Pulpit or Woodstock Fryday 03/19

[POLISH EAGLE]

I am heading to WS. or Pulpit tomorrow. Come on and join me.
Krzysztof.

[XCanytime]

Dan Tuckwiller and I are headed to the Pulpit. Dan will be there before I get there at 2:30P. Bacil

[POLISH EAGLE]

My ETA at the Pulpit is 12:30 PM. Krzysztof

[POLISH EAGLE]

The spring air is here. Dan, Bacil and I flew and soar with ease. I have taken a nice thermal to 4000 feet over lunch for a very short XC to St. Thomas.

Looking down on Rt. 30 from 5000' AGL.

[XCanytime]

Beautiful afternoon at the Pulpit. Got there at 2:15P to find Krzyzstof and Dan set up and ready to go with Krzyzstof's nephew Mark along for the experience. Got Krzyzstof off at 2:30P and Dan 15 minutes later with Mark's help. They both got up easily in the 10 to 15 MPH mostly straight in conditions. Dan got pretty high in a nice one at 2800' over drifting back between Tuscarora and Cove Mt. He came back out in front to the middle of the valley as Krzyzstof began to climb off the ridge. As Krzyzstof stated, he got stinking high at 4K' over as Mark and I strained to pick him out in the hazy blue sky as he went OTB. Dan drifted back in some lift lower and behind Krzyzstof, then came back out front and landed to help me launch. Both Dan and Krzyzstof ironically got back to launch at the same time as I was preflighting my glider. I took off with their assistance at 4:30P and climbed up a few hundred in front of launch. Headed down to Rt. 16 and flew out away from the ridge, finding shots of lift but nothing cohesive. Just kept fishing around, gaining a few hundred here, a few hundred there, all the while heading WSW out to over the golf course. Finally found a cohesive core and got up to 4700' MSL. Flew back to the ridge and found another one directly over the spine and gained up to 5140' MSL. Decided to drift OTB with Mercersburg in my sights. Ran into lots of sink and lost a bunch searching the Cove Gap area. Headed over to James Buchanan High School and Middle School, spying a baseball, football, and a soccer field with games and practices going on. Over the blacktop found some ratty lift that allowed me to gain a few hundred up to 1800' MSL. It quit, so I decided to put down at the edge of the girls soccer practice field as a practice was going on. Had a nice landing in a 10 MPH wind, with a "TA DA" exclamation , hamming it up a bit. Lots of stares. Two young girls with iPhones chased me down as I was carrying the glider over to the parking lot, asking me where I had come from. Should have said Mars , but told the truth. Raised Dan on the blower, and he was there promptly to pick me up. Thanks Danno. Then back to our favorite bar for some beer and tasty sandwiches.

Bacil

[XCanytime]

Kryzyzstof's nephew Mark.

The sun reflecting off of Spring Run.

Looking NNW at Little Scrub Ridge and Scrub Ridge.

Looking south down the spine of Cove Mountain.

[XCanytime]

The athletic fields at James Buchanan Middle School.

The practice soccer field, tennis courts, and James Buchanan High School.

Soccer practice concludes after a visitor from the sky drops in :-).

[lbunner]

Man, this post retirement just ain't workin' out. I worked (this was supposed to be part-time) 100 hours in the last 7 days and return to work another 50 this week before I finally get a break. I know waa, waa , waa. I do miss flying with you all. Keep up the good stories and pics, if you can't fly they are the next best thing.

[DanTuck]

Sweet flyin on Friday!! Well worth the spent sick day.

[Dan T]

That looked like one sweet brain dead soaring day!

Hey Bun, I'm thinking of retiring so I have more time to fly, but you and Hugh aren't setting very good examples. Thankfully we have Steve Kinsley to be our role model.

Dan T