Another typhoon induced pattern

[XCanytime]

Looks like hooky players ought to start planning now for taking off of work next Tuesday and Wednesday. Another typhoon induced pattern is setting up. The Pulpit looks like it is calling both days. Bacil

[POLISH EAGLE]

Conditions look very promising for tomorrow. Is anybody thanking about going to the Pulpit?

[Matthew]

Landing options appear to be limited at the Pulpit. I talked to Emma Jane and she said the hay was low in the LZ and not a problem for landing.

If winds look closer to 10 than 5, anyone interested in High Rock on Tuesday???

Matthew
PS No NOTAMs

[XCanytime]

I cannot get off of work tomorrow, but I start at 2:30P in Rockville. So I plan to do an early AM flight at the Pulpit. I believe Ward is in and Jon is a maybe. It should be easily soarable at the Pulpit all day tomorrow, so landing options are expanded. The golf course is easily within range if it's soarable. Bacil

[Matthew]

OK. Karen has the opposite problem. She has to work in the morning. We will give Jon a call when we leave around lunch time. I've lost count of how many times I've gone to the Pulpit on a NW 5-10 forecast only to find it hard North cross at 30 on launch and everyone staring at the winds for an hour or so-- and then deciding to bail to High Rock and finding it to be perfect.

So there's a high likelihood that I'll be meeting a bunch of you at High Rock in the afternoon.

Matthew

[POLISH EAGLE]

Landing limitations at the Pulpit are present ONLY at the old primery. Our main landing site "Ball Dimond"is and has allways been our 1st. option with the Golf course providing another alternative. I will be at the Pulpit before noon. If is is blow out at the Pulpit there is only short drive to the High Rock. See you there.

[Ward Odenwald]

Just looked at the 4pm Pulpit forecasts for tomorrow and one could make a fairly decent argument that it’s going to be very close to what happened last Friday (little or no HG doable ridge-lift). By mid-day tomorrow, Nostepper is suggesting light NNW winds @ 5 to 6 kts at the surface and 6 – 7 at launch up to 3.8K. Although Wednesday’s prediction is nothing to jump up and down about, it looks better than tomorrow’s as far as wind direction and speed (by mid-day, W @ 7-9 kts at launch). Plus, albeit early, Thursday’s Highland forecast is looking exceptional. I’m ready to use a vacation day this week but still wondering which day to gamble on.

Ward

[Matthew]

3:30 Update for McConnellsburg--

TUESDAY
MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 70S. NORTHWEST WINDS
AROUND 10 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 20 MPH.

It's not going to be anything like last Friday.

It's gonna be honkin'!

Matthew

[mingram]

PGs are planning to go to Woodstock.

[Ward Odenwald]

"It's not going to be anything like last Friday."

Yes, different (not the same) but again the current forecasts @ 6:30PM for tomorrow's winds at the surface and up to 4.8K are indicating 8 to 10 mph spanning the time window of 11 to 2 and the flanking time windows are not indicating anything above that. The gusts that you mention in your post are most likely thermal related. Wasn't there on Friday, but the thermal index indicated that there would be a lot of air going up and an equal amount going down. With no close bailout LZ, Val demonstrated on Friday what happens without sustainable ridge lift. I hope I'm proven wrong (it won't be the first or last time) but faced with more promising forecasts (Wednesday and Thursday), I'm waiting.

Ward

[mcgowantk]

Unfortunately, I can't get out tomorrow or Wednesday but they both look like great days. In particular, I like Wednesday for towing out at Highland. I hope someone gets a chance to fly there too.

We are off to Big Spring on Thursday - try not to fly farther here than we can fly in Texas!

Tom McGowan

[XCanytime]

I've lost count of how many times I've gone to the Pulpit on a NW 5-10 forecast only to find it hard North cross at 30 on launch and everyone staring at the winds for an hour or so-- and then deciding to bail to High Rock and finding it to be perfect.
Matthew

Not in late July Matthew. You are referring to other times of the year other than late July. There is a difference. But we will see what ensues tomorrow. It will be a good data point that's for sure. Tell Karen to call out sick cuz that's what I'm thinking of doing if I'm stinking high and going OTB . Bacil

[lbunner]

Looks real good on XC Skies for the Pulpit. 11mph from ground all the way to the top of the lift. Winds "predicted" to be higher at Woodstock (I know, I know). Should be a good day.

[lbunner]

It looks great over the back from Woodstock all the way to the coast! If I were choosing which site to fly today, I'd choose Woodstock. Climbs to 9000' over Luray and beyond. The PGers look like they will have an epic day.

Ground Bound In Illinois

[mingram]

PGs report that Woodstock is already blown out for them. Bummer.

[markc]

Definitely interested in that data point, if any HG pilots gave the Pulpit a try today. Looked like it might have been pretty darn overcast up there.... HGR hourly surface obs were 10 to 13, NW and some W. Wonder if the "+10" rule held at launch today...

[XCanytime]

Well I was the only pilot to fly at the Pulpit today. I got there just before 9A and the conditions on launch were benign. Gentle cycles rolled thru and the top wind speed was maybe 12 MPH. The sky was full of nice puffy cumies and an upper level scuzz layer that whited out the sky. I set up windsocks on the pad and for most of the time the direction was NW/NNW. The birds definitely showed that it was very north cross above the ridge. I still set up as Jon, Krzyzstof, and Andy arrived. I took off from the newer ramp into a light straight cycle and turned left. I probably could have gotten up if I had been more aggressive as there was plenty of lift to be had along the ridge. However, I was pretty tired from getting up very early, and my desire to struggle in the north cross was not too great (been there done that many times in the last 20 years). I flew out towards the main field after skimming the trees down by 16 and dolphin flew in some pops that enabled me to make it to the golf course. I had a nice landing on the driving range, and many thanks to Andy for the timely retrieve. It enabled me to make it to work on time. Andy, Hugh, and Krzyzstof headed to High Rock, and Jon headed to Woodstock. Both sites rewarded the pilots with soaring flights. Wonder if the conditions at the Pulpit got better? Mark what times were the observations of those directions and speeds at HGR? My flight took place around around 10:45A. Bacil

[Matthew]

Great day at the rock! I got 3 hours and 3 minutes and 1300 over launch. Karen and I helped launch the initial wave of Hugh, Andy and Kris. Hugh and Andy got up and Kris launched into a hole from which he did not recover. Hugh and Andy landed after 40 minutes and the the three of them came back up to launch me and Karen. She went first and got 40 minutes and 500 over. I went next. After Karen went out to land, Kris launched for a second flight and again had back luck hitting a down cycle. I hung fast on the ridge at about 300 over as the two of them landed. Then it turned on when the sun came out with the best climbs of the day. About an hour into the flight it went pure magic for over an hour-- 750 over and lift everywhere-- all along the ridge and all the way out to the LZ. I haven't flown in that smooth of a glass-off in a decade! Karen, Hugh and Andy hiked back up for some exercise. I headed out to land after they arrived back at launch.

Glad I took the day off from work.

Matthew

[andybalkphysics]

Yeah it was good! I went to the Pulpit early to find Bacil about to launch, then went down to the golf course to pick him up. Looks like it was cross, and maybe a bit too early for doable ridge lift and thermals. By the time I got back Hugh and Krzysztof had left for High Rock, and Jon to Woodstock. Drove over to High Rock, where it was blowing in a bit light and overcast. It started looking a bit better, so because I needed Matthew to observe me (Thanks again Matthew!) I decided to go first. Found a nice patch of ridge lift/thermal to the right of the rock, then moved over and found another one a half mile or so down the ridge. Feel like I got 1000 over or so, but didn't look at the altimeter. Bumped around for a while, then decided to go and land to launch Matthew and Karen. Over the field I found another thermal, which I gained maybe another couple hundred feet before landing. Thought I saw a bald eagle at one point but it was far beneath me.

Made the day off worth it!
-Andy

[Matthew]

Photos by Mark Schoberg

http://img167.imagevenue.com/gallery/lo ... Glider.php

The Mennonites were great-- super friendly and asking intelligent questions.

Matthew

[Ward Odenwald]

Great photos! Their diversity help us share in the day. Wish I was there.

Ward