Woodstock Sunday 4/17

[XCanytime]

A classic west cross post frontal day is shaping up for Woodstock on Sunday. The regulars are already on it. Getting pumped already. Bacil

[chuckok]

Crossing fingers ... need to retrieve glider and gear from Richmond.

[XCanytime]

48 hour hourly forecast is looking good. The excitement is overwhelming. Bacil

[jyoder111]

Might be able to try for a PM flight... ETA 5:30pm. We'll see... Let me know what you think on Sunday, Bacil.

Jesse

[XCanytime]

Does not look very promising for tomorrow. Later it shows WSW and still strong. There will be better days ahead. Bacil

[kcarra]

Does not look very promising for tomorrow. Later it shows WSW and still strong. There will be better days ahead. Bacil

******

WHAT????

Karen is planning on flying her paraglider......

Matthew

[kcarra]

PS At the PULPIT!!!!

Matthew

[pch]

Pulpit or WS???
peter h.

[mcelrah]

Just to be clear: if Bacil thinks it's too strong/cross, you don't want to attempt flying a hang-glider - especially not a Falcon - and certainly not a paraglider. I'm going to fly a sailplane... - Hugh

[Matthew]

REST OF TODAY
MOSTLY CLOUDY THIS MORNING...THEN BECOMING PARTLY
SUNNY. ISOLATED RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS THIS MORNING...THEN A CHANCE
OF RAIN SHOWERS THIS AFTERNOON. WINDY WITH HIGHS IN THE MID 50S.
WEST WINDS 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH. CHANCE OF
PRECIPITATION 40 PERCENT.

TONIGHT
MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 40 PERCENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
WINDY WITH LOWS IN THE LOWER 40S. WEST WINDS 15 TO 25 MPH WITH
GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH...DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 MPH AFTER MIDNIGHT.

Definitely a paragliding day!!!!!

What a bunch of wimps!!!!

Matthew

[XCanytime]

Hey Hugh,
Let us know how your sailplane flight goes. It will be a very interesting read. Thanks. Bacil

[eggzkitz]

Hugh, What time are you heading out? I might come out to Front Royal to watch, mountain bike, etc.

[jyoder111]

Decided to bail on work today and headed out to Woodstock instead. I didn't coordinate with an observer this time because I wanted to experience my first bandito flight. Although my fellow club members have advised me to stick to the tried and true methods, I've been talking with this guy on the internet who says he's all H5 and $#%^ and he says that if I really want to step it up I shouldn't let others tell me what to do. I decided today would be a good day since it was sure to be soarable. Now some of you might think my Falcon wouldn't penetrate on a day like today, but don't worry, cause I removed the plastic coating on my flying wires and replaced my parachute with some bricks to give me the edge. I thought about ditching my helmet too, but I needed somewhere to attach my GoPro so I could take sweet self portraits during a few of my epic wingovers.

Arrived at launch at 8:30am to find wave all over the valley. There was some weird refraction going on in the upper levels and the sunlight filtering through gave the sky mix of pale pink, blue, and yellow patches that seemed to correlate with the distinctly ovoid cummies popping here and there, with the wave fronts being a mix of brown and green. I got set up in like 2 minutes because I practice at home in the backyard every night and time myself. Don't worry, I did remember to preflight the glider and made sure my modifications were in place- like removing the washout tubes and moving the hang point a foot or two forward to increase my speed. No wheels too of course, too much drag.

I got on launch and the wind was howling in at 40 with a few gusts to 60 or so. I knew what to do, so I just pointed it into the wind and picked up the keel and moved it around in a wide circular motion to disrupt the airflow and wait out the gusts. When I got a nice straight cycle I knew a good gust would be along soon so I got hooked in and picked up. I took a good look around to familiarize myself with the rocks and stuff. I knew that without someone else to help retrieve, I would want to top land. I could just fly into the slot, I imagined, and pull my bricks and then float down easy peasy.

I had a good launch into a strong thermal and went right up. I realized I had forgotten to start my camera so I mostly was flying one handed as I left the slot while I fumbled for the right button. Stupid camera! I never did find the right button so I gave up and flew the glider. As soon as I cleared the ridge I made a 180 and headed over the back. I'd been watching some surfing videos online and the curl of the waves reminded me of rotor and I wanted to try surfing the tunnel in the air! However, I got going pretty fast downwind and was still going up. Now, I don't cheat and use a vario, but I'm guessing 600fps or something. FPS! It was epic man! In like 30 seconds I totally lost sight of the ridge cause I had to start dodging those big multicolored ovoid clouds. I've heard plenty about cloud suck, but I wasn't worried cause I had on my balaclava and wasn't afraid of a little cold and wet. I was starting to get hammered by turbulence at this point and before I could avoid it I flew right into a big yellow one. Get this! Inside it was hailing and the pellets were all blue and red and green because of the weird light going on. I don't pamper myself with a camelback or anything so I pulled off my helmet and opened my mouth to get a drink and found the hail to be surprisingly sweet and even a little chewy. Man, that was weird.

But anyway, you all get the point, nothing I write can really truely capture what an awesome flight it was. I did like 200 miles and even flew down to H-burg to check out my old college grounds from the air. Sigh, everything looks so small from up high.

[Matthew]

AWESOME!!!!

Matthew

[mcelrah]

Well, I feel inadequate after Jesse's flight report. Ellis and I showed up at Front Royal about 1130, there were periods of relatively light wind down runway 28, but some gusts to...28 knots. We got airborne about 1215. The tow was only somewhat rowdy, but Ellis did bang the canopy in the front seat with her camera once when we hit a bump. There was lift north of the fish ponds (NE of Signal Knob), sometimes 1000 fpm, but that was only one episode. When we went to explore some likely looking clouds (there were cummies and wispies everywhere) between the airport and the mountain, we found nothing but sink. The flight only lasted 24 minutes, but that was OK since Ellis had made herself sick looking through the camera viewfinder. The landing was uneventful - main thing was to initiate the turn to base almost abeam the numbers since the wind was blowing us away from the end of the runway at about 20. Our groundspeed on downwind was impressive. We went for a 3-hour hike at Thompson WMA north of Linden with Matthew, Karen and Dan - the wind kicked up impressively in the afternoon. - Hugh

[pink_albatross]

heh heh...
that has got be become the standard against which all flights will be measured. Good job!
and thanks for the grins

[quote="jyoder111"]Decided to bail on work today and headed out to Woodstock instead. I didn't coordinate with an observer this time because I wanted to experience my first bandito flight. Although my fellow club members have advised me to stick to the tried and true methods, I've been talking with this guy on the internet who says he's all H5 and $#%^ and he says that if I really want to step it up I shouldn't let others tell me what to do. I decided today would be a good day since it was sure to be soarable. Now some of you might think my Falcon wouldn't penetrate on a day like today, but don't worry, cause I removed the plastic coating on my flying wires and replaced my parachute with some bricks to give me the edge. I thought about ditching my helmet too, but I needed somewhere to attach my GoPro so I could take sweet self portraits during a few of my epic wingovers.

[deveil]

nice write up.
gary

[deveil]

i'm just surprised bacil wasn't there flying, also. he's probably bumming.

[deveil]

yah know, Bacil, it occurred to me that there’s just enough ambiguity in that joke that, in hindsight, i maybe should have played it safe and not offered it up. i was just about to explain further but realized that that could be tortuous. suffice it to say that no slight was intended - i would offer up some of my past comments on the subject as authentication.
the humor thing can be tricky and i most always think that it’s best to defer to the audience when something could be in question.
gary

[markc]

surprisingly sweet and even a little chewy

Now that's some DAMN FINE LIFT!!! Yee-hah!

Why do I always miss the kickin' days?????

MarkC