Tim and I finally made our way down to Quest last week. We both had a blast. Not as much time flying as I expected to get but had a fun time anyways.
The folks down there were all very helpful. I managed to get a better handle on aerotowing the TRX and I'm very happy for that. It was nice to see some familiar faces too (Tjadens, Steve W., Mark Fink, Bill P). I managed to get a couple of miles out and back on Saturday just before we left for further XC training.
All in all, a good trip. I can't wait to go back down there for some 'bigger' air.
Rance
Enjoyed Quest last week
Moderator: CHGPA BOD
(Long version)
In Tjaden fashion, here's the more interesting (& longer) version:
We drove Tuesday night and arrived at 10am Wednesday. Winds were high enough to break up any thermal activity so we headed to Orlando. Tim took the plunge and took a lesson in the sky-diving chamber while Steve & I took pictures. Leaving there, we went to the Fantasy of Flight for lunch/dinner and watched folks take rides in a 5-passenger biplane (fascinating). From there, we went by Wallaby and took a tour of the facilities. It looks like a great place to take kids. Lots of outdoor things for them to climb on. After that, we headed back towards Quest but just had to stop by the glider port. We chatted with a guy just breaking down his glider ($80k worth). A very maticulous machine. He only had about a 1/16th" gap where the wing joins the fusalage but he still applied tape to clean up the air. LOTS of other fine aircraft too. We then headed back to Quest, only to find out that Bill and some others had wonderful flights. Still, I would have chosen to do what we did. If you ever get down to Florida, there are PLENTY of 'other' things to keep you busy.
Thursday brought more stiff winds. We waited a while till it died down enough for some of the locals to begin towing up. I happened to be the last one up. My tow was rather squirlly due to my inexperience with the TRX. However, Lisa did a super job of correcting on her end when I had problems. Due to the level of gusts, she decided to halt towing for the time being. After I got off tow, I quickly found some boyant air and made it to just over 3100'. After leaving the lift to go back upwind, I had a blast wanging back to the airport. Sometimes its more fun than trying to find lift for extended flight.
Friday, I spent time talking with 'Awesome' Bob as well as with Steve to analyze my problems towing the TRX. That evening, I applied those changes (a small adjustment to the glider, a lot to my technique) and took a baby-butt smooth tow. MUCH better. Now I feel better about going back out in the middle of the day with it.
Saturday came with expected lighter winds but it just didn't happen until later. I spent the afternoon on a stroll picking oranges & tangerines getting my sun tan. There's an art to finding the good ones.
As soon as I got back, I found the winds subsiding so I quickly set my glider back up and got in line as fast as possible. This mid-afternoon tow confirmed my corrections and the tow went without a hitch. I had spoke with Bill just before launching to find out upper lift conditions. He said 'it was over Rt 333'. I immediately headed in that direction to find it precisely between the two adjacent lakes (ponds).
During the climb, I saw an Atos pilot 200-300' above me and a fisherman below me in the lake that looked similar to Micky Mouse. From what I could tell the Atos was above me but wasn't outclimbing me. We were near each other, but climbing in different columns most of the time. Having slowly drifted downwind, he decided to head back toward the airport. I slowly gained enough to reach his altitude and then passed him. He then re-joined me in the sufficiently rising air to finally reach me. We were rather far apart, but still circling around the opposite sides of the same circle. I finally found a healthier column near me and tightened up my circles to rise above him. I maintained that distance above him and enjoyed watching a rigid from above. (The last time I was in this position was when Davis S. was at Blue Sky, but Davis soon soared past me.)
We both eventually left that lift to head back to the airport. At 750', I arrived at the 'house thermal' and rode it back to over 3k' while watching others being towed up. It wasn't strong, but it was still reasonably workable.
After not being able to milk it any more I found myself again just above the MM lake at less than 1k, but with no fisherman and no more lift this time. I reluctantly headed toward the East to set up for landing. I saw that the Atos had landed just earlier. I circled above our camping area and took it in for a base leg and then on to final. Although I was headed directly into the wind, when I got to about treetop level I found some turbulence kicking me to the right side of the 'slot' of trees. Each time I leveled the wing out and was back in position, something gently pushed me to the right. Tim had noticed this same thing. I've made a note to watch this in the future coming in from that direction. I had a decent landing, running it out just slightly and was very happy with just under an hour.
We quickly broke the gliders down, broke camp and headed home that evening. This trip just fueled my desire to go back down there again as quickly as possible. If you can't make it down there, I hope you venture out to get some of this great air that is beginning to happen.
During the trip, we spent a good amount of time hang waiting for the winds to subside. However, I had a chance to meet Awseome Bob and Tow Joe, real down-to-earth guys that are very knowledgable and willing to help. I also enjoyed a great chat with Jim Rooney talking about both flying and non-flying. A great group of folks down there. Jim also gave me some advice on aerobatics, can't wait to use that.
Fly Safe, fly far.
Rance
PS: Tim, you should give the group more details about your skydiving experience. Flapping cheeks and all. Videos?
We drove Tuesday night and arrived at 10am Wednesday. Winds were high enough to break up any thermal activity so we headed to Orlando. Tim took the plunge and took a lesson in the sky-diving chamber while Steve & I took pictures. Leaving there, we went to the Fantasy of Flight for lunch/dinner and watched folks take rides in a 5-passenger biplane (fascinating). From there, we went by Wallaby and took a tour of the facilities. It looks like a great place to take kids. Lots of outdoor things for them to climb on. After that, we headed back towards Quest but just had to stop by the glider port. We chatted with a guy just breaking down his glider ($80k worth). A very maticulous machine. He only had about a 1/16th" gap where the wing joins the fusalage but he still applied tape to clean up the air. LOTS of other fine aircraft too. We then headed back to Quest, only to find out that Bill and some others had wonderful flights. Still, I would have chosen to do what we did. If you ever get down to Florida, there are PLENTY of 'other' things to keep you busy.
Thursday brought more stiff winds. We waited a while till it died down enough for some of the locals to begin towing up. I happened to be the last one up. My tow was rather squirlly due to my inexperience with the TRX. However, Lisa did a super job of correcting on her end when I had problems. Due to the level of gusts, she decided to halt towing for the time being. After I got off tow, I quickly found some boyant air and made it to just over 3100'. After leaving the lift to go back upwind, I had a blast wanging back to the airport. Sometimes its more fun than trying to find lift for extended flight.
Friday, I spent time talking with 'Awesome' Bob as well as with Steve to analyze my problems towing the TRX. That evening, I applied those changes (a small adjustment to the glider, a lot to my technique) and took a baby-butt smooth tow. MUCH better. Now I feel better about going back out in the middle of the day with it.
Saturday came with expected lighter winds but it just didn't happen until later. I spent the afternoon on a stroll picking oranges & tangerines getting my sun tan. There's an art to finding the good ones.
As soon as I got back, I found the winds subsiding so I quickly set my glider back up and got in line as fast as possible. This mid-afternoon tow confirmed my corrections and the tow went without a hitch. I had spoke with Bill just before launching to find out upper lift conditions. He said 'it was over Rt 333'. I immediately headed in that direction to find it precisely between the two adjacent lakes (ponds).
During the climb, I saw an Atos pilot 200-300' above me and a fisherman below me in the lake that looked similar to Micky Mouse. From what I could tell the Atos was above me but wasn't outclimbing me. We were near each other, but climbing in different columns most of the time. Having slowly drifted downwind, he decided to head back toward the airport. I slowly gained enough to reach his altitude and then passed him. He then re-joined me in the sufficiently rising air to finally reach me. We were rather far apart, but still circling around the opposite sides of the same circle. I finally found a healthier column near me and tightened up my circles to rise above him. I maintained that distance above him and enjoyed watching a rigid from above. (The last time I was in this position was when Davis S. was at Blue Sky, but Davis soon soared past me.)
We both eventually left that lift to head back to the airport. At 750', I arrived at the 'house thermal' and rode it back to over 3k' while watching others being towed up. It wasn't strong, but it was still reasonably workable.
After not being able to milk it any more I found myself again just above the MM lake at less than 1k, but with no fisherman and no more lift this time. I reluctantly headed toward the East to set up for landing. I saw that the Atos had landed just earlier. I circled above our camping area and took it in for a base leg and then on to final. Although I was headed directly into the wind, when I got to about treetop level I found some turbulence kicking me to the right side of the 'slot' of trees. Each time I leveled the wing out and was back in position, something gently pushed me to the right. Tim had noticed this same thing. I've made a note to watch this in the future coming in from that direction. I had a decent landing, running it out just slightly and was very happy with just under an hour.
We quickly broke the gliders down, broke camp and headed home that evening. This trip just fueled my desire to go back down there again as quickly as possible. If you can't make it down there, I hope you venture out to get some of this great air that is beginning to happen.
During the trip, we spent a good amount of time hang waiting for the winds to subside. However, I had a chance to meet Awseome Bob and Tow Joe, real down-to-earth guys that are very knowledgable and willing to help. I also enjoyed a great chat with Jim Rooney talking about both flying and non-flying. A great group of folks down there. Jim also gave me some advice on aerobatics, can't wait to use that.
Fly Safe, fly far.
Rance
PS: Tim, you should give the group more details about your skydiving experience. Flapping cheeks and all. Videos?
-
SheilaGardner
- Posts: 38
- Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2005 6:14 pm
Enjoyed Quest last week
Has anyone seen Raean and Fred when you go to Wallaby/Quest (can't remember which one they're at)?? Just curious.? Sheila
----- Original Message -----
From: rancerupp (rupps@truevine.net)
To: hg_forum@chgpa.org (hg_forum@chgpa.org)
Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2005 2:17 PM
Subject: Enjoyed Quest last week
In Tjaden fashion, here's the more interesting (& longer) version:
We drove Tuesday night and arrived at 10am Wednesday. Winds were high enough to break up any thermal activity so we headed to Orlando. Tim took the plunge and took a lesson in the sky-diving chamber while Steve & I took pictures. Leaving there, we went to the Fantasy of Flight for lunch/dinner and watched folks take rides in a 5-passenger biplane (fascinating). From there, we went by Wallaby and took a tour of the facilities. It looks like a great place to take kids. Lots of outdoor things for them to climb on. After that, we headed back towards Quest but just had to stop by the glider port. We chatted with a guy just breaking down his glider ($80k worth). A very maticulous machine. He only had about a 1/16th" gap where the wing joins the fusalage but he still applied tape to clean up the air. LOTS of other fine aircraft too. We then headed back to Quest, only to find out that Bill and some others had wonderful flights. Still, I would have chosen to do what we did. If you ever get down to Florida, there are PLENTY of 'other' things to keep you busy.
Thursday brought more stiff winds. We waited a while till it died down enough for some of the locals to begin towing up. I happened to be the last one up. My tow was rather squirlly due to my inexperience with the TRX. However, Lisa did a super job of correcting on her end when I had problems. Due to the level of gusts, she decided to halt towing for the time being. After I got off tow, I quickly found some boyant air and made it to just over 3100'. After leaving the lift to go back upwind, I had a blast wanging back to the airport. Sometimes its more fun than trying to find lift for extended flight.
Friday, I spent time talking with 'Awesome' Bob as well as with Steve to analyze my problems towing the TRX. That evening, I applied those changes (a small adjustment to the glider, a lot to my technique) and took a baby-butt smooth tow. MUCH better. Now I feel better about going back out in the middle of the day with it.
Saturday came with expected lighter winds but it just didn't happen until later. I spent the afternoon on a stroll picking oranges & tangerines getting my sun tan. There's an art to finding the good ones.
As soon as I got back, I found the winds subsiding so I quickly set my glider back up and got in line as fast as possible. This mid-afternoon tow confirmed my corrections and the tow went without a hitch. I had spoke with Bill just before launching to find out upper lift conditions. He said 'it was over Rt 333'. I immediately headed in that direction to find it precisely between the two adjacent lakes (ponds).
During the climb, I saw an Atos pilot 200-300' above me and a fisherman below me in the lake that looked similar to Micky Mouse. From what I could tell the Atos was above me but wasn't outclimbing me. We were near each other, but climbing in different columns most of the time. Having slowly drifted downwind, he decided to head back toward the airport. I slowly gained enough to reach his altitude and then passed him. He then re-joined me in the sufficiently rising air to finally reach me. We were rather far apart, but still circling around the opposite sides of the same circle. I finally found a healthier column near me and tightened up my circles to rise above him. I maintained that distance above him and enjoyed watching a rigid from above. (The last time I was in this position was when Davis S. was at Blue Sky, but Davis soon soared past me.)
We both eventually left that lift to head back to the airport. At 750', I arrived at the 'house thermal' and rode it back to over 3k' while watching others being towed up. It wasn't strong, but it was still reasonably workable.
After not being able to milk it any more I found myself again just above the MM lake at less than 1k, but with no fisherman and no more lift this time. I reluctantly headed toward the East to set up for landing. I saw that the Atos had landed just earlier. I circled above our camping area and took it in for a base leg and then on to final. Although I was headed directly into the wind, when I got to about treetop level I found some turbulence kicking me to the right side of the 'slot' of trees. Each time I leveled the wing out and was back in position, something gently pushed me to the right. Tim had noticed this same thing. I've made a note to watch this in the future coming in from that direction. I had a decent landing, running it out just slightly and was very happy with just under an hour.
We quickly broke the gliders down, broke camp and headed home that evening. This trip just fueled my desire to go back down there again as quickly as possible. If you can't make it down there, I hope you venture out to get some of this great air that is beginning to happen.
During the trip, we spent a good amount of time hang waiting for the winds to subside. However, I had a chance to meet Awseome Bob and Tow Joe, real down-to-earth guys that are very knowledgable and willing to help. I also enjoyed a great chat with Jim Rooney talking about both flying and non-flying. A great group of folks down there. Jim also gave me some advice on aerobatics, can't wait to use that.
Fly Safe, fly far.
Rance
PS: Tim, you should give the group more details about your skydiving experience. Flapping cheeks and all. Videos?