Flying on Friday Oct 22

[markc]

I know there's already a Pulpit-specific thread for Friday flying.... But the forecast I just
saw was calling NW 10-15 G 25, which would be more of a Woodstock type of forecast.

The rest of the weekend is going to be SW, so Friday might be 'the day', wherever it
turns out to be.

I might be able to shuffle things around at work enough that I can take a vacation day.
Anyone else thinking the same?

MarkC

[chuckok]

I'm not proud ... I'll be a lemming to the consensus

[jyoder111]

I'm will follow as well.

Chuckok,
Bacil has to work, and I haven't heard back yet from a few others about observing. fingers crossed.

Jesse

[XCanytime]

I might sneak in an early flight just before noon before leaving by 3:30P to get to Rockville by 6P. Bacil

[mikecosner]

i am up for flying tommorrow at woodstock.

[chuckok]

I'm going to shoot for a 1:30 PM arrival.

[Joe Schad]

I am probably going to get to launch about noon. Might be a bit to breezy early but should taper off during the afternoon.

Joe

Steve, Send me an email so I can update your email address.

[jyoder111]

If Bacil goes, he might be able to observe me before he leaves. If so, I'll get there around 10:30am.

[markc]

I am without vehicle because my SUvie is in the shop

So if anyone who's thinking of flying tomorrow is able to offer a ride
(Bethesda/Rockville), it would be mega-appreciated! I'd even bring the
beer!

(Looks like there might be a West window on Saturday at The Pulpit,
so I'm not completely desperate. But still, ya know!)

MarkC

[chuckok]

Quirky day at Woodstock. When I arrived, Jesse was leaving to pick-up Bacil, who had already run down the ridge to Edinburg. Joe was pretty well set-up. But the breeze was light and cross. After Jesse and Bacil returned. Joe headded for the slot. David, John (?), and Mike came in, and it was looking like it would be a reasonable day.

Joe launched, made it up for a minute or two, then sled ride. I launched next, couldn't get any real lift, and headded out to land. Then, the next glider to launch, managed to get some air time, hovering in light thermals. By the time Mike launched, the winds had shifted a bit, and was able to do very well.

As we were packing up, we noticed two PG's and a hang glider launch. It had gone magic. If my car was in the LZ, I would have launched again. 5:30 and it was straight up the slot, just under 10 mph. Ahh well.

Thanks Bacil, David, Mike for wire crew. And David for shuttling a cramped car back to the top!

Quick compilation of a 10 min sledder

[XCanytime]

Got to launch just after Jesse, around 10:45A. Beautiful pancaky clouds upwind and to the NE. Light to moderate cycles in the slot. Set up and launched just before noon. Turned left and had to work a little bit to get up in the west cross on the ridge. Got a few hundred over and found a thermal to 1K' over. The clouds to the NE looked much better, so I headed back NE of launch and attempted to find a ride up to the bottom of the pancaky clouds. Ran into some turbulence that may have been downwash from some wave. The clouds had set up in a street perpendicular to the wind flow aloft. They were dissipating before the spine of the ridge. Got to 2K' over in moderate turbulence and headed back SW to a goal of landing at the Karmy airstrip at Willow Grove. Left the ridge and headed west towards the airstrip. Found a lift line that enabled me to reach the airstrip with no problem. The windsock showed NW so I set up an approach that did not disturb the horses corraled next to the airstrip. Encountered a gradient that robbed me of airspeed, resulting in a belly flop wheel landing just before 1P. Jesse was there promptly to pick me up. Thanks! Chuck pretty much summed up the flying after we got back to launch. Steve Kinsley was the pilot who got up and stayed up after 3P. Jesse had a great launch, got clear of the mountain, and followed the flight plan to a T. I hit the road at 3:30P and made it to Rockville at 6:15P. Pics later.

Bacil

[XCanytime]

The sky indicating possible wave going on.

A view of Short Mountain.

Mr. Karmy's airstrip and house. The windsock is at the corner of the corral.

Jetliner contrail splitting a cloud, with sunrays from above.

[mikecosner]

Shuffled my way into the slot with the help of the "pro snowboarder" hanging out about 3:45, last one left on the hill. went to turn on vario after hang check and it was dead. Had batteries in my harness but not the patience to dig them out and put them in. oh well. launched into a light but fairly straight cycle and maintained and gained a little for a few passes right out front before finding a core that i took up to roughly 1K over. Once up, the air was smooth with small thermals still rolling through. Slowly lost altitude until about 300 over but easy to maintain at this point and getting better. Found some pockets of sink near the fingers so pretty much kept inside near launch. solid 45min and could of stayed up longer but noticed the grounded crew close to being packed up and needed a ride. Landing felt turbulent with W cross in LZ but uneventful. Came back later to break down after ride up --Thanks dave!!-- and Gary Smith landed after the real FOTD for at least an hour in magic conditions with the PG's.

coz

FYI - kitty hawk kites will be planning on coming to woodstock Nov 1 and 2 (and maybe that weekend) for their annual fly-in. Hopefully conditions will be as good as last year. Most gliders 25+?? I've ever seen at WS.

[dbodner]

We made some points with the tenant after flying. She sent her son over to ask if we could help start her minivan afflicted with a dead battery. We tried jumping using my vehicle, but her engine wouldn't turn over. She suggested we use her pickup instead. Steve and I knew she was barking up the wrong tree, but we decided to humor her. Of course, the pickup fired her minivan right up. Just when I think I understand electricity, I realize it's nothing but magic.

[rlweber]

I was on one of those paragliders. It glassed off beautifully, in more ways than one. The moon was rising, the sun was setting and the foilage was beautiful. I was a great time to commit aviation. Lazlo and Matt were the other two pilots. Lazlo made a run to Strasburg and back.

Randy