Pulpit Sunday June 24th

[XCanytime]

Looking to end the weekend flying drought. This Sunday at the Pulpit might be just what the doctor ordered. Bacil

[wmelo]

Keeping my finger crossed

[XCanytime]

It's shaping up darn good for the Pulpit this Sunday. Another go at Shippensburg looks possible. Got at least 5 other pilots signed up to fly. Bacil

[Danny Brotto]

If your goal is Shippensburg Airport, it no longer exists as an official airport. It no longer is on a sectional. Unsure what you'll find there.

http://www.airfields-freeman.com/PA/Air ... ippensburg

Danny Brotto

[Larry Huffman]

It is still shown on Google Maps Danny. Small gras strip.
Larry

[Danny Brotto]

Hi Larry,

Hope you are well. We (the sailplane crowd) got word last year that Shippensburg was being sold off and is no longer an "official" airport. In a land-out situation, Bottsford a few miles to the NE is more appealing anyway.

Shippensburg Airport It is no longer on a sectional (was N42). Might still be a landable field but unsure what the reception would be like. "Airports" don't have to be on a sectional, I'm just saying that the situation at Shippensburg has changed and unsure what you'll find if you land there.

Danny Brotto

[silverwings]

Rich B went by the HG LZ today to check it out. The area along the left toward the road that we normally land in is waist high grass. The areas adjacent are planted in soybeans that are 4-5" high. The secondary LZ is not available because of crops planted and PG's can only land in the very upper area which has moderate high grass. So if you go to fly at the Pulpit, you need to take that into consideration!

[XCanytime]

If soarable (and it should very well be), the golf course driving range is an option. There is a chance of precip in the afternoon, decreasing towards evening. Thanks for the info. Bacil

[XCanytime]

Decided to gamble on an evening flight after the rain chance passed. The gamble paid off. Arrived just after 3:30P to find Charley, Mark (came just to help out), and Anthony hanging out at the lean to. We checked the radar and saw a cell coming straight for us. Anthony wisely had his equipment/glider under the tin roof of the lean to. Around 4:15P the cell hit and it rained pretty good for ~ 10 minutes. Rich showed up to help after the cell passed. We saw another cell coming with our own eyes. It grazed us, giving us a quick shower. After that cell passed, the radar upwind was clear, and the sun came out strong, with clear blue skies directly overhead. I suggested to Charley to set up our gliders to at least dry them out. We set up, monitoring the radar and the skies upwind. By 6P another check of the radar, a friendly looking sky, and moderate conditions on launch prompted me to take off from the newer ramp. It was soarable, but a strong north cross was present. The air was ratty, and apparently conditions on launch went nuclear some time after I launched. I saw Charley pulling battens, so I went in to land after less than a half hour aloft. Opted for the golf course driving range and pulled off the best landing I've ever had in zero wind conditions . Snapped the flare and reduced my groundspeed to zero. However, my keel was vertical and pogo sticked, resulting in the keel failing just aft of the xbar pullback catch. A few breaks carrying back to the clubhouse resulted in the 3' section falling off somewhere along the way. A golfer came over to chat about his hang gliding period from 1974 to 1981, commenting on his old Cirrus 5 and Pliable Moose gliders that he flew. Rich came down to give me a body ride back up, and found the missing piece of the keel. Thanks a bunch Rich. The tracklog illustrates just how strong and cross the conditions were. http://www.doarama.com/view/2259616. Bacil

[Dunegoon]

Just to note we carefully monitored available radar services and found a good correlation between what we saw and what was being reported. Some cool crepuscular rays and and veils of rain...