I would be willing to give it a try. Any others thinking about it?
Kelvin
703-946-0583
High Rock Sunday Afternoon
Moderator: CHGPA BOD
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Kelvin Pierce
- Posts: 77
- Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2005 9:18 am
- Location: Vienna, VA
- Contact:
High Rock Sunday Afternoon
Kelvin
-
Kelvin Pierce
- Posts: 77
- Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2005 9:18 am
- Location: Vienna, VA
- Contact:
So after getting this cavalcade going, why didn't you come, Kelvin? Parts of the day were really quite good.
I got there around noon to join Mike Lee who had been there about an hour. Thermally - the wind would go from clearly ridge soarable speeds to less. I set up and waited. Shortly before the TFR expired a news crew arrived with a camera man and a cute reporter named Gretchen. They were doing a montage about events in the area, and didn't even know they would be treated to hang gliding. We told them we were waiting for wire crew to arrive and would likely be launching in about half an hour or so. They left to film the swing dancing at Pen Mar park, and shortly after Hugh, Steve, Tim, Matthew, Karen, Dan, Linda and Dave Green arrived. In the middle of these arrivals the news crew returned, so we bundled up Mike and let him do the hero's launch for the camera, leaving me behind with cute Gretchen. Sucker. There was a large dark cloud over launch, cutting off much of the thermal activity, but Mike fought the good fight for about 20 minutes. I couldn't get the news crew interested in our names or any further information about hang gliding, so started agitating for a shuttle to the LZ, arguing that when the cloud left the sunshine would turn things on. By the time we left Mike had finally fought his way a few hundred feet above launch, but when he saw vehicles leaving convinced himself we were guiding cute Gretchen down to watch his landing, so headed out. Sucker.
When we got back up top things were sunnier, so launched Glen and Steve. Both sunk out. Linda decided that conditions were gentle enough for her return to mountain flying on her falcon. After some time spent rebuilding her comfort level on the cliff, she launched...and went straight up. Followed by the usual rush of pilots. I had called down to ask Steve to pull the H3 test out of my car and give it to Glen, so after about half an hour boating around curiosity got the best of me and I went down to land. Glen wasn't done yet, but Steve and Tim went up to launch the remaining pilots. Since Glen is computer illiterate I may as well make the announcement for him: we have a new H3! Congratulations Glen!
People soared for awhile, then as cells as rain drifted in from the Pulpit things got squirrely. Dan chose to run down the ridge and land in the biggest field he could find. But there were no landing mishaps in the Carbaugh's field, so we did well.
On the way home Mike introduced us to the brew pub Barley and Hops in Frederick. The Cav joined us so we could compare notes...I don't think any of the posts from the Pulpit have done justice to what we heard in person. Sounds like they had quite the adventure.
I got there around noon to join Mike Lee who had been there about an hour. Thermally - the wind would go from clearly ridge soarable speeds to less. I set up and waited. Shortly before the TFR expired a news crew arrived with a camera man and a cute reporter named Gretchen. They were doing a montage about events in the area, and didn't even know they would be treated to hang gliding. We told them we were waiting for wire crew to arrive and would likely be launching in about half an hour or so. They left to film the swing dancing at Pen Mar park, and shortly after Hugh, Steve, Tim, Matthew, Karen, Dan, Linda and Dave Green arrived. In the middle of these arrivals the news crew returned, so we bundled up Mike and let him do the hero's launch for the camera, leaving me behind with cute Gretchen. Sucker. There was a large dark cloud over launch, cutting off much of the thermal activity, but Mike fought the good fight for about 20 minutes. I couldn't get the news crew interested in our names or any further information about hang gliding, so started agitating for a shuttle to the LZ, arguing that when the cloud left the sunshine would turn things on. By the time we left Mike had finally fought his way a few hundred feet above launch, but when he saw vehicles leaving convinced himself we were guiding cute Gretchen down to watch his landing, so headed out. Sucker.
When we got back up top things were sunnier, so launched Glen and Steve. Both sunk out. Linda decided that conditions were gentle enough for her return to mountain flying on her falcon. After some time spent rebuilding her comfort level on the cliff, she launched...and went straight up. Followed by the usual rush of pilots. I had called down to ask Steve to pull the H3 test out of my car and give it to Glen, so after about half an hour boating around curiosity got the best of me and I went down to land. Glen wasn't done yet, but Steve and Tim went up to launch the remaining pilots. Since Glen is computer illiterate I may as well make the announcement for him: we have a new H3! Congratulations Glen!
People soared for awhile, then as cells as rain drifted in from the Pulpit things got squirrely. Dan chose to run down the ridge and land in the biggest field he could find. But there were no landing mishaps in the Carbaugh's field, so we did well.
On the way home Mike introduced us to the brew pub Barley and Hops in Frederick. The Cav joined us so we could compare notes...I don't think any of the posts from the Pulpit have done justice to what we heard in person. Sounds like they had quite the adventure.
Brian Vant-Hull
I launched from HR at 4:25 in pleasant soaring conditions (thanks to Matthew, Dave Bodner and Mike Lee for crewing and advice). I found a line of smooth moderate lift out front under a dark cloud that got me to 4000 and a great view in all directions. Kept watching a rain shower advance across the valley. It looked like it would miss us to the south, but I was filled with doubt. Decided I was an idiot to risk getting caught in it and started dumping altitude. When I was down to about 2500, I realized the rain really was missing us, so stopped diving and enjoyed buoyant and baby-butt smooth conditions, but never got back to cloudbase. With the arrival of a blue hole I slowly sank back to 500 over the ridge. It seemed like the wind speed over the gulley to left of launch increased to the point that I was parked, so I pulled on VG. As the next wave of launches cruised the ridge, I went out to land and had one of those landings that just feels good - "aaaah!"
I wanted to go out to the brewpub to celebrate, but Sallie had cooked dinner, so went home and got to bed on time, like a good middle-aged wage slave. What a nice weekend!
Congratulations to Glenn on H3! Mike Lee is looking real strong, too. He had a straight in approach as he just barely made the LZ and a picture-perfect landing.
Welcome back, Linda! And Steve K! Shall we start an Honorable and Distinguished Order of High Rock Crashers? Some sort of special insignia? Formal presentations at club meetings? Secret meetings that only we are invited to? Group buy on pole climbing spikes? I have a helmet with a baseball-sized dent in it that could serve as some sort of a group totem... - Hugh
I wanted to go out to the brewpub to celebrate, but Sallie had cooked dinner, so went home and got to bed on time, like a good middle-aged wage slave. What a nice weekend!
Congratulations to Glenn on H3! Mike Lee is looking real strong, too. He had a straight in approach as he just barely made the LZ and a picture-perfect landing.
Welcome back, Linda! And Steve K! Shall we start an Honorable and Distinguished Order of High Rock Crashers? Some sort of special insignia? Formal presentations at club meetings? Secret meetings that only we are invited to? Group buy on pole climbing spikes? I have a helmet with a baseball-sized dent in it that could serve as some sort of a group totem... - Hugh
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hepcat1989
- Posts: 684
- Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2005 11:15 pm
Wow, she's even hotter in that mugshot they got of her.
http://www.nbc25.com/main/team.php# Go down to Gretchen Gailey.
I'd better stop before the OT police come after me.
http://www.nbc25.com/main/team.php# Go down to Gretchen Gailey.
I'd better stop before the OT police come after me.
Brian Vant-Hull
