Pulpit Sunday April 24
Moderator: CHGPA BOD
Pulpit Sunday April 24
Hoping the wind stays north enough to launch from the Pulpit. Secondary LZ has crops, but the upper fields of the secondary, closest to launch, are open.
Re: Pulpit Sunday April 24
Late flight report from Pulpit Sunday April 24:
George, Tom, myself, and Jim was the PG launch order. Another pilot from Alaska showed up named Nathan I think and also flew. Both Jim and the pilot from Alaska had nice saves over the LZ.
The wind was interesting. Winds on launch were coming in nicely. The forecast showed wind N at 6k, W at 3k, and S at ground level. This made for an interesting mix/shear layer and possibly an inversion. George reported getting spanked with a collapse of half his wing that was very unexpected and more violent than anything he's experienced outside of an SIV course. I found the lift tight and snakey due to the wind direction change. I got high over the towers to the south and drifted with it over the second ridge where the wind pushed me E towards Mercersburg. Tom had visual and was coaching me not to fly to Mercersburg where George and Jim ended up landing. As I got lower I felt the S wind and started drifting back north. I had a nice low save 400 feet over the ground that triggered off of a parking lot/building in the middle of dry fields. I circled with it and wasn't making much progress, but was determined to stick with what I had. When I started losing a little more I drifted a little more down wind and luckily connected with a strong climb that seemed to stop at 2500 feet msl. Possibly an inversion in the valley, but likely it just drifted to the west at that altitude and I lost it. I managed to catch 2 more thermals flying north along Route 75, but began to worry about landing options. Luckily just made it to a huge grassy field by the road.
Max altitude: almost 4800 ft msl
Duration: 1:30
XC distance over 5 points: 21km
http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/1388763
George, Tom, myself, and Jim was the PG launch order. Another pilot from Alaska showed up named Nathan I think and also flew. Both Jim and the pilot from Alaska had nice saves over the LZ.
The wind was interesting. Winds on launch were coming in nicely. The forecast showed wind N at 6k, W at 3k, and S at ground level. This made for an interesting mix/shear layer and possibly an inversion. George reported getting spanked with a collapse of half his wing that was very unexpected and more violent than anything he's experienced outside of an SIV course. I found the lift tight and snakey due to the wind direction change. I got high over the towers to the south and drifted with it over the second ridge where the wind pushed me E towards Mercersburg. Tom had visual and was coaching me not to fly to Mercersburg where George and Jim ended up landing. As I got lower I felt the S wind and started drifting back north. I had a nice low save 400 feet over the ground that triggered off of a parking lot/building in the middle of dry fields. I circled with it and wasn't making much progress, but was determined to stick with what I had. When I started losing a little more I drifted a little more down wind and luckily connected with a strong climb that seemed to stop at 2500 feet msl. Possibly an inversion in the valley, but likely it just drifted to the west at that altitude and I lost it. I managed to catch 2 more thermals flying north along Route 75, but began to worry about landing options. Luckily just made it to a huge grassy field by the road.
Max altitude: almost 4800 ft msl
Duration: 1:30
XC distance over 5 points: 21km
http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/1388763