Woodstock Sat May 28th
Moderator: CHGPA BOD
Woodstock Sat May 28th
NAM is predicting winds on the surface at Woodstock on Saturday to be 310 @10mph at 2pm.( NAM Fri AM ) Winds at launch if this holds should be ideal direction and velocity. Thermals predicted in the 400-500 ft/mi range with thermal tops to 6-7th ft. Hoping to get a few pilots to commit.. Wind direction and velocity look great all day until early evening..Rich H
Re: Woodstock Sat May 28th
Hmmmm.... Interesting. And possibly better earlier in the day (late AM and early PM) based on the ADDS 3k 'cast? Eyes-on!!
Re: Woodstock Sat May 28th
Im thinking of getting there before noon Marc..Hopefully Homer will join us..Rich
Re: Woodstock Sat May 28th
An absolute bust! Went to the Pulpit 1st, getting there around 8A. One pilot was on his way, a half hour out. No indicators of any others coming at that time. The meter told the tale. Decided to migrate to Woodstock, knowing pilots would be there. 2 hours later got to Woodstock launch to decked over skies and light to still conditions. Every once in a while a wave bar would open up 1/2 to 2/3 the way across the valley, but it stayed decked over the majority of the sky. Jean Chiotti showed up after I did, as did Homer and Rich. Later arrivals were Joe and his wife Zelda, Zelda's nephew Jeff and his wife Carolyn from Chicago, Josh and Felix, Steve Kinsley, and a few wuffos. At 1P a switch got thrown and it picked up nicely. Jean got off in his PG for a short soaring flight, as he had to get back to Bethesda by 3P. Later I staged at launch and waited a half hour before it picked up again. The cycles were swirly and straight in conditions were short lived. I tried to time it right, and got airborne, but hit a hole and pitched down and banked left down into the left quadrant of the slot. Plenty of noise in my ears told me I had airspeed so I pulled in more a bit before trading airspeed for altitude to porpoise over the trees at the bottom of the slot.
In the air it was light, and I barely got maybe 50' above the ridge max. Decided to head SW to see if anything was going on, but it wasn't. Slowly sank and decided to land in a nice field a few river bends down. Saw the grass was real high, so concentrated on keeping the basetube out of the high grass and flaring hard (no headwind). Tripped on the high grass and belly flopped in. An abrupt stop but not too abrupt. Long carry out to what appeared to be a barn through the chest high grass. Tough going.
After reaching the "barn" (storage building for the state park that I unknowingly landed in), and thankfully mowed grass, a park ranger came over and asked me what my intentions were. I replied that I planned to break the glider down and call for a retrieve. The nice young man informed me that I had landed in a state park (Seven Bends State Park) and that it is illegal to land in a state park. I apologized but just explained that I "ran out of air" (he chuckled hearing that explanation) and had to put down in the state park. He told me he wouldn't write a ticket but took my name, SS #, and DOB. He realized that I was not a threat to land there again, and that a powered airplane had landed in the field adjacent to the one I landed in due to engine failure (engine out). I told him we are engine out the whole flight, so I was essentially just like the powered airplane that experienced engine failure. He agreed, and I agreed to inform all other pilots that the Seven Bends State Park is a no landing zone.
Homer ended up coming to pick me up. Thanks Homer! A guy named Keith showed up while Homer and I were loading up, and Keith and Homer know each other from business dealings. Keith's a powered pilot, and we had a nice chat about airplanes and such. The nice young park ranger gave me a few of his business cards to pass around to pilots in case we need to call upon his assistance in the future. All in all, a nice ending to a less than stellar flight, in spite of all the great "forecasts" for the day. Bacil
In the air it was light, and I barely got maybe 50' above the ridge max. Decided to head SW to see if anything was going on, but it wasn't. Slowly sank and decided to land in a nice field a few river bends down. Saw the grass was real high, so concentrated on keeping the basetube out of the high grass and flaring hard (no headwind). Tripped on the high grass and belly flopped in. An abrupt stop but not too abrupt. Long carry out to what appeared to be a barn through the chest high grass. Tough going.
After reaching the "barn" (storage building for the state park that I unknowingly landed in), and thankfully mowed grass, a park ranger came over and asked me what my intentions were. I replied that I planned to break the glider down and call for a retrieve. The nice young man informed me that I had landed in a state park (Seven Bends State Park) and that it is illegal to land in a state park. I apologized but just explained that I "ran out of air" (he chuckled hearing that explanation) and had to put down in the state park. He told me he wouldn't write a ticket but took my name, SS #, and DOB. He realized that I was not a threat to land there again, and that a powered airplane had landed in the field adjacent to the one I landed in due to engine failure (engine out). I told him we are engine out the whole flight, so I was essentially just like the powered airplane that experienced engine failure. He agreed, and I agreed to inform all other pilots that the Seven Bends State Park is a no landing zone.
Homer ended up coming to pick me up. Thanks Homer! A guy named Keith showed up while Homer and I were loading up, and Keith and Homer know each other from business dealings. Keith's a powered pilot, and we had a nice chat about airplanes and such. The nice young park ranger gave me a few of his business cards to pass around to pilots in case we need to call upon his assistance in the future. All in all, a nice ending to a less than stellar flight, in spite of all the great "forecasts" for the day. Bacil