. LZ conditions punked me with a south wind (180 to prevailing) I didn't want to believe would stick around through an entire set and approach. I guessed wrong and my pants got dirty. Next time maybe I will remember I have a drogue chute that would guarantee my glide would terminate on that nice steep uphill portion rather then cresting the top. A tool in the bag of tricks is pretty useless if you forget you have it!

I am guessing 2:15 or 2:30, 4k MSL, and about 400 fpm max (much more common was 100-200) but I didn't check the time and don't have an altimeter or averager. Sky was blue with a pair of Cummies over Shenendoah Park about 5-800 feet higher then my max.

Jon took a couple of well executed flights as did 3 visiting PA pilots. Joe flew before me and was above launch for awhile but seemed to get drilled in the valley.

So who can tell me something about Bear's Den down near Waynesboro? Launches in 2 directions and a significant vertical?
Kev

[XCanytime]

Contact Nelson Lewis about Bear Den due east of Waynesboro. Haven't heard anything about it being flown in many moons. Bacil

[Lostgriz]

Thanks for the details Kevin. Wish I could have joined you guys.

Matt

[heaviek]

No problem Matt. My post is not as good as a "there I was..." story but hopefully the details provide some insight between the forecast and the actual conditions. Personally I follow the suncast over the windcast and the day was spot on for great soaring and possible XC but it was no where near as easy as a windier ridge day.

Bacil, Great idea, thanks!
Kev

[sailin]

Just to add to Kevin's already great write up of the day:
At 11am that morning I was sitting in Dennys at Strasburg thinking that no one may come out, only to show up to launch a little over an hour later to find three PA pilots already there. And then Joe showed up and finally Kevin. Six pilots...who woulda thunk. Of the six, three soared and three extendoed. I was was one of the extendoers
It was a finicky one at launch and I waited in the slot for 15 minutes before there was any real activity taking place. I finally launched into a light cycle and headed to the NE where I had seen a couple others dig themselves out and climb up earlier. I wasn't able to climb out in the light lift out in front before losing the battle to gravity. I was pretty disappointed with myself as I had an opportunity to tangle with some light lift but spent too much time going in an out of it instead of locking in to it and climbing. Uggghh , but lessons were learned.
I ended up taking a second flight at arounf 515pm just becasue it was so darn beautiful out there that it was impossible to resist. What a beautfiul site!!! Nice to meet some new pilots and catch some midweek airtime.

Jon