Weekend Outlook 11/1-2

[Matthew]

Saturday looks like a wash.

But it's looking like another Woodstock Sunday!!!!!

Ya'll in???

Bring your bar mitts. Temps in the low 40s.

And don't forget to change your clocks on Saturday night.


Matthew

[markc]

Whoa, a chance for three Woodstock-Sundays in a row? I'll totally be on that if the forecasts hold!

MarkC

[XCanytime]

Right now weather.com has it NW @ 18 MPH for Woodstock on Sunday. Bacil

[markc]

Ruh-roh! The latest text cast is calling G40, with G30 Sun night. NWS hourly is G20s until 8pm. Not looking good, let's hope things change for the better tomorrow!

MarkC

[markc]

Text and hourly 'casts are now saying G35, and the gust line is gone from the hourly at 6pm. That's a *little* bit better, let's hope the trend continues!

[markc]

Hmmmm.... Hourly is calling G28 at 4pm, falling to G22 at 6pm. I suppose I could get myself motivated for a drive out there with hopes for a flight at the very end of the day.

Maybe do a monster hike down to Edinburg Gap and back? Then set up if things look possible?

[Matthew]

I've flown when there have been forecasts of gusts to 35 tlll the end of the day. Launched around an hour before sunset and spent most of the time parked above the ridge. Sure, I got my ass kicked all the way to the ground and had to land out at one of the fields across from the bridge field. Elevatored all the way down through the washing machine and took out a downtube.

Other than that -- it was fine.



Matthew

[markc]

The G40 nastiness is gone.... Now 15-20 G30, with the gust factor supposedly gone by 4pm, an hour before sunset. That's starting to seem like it might be worth the gamble on the drive out there. Opinions?

MarkC

[markc]

And the satellite loop seems to indicate that there might be a decent amount of sun, too.

[markc]

Gary and I plan to meet near the bridge field at 2-ish or so, depending on chores and tasks.

'Cast is now quite similar to last Sunday's, so we have some hopes. But it could be blown out.

Figure it might be the last chance for good color at WS this fall, so what the heck.

MarkC

[markc]

Today's sortie included Gary, Jon, Randy, and myself. Plus Doug Haber from Kitty Hawk, with a handful of pilots for the annual KHK mountain clinic. And wow!!! The flying that we had? Man, I've never been so close to the trees!

We soared from the parking lot, swooped along the trail, and then into the set-up area. Just like bats!

Then we soared from the set-up area back down to the parking area, it was amazing!

Then we waited for the moon to come up, and decided that night flights would be just the best way to cap off the day..... Wha? Huh? I lost credibility on that last part? Ok. All right... And no, the gamble did not pay off this time. Cr@p.

There were launchable lulls of 10-15. Better direction than last Sunday. Even some decently-long periods between freight trains. But the peak gusts (20-25) just didn't lie down like they did last Sunday. I think it was probably flyable (kinda/sorta), with a well-timed cycle and a slick wing. And by landing out, in a field with the cleanest airflow that one could find. But unless you had your sights set on a high-wind ridge run with hopes of (say) Massanutten Peak (assuming you could launch early enough!), it was just too sketchy today. That risk-vs-reward equation, especially as the day was winding down, limited daylight.... Nope, no-one flew, and I don't think anyone regretted that choice.

Breaking down up there sucks, tho. *Sigh*. Another day!

MarkC