Made goal for day 4 of ECC. Way to go!
C
Congrats Daniel!
Moderator: CHGPA BOD
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silverwings
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Congrats Daniel!
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Nice work Daniel!? -Linda B.
From: silverwings [mailto:silverwingshg@netzero.net]
Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2005 10:27 AM
To: hg_forum@chgpa.org
Subject: Congrats Daniel!
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Way to go Daniel, making goal and your longest XC flight. <![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]> <![endif]>
john middleton
<![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]> <![endif]>
Nice work Daniel!? -Linda B.
From: silverwings [mailto:silverwingshg@netzero.net]
Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2005 10:27 AM
To: hg_forum@chgpa.org
Subject: Congrats Daniel!
?
Way to go Daniel, making goal and your longest XC flight. <![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]> <![endif]>
john middleton
<![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]> <![endif]>
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hang_pilot
- Posts: 662
- Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2005 11:13 pm
- Location: Tallahassee, FL
Congrats Daniel!
Way to go Daniel, making goal and your longest XC flight.
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Thanks! How does the saying go, “Even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once and a while?”
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The task for the Sport class pilots was a 23 mile straight downwind course to a glider port near the town of Massey. The comp pilots had the same goal but had to follow a 46 mile zig-zag route.
?
After an initial weak link break, I made it on four climbs, but only needed three. My favorite moment was watching the pro’s race in to goal, coming in low over a field of trees…such accuracy, such faith in their judgment and instruments. I had a bird’s eye view on the drama a 4,000 feet, because that’s how high I was when I got to goal…such imprecision, such lack of judgment and utilization of my instruments!!! J
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Here’s a summary:
?
Climb 1, at the park:
I climbed to cloudbase (a personal first) at 4800’ within the start circle and in a small gaggle that included John Simon. The first part of the climb was punchy and then it smoothed out nicely. It was fun thermaling so effortlessly…wide circles, low-bank turns.
?
Climb 2, not too far north:
The comp class pilots flew away on their course and John and I ran for the next cloud. We got high AGAIN, I think around 5200’ this time. John had climbed faster and he left first toward a street to the east of the course line. After watching him fly under a few clouds without turning and I hoped for better luck jumping to some clouds to the west. It turns out he never found any lift after leaving that thermal. If I had been at cloudbase at the same time as John, I would have gone with him. In other words, I made goal by being a slower climber!
?
Climb 3, 7 miles from goal:
I flew fast (52 mph ground speed) through the major sink surrounding the last climb. After getting down to around 1800’, cursing one dirty, lazy, unemployed cloud after another, I hooked a phat thermal that took me to 5500’! It was really a crap shoot as to which clouds were working. I have no insight on that for future reference.
?
If I had any clue what I was doing, I would just gone on glide to goal, but I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t know how far was 7 miles? I didn’t even know what goal was other than a set of coordinates as I had missed the pilot’s meeting (I am working mornings and evenings in Greenbelt). I also thought that I was straight south of goal, when in reality I was west, too.
?
I was navigating with the course pointer on the compass screen of my Garmin eTrex Vista. I wasn’t watching it carefully and never toggled to the map page because flying takes up most of my attention and I hadn’t yet added the necessary data fields to the map. It all seems pretty straight forward in theory, go where the arrow points. But that only works when I hold the unit straight in front of me. I have it mounted at a readable angle on my downtown, of course, and was not doing the interpolation very well. I’m a total amateur at this.
?
Climb 4, 2 miles from goal:
So I went on glide not with goal in mind but still thinking “look for lift.” I saw the distance to goal get smaller but my altitude was also down to around 2k. I saw some clouds further to the west and headed that way. I was watching the clouds and not my GPS. It turns out I had flown past and to the side of goal. The cloud I found was working and I took it to 5,000 feet at which time I looked at my GPS and saw that my course arrow was pointing nearly backwards with 1.8 miles to goal. DUHH!! I pulled full vg and zipped over to the glider port, actually watching my little screen this time.
?
With so much altitude at goal, I wish I had gone on for more distance or tried to head upwind back to Ridgely. But I knew there were going to be drivers at the glider port and had fun using up my silly surplus altitude with high bank reversing turns. Ended with a nice no-stepper, a HUGE relief with the eyes of so many awesome pilots on me.
?
Rode back to Ridgely with Dennis Pagen, Pete Lehmann and Bubba Goodman! Lot’s of talk about convergence…I understand more when Alek and his fianc? are speaking Russian!.
?
--------------------------------
Day 5 Summary:
?
If you don’t have skill you better have luck. Yesterday I was LUCKY that my weak link broke on my first launch (the next two pilots after me broke theirs at the same place, a thermal breaking off at the end of the field). By the time of my second launch, a working cloud had drifted over the field. Other folks who flew earlier had to cross a big blue hole and didn’t fare so well.
?
No luck today! I got to the park late. I think I was the last person to launch, including re-lights. I got dropped off in sink at 2000 feet and left the field at 1800’ chasing Dennis Pagen, who was on his 3rd attempt, and JD who like me was also hoping to pimp off the master. I keep getting waived off at 2000 feet, I know this is a comp but do I look like Paris Williams?!?!
?
With each thermal, Dennis gained about 200 feet on me. After the 4th one, I was too low to go on and decked it at 4.7 miles. JD landed in the same field a few minutes later and Dennis made goal, never getting over 2200 feet. He told me later I should have tightened my turns in the broken lift we encountered. Also, that I needed to leave my current location more quickly when I see someone ahead climbing faster and they’re close.
?
Danny Brotto was the only sport class pilot to make goal. Great flying, Danny!!! John Simon made it 18 miles which was very impressive, and his 2nd longest XC flight. Alek “Bulldog” Beynenson scratched out 10 miles at very low altitude. “That makes me sick to my stomach just looking at it,” proclaimed one of the rigid pilots when he saw Alek’s spiral track log on Glover’s computer!
?
?
?
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?
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[ST:XCL]
?
Thanks! How does the saying go, “Even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once and a while?”
?
The task for the Sport class pilots was a 23 mile straight downwind course to a glider port near the town of Massey. The comp pilots had the same goal but had to follow a 46 mile zig-zag route.
?
After an initial weak link break, I made it on four climbs, but only needed three. My favorite moment was watching the pro’s race in to goal, coming in low over a field of trees…such accuracy, such faith in their judgment and instruments. I had a bird’s eye view on the drama a 4,000 feet, because that’s how high I was when I got to goal…such imprecision, such lack of judgment and utilization of my instruments!!! J
?
------------------------------------------------------
Here’s a summary:
?
Climb 1, at the park:
I climbed to cloudbase (a personal first) at 4800’ within the start circle and in a small gaggle that included John Simon. The first part of the climb was punchy and then it smoothed out nicely. It was fun thermaling so effortlessly…wide circles, low-bank turns.
?
Climb 2, not too far north:
The comp class pilots flew away on their course and John and I ran for the next cloud. We got high AGAIN, I think around 5200’ this time. John had climbed faster and he left first toward a street to the east of the course line. After watching him fly under a few clouds without turning and I hoped for better luck jumping to some clouds to the west. It turns out he never found any lift after leaving that thermal. If I had been at cloudbase at the same time as John, I would have gone with him. In other words, I made goal by being a slower climber!
?
Climb 3, 7 miles from goal:
I flew fast (52 mph ground speed) through the major sink surrounding the last climb. After getting down to around 1800’, cursing one dirty, lazy, unemployed cloud after another, I hooked a phat thermal that took me to 5500’! It was really a crap shoot as to which clouds were working. I have no insight on that for future reference.
?
If I had any clue what I was doing, I would just gone on glide to goal, but I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t know how far was 7 miles? I didn’t even know what goal was other than a set of coordinates as I had missed the pilot’s meeting (I am working mornings and evenings in Greenbelt). I also thought that I was straight south of goal, when in reality I was west, too.
?
I was navigating with the course pointer on the compass screen of my Garmin eTrex Vista. I wasn’t watching it carefully and never toggled to the map page because flying takes up most of my attention and I hadn’t yet added the necessary data fields to the map. It all seems pretty straight forward in theory, go where the arrow points. But that only works when I hold the unit straight in front of me. I have it mounted at a readable angle on my downtown, of course, and was not doing the interpolation very well. I’m a total amateur at this.
?
Climb 4, 2 miles from goal:
So I went on glide not with goal in mind but still thinking “look for lift.” I saw the distance to goal get smaller but my altitude was also down to around 2k. I saw some clouds further to the west and headed that way. I was watching the clouds and not my GPS. It turns out I had flown past and to the side of goal. The cloud I found was working and I took it to 5,000 feet at which time I looked at my GPS and saw that my course arrow was pointing nearly backwards with 1.8 miles to goal. DUHH!! I pulled full vg and zipped over to the glider port, actually watching my little screen this time.
?
With so much altitude at goal, I wish I had gone on for more distance or tried to head upwind back to Ridgely. But I knew there were going to be drivers at the glider port and had fun using up my silly surplus altitude with high bank reversing turns. Ended with a nice no-stepper, a HUGE relief with the eyes of so many awesome pilots on me.
?
Rode back to Ridgely with Dennis Pagen, Pete Lehmann and Bubba Goodman! Lot’s of talk about convergence…I understand more when Alek and his fianc? are speaking Russian!.
?
--------------------------------
Day 5 Summary:
?
If you don’t have skill you better have luck. Yesterday I was LUCKY that my weak link broke on my first launch (the next two pilots after me broke theirs at the same place, a thermal breaking off at the end of the field). By the time of my second launch, a working cloud had drifted over the field. Other folks who flew earlier had to cross a big blue hole and didn’t fare so well.
?
No luck today! I got to the park late. I think I was the last person to launch, including re-lights. I got dropped off in sink at 2000 feet and left the field at 1800’ chasing Dennis Pagen, who was on his 3rd attempt, and JD who like me was also hoping to pimp off the master. I keep getting waived off at 2000 feet, I know this is a comp but do I look like Paris Williams?!?!
?
With each thermal, Dennis gained about 200 feet on me. After the 4th one, I was too low to go on and decked it at 4.7 miles. JD landed in the same field a few minutes later and Dennis made goal, never getting over 2200 feet. He told me later I should have tightened my turns in the broken lift we encountered. Also, that I needed to leave my current location more quickly when I see someone ahead climbing faster and they’re close.
?
Danny Brotto was the only sport class pilot to make goal. Great flying, Danny!!! John Simon made it 18 miles which was very impressive, and his 2nd longest XC flight. Alek “Bulldog” Beynenson scratched out 10 miles at very low altitude. “That makes me sick to my stomach just looking at it,” proclaimed one of the rigid pilots when he saw Alek’s spiral track log on Glover’s computer!
?
?
?
LEGAL DISCLAIMER
The information transmitted is intended solely for the individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of or taking action in reliance upon this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you have received this email in error please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer.
?
Seeing Beyond Money is a service mark of SunTrust Banks, Inc.
[ST:XCL]