now i know why i didn't recognize the ass that was posted last week- mine looks more like THIS:

Sunday July 29, 2007
Harriet AGAIN-
I guess the locals call it "Spencer". That's weird to hear since we always call it Harriet. Or Scariet. Harriet Hollister Spencer State Park.
Anyhow- Sean and I met up at the roundabout on Rte 65 and went to drop his car off in the LZ. We had hemmed and hawed enoough about where and when to go- the forecast was a bit iffy. Scott Rowe's glider was in the alternate LZ where we left Sean's car, but no sign of Scott. We went up top and it was blowing in nice at times and there was quite a crowd. We launched and sledded. Karl and Katrin had extended PG flights and it was a race back to the top where now it was blowing in really really nice. Mark took K and K up and Scott got my glider on his car and carted Sean and I up. I was set up quick but reluctant to dummy, so "conditions look perfect- you go first!" was the battle cry. Sean took the bait and launched and it looked really scary. I got into the slot- my launch was okay but noisy as I ran through the tall weeds. Sean was getting up a bit around the east face so I joined him. Soon I was 1500' over and flying right over launch and watching Scott in the slot. He launched and then Karl, but Karl's flight was short. I pimped off Scott for most of the flight and he took me on a tour to the north and then way out into the valley. It was a classic Harriet wonder- go anywhere and find strong-ish lift in the weirdest places. I was calling to my dog on launch and she was looking up at me with Katrin. The highest I got was 1700' over but it felt higher and I was having a great time with the view of all the finger lakes and the colored gliders bobbing around. I couldn't outlast Sean, though. Every time I thought he would have to go land- he'd just keep scratching around. I was getting bored and low so after almost two hours I finally went in to land. I had to spiral in some sink to beat Scott down since our altitude was about even. I landed squarely in the gully even though we all had joked about that earlier- but at least I didn't get wet. A quick run to the top to get the dog and the car and we were all on our way out to grab some food. Mark was just getting home after some tandems and playing around in the Dragonfly so a good day flying overall. I think we may have recruited some spectators to either take lessons or tandems- there was a ton of interest in what we were doing. And they were incredibly patient- some of them were there for hours. That's the great thing about the location of that launch- it makes us really visible to the public- the fit and active public (potential students). It is really intimidating to launch in front of a lot of people, especially when patience is needed for just the right cycle there. I know I launched 10 minutes too early the first time. But I'll keep that in my mind the next time I head to Harriet.
Airtime: 12 and 1:48
Alt above launch: zero and 1700'
Flights: 2

Sunday July 22, 2007
Me, Ron and PG Sean met Karl and Katrin at Harriet Hollister on Sunday. Mark was headed to the FLAP with Dan and Todd having big XC plans to go over our heads there. When I launched Harriet the first time- I had a sledder and landed in the tall weeds - miserably hot and sticky breaking down. Ugh- this day was not going well! I had hoped to hook up with the pilots who left the park early, but we didn't know where they were at. Mark got towed up at FLAP and I could talk to him on the radio as I set up for a second flight. (Sean and Ron sledded and Karl had picked us up. Sean has the deep scratches on his leg to show for getting me out of the weeds.) Sean launched again and had a narrow escape out of the slot- he handled it beautifully! I heard Mark was at the north end of Honeoye lake when I launched into a decent cycle- this time, the lift was in the bowl so I had to 360 right in it- scary! But I was able to maintain mostly and I rode it along the back of the ridge until it really glued together in the middle of the east facing ridge. I saw Mark as I climbed out- I got to 5K over I think- and wondered why Ron didn't launch after seeing me get up. Mark and I talked a bit about going to Dansville, and he decided to top-land at Harriet. I decided to follow a street to Dansville and hopefully make it back, but as I headed under the fat clouds, they dried up and got crappy. I veered north and finally got something just west and north of the gliderport in the Dansville valley. I saw the sailplanes around, and I followed one that I thought might be onto something, but a big sweep around the whole valley proved it was dead as a doornail. The sailplane landed and I went in behind. It was cool landing right by the hangar ( I dropped the nose) where the glider pilots were hanging out, and Rizzo came screaming in from Avoca a few minutes later. Mark and Sean and Ron came to get me and we buzzed on outta there. Not too shabby for a day I thought was lost after my sledder! I had just over an hour and enough time up there to get really cold! Meeting up with Mark was pretty cool and even though we had to fly different sites, we still got to fly together. I hear Dan went to D-ville and almost all the way back to FLAP. Todd cut the cord and got out of the park for 5 or so miles. Scott Rowe made it to Canandaigua. Jeez- pilots littered all over the countryside!!! What a great flying day. Thanks to Mark for making the sacrifice and landing at Harriet. Thanks to Sean and Karl for hiking me out of my shitty landing place, and Sean for the lovely picture he took of me at launch.... payback is a bitch....

I haven't had time to mention the wonderwind that Mark, Karl and I got at Bristol last Sunday. So here's the mention: 600' over and smooth as glass for 90 minutes. The highlight was planting myself atop Mark's kingpost, out of his view, for like 15 minutes. Very fun.
The other thing I didn't mention was how great my harness fits. No, I didn't lose my extra baggage- Marilyn Nichols gave me an extra inch or two- so zipping up is effortless. Betty Pfeiffer had replaced the zipper and added some space last month, just not quite enough. So I am really enjoying the fit now and staying more relaxed in the air as a result of not pushing to keep myself in it correctly.
So today- very nice flight at Hammondsport. I wasn't sure I led my small pack to the right place, but I figured it would be too windy to do Mossy or the Cliffs early so a stab at H-port seemed logical. It was already a little cross from the north when we arrived, but we set up anyhow. Dan, Jack, Bob, Rick, Karl and Katrin joined Mark, Ron and me. I got in the slot first- very nervous about my last launch there. But after waiting a long time, a nice cycle came in and I had a decent launch for a change. My first pass I pulled a 360 and started gaining. I saw Jack launch and then Dan, but it wasn't easy to stay up and we all spread out. I finally found a little something on my way to the airport and had some instant friends and climbed out. Dan got really low and I thought he landed (he saved it at 300' and flew to Harris Hill) and Jack left the valley. At around 5K over, I left too and went on a long sinky glide. Pretty soon the only company I had was Mark and Bob on the radio as I made my way down Rte 17. When I got to Rte 15 I thought about heading south, but with 4 hours showing on my 5030, and no clue about airspace down there, I fought cross wind to stay in the 17 valley. I had good climbs, great climbs, shitty climbs and some I just absentmindedly waffled around with. Not too stressful, I could see Harris Hill and no one was flying at the Cliffs, so I tried to make Blue Swan. I did get low in front of Dan's, but the last climb that got me to my goal was right over his ridge and then I couldn't get down at Blue Swan. I saw a glider on the ground, figured it had to be Jack, and came in screaming across the road- Peggy stopped traffic while I belly landed 15 feet from his glider. A thermal was mixing it up good in the whole area and it felt like being sucked along the ground, not really downwind, but weird nonetheless. I has dirt down my pants but it was a safe landing. Thank God for wheels- I never could have run that out. I was beat- 3 hours in the air- shivering at 5900' over H-port launch. I saw 46 degrees on my instrument up there. I think it was just 45 miles or so, but really fun. Mark and Ron landed near Corning- I'll let them tell their story. It was a blast to listen to Mark as he dragged Ron along.
Okay so I am beat, tomorrow is going to be sweet, so I'm packing it in.

Saturday, July 14 2007

Looking for a place to fly- we decided on Dansville, but upon arriving, decided it was too windy and the launch was too overgrown. So we headed to the sailplane port after watching Armin and Bob and Karl L launch. Armin was doing okay in the PG although not penetrating much. His launch looked scary but he had it under control. Bob's launch was one of the most frightening (besides my own) that I have seen in a while. I still can't believe we weren't picking him out of trees soon after. Karl had a nice launch and probably the nicest flight. I was kicking myself for not setting up- until I got a GREAT glider flight in. Two hours of stick and rudder- giving Riz a thermalling lesson and going to Canadice and back. After outclimbing a couple of gliders late in the flight, a trip out into the valley in 200fpm lift flying straight over the airport, it starts to rain and Riz wonders why I am so freaked. Well mylar doesn't do well in rain. I found out fiberglass is okay though. But the highlight of the flight was the Stealth Bomber that passed by us and made a huge circle over Dansville- probably a runaway from the Geneseo Airshow. Strange sight up close. Thanks Riz for a great flight and Mark for talking me into it! I have two more in my intro package so I will be back for more...

June 30, July 1st 2007 Morningside Flight Park

Mark and I dropped Dana off at her dad's in Vermont late Friday night. The forcast looked strong but the options were limited by my aching back. We left the Sting with Dana and headed to M'side. It was cross from the north on the little ridge so we decided to hike into Ascutney just to have a look since we knew pilots were going off there. We got stopped at the gate and without Vermont Hang Gliding Association cards, the gate keeper wouldn't let us in with the gliders. But I had Meesha's rabies certificate so at least SHE was legal.... We had no intention of flying but she was just being sure.... So we headed up and walked in. I can't believe people carry their gear through the woods here. It's like a mile and pretty rugged terrain. Dennis C., a rigid wing pilot and heart transplant recipient, allegedly was in the air here after carrying in HIS gear.... And me with just a bad back.... So anyhow, we watched a launch and saw a few people soaring above. What a beautiful place. It wasn't blowing as hard up here as it seemed at the Flight Park so we headed back to see if conditions had improved. Mark burned the crap out of his brakes on the way down and we got the gliders and set them up at M'side.

It was still a little windy and the day was flat when I towed up. Rhett pulled me to like 4700' when I finally pinned off- not a bump the whole way up, nary a bump on the way down. Well I got a little something near the ridge at 1800' and worked that for a total of 35 minutes- including the long-ass tow! When I landed, I helped Mark get hooked up and started putting away my glider. Rhett came back way too quickly and when I saw why- Mark was turning!- and Rhett said he left him in something decent, I got my shit back together and got towed up again. It took a while to see that Mark had made a live cloud- the only one in the sky that wasn't dead, and was pretty high by now. Rhett was motioning on tow- I thought he was pointing upwards, and knowing that he would tow me to kingdom come even when there were tandems waiting, I pinned off.... into NOTHING!!! I raced back to where Mark was circling but couldnt get it. Ah well- later I found out that Rhett wasn't motioning that it was good where I got off, rather, he was shielding his face from the low sun. I had a decent landing and then Mark came in. Definitely he had the FOTD there! We went to dinner with Rhett and Marilyn and got a room nearby to keep our flying options open in the morning.

The forecast looked identical for Sunday, and we went to M'side to pay up and decided to wait out the wind. It got calm but overcast for a while and we set up. Then it got BLACK and overcast, and some guy comes in high, apparently from Ascutney, and lands. I figure it's time to fly even though it looks like rain. I get a nice tow after Mark and find an easy thermal. Mark and I flew around a while and I was going to make a run to Ascutney, then changed my mind. While I was taking a big swing around back to the the Flight Park, I got hit by massive sink and figured I'd have to land. Mark was way north and radio'd that he'd found something so I tried to get to him. I got in under him low, just 800' by the ridge, and he said if I got up he'd buy dinner.... I kept falling out of it and it was trashy but finally an osprey showed me the way and I climbed up. It really turned into a screamer!!! My vario was 9.4 on the averager by the time I topped it out and then Mark and I went on a fun glide north. That Northwing of his has a really good glide- he was doing 38mph and matching my 1/2 vg glide without losing much altitude. He landed soon after and another glider got towed up. I waited til Stevie (test flying someone's glider) landed to try to land. By now it was honking pretty good and getting really rowdy- I had a good grip when I touched down. So pretty good for just over an hour of flying, and we were ready to get that dinner as promised. A long drive home, courtesy of Mark on Red Bull mostly, and into our own bed at midnight.

I should mention the somber mood at Morningside given the recent accidents there. Jeff Nicolay went to "the Other Side" and came back after landing in water. And Mike Onorato's accident is on everyone's mind, and their prayer lists. Just be really careful out there-