Weekend of 10/22, 23

[Puck]

Hullo all!

I am a visiting P2 from New Mexico staying in the WV eastern panhandle until Thanksgiving. Is anyone planning to fly this weekend? Would love to experience the fall colors from the *right* perspective!

Puck
505 459 0966
rebeccastair@gmail.com

[XCanytime]

I'm looking at flying at the Pulpit Saturday 10/22. It might be both PGable and HGable that day. Bacil

[Matthew]

Looks like Pulpit to me too for Saturday.

Remember, in order to fly the Pulpit (as well as Bill's Hill and Fisher Road), you need to be a paid flying member of CHGPA. Cost is $40 per year. Carlos posted a few weeks ago that if you join the club now then your membership will be good through all of 2012. Out of area visting pilots may buy a weekend flying pass for $15.

Matthew

[hang_pilot]

Hi, Puck-

Welcome to our little corner of free-flying heaven from a NM ex-pat. You'll need an observer to fly the Pulpit and most local mountain sites. Matthew Graham who posted above me is one and you can contact him to see if he's available for observing on Saturday http://www.ushpa.aero/appointment_types ... aragliding. Also in the Region 9 section, you might try Matt Ingram and Ellis Kim for future flying days. Peter Humes is a PG instructor who lives in the neck of the woods where you're staying. He might also be available to observe on weekdays: http://www.ushpa.aero/schools_table.asp?state=wv.

I have plans this weekend, but hope to fly a bunch next week if conditions are good. Hopefully, we'll connect at some point and swap NM stories.

Blue skies,
Daniel

[rasmussenv]

If things continue to look promising to HG Pulpit Saturday, I think I can make it. When you firm up on expectations / plan arrival, Bacil, please post.

[hosseinghazvini]

I want to join you guys for pulpit on saturday, I called and left a message for Mr. Graham. I am just waiting on this reply.

Regards,
Hossein

[hang_pilot]

Hi, Hossein-

Welcome to free-flying and to the forum; I think we might have met at Bill's Hill last month. A few tips, apologies if you've already heard this:

1) The club has a helpful guide for working with observers here: http://www.chgpa.org/Education/h2p2_guide.html#Golden.
2) Contact info/observer status might be out of date in the guide, so a good idea is to double check the USHPA list: http://www.ushpa.aero/appointment_types ... aragliding. The "local" Reg 9 PG observers include Matthew Graham whom you've contacted, Hugh McElrath, Laszlo Lovei, Ellis Kim, Matt Ingram and Tom Ceunen. Ellis, Matt and Matthew are probably your go-to folks, as they seem to be the most active at mentoring new pilots.
3) We ask that local pilots who fly the Pulpit contribute to its cost of upkeep by either joining CHGPA, MHGA, or both. As part of your membership, you also get access to the Mid-Atlantic site guide in the member's only section of the CHGPA website: http://www.chgpa.org/Members/members.html.. If you're already a member and don't have the password for the website, send me a PM and I'll share it with you. The sites most commonly flown by PG'ers are Bill's Hill, Daniel's Mountain, Dickey Ridge, Pulpit and Woodstock (Fisher Road and Jack's Mountain, less often). You'll see HG'ers making plans for Sacramento and High Rock, but those sites are currently not launchable in a PG.

Hope this is helpful. Feel free to drop me a line if you need anything else. Hope you have a fun, safe, flying weekend!

Best,
Daniel
H3/P2

[XCanytime]

Have to work in the morning on Saturday. ETA at Pulpit launch hopefully 2P+ish. Bacil

[Matthew]

We're still on for Pulpit Saturday-- bringing both wings. Hoping to get there by 11am.

Matthew

[davidtheamazing1]

Going to Jockeys Ridge in Kitty Hawk. Soaring 100 is this weekend

[g.sessa]

Planning on the Pulpit Saturday... Will check the weather in the morning.

[Ward Odenwald]

I’ll help launch and retrieve. ETA 10:30. Ward

[dbodner]

Pulpit!

[Puck]

I would like to come out to the Pulpit, even if no observers are available, just to be around flight. Happy to shuttle/retrieve. May I ask where is the site?

many thanks,
puck
505 459 0966

[rasmussenv]

Per Site guide - overlooks McConnellsburg PA and:
Directions to Site: Take I-270 north to I-70 west to I-81 north. Take Rt. 16 west 5.2 miles to Upton; go right on
Lamar Road for 7.5 miles. Turn right on Rt. 75 and go 2 miles to Rt. 30. Turn left on Rt. 30 and go to top of
mountain; turn left immediately before the Mountain Restaurant and follow gravel road to first driveway on right.
Directions to LZ: Take Rt. 30 west; turn left into McConnellsburg; and left on 7th St. LZ is on left about one mile
down the road. Park near access point of field. Do not drive further into the property.

I expect to be there as well.

[hosseinghazvini]

Daniel,
Thank you for the information. I am new to the area so unfortunately I never had the pleasure of meeting you before, but I am looking forward to meet you and fly.
I did become a member of CHGPA.
Thank’s again for the info.
Regards,
Hossien

Hi, Hossein-

Welcome to free-flying and to the forum; I think we might have met at Bill's Hill last month. A few tips, apologies if you've already heard this:

1) The club has a helpful guide for working with observers here: http://www.chgpa.org/Education/h2p2_guide.html#Golden.
2) Contact info/observer status might be out of date in the guide, so a good idea is to double check the USHPA list: http://www.ushpa.aero/appointment_types ... aragliding. The "local" Reg 9 PG observers include Matthew Graham whom you've contacted, Hugh McElrath, Laszlo Lovei, Ellis Kim, Matt Ingram and Tom Ceunen. Ellis, Matt and Matthew are probably your go-to folks, as they seem to be the most active at mentoring new pilots.
3) We ask that local pilots who fly the Pulpit contribute to its cost of upkeep by either joining CHGPA, MHGA, or both. As part of your membership, you also get access to the Mid-Atlantic site guide in the member's only section of the CHGPA website: http://www.chgpa.org/Members/members.html.. If you're already a member and don't have the password for the website, send me a PM and I'll share it with you. The sites most commonly flown by PG'ers are Bill's Hill, Daniel's Mountain, Dickey Ridge, Pulpit and Woodstock (Fisher Road and Jack's Mountain, less often). You'll see HG'ers making plans for Sacramento and High Rock, but those sites are currently not launchable in a PG.

Hope this is helpful. Feel free to drop me a line if you need anything else. Hope you have a fun, safe, flying weekend!

Best,
Daniel
H3/P2

[g.sessa]

Heading to the Pulpit..... ETA 10:30

[tomceunen]

can observe P2 who want to get an earlier flight in

anyone wants to carpool from Frederick to Pulpit?
I can be there at 10AM or later.

Meeting point exit 49 on I70 just after Frederick;
at the stop light on the off ramp make a right turn and next after 0.6 miles on
your left is the Weis supermarket were we can meet

Tom 703 659 74 one nine,

[sailin]

Pulpit...ETA 1130-noon.

Jon

[carweill]

It looks quite promising for the Pulpit.

But I need landing practice so I'm heading to Highland

Carlos

[mingram]

I hope everyone had a good day at the Pulpit. I'm planning to head to Daniels on Sunday. If any P2s want to come out give me a call.

Matt
804.399.5155

[XCanytime]

Although it was not soarable after 2P+ at the Pulpit yesterday, it was still fun to fly and take off and land and spread the gospel to the spectators. I got there around 2:15P to still overcast skies and light winds on the new ramp of 5 to 8 MPH. Leisurely set up while many PGers were taking flights from the pad. I took off into light winds from the new ramp just before 4P as the sun started breaking through in the valley. Found smooth air with a few bumps along the way to a nice landing to the north in the secondary. While retrieving the glider from the secondary it rained paragliders, even though the sky had cleared up a good bit. At least 7 PGers landed as I packed up. When I left launch at 5:30P there was a queue of PGers ready to take yet another round of flights. Bacil

[g.sessa]

Saturday at the Pulpit....

[rasmussenv]

It was never soarable at the Pulpit on Saturday! My first flight was at 1130. I ‘enjoyed’ two sleds at Pulpit on Saturday. Nice to see folks – the launch site was CROWDED - looked like a fly-in with people parked on the road below! Mostly with PGrs (on this day John M, Karen & Matt were on that team among legions I don’t know), but plenty of HG (? Hmm Jon Brantley, John Dullahan, Gregg Sessa, David Bodner, Danny Brotto, Bacil (who I never saw – arrived after my second flight and lauched before I got back up) ? others missing?) And several bird-watchers / bird counters early in the day, and other visitors throughout. And Ward was there to help launch and retrieve (THANK YOU!!! If you don't know, he can’t fly due to being on blood thinners from a clot in his leg that moved to his lung – no terrible problems yet, and taking care to make sure none emerge).

Both my sleds managed to land at the primary – couldn’t have done it in my Falcon. Good landings, good first launch and okay/good second – I’m figuring out how to handle my bags in a double surface using a cocoon harness – and the bulk distracted me on the 2d. I have a plan for next time – but might be next spring. Having surgery on a tennis elbow issue next week so am out for the year.

Dave Bodner and I watched Greg come in – from a distance saw that he came in and the glider turned on landing, but looked like merely a slightly hard landing, nose forward. Were surprised to learn that one wheel/edge stuck and the down tube broke, but, as Dave noted, when his wheels last stuck he broke his arm. Greg was physically fine, so maybe a happy accident that the glider was turning as it landed allowing the down tube to bend/break.

The other HGs landed in the secondary – no HG nor PG while I was watching had a soaring flight. Nice day to practice launching and landing - so a good day!

[rasmussenv]

Posted this before I watched Greg's video - didn't realize it was from his earlier flight, landing in the secondary, not the final flight that broke his down-tube in the primary.