Linda Salamone's Blog

Thursday, July 31, 2008

I'll get some more pics up later. I am rushing so I can go shower. In short- it was really hard to get up and I went around 40K or so after a few low saves. I actually thought I might make it at one point but the rain and OD got in the way. I did a fly-on-the-wall landing that was very thrilling, to say the least... Tough flight...

Task 6 Women’s Worlds
Our start was moved up to 2pm and it was a bit of a rush to get stuff going – funny how we get into our little habits. I have my ritual of walking way down launch and cranking up my iPod before the pilot briefing and I had to cut that short today. Lisa and I got off in the middle of the pack and my launch was easy. We were at the north launch- again- and it seemed like gentler air judging by the rigids and swifts getting up. I had a decent climb but couldn’t get comfortably high- that would repeat itself for the hour that I waited for the start gate. Lisa and I got something out in the valley but when 20 other gliders appeared to be in the stratosphere, I realized we were not doing something right. Back in front of launch a bit low again and Lisa headed out into the valley while I got trashed with a swift and another flex wing. But it finally turned on and I got through the lower inversion. Much better up there. I went over the back towards the start circle and heard Lisa was getting low. All the other flex wings were past the gate by now- I was late 7 or 8 minutes but damn, was I high! I headed across the valley in front of Monte Cucco and it was lifty and nice all the way to Gubbio. The second point was just beyond and clouds were forming and the bases were 3000 meters msl. The rigids were everywhere with all of us and there were climbs spread out all over. I headed back to the south TP and thought I might even tag that one and the last one and head to goal without another thermal- I was so high. But by the time I dove for the windmills I was almost landing instead and hanging on tight to the rat shit I was getting. Two other gliders prepared for landing with me, and I continued on courseline to get as many K as possible. Then I hit something low and stayed with it. I was just enough to drift me towards the last TP and then it said I had goal by 70 meters… just enough…. I have no idea where my score was but when I bellied into the very furthest part of the goal field- zipped in and full VG til the very end, there were many other flex wings there. Lisa appeared and helped me get my stuff across the field to break down. Her flight ended in the north valley early on but she had stayed very positive about everything while on the radio so as not to bring me down. I saw Jamie’s kingposted glider and knew that once again, I was very slow. Having a full team next time I do this sort of thing would be great, having a corporate sponsor would take care of some of the other stresses, and I look at the whole German team and know they have got it down right. I think I will make it one of my missions in life to get more women interested in competition. The US should be more fully represented in this type of arena. I have learned so much here, this type of mountain flying is unlike anything at home. The people here are so nice, so laid back, so real. The women I am flying with seem more open and social than when we did this in the US. I now know what it is like to be the foreigner and I regret not having done more to make the women feel more welcome in Florida. We all have so much in common, our lives are parallel. Wow, I guess I am in a mood!
Flights: 1
Duration: 2:57
Alt msl: 3000meters
XC kms: 68 or so..

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Random pictures... .just trying to get something in this space here.... Christian Ciech- 2nd place after 3 tasks, arranged to have a zipper delivered from Woody Valley-
The beautiful streets of medieval Gubbio...

My new friend "Spanky" who eats Brian Porter's leftover meat and cans of my tuna fish...


Rigids launching...



Gorio Mandozzi (on the left) is the Italian team's "doctor". He uses some unusual holistic therapies and has given me some relief of my back problems. He's with Graziano Maffi of the Italian team...




Carlo Bertacchi- hand sewed my new Woody Valley zipper into my harness until the wee hours of last night and destroyed his hands in the process. The Italian team has really been wonderful to us American orphans. I hope to get a picture of Mirella soon. You are all hoping I will as well- she is a real cutie.
So the task today was changed just after I got it all into both GPS's. When you have like 7 or 8 waypoints- it's a real pain in the ass. But the new task seemed to please everyone involved- I dont care- I just follow the arrow. The wind was much lighter than yesterday and we were at the N Monte Cucco launch again. I was anxious to try out my new, roomier harness, and got in line in the middle. It looked like some people were not getting up well, so I knew it would require some concentration. I launched very easily, and headed out to the spine to the left and got up while a few others struggled below me. That was a great way to start. But the lift got a little finicky and I headed toward the start circle, just 8 K away, to find something better. I tried to get some stuff off the ridge and watched while others got up in rat-shit, so I figured there must be something better around and went searching. I was wrong- there really was nothing better. I made a desperate search below the ridge and all the bumps and spines along the way... nothing big enough to turn in. Fields to land in were getting scarce and I was boxing myself into a narrow valley. There was one decent looking field- unfortunately there was a power line running right across it- and it sloped downhill in the direction of the wind. But it was actually the only thing going so I made it make do. My landing was decent and I had a good cry before I was joined by a few other women as I packed up. I have no clue how good or bad everyone did, but Kathleen just walked into the cafe I am in (headquarters) and it seems she made it quite a ways, but not to goal. I dont think anyone will make it in. I am pretty frustrated by my flight- BUT NOT BY MY HARNESS ZIPPER!!!! It worked perfectly and I am so happy to have my harness as I know and love it! I wish we would get some booming conditions so I could move up a bit on the board. Maybe tomorrow....






Monday, July 28, 2008

I'll have to catch up on the pictures another time... I am pressed for time before it rains.
The great news is- I was second into goal today! Right behind Corinna! I actually landed first but I do believe she had already crossed... The not so great news is the task had been stopped (cancelled) and I flew OTB to get to the Sigillo LZ for ease of retrieval and proximity to headquarters. The launch for the day was at North Monte Cucco (back-side)- like yesterday's that was cancelled before we launched. When it blows north it needs to be somewhat light but today it was a little gusty at launch and some OD was going on around us. But I got off in a decent cycle, a few behind Lisa, and had a hard time getting up. I watched Lisa get low and I desperately hung onto some crappy stuff close to the ridge while she landed. It was hard to get any altitude and it was harder still not to hit any one or anything. I went to zip up and broke my already broken zipper again and decided that trying again was pointless in this kind of air. The bunch of us girls out there just sort of hung in, trading places and bouncing around- every so often someone would hit a core and then have lots of friends, but the climbs were brief and I saw rain just a few miles off. We pressed on a little down the ridge and then someone came on my freq. and said the task was cancelled. Stopped, whatever. I tried to confirm with Nicole but she was impossible to hear. I was not completely convinced that whoever called me was correct, and I was trying to confirm it for around ten minutes. Finally, I just made the decision to get down based on the way the sky looked and the fact that Corinna had zoomed away, presumably OTB to go land. I was just 300meters above the ridge when I dove over, and I got my ass handed to me in a big way. I wondered how Corinna handled it being on a bigger glider. I thought I would sink out right in the middle of Sigillo but I wound up surfing some serious rotor to make it to the LZ. Landing, of course, was just another adventure! But I looked around and saw that Corinna was just landing behind me and she was okay, other gliders came in but i think most people landed on the other side of the mountain.
I have no clue what the weather is supposed to be like here (and I am going to go out on a limb here and say that no one else does either!) for the next few days, but I am really hoping to get some big fast flights in. Preferably with a new zipper in my harness. My back is feeling pretty great so that hasn't been a big problem- just this damn zipper!!!!!
Okay, enough said- we are having a blast and Nicole is a really good dancer.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Launch on day one
At Tre Pizzi, we didn't fly- we played hackysack and had handstand contests.... and took pictures of flowers.

More flowers, on the way to Perugia... Lisa is such a flower child...


I said, I freaking LOVE the signs in Italy. This one means: WATCH OUT!!!! Blue snake crossing!!!!
Today was a blast- task 3, that is. I was doing really well, going very fast, and then we had to cross the valley and hit a point that we've had every day, then got a short distance to goal. It was pretty blue in the valley and I saw no one after struggling a bit at the south WP, well no one headed across the blue, anyhow. Once I started across, I had a few wispy clouds, and I hung in and got pretty slow. I raced to the point when I saw another glider turning above it, but I didnt find what she was in. So I blasted towards goal and knew I was going to be short into a slight cross wind. But I just kept going for lack of any better ideas, and there were two gliders much higher than me turning in God knows what, and still I went straight on. My numbers said I had it by 200, and I remembered I had my stuff in metric, and so I trusted it- again, for lack of any better options. I squeaked into goal without any turns and actually landed on my feet. I have seen many people roll in their landings here, but I do believe I am the only one who rolled my launch off... So I dont know where things stand but I think I am doing a bit better after today. I hope. We shall see.... I know this post sucks, but I am being majorly distracted....



Friday, July 25, 2008

The last two days of flying have been really great- it’s a shame I am not scoring better.
Day One- first attempt at pulling my zipper proved fatal- for the zipper. The slide completely broke, leaving me wide open the whole flight. Thankfully, Manfred’s wife gave me a makeshift safety pin so at the very least the top would stay down to where I placed the pin. We were launching from the back side of Monte Cucco to the NE. The flight was tough at first- seems like the rigids had the better part of the day to launch into. It was ODing and shading over as the girls were piling off. I got stuck behind a lot of people (note to self: get a better position setting up to be off the mountain earlier) and I watched them scratch and scratch and finally get up a little. Lisa got off ahead of me and I think I was one of the last off. I did manage to get up fairly quickly, but not high, and once I rounded the spine to the south, it got a lot better. I finally made it to cloudbase and I only have stuff in metric, so it was around 1200meters above launch. I think launch is like 750 meters above LZs and the LZs are like 600meters above sea level. Whatever. I got high enough to work some, anyhow. The climbs were strong and rough, and being only halfway in the harness was really tiring and annoying, but the view was awesome and I was having a blast. Delusions of grandeur as well… because I was tagging the first TP and thinking how easy this was, and then suddenly, it wasn’t. I tried to cross the valley to the west, and saw gliders turning ahead. By the time I reached where they were, they left. And the headwind was 38-40kph and I was getting drilled in place at times. Finally, I landed and cursed my foolish enthusiasm from earlier. Flights: 1, Duration: 1:30, XC kms: 31. Only Kathleen made it to goal- she is a tough cookie. Lisa and I spent the entire evening fooling around with my harness zipper.
Day Two- started off same as yesterday. Oh except that at breakfast the entire Italian team took apart what Lisa and I had done to the zipper and improved upon our handiwork. They also have a medic of a sort who has been working on my back problems. Adam H, if you’re reading this- he was actually saying the same muscle was hosed- the “souas” (sp?) and I have felt pretty good the last two days with my back.
Similar task as yesterday, but launching of the SW (regular) Monte Cucco launch. Rigids get up when it’s good, we go when it starts to suck. I pick a short launch line, only to find that it’s launching one glider to every three or so on the easier slope. Ah well… see above note to self… I watched while it seemed everyone was sinking out in front. Lisa launched and really had to scratch. I launched in a weak cycle (read:ran my ASS OFF) but got into the climb that she was getting into way to the south of launch. Climbing up really well after a few minutes and I reach for my zipper…. Aha! It doesn’t break… but it also doesn’t stay up. Damn, I need a new zipper. So this flight I alternate between holding the “up” pull in my hand, and then in my teeth- yes, my teeth. And sometimes I was just like, “F*K it” and let it all hang out. Once or twice, I got it all the way up and it stayed there, for a while. Until I shifted or hit big air… then it would just unzip all at once. I just managed to try to forget about it most of the time. My feet were a bit numb and sore but this flight was so much fun and I saw the Adriatic and flew straight under cloud streets for miles and had huge climbs… until I had to cross that damn valley again. I stayed over the mountains for a long time, way off courseline, and picked my crossing as wisely as I could. It was pretty good most of the way, and I pimped off a girl who got a little impatient, so when she finally got a climb almost to the Gubbio waypoint, I was right there. Except it was not as good over here and I struggled a long time trying to make that TP. I was below the low ridge and thinking I would land after I tagged it, and I saw a good field with a glider in it. I didn’t need to unzip… I already was…. And I tried to make out all the features of the field. I wanted to at least beat that glider on the ground so I swung really wide (remember that trick, OB???) but I got beepings… and more beepings… so I turned, and turned and damn I got up. I had been in Gubbio for so long I forgot to check where I was supposed to be heading. I was getting pushed downwind now, right to the next TP, so I just got very patient and went with it. I had such a sweet climb, the day was so late though and I started thinking about when the flight had to be over by. I think they said 6:30 and it was like 5:30 now… But this was so nice, getting high again, up under the clouds this late, and still getting around the course… so I milked it. I figured it to be my last climb and it was, only because after tagging the last TP before goal, it was just 10K further in. I looked at my numbers and saw I had it by 600meters so I just headed to the LZ that I had been able to see for some time now after making the last point. I spiraled down to land, watching a nice north breeze, until of course I was on final. Then it was dead, and I headed into the rough field over the gliders and Franciose was on the phone with her back turned to me as I started to yell.. coming in very fast now, but I had to let some speed off to get over her head, and then PILED into the ground. My head took most of the hit, I felt some pain in my right shoulder, but I got up as quick as I could and Tim and Nicole came over fast. I was embarrassed but worried about what damage I may have done to my neck so I talked to a medic for a few minutes but ditched them when they said they wanted me to go to the hospital. I will no doubt be stiffer tomorrow.
Anyhow, last in goal- but at least I made it. I had just about given up on the flight near Gubbio- I am so glad I stayed in the game. But I slide down two positions... well tomorrow is another day, and I am hoping consistancy will pay off and I will find my speed.
Flights: 1
XC Kms: 69
Airtime: 3:30
pictures later

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Well, no Costalucco yesterday- we are having some difficulties getting organized on some fronts. But Lisa and I did head to the "free" swimming hole the meet organizers arranged for us at the local camping grounds. Turns out the women who run the place thought that the swimming was not available for pilots, just meet organizers (?) and gave us a little hassle. Lisa thought 'coif' meant 'hair tie' and jumped into the pool (no diving unless you are the lifeguard or his friends or just Italian) and almost was asked to leave since she had no bathing cap on... .well... So later we headed to Perugia to get dinner, walk the downtown area and indulge in some of the cioccolato the citta is famous for. It rained hard when we returned to Sigillo, and just this morning we had insult added to injury when we found that the French team enjoyed great flights at Costalucco yesterday- and called it the most beautiful place on earth... I would post some pictures IF I HAD BEEN THERE!!!! Okay, so no flying and I am just a weeeee bit frustrated. But today we are headed one hour away to go fly. Everybody has been rounded up and it looks like nothing can deter us from our mission. If anyone sees my kids, tell my daughter to stop smoking pot, and my son to quit stealing beer, and my boyfriend to HANG IN THERE!!!!!
More later.... (P.S. the meet starts tomorrow.)

Monday, July 21, 2008

Linda in Italy... yup... on the phone...
Early morning view out the back of the hotel window.

The signs are like those picture/word puzzles....


Horses headed up to launch. Cows, horses.... They got everything going on up there.



Looks a bit blown out to me... Monte Cucco launch.



Um, yeah, just a little windy...
So we decided to hike up to the top peak after watching a pilot get behind the mountain and get rotored pretty badly. An ambulance was leaving the mountain later with lights on and we heard he was okay but it was pretty scary.

Nicole placing her juju rock at the summit....



The incredibly (overly) friendly Italian Team- waiting for the opening ceremony to begin.
The ceremony was fairly brief and the food and wine was abundant afterwards.
Today is not good here but we are headed south to Costaluccio (sp???) I think.... maybe flyable there. At least we'll see more of Italy today.
Later....







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Sunday, July 20, 2008

Okay, so Italy is like a picture postcard of what you would THINK Italy would look like. Getting my glider, car, phone and money was an adventure, but accomplishing all of that was akin to jumping out of an airplane for me. It made me feel INVINCIBLE!!!! And driving through Rome at rush hour cemented the experience. I did have the aid of part of the Rome police force (head of the sniper team!) to secure my glider and put me on an express train to the Vatican to get the car. Once I hit the countryside, it got a little less chaotic, but driving and navigating while nursing my aching back and fighting to stay awake kept it interesting. I found the town of Torgiano and my friend's wife greeted me with my money and a cell phone. She also led me to the road to Sigillo, and seeing how tired I was at 9pm, she continued driving right into town so I could follow. The road was liek Jacob's ladder and the full moon lit the way. Very cool. Very nice of Vittoria to take the drive for me. Lisa called as she boarded a plane in Utah to say she would be in Rome at 8:30 am, just as I headed to Sigillo behind Vittoria. So turning back in the early hours was way too much for me to think about just then; I checked into the hotel and passed out at midnight, only to awaken at 2am stressed out about how to get Lisa from Rome to Sigillo. Flavio (meet organiser) had no suggestions, but Nicole saved the day and took my car and headed to Rome at around 11am Saturady to get Lisa. I hooked up with Brian Porter and Manfred Ruhmer and after much dicking around at lunch eating, we headed up the mountain. By the time we made the last switchback in the road to launch, I was laughing like a maniac at the fact that I HAD ARRIVED!!!! My glider was in perfect condition thanks to my Nene Rotor travel bag, and Davide helped me assemble the glider from it's short-packed condition when I expressed frustration at completing the task. It took a long time and conditions OD'd in the meantime. But I got a good launch and scratched around and even had a low save that took me above launch so it wasn't a wasted flight. I also has a great landing but notived afterwards that I had VG more than half on... hmmm. So I am all registered and all my things are centrally located now- car, glider, phone, driver... so I am ready to fly again. Too bad it looks like a lot of wind today but we will go up anyhow.
More later. Hopefully with pictures.
Dana I will try to call you tonight. Go see your siblings this week....

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

How I spent my summer vacation... (Before Italy, that is)

Mario Luppa waiting for a cycle at Indian Cliffs


Well I have flown some since the ECC, just not much. I had an XC out of Bristol, I have taken sledders there and at Harris, and had a very short flight at Mossy Banks. However, I did soar it for a few minutes on the 4th of July. But the weather, when it has been decent, happened on days where I couldn't escape work. But mostly the weather here has just sucked for flying. The forecast for the 4th of July weekend looked stellar. But the lift was elusive in the mountains of New York. There were reports of soaring at the defunct flight park, but only 2 people had the luxury of exploiting it there. I chased the almost nonexistant wind to Indian Cliffs on July 5th, after Mark and I taught a visiting H2 pilot to foot launch, and had a 3 minute sledder that cost me an $80 down tube. But the good news that day was that my student had three great foot launches and three great landings and was ready the next day to fly Italy Valley, which was actually soarable from time to time. Mark changed my downtube Sunday morning and we headed to Italy with no dog and hopes of a decent flight to end the holiday weekend. Karl Link got very high (2000' over) after a few scratchy PG flights by Evo and Alex, and I couldnt get into my harness fast enough- only to wait and wait and wait for a repeat of the conditions Karl (who was now on the ground) had had. Mario and Mark were in line behind me and I took my time. Finally it got more consistant and I launched into a cycle that got me a little over and then I was a few hundred feet above inviting Mario to launch. His launch was reportedly like mine and Mark's, I found out later- we all got pushed to the left side of the slot due to a SW cross, but he managed it very well and soon he was S-turning and climbing up to me. Mark joined us and the three of us searched for something bigger. Mark and I could explore a bit more with the topless gliders and Mario stayed in whatever he could find nearer the ridge. It got a bit scratchy and Mark went to land after we all duked it out low. A better cycle came through and we survived the little flush, but then it looked like Mario and I would be on the ground soon when I saw two hawks way to the east (near the old LZ) and decided to make a run for them. As Mario sank lower near the launch, I made it to the birds and for the first time all weekend, following birds worked for me and I got a nice climb. Mark and I urged Mario not to try to reach me, as landing options suck over there, and it was a good thing he didn't try because when I left that climb my vario's sink alarm sounded for a solid minute as I tried to get to where Mario was now getting above the launch again. Soon a bald eagle joined us and I got my best altiude of the flight, but not enough to beat Karl's height. Another flush cycle claimed us and I watched Mario land well in the tight LZ with switchy wind and I figured, hell I can do that. I had a less than perfect landing ( I cant run anything out anymore) but I didn't hurt my back any more so I considered it a huge success. The grin on Mario's face- his first ridge soaring and restricted landing in a hang glider- awesome! So we packed up and went to Bristol and threw him off there in a slight tail wind just to give him perspective and a pulled hamstring to round out his foot launch-mountain flying weekend. A beer at the Lock, Stock, and Barrel and a good ending to a fun, if not hugely soarable, holiday weekend.

Flights: 3

Airtime: 6, 3, and 45 minutes

Alt above launch: 200, 0, 1200


 
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