Sunday March 25
After hearing about the desperados that hung out at Italy Valley in the pouring rain all day and night on Saturday, Mark and I waited for the sun to come out Sunday afternoon and headed down. All the way there hawks were circling, but the leftover clouds were so low, it looked like they barely cleared the top of Bristol Mountain when we passed by. But it was even drier at Italy, and Doug and Mukrim were looking pretty sweet several hundred over. We waited at the LZ since Doug was coming out to land, and headed up top with him. He had a report about the landowner of the launch, not too favorable. (See the RAF Yahoo group for details). We carried in - Mark with is PG and me and Doug on my HG. It seemed so light at launch, and Mukrim was struggling low- a few times I thought he was toast, but he managed to squeak back up every time. I set up and Mark Andrews (canadian PG) and Doug both launched again. My Mark went to retrieve them, thinking his shoulder wasn't up for a flight after all. I was all set up and waiting, and now it was coming in much better, but I really wanted a wind dummy- I mean, technician- and I saw nothing else soaring. So I waited and Mukrim launched right away after they got back. He got up pretty easily, so I launched and it felt really good- at first. I went to the east where he was up a little and got knocked around at ridge level a bit. I headed back to launch and lost some more altitude- 90 feet below launch now. Tried again where Mukrim was and just couldnt get a good bite in to turn well. So back in front of launch I go, almost 200' below when I get a decent tiny column of lift. I was so pleased with the way my glider was handling so I just started cracking some seriously tight turns and it all gelled together and got me up. I eventually got to 1285' over and mostly stayed between 800 and 1100' the whole flight. It was 200 to 600 fpm lift and very smooth. The sink was strong as well, but easy to avoid up there. No real ridge lift, just thermally- wind was 6-9 mph up higher. Less down low I guess. Mark Andrews launched and then my Mark launched which really scared me since he can't move his arm much. I guess he figured the arm wasn't up to snuff so he went out and landed. The last 20 minutes of my one- hour flight, I was stressing out about the landing. The wind was obviously light and switchy down there- I hate to commit to a direction and have it change- so easy to happen there! I kept putting it OUT of my mind deliberately, until I couldn't do so any longer. Worrying about it just ruined the last part of my flight- and the execution of the landing pretty much ruined what was such a rewarding flight otherwise. So I had a good long look at the LZ socks and they were doing different things. and I floated over high. I finally decided to land to the east since I was seeing more of that and came in headed that way. Mistake.... but a good bonk was all I got after a very fast final across the ENTIRE LZ..... I have been pining for the big flat fields of Florida and soon I will be there. Plus I hear the wind is pretty steady there- and STRONG lately!
Okay so anyways, nice day nice flight, good company. Doug even drove my car down so we didn't have to hike up. A meal at the Middletown Tavern ended the day.
Flight: 1
Airtime: 1:06
After hearing about the desperados that hung out at Italy Valley in the pouring rain all day and night on Saturday, Mark and I waited for the sun to come out Sunday afternoon and headed down. All the way there hawks were circling, but the leftover clouds were so low, it looked like they barely cleared the top of Bristol Mountain when we passed by. But it was even drier at Italy, and Doug and Mukrim were looking pretty sweet several hundred over. We waited at the LZ since Doug was coming out to land, and headed up top with him. He had a report about the landowner of the launch, not too favorable. (See the RAF Yahoo group for details). We carried in - Mark with is PG and me and Doug on my HG. It seemed so light at launch, and Mukrim was struggling low- a few times I thought he was toast, but he managed to squeak back up every time. I set up and Mark Andrews (canadian PG) and Doug both launched again. My Mark went to retrieve them, thinking his shoulder wasn't up for a flight after all. I was all set up and waiting, and now it was coming in much better, but I really wanted a wind dummy- I mean, technician- and I saw nothing else soaring. So I waited and Mukrim launched right away after they got back. He got up pretty easily, so I launched and it felt really good- at first. I went to the east where he was up a little and got knocked around at ridge level a bit. I headed back to launch and lost some more altitude- 90 feet below launch now. Tried again where Mukrim was and just couldnt get a good bite in to turn well. So back in front of launch I go, almost 200' below when I get a decent tiny column of lift. I was so pleased with the way my glider was handling so I just started cracking some seriously tight turns and it all gelled together and got me up. I eventually got to 1285' over and mostly stayed between 800 and 1100' the whole flight. It was 200 to 600 fpm lift and very smooth. The sink was strong as well, but easy to avoid up there. No real ridge lift, just thermally- wind was 6-9 mph up higher. Less down low I guess. Mark Andrews launched and then my Mark launched which really scared me since he can't move his arm much. I guess he figured the arm wasn't up to snuff so he went out and landed. The last 20 minutes of my one- hour flight, I was stressing out about the landing. The wind was obviously light and switchy down there- I hate to commit to a direction and have it change- so easy to happen there! I kept putting it OUT of my mind deliberately, until I couldn't do so any longer. Worrying about it just ruined the last part of my flight- and the execution of the landing pretty much ruined what was such a rewarding flight otherwise. So I had a good long look at the LZ socks and they were doing different things. and I floated over high. I finally decided to land to the east since I was seeing more of that and came in headed that way. Mistake.... but a good bonk was all I got after a very fast final across the ENTIRE LZ..... I have been pining for the big flat fields of Florida and soon I will be there. Plus I hear the wind is pretty steady there- and STRONG lately!
Okay so anyways, nice day nice flight, good company. Doug even drove my car down so we didn't have to hike up. A meal at the Middletown Tavern ended the day.
Flight: 1
Airtime: 1:06
posted by Linda Salamone at
Monday, March 26, 2007
5 Comments:
So what was the "incident" that Mark Andrews refers to on his site? I hope noone got hurt?
By
Anonymous, at 8:42 AM
he must be referring to mukrim's huge in-air cravat. i wasn't there until long after that happened. - linda
By
Linda Salamone, at 2:56 PM
This is a copy of Mukrim's explanation:
"Hi Doug, I owe you thorough explanation of this, since I already comented somewhat ambiquously.
Dialogue after finished flight:
Doug: You did perfect job Mukrim, 100% execution of exit from cravate I think. What do you think Mukrim?
Mukrim: You saw it all? Yes it was 100% (or close).
Doug: Yes I did see from A to Z. I was in the same thermal below you. You stabilised in spiral intentionaly to avoid stall, centered yourself in harness and reached for the stabilo line to pull cravate.
Mukrim: I realy did not care (much) about stall; what I was trying to avoid was a fast and deep spiral. In fact I did care about the stall but not too much, because a stall was second on my list to solve the cravate.
I allowed a mild spiral as opposed to a straight flight to prevent stalling, but primarily to prevent another collapse in very active air where collapse occured. So that way I by some time (of presurised and stable wing due to G-forces of mild spiral) to identify and reach stabilo line, which is suposed to be pulled hard and far to solve this kind of cravate.
You saw me exiting spiral first time, and going into it again. First time I reached stabilo, but not very high, which did not allowed for suficient pull. Also I was trying to pull earlyer when I was still in spiral, instead when upon exit from spiral.
What a spiral does: it pushes cravate between lines, hence clearing becomes next to imposible. So objective is to pull stabilo line that is alredy in hand at right time. Right time is not imedietly if you are still in spiral. You have to exit spiral and when wing is out of it, climbing and losing the speed you have to be able to make long pull and clear.
This is what I did so close to 100%. 100% would be with with just one spiral dive and one exit =first shot."
I missed the whole thing, but I will ask Mukrim to perform a demonstration next time I go flying :).
Mark A
By
Unknown, at 4:23 PM
Thanks for posting that, Mark. Also, AWESOME video from Sunday! I really liked seeing my launch and part of my save. Nice launch, too, Mukrim!
By
Linda Salamone, at 4:44 PM
Thanks, Mukrim's launch is great isn't it. He is almost upside down at one point if you watch it frame by frame!
By
Anonymous, at 8:13 AM
Post a Comment
<< Home