Sunday

[mcgowantk]

The current forecast show NW winds and lots of sun tomorrow. I am looking at going out, maybe the Pulpit.

Tom

[g.sessa]

I'm up for flying tomorrow. Considering Highland or the Pulpit. Will check the weather in the morning....

[mingram]

PGs are hoping the winds are NW enough to fly the Pulpit, since we don't have Highland and High Rock as an option.

Matt

[g.sessa]

Heading to Ridgely today.....

[mingram]

PGs are on the fence - possibly arriving at 2pm. I'm planning to get there after 11am and will report back.

Another option for those PGs on the fence could be towing at Blue Sky. The runway aligns NE which is the predominant forecast down there today.

Matt
804.399.5155

[silverwings]

Going to Ridgely today.

[carweill]

Heading to Ridgely

Carlos

[mingram]

Pulpit @ 11:15. 5 mph 45 degrees cross from the North. Felt one straight cycle. Blue sky. The ground seems dry. Planning to meet others in the LZ around 1.

Matt

[mingram]

Predominant wind direction at the Pulpit was NW, maybe NNW. I launched at 2pm in a straight 10-15mph and got picked up while still reversed. I turned forward and stabilized and got out of there! The wind speed was definitely picking up. I flew left along the ridge and found good lift pretty quickly. Tom and Laszlo quickly joined me and we gaggled up to 6000 ft msl!

Going OTB with Tom and Laszlo

Instead of going on glide I tried to fly back up wind to see if I could get back to the core - bad move. I was in the lee of the thermal and had an 80% frontal collapse. I controlled my heading and let it surge to repressurize, but didn't catch the surge aggressively enough and took another frontal that I should have prevented. I didn't lose too much altitude so got on glide and got out of there.



Laszlo went back to the front of the ridge and had an awesome climb to 7000 msl! He went OTB and soared over our heads!

Tom and I were down to 3000 ft until I found another good thermal directly over Mercersburg. Tom and I gaggled up again, but it gave out at 4000 ft. I made another XC rookie mistake and didn't stick together with Tom on glide. I went left and followed Rt 16 and was on the ground 15 minutes later. Tom and Laszlo ended up near Welsh Run a few miles later.

XC Tracklog

9 miles and 1 hour flight for me. I landed next to Rt 16 just past Mercersburg and found happy landowners who wanted to take my picture and then gave me a ride back to McConnelsburg! Two really nice people - we exchanged information in case I land there again! I met Ellis, Kyle, and Paul at the grocery store and got a ride back up the ridge, but it was blown out so we went to retrieve Tom. Laszlo had hitched a ride. Back on launch at 5pm it was blowing cross and gusting to 18+ mph with the forecast for increasing winds aloft. We headed home by 6pm.

It was a great day for those who were lucky enough to launch. In hindesight we should have run the ridge to the south before going OTB something Pete Lehmann recommended on my last XC at the Pulpit that ended at Mercersburg. I think I'll listen next time! I also need fly with the gaggle and stop searching back up wind. I definitely learned a few things today!

Matt

[XCanytime]

Thanks for the writeup Matt. Yep more miles are desirable, but a good takeoff, a good approach and landing, (and staying out of trees ) is what really counts. Keep those XC stories coming. Bacil

[silverwings]

Ridgely was more windy than expected causing the thermals to be torn apart and quick drift. Kirk probably got the FOD around 2:30 - 3:00 with maybe an hour. The rest of us got sleds or extended 10 - 30 min flights. Lots of sink. The forecast sounded quite good but not what we got. Winds on the surface were 7 - 10 mph with higher gusts. A pretty day though. When I went over the bay to and from Ridgely it was very light winds there. Go figure.

[sailin]

Nice flight and report Matt! Hope to be able to add to the Pulpit XC miles myself soon.

Jon