Let Me Tell You About My Day
Yo,
How was your day?
Yeah, okay, who cares - let me tell you about mine...... ;->
You got Will's mail, well, I was there - I flew 135 miles total......
A couple of quick end-to-ends on the ridge, (west 35knts at ridge level) then
off to the west to check out Taylor's Ridge (10 miles west of Hardwick). Will
was trying to get me to fly this ridge way south. I wanted to see it first. It's
only about 800' high. Got to Hardwick, but low. This is after heading and trying
to thermal into the now blue - against a 20+knt headwind. Every time you thermal
to a decent height you lose at least a mile in the process. So, downwind, looking
for a recharge, but ended-up back at Chil. I thought I was in for a relight at
this point since I couldn't get back to the ridge. At about 1400' msl
I gave up and put the gear out - boom - 5knt thermal - gear up, back up to 5000'
- at the ridge by this time. Off I go back to Hardwick to finish the intended
recon. Same thing, upwind, in blue, thermal up, lose a mile, finally
got there, Will calls to say he needs me to give a ride. I catch a 7knotter (average!)
up to 7200', check out Taylor's Ridge (never been that far west),
then it's a 20 mile final glide to Chil at ground speeds of 120-130knts.
I've never done a real final like that for 20 miles. What a blast,
did a race finish at 140knts at 500' over the road (since I couldn't do it last
weekend) and headed in after 3 hrs. I would have flown 6 hours if not for the
ride.
I'm not trying to make you feel bad. Just wanted to share it. Sorry you weren't
there. We could have done Taylors to the south....
Later,
Tim Larsen
Jantar HS
March 28, 2000
--------------------------------
Chilhowee Gliderport, updated September 9, 2002