Weekend Flying 3/21-22

[Matthew]

Any thoughts on flying on Saturday???

Some forecasts show west for the Pulpit. Other's show SW.

Sunday looks NW at both High Rock and Pulpit.

Matthew

[Kelvin Pierce]

I think I may practice paraglider at Taylor Sat. and then High Rock Sun if forecast holds.
Kelvin

[Dan T]

Kelvin, it's good to see you back in the game. Do you happen to have a Shenandoah National Park permit? If not and you are a P3 or above I encourage you to get one. It's a very popular summer site with the PG component of this Chapter. It's also our most challenging launch site with room for only a few steps once the wing is inflated. The HGs don't have it easy there either.

Come on out and play with us. We are probably going tomorrow.

Dan T

[markc]

Toying with the idea of a couple flights at Taylor on Sat, then seeing what develops for Sun....

[MarkDW]

I'm interested in Taylor on Saturday if anyone else is going.

Mark

[Dunegoon]

How about the Pulpit after 3:00 PM on Saturday? The primary LZ is very muddy!

CF

[markc]

This evening's NWS text forecast looks pretty strong (though of course, things can change), and the NWS hourly is showing more SW than W. Plus, seeing as it has been Three D@mn Months since my last flight, I was thinking that a couple of flights at the T-hill might be a good idea, prior to a possible soaring day on Sunday. We'll see if that ambition holds up tomorrow morning...

Code: Select all

SATURDAY
MOSTLY CLOUDY IN THE MORNING...THEN PARTLY SUNNY WITH A
SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON. NOT AS COOL WITH
HIGHS IN THE LOWER 50S. WEST WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO
25 MPH. CHANCE OF RAIN 20 PERCENT. 

[markc]

Gust factor has been removed from the Pulpit forecast, but I still suspect more SW than W. Willing to be convinced otherwise... But failing that, will prob stick to Taylor.

[markc]

Good day at Taylor. A bit WNW cross at times, but the winds kept swinging back south for some good cycles. I unfortunately grabbed the wrong basetube when I left home, discovered only as I was hauling my U2 off the truck. Doh!

But my brainlock moment turned into brilliance: I flew one of John Ms Falcon for a rental fee, and whoa! Why the heck haven't I ever done that before????

Five flights from the hill, no ridiculous haul back up to the top... Sweet!

John had two first time students (May and Jordan), plus Eric. Anthony too, Kelvin, and myself.

Beautiful day, great to knock off some winter rust!

MarkC

[rlweber]

Plan to arrive at Woodstock at 1:15 pm.
Randy

[mcgowantk]

I am leaning towards Woodstock too. I am not sure that I believe the forecasts - with the High so far to the north, I would have thought the winds would be pretty north down at Woodstock. But what do I know.

Tom McGowan

[XCanytime]

Heading to Woodstock. ETA 11:30A. Bacil

[Matthew]

OK.

Going to Woodstock.

ETA noon.

Anyone know if the road is open???

Matthew

[Matthew]

ROAD IS OPEN.

Matthew

[markc]

Wow, WS was working today! Not your classic WS forecast, but the thermals were just rippin'! Made for some dicey conditions, you had to launch in a good cycle and then find something. But once over that hurdle.... You could stay up forever! I topped out at 5800 MSL, and had my first bonafide spring-conditions flight on the T2C : enough to realize that I still not 100% dialed in, think I was flying too fast much of the time.

Cast of 100s! Matthew and Karen, Bacil, Matt, Jon, Walt, Bacil and Tom M for the HGers, Dan T, Tom C, Krista, Cyrus, Krista, and Randy for the PGers ( perhaps others who I didn't hear of). Plus, Matthew had a PG flight after HG.

Great day, strong, lennies everywhere in the sky by late afternoon. Took some serious work to get down into the primary, harness open and knees apart for drag, searching for sink, cranked on a tip... But a good problem to have!

MarkC

[Matthew]

But once over that hurdle.... You could stay up forever

****

Yes. That hurdle. Bacil, unfortunately did not survive that hurdle. And I was scraping the trees below ridge the first few minutes of my flight. I finally got above launch and headed south to where Mark and Tom were stinkin' high--- and got drilled. I tried the north finger-- nothing-- and headed out to land. I found a small bubble at 500 feet and lost it. Found another smaller one over the river at 400 feet--- mostly zero sink-- and was stuck at 400 feet for-f***ing-ever. Gradually I started to move upwards ever so slowly-- and once I got above 600 feet it turned on and I climbed back out.

I topped out at 2+K over a few times. And flew most of the way up to the reservoir. Every time I tried to go south, however, I got drilled. I ended up below launch two more times before it turned to super magic Where, as Mark noted, it was had to get down. I landed in the bridge field a little after two hours. Karen and Matt C. were stuck at launch most of the afternoon waiting out light cycles as the PGs launched. They both, eventually, got in the air and above the ridge.

I took a flight in my PG at around 6pm. Smooth easy lift all the way out to the valley. I flew hands off, twiddling my thumbs, and enjoying the view. I climbed 1100' flying straight to the bridge field. Once beyond the field, I found some down air and landed early after 20 minutes so as not to make it too late of a night.

A few of the PGs -- Dan, Tom and Krista-- landed out in Strasburg-- with Krista having some fun in the big-ass turbulence that is usually near the reservoir.

Matthew

[wmelo]

It was again a good ay at Woodstock. I am glad I went.

I was the 2nd to launch: just after Tom. After seeing him climbing very quickly and easily like a rocket, I got very confident: if Tom can do it, I can do it too

Well, not really I struggled for more than 15 min below the ridge. Finally, I was able to pull myself up and conquer the ridge. I got a very good thermal above the launch area (LA) and reached a couple of times 2K feet above the LA. When I tried to go west, I dropped to 600feet above the LA I was able to recover, but finally I was flushed and landed in the main LZ. It was not a very good landing: end up using wheels for landing.

From the LZ (Landing Zone), I could observe Jon and Matt. I was amazing to observe their patience and hard work! Both of them have been able to hold their altitude and take advantage of very small thermals to conquer the ridge.

It was anyway a great day: sunny, and relatively warm. I learned a lot!

My special thanks to Karen, Mat, and Bacil for their help, guidance, and for observing me: I am looking forward to flying again soon.

Cheers, Walt

[dbodner]

I thought you all were crazy to rush out to Woodstock with that forecast. And you proved me so very wrong. Congratulations!

BTW, if anyone found an extra tip bag at launch, it's mine. I was at the far end (closest to the parking area) of the set-up area.

[rlweber]

I owe Matthew a big thank you. I was sinking out and saw him starting to climb and hurried over under him and climbed back out. If not for him I would have been walking on the ground like a prairie chicken. Had an enjoyable flight, saw what looked like some wave clouds to the west but did not experience any high winds. I had to land to make a dinner date at six so I landed after 1:20. A fun day at Woodstock.

Randy

[XCanytime]

I thought you all were crazy to rush out to Woodstock with that forecast.

Dave I'm curious. What forecast are you referring to? Just want to hear where you were looking and what it was saying for yesterday for future reference. Thanks, Bacil

[dbodner]

Oh, I was overstating things for comedic effect. But, it did look a little light for Woodstock to me. I thought it would be good for PGs.

[Ward Odenwald]

First, I wish I had listened to the collective wisdom concerning the WS vs Pulpit decision (my "hard head" frequently needs re-adjustment and I'm seeking assistance). However, as Dave B indicated, the WS HG crew went down there with very, very little early AM weather data to back their decision, but at the end of the day, they were the "all knowing crew"! - still shaking my head on that fact.

Second, Matthew's comment about Krista's flight: "with Krista having some fun in the big-ass turbulence that is usually near the reservoir" - could have been applied to my flight last Wednesday. As breifly mentioned in Wednesday's post about flying to the north end of the ridge, just south of the reservior (both coming and going) I experienced the best lift pegging my vario and leaving me breathless as a result of the acceleration. Of all of the thermals that I struggled to stay in that day, these two were by far the most intense. In addition, the turbulence (zero Gs, wire slaps and a near 90 degree nose down "over the falls" events) made me run from them. I love the lift but lift with no control gets old real fast! Not sure if there is any link to what Krista experienced but Matthew's comment suggested that others have passed through similar air over this span of the Massanutten.

Ward

[Matthew]

Randy,

I'm sure that I do not speak only for myself--

I would love to see how you "walk on the ground like a prairie chicken".

A demonstration in the LZ would be greatly appreciated

Matthew

[XCanytime]

Oh, I was overstating things for comedic effect. But, it did look a little light for Woodstock to me. I thought it would be good for PGs.

With a huge database of weather watching for the past 21 years of mountain flying, Sunday's conditions were not a surprise. I have been at the Pulpit many times in the late fall and early spring, getting there early in the morning, only to find it howling and blown out. I would then drive down to Woodstock, a 2 hour drive, and find it light and barely trickling in. So it becomes a timing thing when to launch. Your flight is a pure thermal flight. I have been good at it those many times I just referenced. Sunday I wasn't. Walt was sinking out, yet I went ahead and launched. I had been on launch for a while, and I was impatient. So I went in some light flow up the slot. Had a good launch but just couldn't find it. I had an "oh shit" moment when I was down in the bowl flying towards the finger to the left of launch. I got turned towards the trees and got uncomfortably close before I could maneuver the glider away from the tree canopy. Be very careful working in close to the trees, even in "light" conditions. Bacil

[dbodner]

BTW, if anyone found an extra tip bag at launch, it's mine. I was at the far end (closest to the parking area) of the set-up area.

I road the motorcycle out today, hoping that if I did a little trimming in the setup and launch areas I'd accumulate enough good Karma to find the tip bag. It worked!