Woodstock Wednesday Jul 22

[Joe Schad]

Looking like Woodstock could be good on Wednesday.

Joe

[silverwings]

I might be interested or maybe the Pulpit might be good. Anyone know of the LZ conditions of Woodstock and the Pulpit?

[dbodner]

Interested

[wmelo]

I am interested. John, I will call you tonight to sync.

[stevek]

Think I will give it a try

[XCanytime]

Hey Walt I am thinking about an early flight at the Pulpit. It should be soarable there from 11A on til sunset. I will call you after work tonight. The golf course is the best LZ option, and will be easily reachable in the soarable conditions the whole PM. Bacil

[wmelo]

After talking with Bacil, I decided to go to the Pulpit tomorrow. I hope to have a good flight there after lunch.

[Joe Schad]

I plan on being at Woodstock about 2pm.

Joe

[silverwings]

Walt told me conditions are good as of 10:45. David B and I are heading up there now (11:40 ish) .

[XCanytime]

Arrived at 10A and it's already soarable with TVs soaring back and forth over the launch area. To the west a wall of cumulus clouds was heading our way. Set up and launched in strong conditions just after 11A with Walt's help. Thanks a bunch Walt for meeting me before 11A. Flew straight out on the smooth up escalator and climbed to a couple hundred over. By this time the cumuli were all around so I just flew around way out in front enjoying the challenge to stay up without the ridge. Made my way over to the golf course and had a nice landing on the driving range. Got on the road to Rockville a bit past the scheduled departure of 12:30P. While driving in the vicinity of the Hagerstown Airport, I tuned into the AWOS and found out that cloudbase was 7K' MSL at 1:15P! I bet that it rose another 1500' by the peak surface temperature increase of 7.5 degrees by 4:30P.

Bacil

[Joe Schad]

Steve Kinsley and arrived at Launch about 1;45. Several paraglider had launched and one Tom, had gone over the back. A couple folks landed and went up for second longer flights. Winds were mostly light with a west to component at launch. All the PGs got off easily and Steve and I launched around 3;30. We had nice flights over an hour and landed. Could have stayed up longer. Not sure where all the PGs ended up. So it was a very nice Woodstock Day.

Grass in the lz is ok. A little clumpy but only 6inches to a foot tall. Cows are keeping it down it seems.

Joe

[dbodner]

John and I spent some time on the phone trying to stoke each other up. By the time we made to the Pulpit, it was blowing too strongly for us and Walt. So, we waited. John gave up first, around 6 pm. Walt and I stuck it out a while longer. Walt went home maybe 7:30. It might've been launchable with a two-person crew at that point. But, it was still gusty and switchy, and I wasn't liking it. I was tearing down my glider around 8, when it would've been launchable. By 8:30 it was self-launchable.

The upper field is nice, lots of short grass. There's a nice, wide slot in the lower field. I think it's to the left of where the slot was last year, so there's a more precipitous drop-off if you overshoot.

John, I forgot to stop by your shop in my way home tonight. I'll drop off your wind sock and streamer tomorrow.

[XCanytime]

According to Walt, after talking with him last night, the atmosphere took a deep breath for at least a half an hour sometime between 4 and 5P and it would have been good to launch during that window. However, Walt chose not to launch with just one helper since he doesn't have a lot of experience with that scenario. I advised him to practice self launching at Smithsburg yearly to acquire the experience, skills, and confidence that it takes to perform a launch in that scenario safely.

The Pulpit is the windiest site we fly. Even in July it can be breezy all day there. Gotta get there way early on average 10.5/12 times to have a chance . Should be easy if you are retired nudge nudge . Bacil