Jacks 4/19

[XCanytime]

Looking pretty darn good. The northern contingent is interested for sure. I'm planning on going. And the rain should hold off until after midnight.

Bacil

[hepcat1989]

I'm in. Dennis Pagen said they're planning a clean up tomorrow as well 9-12.
Shawn.

[XCanytime]

Jacks was quite a mixed bag today. Arrived at 10:45A to find a massive cleanup being done of the slot by volunteers and youngsters with community service requirements. Pitched in and picked up small trash items for a half hour. Dennis Pagen was coordinating the effort. Blowing in nicely. The northern contingent filled out with Keith Olena, his hang II student Jeff, Doug Rogers, Bob Beck, Shawn MacDuff, John Wiseman, Jesse Fulkersein, Spoons, and Mark Dunn. Shawn Ray and I were the inputs from the south. Jeff, another Hang II that I didn’t know, and I set up across the road as conditions got stronger. By the time Keith was trying to launch Jeff, it got downright blown out, with little dust devils marking thermals popping off from the parking lots. Had to attend the glider to make sure it didn’t move too much. After waiting for around an hour, it had calmed down enough to enable me to launch at 1:45P. Turned right into the south cross that had been indicated by the vultures soaring around launch. Headed down to mark a remote start point at the power line clear cut that is 6 miles SW of launch. The lift was plentiful, albeit ratty, and I stayed between 3K’ and 4K’ MSL the whole way down. Turned around just before the power line clear cut and enjoyed the tailwind back to launch. A lone sailplane kept heading back and forth along the dragstrip that is Jacks for the sailplane pilots. Caught another nice thermal right in front of launch and got to 5K’ MSL. Made it up to just before the Rt. 322 gap at 3700’ MSL. Made the jump over the gap, fighting a stiff headwind from the ESE across. There was a field right by 322 in front of the gap that was easily reachable had I not been able to make the jump. Lost a bunch of altitude down to 2K’ MSL when I reached the radio towers on the other side, but the ridge lift kicked in and I gained back to 600’ over the ridge. The fields are far out from the mountain in this area. Dolphin flew for the next 15 miles, fighting an ESE cross the whole way, until the first sizable gap just past Bannerville. Thermalled up to 4K’ MSL and I jumped both gaps with ease. Up ahead was the sea of trees where the mountain jumps back. There was no way I was going back there since there was no place to land. Conditions got lighter as I approached the end of the ridge, so I just burbled out into the valley with the hope of catching another thermal to link up with a good piece of the ridge two miles away. Didn’t find much and put down in a nice flat field at 4:30P. Flew over some cows in a corral on my downwind, and when I started carrying the glider towards the road, they looked like they were ready to stampede. I felt like Billy Crystal in the movie City Slickers with the coffee grinder . And lo and behold, as I’m about to set the glider down by the road who shows up but my man Shawn Ray in my truck. Unbeknownst to me, he had shadowed me the whole way from launch to the out landing, 38 miles from the remote start point. Now that is timing! I had asked Shawn for a retrieve with a hand drawn map thanks to Mapquest. It worked out perfectly. Shawn chose not to fly and drive retrieve. Thanks Shawn! We packed up and headed back, stopping by the main LZ to chat with Doug Rogers, who had a half hour flight. Bob, Shawn, and John Wiseman (in his first XC from Jacks) landed at the Mifflin County Airport. Jesse had to land out on the front side of the ridge somewhere near the power line clear cut between launch and the 322 gap. We passed Joe and Karen Gorrie on our way back to Shawn’s car on top. Back on top Spoons and Mark were packed up, not getting to fly. Hit the road with a big grin. I had been looking for this flight at Jacks since 2001.

Bacil

[hepcat1989]

Good job Bacil...... On an Eagle, no vario,and a relief map as a canard wing! 40 miles! Ya Prick Ya!
Seriously, Good flight man...Glad I could help ya out....
Shawn.

[Matthew]

WAY TO GO BACIL!!!!!!

Matthew

[Dan T]

Great job Bacil!

Persistence pays off in this sport, you had that one coming!

Dan T

[Spark]

Congrats Bacil! Good on ya