The SAC Saturday Feb.11th
Moderator: CHGPA BOD
Re: The SAC Saturday Feb.11th
Arrived at 10A to find Romano Altamonte set up and ready. Conditions were moderate to strong, but w/ nice lulls interspersed w/ the loud noise in the trees. The clouds were drying out from south to north, so it was a race against the clock. Set up quickly. Allan arrived 15 minutes after I did. By 11A I was ready to go, and Joe had arrived. W/ Joe and Allan's help, I had a "twanger" launch, and flew fast out of the slot. Turned left, and found enough lift to stair step my way above the ridge.
Headed west towards the river. Climbed in a rowdy thermal the highest in the flight (3200' MSL). Saw Romano stage on the mound, launch safely, and get up. Shot the Klingerstown Gap w/ ease, benefited by the altitude gained in the thermal. The 6 mile stretch of ridge to the Pillow Gap was working nicely, so I just cruised to the Pillow Gap. Flew in a lift line towards the town, climbing all the way to 2K' MSL. Dove towards the corner of the ridge across the gap and reached it w/ ~ 150' above.
On to the "saddle" gap, and I found good lift before it, and crossed it w/ ease. Flew down to just before my river LZ from the 1/15 flight, found a thermal, and climbed up to around 2800' MSL. Now it's time to turn around and head back. Got low just before the "saddle" gap, but still had enough height, or so I thought. Flew across, and found myself below the ridge on the other side. Kept going, but didn't find hardly any lift, and remained just below or just at ridge height. Prior to the Pillow Gap I got even lower, and went out to land, but found a rowdy thermal away from the ridge that got me up to 2800' MSL. Phew! So I crossed the Pillow Gap w/ ease.
But sure enough, I found myself down on the ridge around the clear cut expanse just west of the hunting lodge on the ridgetop. I started to do the same thing as I did before, forge on, but there was a fer piece to a decent landing field, so I finally threw in the towel after ~ 1:30 in the air. Had a gentle trip/belly flop in a huge field a long way from the main valley road. It was a long trek to the edge of the farm field where a dirt road accessed the field off the main road. Turns out I landed just west of Hebe. Called Romano, who had landed in the main LZ after his 1st soaring flight at the SAC. Good job Romano! I pinned my location on the WhatsApp PA/MD Flying group, and Romano used that to give me a body ride back to my truck.
I had gotten a phone call from Karen, who had heard from Allan, who had landed out on Vista Road, just east of Klingerstown. I assured Karen that I would take care of Allan. Believe it or not, Allan had landed in the same field I had landed in back in April 2022, where Allan had retrieved me. I drove up to him, letting him know I had to go get my glider just west of Hebe, and that I'd be back to give him a ride to his truck at the main LZ. After dropping Allan off at his truck, I stopped by Joe and Karen's house to find Doug and Natalie and Joe and Karen enjoying rounds of pinball on the pinball machines that Joe has bought and restored to operation. Doug had a nice 15 to 20 minute flight, highlighted by a 200' low save over the corner of main LZ, climbing 1600' feet to 1200' over launch.
Allan made it to the river just like I did, but he was one thermal shy of making it back to the main LZ. Like I said, we were racing the clock. I'm sure that if we started launching at 10A that the extra hour of airtime would have enabled us to make the river and all the way back. That being said, still a fun flight, and all pilots who flew had big smiles after their flights. Bacil
Headed west towards the river. Climbed in a rowdy thermal the highest in the flight (3200' MSL). Saw Romano stage on the mound, launch safely, and get up. Shot the Klingerstown Gap w/ ease, benefited by the altitude gained in the thermal. The 6 mile stretch of ridge to the Pillow Gap was working nicely, so I just cruised to the Pillow Gap. Flew in a lift line towards the town, climbing all the way to 2K' MSL. Dove towards the corner of the ridge across the gap and reached it w/ ~ 150' above.
On to the "saddle" gap, and I found good lift before it, and crossed it w/ ease. Flew down to just before my river LZ from the 1/15 flight, found a thermal, and climbed up to around 2800' MSL. Now it's time to turn around and head back. Got low just before the "saddle" gap, but still had enough height, or so I thought. Flew across, and found myself below the ridge on the other side. Kept going, but didn't find hardly any lift, and remained just below or just at ridge height. Prior to the Pillow Gap I got even lower, and went out to land, but found a rowdy thermal away from the ridge that got me up to 2800' MSL. Phew! So I crossed the Pillow Gap w/ ease.
But sure enough, I found myself down on the ridge around the clear cut expanse just west of the hunting lodge on the ridgetop. I started to do the same thing as I did before, forge on, but there was a fer piece to a decent landing field, so I finally threw in the towel after ~ 1:30 in the air. Had a gentle trip/belly flop in a huge field a long way from the main valley road. It was a long trek to the edge of the farm field where a dirt road accessed the field off the main road. Turns out I landed just west of Hebe. Called Romano, who had landed in the main LZ after his 1st soaring flight at the SAC. Good job Romano! I pinned my location on the WhatsApp PA/MD Flying group, and Romano used that to give me a body ride back to my truck.
I had gotten a phone call from Karen, who had heard from Allan, who had landed out on Vista Road, just east of Klingerstown. I assured Karen that I would take care of Allan. Believe it or not, Allan had landed in the same field I had landed in back in April 2022, where Allan had retrieved me. I drove up to him, letting him know I had to go get my glider just west of Hebe, and that I'd be back to give him a ride to his truck at the main LZ. After dropping Allan off at his truck, I stopped by Joe and Karen's house to find Doug and Natalie and Joe and Karen enjoying rounds of pinball on the pinball machines that Joe has bought and restored to operation. Doug had a nice 15 to 20 minute flight, highlighted by a 200' low save over the corner of main LZ, climbing 1600' feet to 1200' over launch.
Allan made it to the river just like I did, but he was one thermal shy of making it back to the main LZ. Like I said, we were racing the clock. I'm sure that if we started launching at 10A that the extra hour of airtime would have enabled us to make the river and all the way back. That being said, still a fun flight, and all pilots who flew had big smiles after their flights. Bacil