The DelMarVa peninsula is like a little Florida. A long skinny north south
peninsula with bodies of water to the east and west. With a south wind the
convergence sets up in the middle of the peninsula at the Delaware and Maryland
border. It rarely or never sets up on the western side of the peninsula
over here at Ridgely.
None the less the RUC/Dr. Jack forecast called for for zero lift and negative
solar heating at 2 PM today. The local NWS forecast mentioned a slight chance of
a rain shower. The FSL showed lift to 3,300' but over development here at
Ridgely. Apparently the models don't know the area. The convergence happens to
the east according to Adam Elchin, who should know.
Given the forecast of zero lift at 2 PM, but good lift at 10 AM, the task
committee called for early launches at 11:30 with the task starting at 12:30. We
also called a short task, twenty three miles straight downwind thinking that the
prospects were high for over development.
A shelf of stratus clouds appeared just to the south and for a while it wasn't
clear this was the reason for the call of zero lift. I launched early at 11:26
and was towed up above cloud base to 2,200'. Getting above the clouds didn't
help that much and while we found lift it was a slow descent
Twenty minutes later down to less than 400' just upwind of the airstrip I saw a
hawk head up wind then catch some lift over some farm buildings. I gave chase
and found the same lift. Ollie, Tom Lanning and another pilot who were
thermaling with me landed. Fifteen minutes later I was back to the new cloud
base at 2,300' with Russell and Paul nearby.
The wind was 10-13 mph at 187 degrees, and we had to stay inside the five mile
start circle for the next half hour. Weak lift and strong winds are not a great
combination. We all headed back up wind and found pilot who launched later
getting up. Paul missed the lift and had to land and relaunch later.
I hooked up with Paris, Bubba, Tom, Ollie and Russell, as we did our best to
stay high and go no where. Seven minutes before the 12:30 start we had to go
back upwind again to find a new source of lift. I headed back toward the air
strip, while Paris and Ollie headed more to the east. I could see pilots ahead
turning and Bubba came with me. We climbed up almost to cloud base as I watched
Ollie and Paris find lift.
Two minutes before the start opened, I raced over to Ollie and Paris when I saw
them climbing better right at the edge of the start circle. I climbed up just a
few feet below them as the window opened. We climbed for another minute and a
half drifting through the start circle circumference getting to the new cloud
base at 2,700'. The race was on.
With Paris and Ollie reaching cloud base first they were forced to go out in
front of me. I had the opportunity to take a third line and did so going to the
west of both pilots under what looked to me like a better part of the cloud
street ahead. The clouds were streeting up as the wind was strong and we just
had to go downwind to get to goal.
I had indeed found a better line and stayed over Ollie and Paris. This put
me in the best position in the next thermal when I found it. I stayed above
Paris and Ollie as we continued down the cloud street then caught sight of a
pilot who had gone on course line before the start time. He was thermaling a
couple of miles ahead. I raced away from Ollie and Paris and found the lift
under the pilot. They came in under me and we climbed out.
When the lift weakened Paris and I left and I got out in front losing only a
couple of hundred feet over the next three miles. When I found the next lift
Paris and Ollie were right there coming in under me. It looked to me like this
was the last thermal that we needed to get to goal. I knew that we were in the
lead and I only had to keep an eye on Ollie and go with him if he left early. My
strategy was to leave when we was turning back and pull in as hard as I could.
My 5030 said I was 1,300' over my best glide slope when I left the thermal. At
290 fpm, it was by far the best thermal of the day, and I wanted to have the
extra altitude to go as fast as possible on glide.
It took Ollie a turn or two to see that I had left. Then he gave chase.
Fortunately I could see him behind me and I knew how fast I needed to go to stay
ahead. Paris couldn't go quite as fast (you can really go much faster on a rigid
wing) and I was pulled in doing 62 air speed and 72 ground speed.
Ollie was just sixteen seconds behind me and Paris not long after that.
We started early so the lift was weak and cloud base was low. The lift improved
and the cloud base rose to over 3,000' before 1 PM. There were cu's every where.
The convergence happened to our east five to ten miles in Delaware. I have a
better idea how to read the RUC and Dr. Jack here with a south wind.
Windsor's the pilot and Jim Rooney is the helper. Photo by Belinda Boulter
1 BOTT, Jacques (Air Atos VR) FRA 999
2 POSCH, Johann (Air Atos VR) AUT 966
3 RIS, Jürg (Air Atos C) CHE 949
4 NADLINGER, Arnold (Air Atos C) AUT 739
5 LOHRMANN, Christoph (Air Atos VR) DEU 713
The USHGA Name Change Poll has been temporarily suspended while we investigate
balloting fraud. Fraud cannot be tolerated and any fraudulent ballots that are
found will be invalidated. Our goal is to resume polling on June 10, 2005.
Jeremy Swerdlow has come out with a version of the Sky Trigger that works with
the Motocomm head set (available from
www.flytec.com). I've been using the Sky Trigger for a couple of days now
and it is very comfortable and quite rugged. If you have trouble keeping a PTT
setup setup, then you might want to check it out (see earlier article).
The Sky Trigger is available from Wallaby Ranch as costs $80.00 You should
compare it to the Motocomm small PTT button which is also very nice at $25.
Jeremy's switch is obviously quite a bit more rugged, but that may not a
concerned for you.
I'm wondering if someone would be interested in helping me with
weather information this summer in Europe. I'm competing in the XAlps race
Starting Aug 1st running thru the end of the month. I would have my supporter
contact you from there each day via email.
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The Oz Report, a near-daily, world wide hang gliding news ezine, with reports on competitions, pilot rankings, political issues, fly-ins, the latest technology, ultralight sailplanes, reader feedback and anything else from within the global HG community worthy of coverage. Hang gliding, paragliding, hang gliders, paragliders, aerotowing, hang glide, paraglide, platform towing, competitions, fly-ins. Hang gliding and paragliding news from around the world, by Davis Straub.
