Come BBQ afterwards! We haven't picked a site but it will be in VA. Thinking BBQ around 7-8pm. Camping or cabins for those wanting to fly Dickeys or Daniels on Sunday!!!
Matt Ingram
CHGPA President
P4 Observer
804.399.5155 mingram@vt.edu
Flew the sailplane for a couple of hours in the afternoon after the overcast cleared on Saturday. Very turbulent in these parts. A brief bout of wave to 8K smoothed things out for a while but that was short lived. Got windier toward late afternoon. 280 degrees at 16K to 26K in the air. Sailplanes on the Massanutten flying the ridge likewise reported (over radio) turbulent air. Radio chatter about 2 HG pilots having launched from Woodstock at about 4:00. Choppy?
Well let me tell you about the flights. Big time swirly conditions in the slot due the west cross banging against the NE tree line in the slot. Decided to give it a go at 3P with a very active sky showing. Had a nice launch in a straight in cycle and exited the slot into very turbulent air. Dolphin flew to the SW towards the Edinburg Gap just trying to keep the wings level. Had no altimeter but probably maintained about 1K' over. A cirrusy wave cloud was over the Fort Valley behind launch. Since the plan was to try for the Front Royal Airport I turned around near Karmy's Airstrip and beelined it NE towards Signal Knob. I saw Greg Sessa and Rich Elder at cloudbase under a puffy upwind of the cirrusy wave cloud with a sailplane playing with them behind launch. The flight up to the area between the Strasburg Reservoir and Signal Knob was relatively smooth. I loitered in the area for an hour between the reservoir and the radio antenna looking for a ticket to the airport but my eyes told me I never got high enough to commit. I tried several times but never got high enough even though I could see the airport. So now it's 4:30P and I want to get back to the main LZ with a strong west cross. I knew it would be challenging, and it was, and it was very turbulent. Lots of rotor on the ridge, and rocket shots of lift that gives you a couple hundred feet in no time at all. Finally I got over the main LZ and I see Greg Sessa land and start giving me the wind signal (WSW). It was very turbulent trying to get down with everything going up in the bowl. Finally got it down and had a good landing. Sure enough, Dave Bodner decides to wait it out after hearing warnings over the radio about how bad the LZ is. 20 minutes after I land he comes in and puts it down nicely in calm conditions. Timing is everything! Find out that Matt Christiansen made it to FRR with a smooth flight save for 800 down and 1200 down seen on final glide to the airport from 4K' MSL. Jon Brantley also reported a relatively pleasant flight as well. Where you are flying also is everything. Bacil