Next Week?

Post by **Ward Odenwald** » Sat Jun 04, 2016 5:01 pm

odenwald's take:

Sunday -> Forget about it (hunker down in the nearest fraidy hole)

Monday -> Favor the Pulpit over Woodstock (due to the forecasted significant cross at WS). Afternoon clouds may be an issue.

Tuesday -> Same as Monday’s prognostication

Wednesday -> Wind direction/speed and cloud cover forecasts favor Woodstock over the Pulpit (if you prefer near blown out, honking winds this is your day)

Thursday -> 5 days out and I’m excited! The Woodstock predictions are looking really, really good!!

Friday -> Wind direction favors the Pulpit over Woodstock albeit both are at or near blown out conditions.

Saturday -> Not willing to fantasize.

Beyond 2 days, it’s anybody’s guess and most, but perhaps not all of the above should be considered hopeful fantasy.

Summary -> At least one of these days may have epic soaring conditions. My 2 cents is riding on Thursday.

Post by **krryerson** » Sun Jun 05, 2016 8:08 am

Have been focusing on Wednesday so fare and hoping Woodstock will work for us... .
Can't make it later in the week and should know more on Tuesday evening/Wednesday morning.
Knut

Post by **markc** » Sun Jun 05, 2016 6:58 pm

Eyeing both Wed and Thurs, in the hopes of a WS day on one of the two...

Post by **silverwings** » Mon Jun 06, 2016 10:52 pm

It is looking like to me that Thursday at Woodstock is a better choice then Wednesday.

Post by **mcgowantk** » Tue Jun 07, 2016 7:14 am

I am looking at Thursday too.

Tom McGowan

Post by **krryerson** » Tue Jun 07, 2016 1:41 pm

Good, due to my wife's schedule on Wednesday, Thursday will be better for me too. Condition looks great on Thursday also. Planning to leave around 9 o'clock and should be at Woodstock by latest 11 a.m. Thursday morning.
Knut

bowen.tim · Post by **bowen.tim** » Wed Jun 08, 2016 11:35 am

I am in too. What time do you want to meet up at the bridge field so we can leave a vehicle there?

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Wed Jun 08, 2016 12:52 pm

I am interested if I can get an observer.

Post by **A.Lloyd** » Wed Jun 08, 2016 2:15 pm

I'm planning to be at Woodstock tomorrow.

Anthony
H2

Post by **krryerson** » Wed Jun 08, 2016 8:41 pm

Will be there around 11:00 am and some pilots will be there at ~ 10:00 am. Don't know if there will be any observers, try to contact one of them if you have not yet.
According to Windyty, looks like 11 mph between noon - 6 pm and hopefully the "WS Effect" will not make it too light. If so, expect to run aggressively.
Call/text me tomorrow if needed, at 703- nine-six-seven- 82- seven- seven.
Knut

Post by **John Dullahan** » Wed Jun 08, 2016 9:15 pm

Blaine and Anthony, give me a call at home (301) 203-8281 or my cell (301) 646-4999. I will be driving for Tom McGowan tomorrow but after talking to you I may also be able to observe for you tomorrow.

John D.

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Wed Jun 08, 2016 11:19 pm

John D. Thanks for the offer. John M. And Ward are both going so I should be covered. I plan on being there early. Thanks.

Post by **Ward Odenwald** » Thu Jun 09, 2016 6:30 am

Looks good! ETA 10 or 10:30.

Ward

Post by **krryerson** » Thu Jun 09, 2016 10:32 am

ETA noon!!

Post by **krryerson** » Thu Jun 09, 2016 11:06 pm

Great flight. Flew up to Signal Knob and back and a tour out to I-81. Logged 2:40 hrs.
Thanks for all the help!
If interested, check flight @
http://www.doarama.com/view/785761
Knut

Post by **XCanytime** » Fri Jun 10, 2016 12:39 am

After going to launch on Wednesday for 2 hours from 2P to 4P, I returned early this morning at 9:45A to find Ward and Blaine already there. Conditions were light under a sunny sky with high altitude clouds. Other arrivals were Tom with his driver John and Tim. I led the charge at 12:30P into moderate conditions. Got up in front of launch and headed down to the Edinburg Gap. On the way down my altimeter battery was dying and the display was covered with a "low battery" icon that covered half of the altitude readout. Got to 3000' over just before the rockpiles but was hesitant to jump with a faulty instrument. As I lost 1K' I saw Ward very high behind Waonaze Peak. He ended up SE of Massanutten Peak for the XC flight of the day

. So I headed up to Signal Knob to try for Front Royal Airport, a much less intimidating task. Along the way the altimeter died (the display froze) so I had to rely on the eyeball method to gauge climbing. Could not find a decent climb so I gave up and headed back to launch to land in the grass field. At launch I sunk down to ridge level. With a stiff west cross in the local area I flew upwind of the grass field to stage and gain altitude and fly straight out and have the cross create a straight ground track to the field. Reached the field and saw that Tim and Blaine had landed. The field had hay bales spread throughout the field, creating 3 strips to land on. I chose the middle strip but my final got altered and I ended up flying over one bale and in between 2 others. Got it down OK. As Tim and I broke down in the grass field the farmer who farms the bridge field and the field next to the grass field drove up in his pickup truck. I greeted him warmly and quickly detected that he was not there to exchange pleasantries. He informed me that we were trespassing; that landing in the bridge field (which is in crops and that fact was broadcasted) was trespassing and the next time it happens he will get the law involved. At least 3 pilots landed in crops, 2 in the bridge field, and 1 who came up short trying for the grass field. DO NOT LAND IN THE BRIDGE FIELD OR THE OTHER PLANTED FIELD UNTIL THE CROPS ARE GONE!!! I must've said Yes Sir 15 times to the irate farmer and promised to let the offending pilot(s) know that this trespassing will not be tolerated again. Thanks to Tim for the ride back to launch. He and I enjoyed food and drink at the Strasburg Hotel Bar, then the 2nd shift of John, Tom (XC to Strasburg), and Ward arrived for food and spirits after Tim had left. Bacil

Post by **mcgowantk** » Fri Jun 10, 2016 9:40 pm

I just wanted to echo Bacil's comments. We had a really fun day of flying. Ward did a great job flying down to Harrisonburg. But the big thanks goes to John Dullahan who drove for us and assisted many of the launches. We couldn't have XC without you. Thanks John!

Tom McGowan

Post by **Ward Odenwald** » Sat Jun 11, 2016 4:56 pm

It was a very good day and what really made it special for me was Tom’s and John’s offer to come get me after John retrieved Tom near Strasburg. During their drive down 81, they also arranged for Anthony and Blaine to bring my car down from takeoff to the Bridge field. On top of this collective Pilot Generosity, Bacil requested we debrief at the Strasburg Inn - a great ending. Thanks!

Once in the air, I realized that conditions were good enough to fly south and wait for an OTB thermal above Grubbs Knob near the south end of Fourth Mountain (just north of the ski resort). I was hoping that this strategy/guess would lead to many more thermals - taking me over the Blue Ridge and beyond. The first part of the plan worked but after loosing the Grubbs thermal at 6K msl over the Shenandoah, all I could manage was weak climbs up to 4K and was not willing to risk a low pass over the Blue Ridge. Instead, I headed south along its foothills. I believe that Randy’s LZ from his Flattop flight is in the upper right corner of the 12th photo (highlighted in his recent Flattop thread) and the results of the Rocky Mount forest fire (that was burning during Randy’s flight) are visible in the 13th photo. The first 5 of 15 photos are attached to this post and the rest follow in two additional posts. Here’s the link to my flight track.

http://www.doarama.com/view/785759

Ward