Bills Weekend

[XCanytime]

Altoona fcst ESE 10+ MPH all weekend. Looks quite good. Bacil

[markc]

After missing out on the cliffs today, I'm hoping that Bills will be working tomorrow!

There's even a gust-20 mention in the surface cast. Could be really good...

MarkC

[dbodner]

It might be worth the drive out.

I have the weed whacker. Does anyone know of the state-of-vegetation?

[Lostgriz]

I could make it on Sunday if the forecast is good.

Matt

[Dunegoon]

I would like to go Saturday or Sunday. Any observers available? I can retrieve modest XC and shuttle earlier in the day if I have a chance at flying later.


Charley F.

[Matthew]

Looks like we're going to Bill's on Saturday and I can Observe. I'm even bringing my hang glider!!!

Re- whacking-- the grass is trimmed at the top of launch. The bottom of the slot could use some work with the club trimmer and saw attachment.

Matthew

[DanTuck]

Think I might try Bills tomorrow also. Hope the forecast doesn't decrease any overnight.

[dbodner]

Damn, now I can't go.

[markc]

Glider is on the truck, hoping for no radical change in the forecasts!

[Lostgriz]

Anyone thinking about Bill's for Sunday?

[XCanytime]

I'm planning on going to Bills Sunday. Gotta work tomorrow. Bacil

[Lostgriz]

If the forecast holds, I will see yo there on Sunday.

Matt

[kcarra]

Forecast is now SE for Saturday and East for Sunday. Thinking of switching to flying on Sunday.

Charlie and Tim -- give me a call.

Matthew

[DanTuck]

I see the same thing Matthew. I'm going to hold out for tomorrow as well.

[markc]

Still heading to Bill's, I think it will be good even with the SE/ESE.

[Kurt Kemerer]

I'm thinking it should be good too heading to bills ETA 12:00

[FlyingFelix]

Yeah, looking ESE - I found this wind map of the US http://hint.fm/wind/ - pretty cool page, so far it's been right on every time I checked it (been monitoring its acuracy for about 2 weeks). Looks like winds are going east with only a very slight S there.
Going out today as well. ETA 1 PM.

[bowen.tim]

I will have to hold out til Sunday and meet up with Matthew since I need an observer. See you then.

[XCanytime]

Sunday will be just fine. Looking forward to it. Bacil

[FlyingFelix]

Today was a beautiful day at Bills Hill. Got to meet new pilots, flights all around.
Unfortunately I chose today to join the "tree top landing" club. I shouldn't say chose since I didn't mean for it to happen...
I'll start a thread about it tomorrow and post a video of the incident (only one camera recorded the file correctly on the SD card, the other one didn't make it).
I am fine, besides a hurt ego and smal bruises, the harness is fine - the wing unfortunately was not so lucky. May be salvageable but probably not.
I'd like to thank the guys that immediately came to the rescue - Tom (expert tree pilot extractor), Jerry, and few others I just cannot remember the names (sorry guys, I suck at that). Also thank you Mark for helping out and getting my stuff packed after hiking up from the LZ (congrats on a great flight too!)
A big thank you to all the great men and women of the fire and rescue departments in the area that responded. I am so sorry to have caused the mess.

[markc]

Ahhhh.... Well damn, that really sucks Felix, very sorry about your wing. OTOH, broken aluminum beats broken bones any day. Glad that you are OK!

It was a challenging day today, at least for me, very ratty down low, and my few trips higher were very short-lived, just couldn't seem to dial-in solidly.

Will post more about the day later, but the important thing is that you are OK Felix.

(yeah, and I've been-there, done-that, you aren't alone, believe me! The important thing is to learn from it...)

MarkC

[Larry Huffman]

I'm very sorry to hear of your accident Felix but glad that you are OK.
Larry

[Matthew]

Wow! That's three accidents at Bill's in three weeks. Glad to hear you are OK Felix. Don't give up on the glider yet. Steve Wendt can perform miracle surgery on gliders.

Karen and I are still off to Bill's today (Sunday).

Looks like the PGers are heading there too.

Matthew

[XCanytime]

That's 3 accidents in 2 weeks. ETA 11A. Glad you are OK Felix. I had a tree landing 18 months ago. Bacil

[hepcat1989]

Hi Felix....My name is Shawn Ray....I used to fly there...I lived in Chambersburg.....I too had a tree landing at Bills....My second mountain flight.! I had stayed on the ridge too long and I scratched out to the LZ....I remember being 15 feet over the trees when i got hit by a strong thermal lifting off. The bottom left edge of lz that has a circle cut in the treeline....The thermal pitched my nose up so quick and it turned me back onto the tree canopy.... I got down myself and got my wing down myself....Dont know how? Hang in there dude! Shit happens......Glad you are ok...

Peace, Shawn.