Gas to Bristol: $6.00
Portage: $10.00
Dinner for cranky kids: $24.00 + $5.00 tip
Perfect dead wind launch, sledder, perfect dead wind landing right on the spot: PRICELESS

Sunday, June 24 2007 Padgem, then Bristol

I brought Dana and my Sting to the training hill this morning. Mark had plans at the FLAP all day so I loaded for a flight at Bristol too. Dana did awesome with the glider- 3 flights from the top, a few turns, and pretty perfect landings. It was great to see her really getting it and adjusting to the new-to-her glider. I will take it to Vermont with the rest of her stuff so she can maybe get a crack at Morningside this summer. Padgem is closed now (the corn is chin high!!!!- what's up with that???!!!) so she will be leaving Friday. Anyhow, she really did well there and then helped me carry my gear into Bristol. Two PGs were in the air when we got there, but Florian had landed and Mukrim was scratching, so I thought it was going to be a sledder at best for me. Ron and Bob were there and when Bob got high after launching, so did my hopes of a good flight. Mukrim had a couple of impressive low saves before he landed and Florian launched before me. He was just over launch and it got so light, I just waited. We had each other on the radio, so when he would go out of sight, I could ask how he was doing. Finally he said he was climbing and there was a little air coming into launch. I ran hard but still got a little low before leaving the slot. I was below launch after a short time, and thinking I was toast. I few times I could get a full 360 in lift, but then it would disappear and dump me. Florian was boating just over launch, making it look easy, so I headed nearer to him and finally hit something solid below the old launch. I hung on to this little bullet, got above the ridge, and saw Florian really gaining over the tower. I pushed into the valley a little and got a better core and worked my way up to him. Pretty soon we were at 4K over and I don't think I have ever been that high over Bristol. I saw all the boats on Canandaigua lake, and even started to see Honeoye Lake. Pretty soon, Florain cut loose and headed across the lake, but I had other plans. There is this really great maze north of the thruway- fun to solve from above it in the air- and even thought it was a cross wind trip, I thought it might be worth it. Way high over the Bristol launch(well, now I was over Canandaigua lake), I headed north. The climbs were pretty good at times, base was cold. When I started to push NW, to stay upwind of my courseline, things got drier and lighter. But the climbs were still there, and I made my way- slowly like the tortoise that I am. I talked a bit to Florian, he was across the lake and landing. When I was high over Pactiv (where Mark works), Florian said he was in Middlesex and to tell Mukrim to come get him on rte 245. I had no way to communicate with anyone until I was on the ground, and Dana had all my wraps, but I told him I would do what I could when I landed. I got hung up a long time over the Canandaigua airport, and saw that the day was going to be over before I got a chance to solve this years' maze. But once I was over the racetrack and crossed the Thruway, I knew at least I would be close. Then I hear a voice, "hey, SkyQueen, you out there?" and it's Mark and I was so excited to hear from someone- now I could relay the message about Florian to Dana, and just let Dana know to drive north. It's just after 5pm now, and I am pretty low. The air is bouyant, but the clouds are very rare, and I think I have the Macedon water tower on glide, but I go and search for a climb. Lon comes on the radio (he's at FLAP doing his first solo tow) and he cheers me on. But I am too low and I don't want to blow this flight with a shitty landing. The fields are few and I decided to land back a ways by Rte 31 so Dana could get me easily. The fields by the tower looked hard to drive to, and tough to land in. I could see there was no flying activity then at the flight park, so I could at least get help from Mark maybe if I needed it. I had a great field picked out and set up a really sweet landing. A 30yd walk off the soybeans to a mowed lawn to break down...Pretty awesome flight- best one I ever had from Bristol. It wasn't wicked far or anything, just to Macedon, but it was truly cross wind, and I did it alone. Dana and Ron appeared as if by magic and got me home by 6:30. I'll get my track log into Google Earth and post it tomorrow. I'm still pretty stoked and my back is feeling just fine.
Airtime: 2:30
Max A2: 4700' above launch
Miles: don't know yet- like 25 or so

Saturday, June 23 2007 H-port

I was more nervous than usual atop Hammondsport. Setting up- the strong cycles were coming through but then it was pretty dead in between. Not the forecast I saw before leaving home. I figured to let a bunch of people launch before me so I could calm down. Jack and Dan W obliged, then Dan S and Mark. The first two just left, and when Mark and Dan were high, I got into the slot with Tom's help. I waited for a lull (MISTAKE) and tried to lunge off. I got two steps into it when I knew I had made a huge error in my timing and my technique. I wound up clipping the trees to the right of launch (down low) and yanking my left base tube to rip the glider from the trees' clutches. I was surprised to find myself NOT in the trees, and 50' below launch while I tried to get prone and stuff my feet into my harness. I was so freaked I figured I would go land, and as I sank out with my legs shaking, I knew I would probably never get the nerve to launch H-port again. While passing below launch, I yelled to the onlookers, "OH MY GOD!!!!) and then decided on my way to the LZ that I better fly my glider and get a grip. I saved the flight in front of th ewest launch, got a little above, and when I looked at my right wing, I saw a piece of tree- complete with leaves- about 5 inches long, hung up between my side wire and undersurface. I was still pretty freaked, but Mark was there with me now and together we climbed up in some gnarly-ass thermal. It got us about 1500' and bounced us around a bit, but then I looked for my twig, and saw it still there, a reminder of that horrible launch. The air was a little crappy, but at times coherent enough to climb high. I was starting to feel a little better, but later I saw my twig had fallen out. For some strange reason, I cried. While I was flying. I missed my twig. Very strange.

Well, the rest of the flight was okay, but I had no desire to land at the church, so I headed to the airport. I found a really nice thermal on the way there and flew the north ridge a while and watched the others near launch. It looked like Mark had a nice one behind the church, so I went all the way over just to knock him out of it. Finally I had had enough and headed back to the airport. Switchy wind down there- GREAT- I'm gonna pile in the landing- I think. But no, it was a decent one for a change and I just laid down and thought about that launch a while. Mark picked me up and we analysed the hell out of my recent launches. They suck.

Lon, Todd, Tom, Moritz, Florian, Mukrim, Rick- they all flew. And it wondered pretty high. Dan and Jack drove back from Blue Swan, no clue where Dan S went to. Mukrim gave me a great PG lesson while he was launching and flying. Adam drove, and the porcupine missed a golden opportunity with Meesha.

Airtime 1:20

Max altitude: 3700' over launch

Updates:

I spent 10 hours on Wed, June 13th in the emergency room at work with excruciating back muscle spasms; Thursday was spent in a drug induced stupor ; Friday I took my drugs and headed to work where my coworker shoved me in her car immediately and took me back home when I started puking there. But Saturday was a great flying day so all was well with the world for a bit. Short flight at Bristol (20 minutes) since it was a bit cross from the N. Impatient souls that Ron and Florian and I are- we headed to Harris for a couple of hours airtime with a bunch of other pilots for a sunset wonderwind. My back felt better than it had in days despite a rough top landing. Sunday was my 18 year anniversary for being clean and sober (I'm not counting the prescription stuff, obviously.) Sunday's MRI showed a couple herniated discs. So now I wait to see what I do next. Fun shit, different day. More later.

I was pretty overwhelmed when I was still at Highland so here are the things I should have thought to say:

Thank you to...

Sunny and his crew at Highland Aerosports for putting on this comp so I could win some money, the Tjadens for giving me a ride even when I was sorta unpopular with my honey Lauren for a day, Pete Lehmann's bunch (esp. Drew) for giving me a ride when I smelled really bad, Sunny's bunch again for giving me a ride when I smelled even WORSE, Kraig Coomber for running to my aid whenever I had equipment problems (starting in Arizona), Dan Spier for sticking it out and letting me get to know him better (that doesn't sound quite right somehow), Davis Straub for being the best freakin' Score Nazi there is (not to mention his up-to-the-minute OzReport: what would we all do without it???), David Glover for eating the small noisy child, Dana and Mark for NOT eating my other children while I was gone, Meesha for being really well-behaved (except for when she threw up copious amounts of mucus on the way home), oh and let's see, who did I forget??? Oh that's right- my SPONSOR- Bob Roth at 360 Wireless- for helping offset my expenses (probably shoulda thanked him before the DOG.....)

Anyhow, I had such a great time seeing and flying with people like PK and Tom McGowan and everyone and I am still pinching myself over the whole thing and all I gotta say to Davis is: the tortoises shall inherit the earth.

This was the view when I got to work early Monday morning... My co-worker, Chris, snuck in when he saw the scores online and stuck these up. Two of my coworkers are expecting babies in the next few weeks- at first I thought someone popped early!!!!!
I gotta say- as much as it sucks to be a working stiff, there is no better group of stiffs to be stuck with (say that ten times fast), plus a decent boss who lets me blow out to these comps every spring!

This was the view that greeted me after 6 hours of driving at Indian Cliffs launch Sunday, June 10, at 2pm. Killer flight!!!!! 2.5 hours and 6300'msl. Ed J, Ron K, Scott W, Ron L, Rick B, Jim K, Doug S, Chuck S, Matt C, Doug F, Dan W, me and Bob R got all we wanted. Bob was the only one who didn't actually launch from this launch!!!
More on ECC later....

Task 4 ECC

Writing this now- it seems like ages ago when I was at Highland (I'm starting this on Sunday night). Friday was HOT. Not Arizona-blow-torch-hot, but sweaty, thick, hold-your-head-over-a-boiling-pot-of-water hot. In the launch line, I thought my camelbak was leaking. Um, no, it was the sweat rolling down the back of my legs. I shed my speedsleeves, today it would be 67 degrees at cloudbase. It was slow to begin, the air was inverted and there was obviously no lift. It would feel great in the air but not great to land and carry a glider back to launch again. So we waited. Finally a few people launched and I just got ready and in line behind them. By the time I did get in the air, it started to turn on. I got towed above t he gaggle- nice!- and kept the extra altitude. The other gliders were close together and it looked like Florida gaggles. Finally I had had enough and when I saw Dan Spier turning a ways down the course, I headed out only to find he wasn't climbing at all. Shit! I glanced behind me and saw the entire posse following behind me. I kept gliding and got into serious search mode at 1600'. I smacked right into a little corker and hung onto it and watched 30 gliders beat a path to me like something out of Star Wars. I had several hundred feet on everyone for a bit, then Davis, Kraig and PK were high too. I almost beaned Davis and figured it was time to leave at 4K. I lost most of these guys except PK. I figure he is the guy to stick with. Sonny and John Simon were with me for a long time through the excruciatingly slow climbs with no drift whatsoever along courseline. With my bare arms it felt so good at base, but it was so much work to get there. Sonny seemed plastered to a cloud the whole flight. I couldn't keep up (literally) with these guys and they ONLY turned left so we parted ways. It was fine for a bit but I got so impatient at the end. When I got to the TP, I was at 950' and I thought some birds might help me get out. I hovered there and Kevin came by at my altitude and took a hard left turn. I couldnt imagine where he was going. Did I have my 5030 set right for the next waypoint? I watched him go and tried to get out of that field but I failed. I landed at the TP (an airstrip) and instantly got blasted by the heat. I had been in the air for 3 hours and it had just become hotter on the ground. 3 more landed there and a few went overhead very low- doing the "Mexican Mile" like Charlie Allen called it (and he was one of the ones who actually DID it here) and I broke down with John Simon and Rich C. It was ungodly hot. I swear I have never minded heat so much in my life. No way to get away from it and we had to pack up quick. I had no definite ride and I was miserable abut the heat. Sonny's group came by and gave me a lift back right around the time I thought I would be spending the next few hours there. Sweet! I lucked out with rides all week and got to know each batch of pilots a bit better because of it.
A bunch of people went a bit further than me today but I maintained my 2nd place standing.
Airtime was like 2:55 and alt2 was maybe 5K? I will have to check.

This picture of Mark and Emily- a caption eludes me....

So this meet has been pretty great for me! I keep waiting for the bubble to burst- but until it does- I am going to get as much mileage out of it as I did with the dead baby shark!

The task on Wednesday- task 2- wasn't really very easy. I missed the start so I took my sweet time. Which means I flew even slower and more conservative than I usually do. Which is pretty slow. I flew with Lauren and Bob and Kraig in the beginning, when I found myself low and just outside the start, I said screw it, I better just find this snaky climb before I deck it. And I kept going. Kraig left me and two seconds later I finally got a good climb. Good enough to page through every damn waypoint on the 5030 to make my instrument tell me the right way to go. I never found it in the "go to" so I went into routes and manually entered it. But I was climbing the whole time, with 99% of my attention on the instrument, and I think that just goes to show you the value of not overthinking a thing (like thermalling). Every once in a while I had to look around to see if anyone was nearby or if Lauren was coming up to me, but no, I was alone. So I topped out at like 4200' and tried to find another. Soon my climbs got better and higher and I got to 5200' and misted at one point. I saw Sonny and he smoked me and then I caught up with Jim Prahl, and we flew most of the rest of it together. We went on a glide together, 14 miles out and he just totally outglided me. I was 1000' below him and searching for anything, and I was at 1800' and at the edge of a large forest before I found it. I did get back up high again, and I saw goal, had it on glide by 2500', but I hit such a nice thermal on the way, and having already missed the start gate, I took the climb. I flew over goal, saw just two gliders on the ground and figured the gang was already packed up and gone since I was so slow. I landed and Pete Lehman said later he could hear my glider flapping. Jim came in just after, I hadn't seen him since he left me in the forest, and then a few more people landed. A two hour wait with no ride, then Lauren and Paul showed up with Jen to get Rich, so they let me in. Taco Hell on the way home. Great day! Came in 4th. I flew for 2.5 hours and got 5250'.

Yesterday-

I'll write this now while I am still in my "bubble". It will sound more upbeat!

The lift was nonexistant according to Rich, the wind dummy. And when Davis and Pete didn't get anything, well, I just got in line. Suddenly there are a ton of people here and I didn't want to wait to long with just 3 tugs. Jim gave me a great tow- he was headed left and saw a gaggle of buzzards and headed for them. He planted me in a good one. I was alone climbing then Kevin joined me, although I didn't know it was him. He said later I violated his personal space some. Oops- I don't even remember it. But I will take care to give him wide berth, he really wants it. So I left sort of alone, hooked up with Sonny and then was alone again. Then Kraig and Rich caught up and smoked me in glide, that is when I noticed how badly my trailing edge was flapping. Two panels are just wagging away! My climbs were like 100-300 fpm and sometimes just part of a turn. You really had to pay attention. Clouds were not working unless they were brand new and when I glided I would just watch the sky ahead to scan for wispy beginnings. Not really haze domes, just wispy things that would glue together into a cloud. I got low at 12 miles out from the TP and Bob was 2 miles behind. I had on and off 100fpm and just milked it, then PK came from behind me and stopped short for a good climb so I actually FLEW BACK half a mile to get it. And it was shit. So I lost anything I gained and went on glide. I had the TP in sight and with 2500' so I went for it. I saw PK tag it and glide away very low and into the dirt on courseline, so I didn;t want to go that way. I went back from where I came on the first leg, thinking I would get pushed onto course when I found a climb since it was upwind, and searched. I see Bob above me, turning, so I hunt for the bottom of it. At 1500' I am not finding it so Bob says check the brown field, I do, but NO, not there. 1000' and Bob's not saying much but he's still above me, so I keep looking.... and looking and then I am landing. But to the EAST in a very strong headwind. 180 degrees from what it had been. Okay so it is a seabreeze and I was hunting through the Maytag effect and getting fooled. But Bob leaves and later I ask him what he was climbing in there and he says- oh I wasn't climbing, I just wanted to make sure you were okay.....My freakin guardian angel... huh! We had a little chat about what signals he's giving by hanging out turning in an area!!!! He glided to a good finish in the shutting down day. Pete was next to where I landed and he shared his ride which was Drew, and he was already there waiting. Drew was thoughtful enough to pick up all the roadside garbage where we had been. Nice.

Okay, so that's my story, and I am sticking to it. How I moved up a slot coming in 10th place is just weird, but hey, I am not complaining. Somebody pinch me!!!!

This picture would be called "man-eating-shark" or "sushi- maryland style". I thought maybe Davis would publish it but since it wasn't really flying related (unless you consider a pilot eating a baby shark flying related). Anyhow, this little guy we found dead on the beach- well Bob found it- and I carried the trophy all the way back to the group to play a prank on Glover. That's why it was on the windshield of his car. But Kraig found it and wasn't as disgusted as we hoped. I figure at my age, not getting the looks and wolf-whistles I used to get, I have to walk around daggling a dead baby shark on the beach to command some attention. It worked.

The flight yesterday:

It was easy.

Sorry it's taken me so long to update here. I am at Highland Aerosports at the East Coast Challenge- and challenging it has been! First, Mark got too buried at work to come along. So the decision just to come was tough- I have never really been to a comp without him. It has been eye-opening to see just how much he takes care of. But I had the week off of work and I really want to kick Lauren's ass fair and square, so I headed down. I watched a very inspirational movie on the way down- Astronaut Farmer- and figured that was a good omen. The drivers I passed on the highway while watching this movie weren't very inspired, however. Anyhow, I set up camp pretty quick and got a little tour of the flight park- bring on the flying. I didn't watch any weather before I drove down, Barry changed the flying plans a bit. We got soaked on Sunday and spent the day battling the rain and messing with equipment. Kraig brought my revised Matrix as promised, and now I can actually zip it up. Betty Pfeiffer did a nice job on the zipper- and in a very timely fashion.

So Monday, the forecast was for a ton of wind, but lift (not GOOD lift) so we called a task and flew. I took two tows- the first was picture perfect... didn't find a single thing to turn in though... and landed in some rocking air near the staging line. I got right back in line and towed up behing Lauren. This tow was rough right from the start, and when I pinned off and searched for lift, all I found was 1/4 turns in shit. Every once in a while I would get half a turn, but I never got back to my tow altitude and figured I would just waffle on downwind and get the task started. Thats all I did, except downwind wasn't on courseline, so in zero sink to 100fpm down, I dribbled for 7 miles at 1800' right to the ground. I saw Paul Tjaden just as I started looking to land, and at a big flat field we both gave up the ghost. Lauren fared much much better- shoulda followed her! No one made goal but everyone had fun anyhow.

So Tuesday we went to the beach- way too windy- and that was a great way to kill a day...