Who’s Qualified to Fly Edith’s Gap?

[JohnE]

I have noticed that often sites are rated P-2/H-2 or P-3/H-3, a kind of logic that I see running through MarkC's last post. I just wanted to point out that the differing characteristics of the PG and HG could well result in different ratings for a site, owing to how the physical characteristics of a given site interact with the wings' own characteristics. There is no logical reason why the ratings should be parallel.

So, it is not impossible to envision that Edith's Gap could eventually be rated P-2 with Observer and H-3 at the same time, if that is what the most experienced leaders of each type of wing decide.

In any case, thank all of you for looking out for our collective safety and putting such quality of thought into the issue!

John

[markc]

Wow. Talk about a "poster child" for how forum/text-based communication can go completely awry. From Larry:

Mark, your last post almost encourages H2's to go fly the site while we try to figure out what the rating should be. I know this was not your intent.....

Oh my frickin' god! Larry, you know me well enough to understand that's not what I'm suggesting! At least, I HOPE you do????

It seems that my mistake was to leave out a couple of crucial words.... Words that (to *me*) seemed implicit/understood. The fact that they weren't... Well... That probably illustrates the forum/email/whatever problem in a nutshell, doesn't it?

Perhaps this is what I should have posted (bold-face added):

So I urge that those who feel most strongly about this, AND WHO ARE H3-OR HIGHER, OR P3-OR-HIGHER, to do some/all of the following:

Visit the site
Fly the site
Talk with observers who've flown the site
Talk to pilots who've flown the site.
Communicate concerns at club meetings and to the BOD

Edith's was an H3-only site prior to the recent improvements, for obvious reasons. I'm not implying that, *POOF*, anybody can fly there, "no worries mon!". Hence my comment:

I am *not* suggesting that Edith's should be an H2/P2 site, an H2/P2 site with Observer, or an H3/P3 site.

In my opinion, things are still very much in flux, and it's way early in the game to be deciding exactly how the site will be managed.

My post wasn't intended to imply carte-blanche/anything-goes at Edith's. What I'm attempting to communicate (and apparently failing MISERABLY at, sheesh!) is that the recent site improvement efforts are a game-changer for HG pilots.

It was once "Maybe I'll be able to reach an LZ".

Now, you can actually *see* an LZ!!!

I haven't flown the site since these improvements. I've witnessed probably 20+ PG flights (on the launch-cleanup day), and I've heard of one HG flight (Brian VH's). So believe me, I don't consider myself an expert on the site's characteristics!

My expectation is that those who DO know more than I (observers, pilots who fly the site, the BOD, etc) will accumulate the expertise needed to manage the re-opened Edith's in a safe and conservative way.

You know what? If I was sitting down with Larry and RichH, perhaps over a beer after a great flying day, and we started tossing around a few thoughts about Edith's..... Call me optimistic, but I suspect we'd be in 100% agreement about everything.

Forums and email can be great, but they sure ain't face-2-face.

MarkC

[XCanytime]

It was once "Maybe I'll be able to reach an LZ".

Now, you can actually *see* an LZ!!!
MarkC

From the site guide dated 1/9/96:

Directions to site: Take I-66 to first Front Royal exit (Rt. 55). Go west on Rt. 55 to Rt. 340. Take Rt. 340 south to Luray. Take first right (Rt. 675) after Rt. 211 bypass. Turn left after crossing river, go .5 miles, (primary LZ is field bordered by bridge and river) then go up the hill for .3 miles to fork in road. (Right hand fork is dirt and goes .3 miles to secondary LZ). Take left hand fork up mountain for 2 miles to launch. Launch is on the right. Parking is on the left.

Glide Slope to LZ: 7.8:1

OTHER COMMENTS: First time, should fly with pilot that knows the site.
Secondary (very restricted) LZ of 4.2:1 is straight out from launch; it requires a tight aircraft approach.
A 100' ridge blocks view of the primary LZ from launch.
Good light air soaring; unbroken ridge for 20 miles to the NE and Front Royal.
Call first to find out condition of the slot.

Sounds like the Mason's property was the secondary LZ all along. Bacil

[RichH]

Marc I got your meaning and any time for that beer..I never pass up a brewski

[chgpa]

Moving this topic to the CHGPA club-affairs forum, since discussions about the requirements for flying Edith's certainly fall into the category of "Protocols for flying sites" (per that forum's charter).

Wish someone would have done that earlier, but oh well... Will also create a pointer topic referring to its new home.

[pvanoevelen]

As a P4 Oberserver I will not comment on the HG requirements they are totally out of my field of experience/expertise. For PG I agree with Matt that it COULD be a P2 with observer.
One thing many of us seem to forget is that we tend to fly midday on the East Coast and quite a few of our LZ's can become quite thermic. I have flown Edith's Gap a few times now but not yet in spring or summer so I am careful to judge. Flown in fall there was still some thermic activity even later in the day which I suspect is due to the sloping nature of the LZ and its orientation/location (lots of contrast in albedo with surrounding darker tree covered areas).
After the clean up it is certainly a much easier LZ as turns low to the ground can be avoided.
- Cheers Peter