????Tuesday. Low inversion, winds averaging perhaps ten with higher gusts, from the west, a bad direction. High pressure system. Combined, they made bad juju. The early flyers exhibited weak link breaks and bad landings. The lift was marginal, too. However, Ron stayed up, and towed well, so exceptions existed. Paul elected to wait until conditions mellowed before flying his new ship. It looked like a glider parking lot down by the launch area.? I got stupid and a little unlucky, when I decided I could handle it.?
I could feel a huge gust hit right as?I came off the cart. Uh oh. I was right behind the tug at maybe 100 feet when my link broke.?(Kev said yesterday?the weak link?might have also?broken because of the very powerful tug, which throttled back yesterday.) My glider stalled severely and fell off very hard to the left. Look, Mom, I can do aerobatics! By the time I regained flying speed I was aimed at the trees with a crossing tail. Really not funny. I turned hard right and missed the trees but impacted the ground hard with the left corner of my control frame. I got thrashed by that nasty rotor behind them, and my wings were never level.
Well. I crumpled Griffin's downtube, and none were in stock. Malcolm (Wallaby's owner) was nice but didn't have any either.?Turns out Bob went to heroic measures and MADE a downtube to fit Griffin, which he installed with Paul yesterday morning, before I arrived. But in the process of repairing it they found the corner bracket had crushed the tang, making it?un-airworthy. So I have to wait for new side wires to arrive. Me? My arm is bruised from hitting the side wires and breaking the downtube, but?I am fine. Thank goodness for those calcium pills!
Don't think I haven't analyzed this to death. My attempt at humor does not imply being cavalier. The bottom line is I need to listen to my instincts and keep my ego out of the package. On the other hand, stuff does sometimes happen. Even if conditions are within your skill level. The reward to risk ratio wasn't good for Tuesday, though, for me. Besides being smarter,?I need to increase my skill by flying as much as possible and understanding my glider's responses better at altitude, so I can control problems more dynamically and instinctively, so that when everything does goes wrong my odds are better.
I rented a 170 Falcon yesterday, all ragged out. It was really fun to fly it. I needed to get right back into the air again.?I was nervous as sh** off the cart, but winds were L and V and conditions benign. I flew her for an hour and didn't even run from the gaggles. Kev says my most important thing to remember about competing is to FOLLOW the other pilots. Run TO them.
It also really helped me today to remember what he says about flying, how it shouldn't wear you out at all, that you should be in a really non-defensive pose, feeling the air. I thought?I did better with this but?I was flying the easiest ship in the world and it wasn't rocking conditions, so who knows!
?The gaggles?were kinda a mess with the light lift but mostly everyone was very well behaved. The exception was one dyslexic who flew to the right while everyone else circled left! He also flew at me at one point, and flew right through the center once. I think he had no clue what he was doing but I learned quickly to watch for his glider and stay away from it. Hey, there was even a baby trike thermaling with our group once. None of us got very high. I think the best was 3500 but?I didn't see it. 2999 was my top.
When I bailed for the airport I learned the Falcon has a glide like a concrete block. I thought?I was being conservative but I had it about right. Have to admit I thought I was going to deck it when I found a low thermal. I was very happy for a few minutes until everyone else in the sky rushed over to join me again. Anyhow, the Falcon was fun, so easy. Paul flew his new ship 3 1/2 hours... talk about getting your butt kicked, he kicked mine!
I had to run out the landing because I am not used to having no energy retention whatsoever. I kinda pushed up a little, waiting for the Falcon to settle... and nothing happened. By the time it dawned on me that I'd better flare it was LATE but at least I didn't set down the frame or beak it. I did a good imitation of Forest Gump though (run Forest, run!!!).
Misty is bringing me her never-been-flown-high Falcon for me today, also a 170.?Useable lift is?only predicted to be 1000 feet so it is too butt-clenching for XC. But she is so nice she told me I could do whatever I wanted with it.
Oh, and I bummed a ride with Rhett in his Dragonfly yesterday evening. He was so nice, and?he actually ended up teaching me some. I haven't flown a plane in a long time and, uh, kinda overbanked a few times. He said I scared him at first. Great. The guy who can do 40 spins with the horizon level, and I can make him tremble. But I got better as we went. Fun. Much better than Tuesday.
Lauren
>
>
>
> > ---------------------------------
> >
Quest Tuesday, scary, Wednesday, fun!
Moderator: CHGPA BOD
Quest Tuesday, scary, Wednesday, fun!
I love it that you consider an hour to be ho-hum. Hope you'll pass on
some of the wisdom you're gaining (XC, comp) when you get here. Nice
weather yesterday, but had to work. Decidedly air-horny; rode
motorcycle to work as compensation. Brian and I rode to a movie, too.
Buy an extra downtube - then you won't break any more. - Hugh
On 31 Mar 2005, at 08:22, Tjadenhors@aol.com wrote:
> ????Tuesday. Low inversion, winds averaging perhaps ten with higher
> gusts, from the west, a bad direction. High pressure system. Combined,
> they made bad juju. The early flyers exhibited weak link breaks and
> bad landings. The lift was marginal, too. However, Ron stayed up, and
> towed well, so exceptions existed. Paul elected to wait until
> conditions mellowed before flying his new ship. It looked like a
> glider parking lot down by the launch area.? I got stupid and a little
> unlucky, when I decided I could handle it.?
> I could feel a huge gust hit right as?I came off the cart. Uh oh. I
> was right behind the tug at maybe 100 feet when my link broke.?(Kev
> said yesterday?the weak link?might have also?broken because of the
> very powerful tug, which throttled back yesterday.) My glider stalled
> severely and fell off very hard to the left. Look, Mom, I can do
> aerobatics! By the time I regained flying speed I was aimed at the
> trees with a crossing tail. Really not funny. I turned hard right and
> missed the trees but impacted the ground hard with the left corner of
> my control frame. I got thrashed by that nasty rotor behind them, and
> my wings were never level.
> Well. I crumpled Griffin's downtube, and none were in stock. Malcolm
> (Wallaby's owner) was nice but didn't have any either.?Turns out Bob
> went to heroic measures and MADE a downtube to fit Griffin, which he
> installed with Paul yesterday morning, before I arrived. But in the
> process of repairing it they found the corner bracket had crushed the
> tang, making it?un-airworthy. So I have to wait for new side wires to
> arrive. Me? My arm is bruised from hitting the side wires and breaking
> the downtube, but?I am fine. Thank goodness for those calcium pills!
> Don't think I haven't analyzed this to death. My attempt at humor
> does not imply being cavalier. The bottom line is I need to listen to
> my instincts and keep my ego out of the package. On the other hand,
> stuff does sometimes happen. Even if conditions are within your skill
> level. The reward to risk ratio wasn't good for Tuesday, though, for
> me. Besides being smarter,?I need to increase my skill by flying as
> much as possible and understanding my glider's responses better at
> altitude, so I can control problems more dynamically and
> instinctively, so that when everything does goes wrong my odds are
> better.
> I rented a 170 Falcon yesterday, all ragged out. It was really fun to
> fly it. I needed to get right back into the air again.?I was nervous
> as sh** off the cart, but winds were L and V and conditions benign. I
> flew her for an hour and didn't even run from the gaggles. Kev says my
> most important thing to remember about competing is to FOLLOW the
> other pilots. Run TO them.
> It also really helped me today to remember what he says about flying,
> how it shouldn't wear you out at all, that you should be in a really
> non-defensive pose, feeling the air. I thought?I did better with this
> but?I was flying the easiest ship in the world and it wasn't rocking
> conditions, so who knows!
> ?The gaggles?were kinda a mess with the light lift but mostly
> everyone was very well behaved. The exception was one dyslexic who
> flew to the right while everyone else circled left! He also flew at me
> at one point, and flew right through the center once. I think he had
> no clue what he was doing but I learned quickly to watch for his
> glider and stay away from it. Hey, there was even a baby trike
> thermaling with our group once. None of us got very high. I think the
> best was 3500 but?I didn't see it. 2999 was my top.
> When I bailed for the airport I learned the Falcon has a glide like a
> concrete block. I thought?I was being conservative but I had it about
> right. Have to admit I thought I was going to deck it when I found a
> low thermal. I was very happy for a few minutes until everyone else in
> the sky rushed over to join me again. Anyhow, the Falcon was fun, so
> easy. Paul flew his new ship 3 1/2 hours... talk about getting your
> butt kicked, he kicked mine!
> I had to run out the landing because I am not used to having no
> energy retention whatsoever. I kinda pushed up a little, waiting for
> the Falcon to settle... and nothing happened. By the time it dawned on
> me that I'd better flare it was LATE but at least I didn't set down
> the frame or beak it. I did a good imitation of Forest Gump though
> (run Forest, run!!!).
> Misty is bringing me her never-been-flown-high Falcon for me today,
> also a 170.?Useable lift is?only predicted to be 1000 feet so it is
> too butt-clenching for XC. But she is so nice she told me I could do
> whatever I wanted with it.
> Oh, and I bummed a ride with Rhett in his Dragonfly yesterday
> evening. He was so nice, and?he actually ended up teaching me some. I
> haven't flown a plane in a long time and, uh, kinda overbanked a few
> times. He said I scared him at first. Great. The guy who can do 40
> spins with the horizon level, and I can make him tremble. But I got
> better as we went. Fun. Much better than Tuesday.
> Lauren
>
> >
> >
> >
> > > ---------------------------------
> > >
>
>
>
>
>
some of the wisdom you're gaining (XC, comp) when you get here. Nice
weather yesterday, but had to work. Decidedly air-horny; rode
motorcycle to work as compensation. Brian and I rode to a movie, too.
Buy an extra downtube - then you won't break any more. - Hugh
On 31 Mar 2005, at 08:22, Tjadenhors@aol.com wrote:
> ????Tuesday. Low inversion, winds averaging perhaps ten with higher
> gusts, from the west, a bad direction. High pressure system. Combined,
> they made bad juju. The early flyers exhibited weak link breaks and
> bad landings. The lift was marginal, too. However, Ron stayed up, and
> towed well, so exceptions existed. Paul elected to wait until
> conditions mellowed before flying his new ship. It looked like a
> glider parking lot down by the launch area.? I got stupid and a little
> unlucky, when I decided I could handle it.?
> I could feel a huge gust hit right as?I came off the cart. Uh oh. I
> was right behind the tug at maybe 100 feet when my link broke.?(Kev
> said yesterday?the weak link?might have also?broken because of the
> very powerful tug, which throttled back yesterday.) My glider stalled
> severely and fell off very hard to the left. Look, Mom, I can do
> aerobatics! By the time I regained flying speed I was aimed at the
> trees with a crossing tail. Really not funny. I turned hard right and
> missed the trees but impacted the ground hard with the left corner of
> my control frame. I got thrashed by that nasty rotor behind them, and
> my wings were never level.
> Well. I crumpled Griffin's downtube, and none were in stock. Malcolm
> (Wallaby's owner) was nice but didn't have any either.?Turns out Bob
> went to heroic measures and MADE a downtube to fit Griffin, which he
> installed with Paul yesterday morning, before I arrived. But in the
> process of repairing it they found the corner bracket had crushed the
> tang, making it?un-airworthy. So I have to wait for new side wires to
> arrive. Me? My arm is bruised from hitting the side wires and breaking
> the downtube, but?I am fine. Thank goodness for those calcium pills!
> Don't think I haven't analyzed this to death. My attempt at humor
> does not imply being cavalier. The bottom line is I need to listen to
> my instincts and keep my ego out of the package. On the other hand,
> stuff does sometimes happen. Even if conditions are within your skill
> level. The reward to risk ratio wasn't good for Tuesday, though, for
> me. Besides being smarter,?I need to increase my skill by flying as
> much as possible and understanding my glider's responses better at
> altitude, so I can control problems more dynamically and
> instinctively, so that when everything does goes wrong my odds are
> better.
> I rented a 170 Falcon yesterday, all ragged out. It was really fun to
> fly it. I needed to get right back into the air again.?I was nervous
> as sh** off the cart, but winds were L and V and conditions benign. I
> flew her for an hour and didn't even run from the gaggles. Kev says my
> most important thing to remember about competing is to FOLLOW the
> other pilots. Run TO them.
> It also really helped me today to remember what he says about flying,
> how it shouldn't wear you out at all, that you should be in a really
> non-defensive pose, feeling the air. I thought?I did better with this
> but?I was flying the easiest ship in the world and it wasn't rocking
> conditions, so who knows!
> ?The gaggles?were kinda a mess with the light lift but mostly
> everyone was very well behaved. The exception was one dyslexic who
> flew to the right while everyone else circled left! He also flew at me
> at one point, and flew right through the center once. I think he had
> no clue what he was doing but I learned quickly to watch for his
> glider and stay away from it. Hey, there was even a baby trike
> thermaling with our group once. None of us got very high. I think the
> best was 3500 but?I didn't see it. 2999 was my top.
> When I bailed for the airport I learned the Falcon has a glide like a
> concrete block. I thought?I was being conservative but I had it about
> right. Have to admit I thought I was going to deck it when I found a
> low thermal. I was very happy for a few minutes until everyone else in
> the sky rushed over to join me again. Anyhow, the Falcon was fun, so
> easy. Paul flew his new ship 3 1/2 hours... talk about getting your
> butt kicked, he kicked mine!
> I had to run out the landing because I am not used to having no
> energy retention whatsoever. I kinda pushed up a little, waiting for
> the Falcon to settle... and nothing happened. By the time it dawned on
> me that I'd better flare it was LATE but at least I didn't set down
> the frame or beak it. I did a good imitation of Forest Gump though
> (run Forest, run!!!).
> Misty is bringing me her never-been-flown-high Falcon for me today,
> also a 170.?Useable lift is?only predicted to be 1000 feet so it is
> too butt-clenching for XC. But she is so nice she told me I could do
> whatever I wanted with it.
> Oh, and I bummed a ride with Rhett in his Dragonfly yesterday
> evening. He was so nice, and?he actually ended up teaching me some. I
> haven't flown a plane in a long time and, uh, kinda overbanked a few
> times. He said I scared him at first. Great. The guy who can do 40
> spins with the horizon level, and I can make him tremble. But I got
> better as we went. Fun. Much better than Tuesday.
> Lauren
>
> >
> >
> >
> > > ---------------------------------
> > >
>
>
>
>
>
-
Paul Tjaden
- Posts: 398
- Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2005 10:28 pm
Quest Tuesday, scary, Wednesday, fun!
In a message dated 4/1/2005 8:54:03 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, mcelrah@verizon.net writes:
no, I am very grateful
Oh yeah,?I am VERY smart now. If you buy me lots of gin and?olives when I see you, I will consider passing on to you some of my infinite and profound wisdom. Hee hee hee. BTW, in all seriousness, Kev is helping me tons, and the Mike B clinic was hugely helpful for someone inexperienced as I am. You should do it if you have a chance.
Glad you got to fly today. Sorry the weather is not better.
I flew again today too. The Falcon is the most relaxing and also the most frustrating glider I have?ever flown. Easy enough to take a nap on tow. But she featured a whopping 8 mph ground speed today into the wind. Yeesh. I had optimistically set my "go to" for Ocala, too. No, I didn't make it. I did fly 3 times, though (lots more landing practice).
Lauren
?
?I love it that you consider an hour to be ho-hum.
no, I am very grateful
??? Hope you'll pass on
some of the wisdom you're gaining (XC, comp) when you get here.?
Oh yeah,?I am VERY smart now. If you buy me lots of gin and?olives when I see you, I will consider passing on to you some of my infinite and profound wisdom. Hee hee hee. BTW, in all seriousness, Kev is helping me tons, and the Mike B clinic was hugely helpful for someone inexperienced as I am. You should do it if you have a chance.
Glad you got to fly today. Sorry the weather is not better.
I flew again today too. The Falcon is the most relaxing and also the most frustrating glider I have?ever flown. Easy enough to take a nap on tow. But she featured a whopping 8 mph ground speed today into the wind. Yeesh. I had optimistically set my "go to" for Ocala, too. No, I didn't make it. I did fly 3 times, though (lots more landing practice).
Lauren
?