Keeping an eye on Friday July 25

[markc]

Looks like there might be a frontal passage late in the week.... Couldn't take advantage of the conditions mid-week last Wed/Thur, but hoping that there might be a day worthy of some time off this week... Anyway, going to start shifting things around in the hopes that it might work out. Anyone else giving it some thought?

MarkC

[jmcclave]

Mark,

Several PGers are thinking the same thing. I will be heading to my Father's 80th BDay Party in NY so I will miss it but it looks like it will be a good day.

Jim

[markc]

Thanks for the heads-up Jim. Starting to feel cautiously optimistic about the Pulpit on Friday....

MarkC

PS: Happy B-Day to your dad Jim, that's a milestone event for sure!

[markc]

Whoa, 26 degree Temp/Dewpoint spread up at the Pulpit on Friday.... Not bad, if the 'casts hold up!

[rasmussenv]

Watching also ... may be reasonably Falcon-able!

[markc]

I'm a little bit worried that things will be pretty North at The Pulpit on Friday.... But OTOH, I don't see much by way of mountain options on Sat (HG that is), and it seems unlikely that we'll have enough pilots for High Rock. So I'm still leaning toward "go".... And on the plus side, the 3k forecast at ADDS is calling for WSW at 18Z, so maybe things will work out.

MarkC

[XCanytime]

The HGR forecast from weather.com is WNW @ 5 MPH for tomorrow. Should be perfect at the Pulpit. Bacil

[POLISH EAGLE]

I should be able to go if I can finish my work febore noon tomorrow.

[markc]

The NWS hourly isn't calling for a major W swing until 2pm, but provided the forecasts don't change significantly tomorrow AM, I'll probably give it a go. And hope that it won't be one of those days that stays stubbornly north in spite of the 'casts!

[rasmussenv]

I am planning to be there ...

[Dunegoon]

Interested. Would not be able to make it until 5PM or later. Any observers available?

Charley

[markc]

Oh man! NWS hourly now showing 3mph or less between 11 and 5. Would definitely give it a try on a weekend, but now I'm debating whether it's worth a valuable vacation day. Hmmmmm.

[POLISH EAGLE]

I on the other hand need a break from work so I will be heading to the Pulpit. ETA 2:00PM. 301 370-1442 Krzysztof.

[markc]

I know at least two HGers are headed up there Chris, so you will have company!

[markc]

I'm thinking that great conditions were guaranteed by my bailing Hope to hear of some awesome flights!

[rasmussenv]

Ummmm ... no - I can't report any great flight by a HG, although I think the PG group had some very good ones. I heard someone landed at Clear Spring and others launched and looked good.

When I left at 3pm Jon had not yet launched and I don't know if he decided to fly / if conditions changed or not. He was skeptical at the time, but ...

I DID fly. And had a landing I will remember forever.

To start at the beginning, upon arrival I planned to check out the LZs and was on the road to 'the old primary'' around 11am and found a group of PGers in a car leaving telling me not to bother continuing, the field was in corn. I went on to the large field most commonly used now and dropped my KLX-250 to allow for a self-retrieve. I also installed a wind sock and was happy to see it moving a bit. The field is great - same as two months earlier when I last landed. A section of beans but plenty of open areas.

At the top found Jon just setting up, as well as a group of PG. One had already launched. The winds were surprisingly strong - in a good 'Pulpit' way - in the 10-15 mph range as opposed to the forecasted 3-6 mph. There was a distinct north cross. Jon and I set up and around noon we found the winds were intermittently pretty straight in, and smooth. We'd seen a PG float away back over the valley behind us. I believe another one had dropped to the valley in front. I was excited that the stronger than expected winds would lead to unexpected ridge lift - rather than depending on thermal activity.

Jon helped me launch, assisted by George and Alex., two PG pilots who had previously never assisted but were happy to help and learn. The launch was uneventful - a bit of waiting for a good cycle, but not more than 5-10 minutes or so on the ramp to the right. The launch felt good, and Jon later said it looked good. I was in the air before hitting the end of the ramp.

But that is when the 'lift' ended. I flew out and headed left/south but immediately felt sink. I had to consciously fly more straight than left to make sure I stayed right of the tall tree to the left of the launch area. I continued to fly 'along the ridge' towards the left but always moving outward to stay well above the trees. I was in constant sink and quickly saw that I was likely in for a sled run. And soon realized that I would not be able to make it to the large primary ... and the only 'known' clear field.

Well ... landing in corn would be better than landing in trees, right?! And from the air, the field closer to the mountain adjacent to the old primary looked brown. Maybe it was clear? My fingers were crossed. I never did any 's' turns on the ridge looking for lift, I never did a 360 away from the ridge. I went straight out and had sink, sink, sink, heading to the old primary. I felt a bit of lift when I was very close to the field, but was so low then that I didn't consider trying to work it.

As I approached the field it didn't occur to me that I would be landing with the wind (and that did not end up being a factor) as I had no choice but to continue on my generally south-west, then southerly approach to land. As I got closer, what had my attention was that the near field was not plowed (as I'd hoped), but was brown because it was clearly wheat (rather than the green corn). But as that registered I saw that there was a tractor width tract between the two fields that was 'grass'. That strip of grass became my goal and I centered on that and went down. Unfortunately a barn/shed was at the end of of that strip closer to the house. I had mostly exhausted my air speed so it was only a bit premature that I had to fully flare to make sure I would stop before hitting it (and did with maybe 50 yards to spare). I did not rise much with the early flare - because I was with the 'wind'? That strip of grass is definitely not a wing-span in width, but the wings were just high enough above the bar as I skimmed the earth before flare never to come in contact with the growth. The flare stopped the forward progress so wings did not touch until coming down. The landing was actually a good 'no-step'! Whew!

Jon, et al, on the launch had seen it all, and so he radio'd me as soon as I stopped and verified I was unhurt, then advised me that the landowner did not want us landing there and so it would be good to move out as expeditiously as possible.

The strip was not as wide as a wing-span, as I said, so I turned the wing and 'crab-walked' out the 50 yards or so to pass the building and get to some open space near the road/drive to pack up.

As I passed the barn (the door faced the house, not the field, so I was past it before he saw me), the landowner called out to me. I unhooked and went towards him explaining that I definitely had not planned to land there, but had no choice. He said 'so where exactly did you land'? I smiled and pointed and told him I'd landed in the strip between the corn field and the wheat field. He said 'You're awesome!". That felt great! He added that I could feel free to break down in the grass there in front of the barn. I told him it might be an hour or so before I could retrieve the glider, I needed to walk the 1 mile or so out to the road and over to the primary to get my bike, then up to the top to get my vehicle. As I broke down a man in the house came out to offer me cold water. They were very nice. I'm so glad I hadn't had to land in their field.

The landowner left in his truck before I’d broken down – I walked over to the large field and my dirt bike. Back at the top Jon had still not launched - he and others (PG - no other HG) had seen the sink. A couple PG's had launched but worked up into lift. Jon wasn't sure if he'd launch or not, and with the winds forecast to move to SW by 5, it didn't seem worth trying to bring my glider back up (had not yet been retrieved at that point) to try for another flight. Plus ... there was no indication I'd have better luck reaching the large primary in the conditions we were seeing. So I was loaded up and left around 3:30pm.

[rasmussenv]

I do want to observe that I don't 'wish I hadn't come out to fly' today.

Certainly had someone told me in advance I'd have to plan to land in a strip of green less than a wings-width between two fields with 3+ foot high crops, I would have declined the opportunity.

But, at the end of the day, I felt really good about the experience and the way it all turned out.

[rasmussenv]

I took a few pictures before leaving. Assuming I succeed in uploading it, this is the strip between the fields, and in the left foreground is the barn/shed the owner came out of as I walked glider out. I cam to a stop just as the fencing along the corn began.

[dbodner]

Valerie,

I'm glad you had a happy ending. At the start of the story I didn't think it would end that way.

When you say "old primary" is that what I call the secondary (aka the current PG primary) off Jugtown rd?

[rasmussenv]

Yes - that is the one. I should have said secondary.

[deveil]

“awesome” , “cool head”, “good story teller” - I could go with any…or all.
(hi, Valerie)

[markc]

I think you had an RLF Valerie : Relieved Landowner Friend.

For life!

Sorry to hear that the HG flying wasn't all that great, but it sure sounds like you gained some valuable experience. The Pulpit can be tricky when the winds are cross...

[tdilisio]

grass strip between fields.jpg

and in the left foreground is the barn/shed the owner came out of as I walked glider out. I cam to a stop just as the fencing along the corn began.

Nice write up Valerie, and nice job on the landing. Seems I remember that dent in the shed... for some strange reason.