Flight Log
(starts Jan 2001)| Date | Launch | Site | Conditions | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-09-08 | 5:00pm | Oregon Ridge | Calm | I must be missing logs, because I have been out this year. :-( One calm flight off of Oregon Ridge in evening magic. A classi hard-run no-wind launch, but despite havubg no wind, there was los of life. I had to dive, skim, and flare to stop before the road. perfect no-step landing. I gotta watch the gas pipe they put at the bottom. |
| 2002-08-22 | 7:00pm | Ridgely | N 0-5 | 3 almost-soaring flights: 1) 16min - Lots of lift but I couldn't seem to lock-in. This was shortly after several gliders came down so I had no help. Belly-landing. 2) 23min - Soaring flight, but I didn't like circling near the sailplane. I went off on my own and lost the thermal. :-( Perfect flare #1. 3) 13 min - picture taking flight. Lift was gone, and I wasted altitude fumbling with the camera. Perfect flare #2. |
| 2002-09-08 | 4:00pm | Ridgely | switchy 0-10 | Took some friends for tandems. Everyone came expecting serious lift, but the day was a disappointment for everyone except my friend Dave, who spent >30 minutes on his first Tandem! I flew a demo glider: a Wills Wing Falcon2 195. Unfortunately, I didn't properly preflight it, and the nose batten was totally out of position. I broke my weak link on the first launch. The second was successfull, but I had an absolutely horrible flight, tow was weird (I had to push out a whole lot), and averaged -400fpm, for a flight lasting <10 minutes. |
| 2002-08-22 | 7:00pm | Oregon Ridge | N 0-5 | Sped to Oregon Ridge for some quick evening flights with my roommate Dave. 3 flights, in surprisingly bouyant air. 1 bad landing, 1 running, 1 perfect. I need to remember how to land in no wind. |
| 2002-08-05 | 4:00pm,8:00pm | Ridgely | SE-SW 5-10 | This was picture taking day and lock-your-keys-in-the-car day. Thermals were light 200-300fpm, and dying off about the time I got up. I could have soared longer if I weren't focused on taking pictures. I'll post the ones I took shortly. Also took a sunset flight, but the pictures didn't turn out. I need to watch for other air traffic when circling the field. |
| 2002-05-11 | 1:00pm | Oregon Ridge | NE 0-5 | Arrived at 12:30 expecting good conditions at 1:00. Air was like glass, but the wind was tapering off. One flight at 1:00, smooth air, but conditions changing. By 1:30 there were flyable cycles, but the air was turning dumpy. Decided to fly the new Falcon 2.0, 195 (too big for me) and maan that is a great glider! Straight and level flight, nothing the air did could harm me, and the flare was awesome. I look forward to flying it again. |
| 2002-05-05 | 10:00am - 2:00pm | Ridgely | L&V 2-5 | Arrived at 9:30am to enjoy stable morning air, but it was turning bumpy very soon. 2 pattern tows to 800' resulting in 20 minute flights! The air was so bouyant I couldn't get down without work. Tried circling, then boxing the field, then finally some tight inefficient turns. Both resulted in 2 step landings into almost no wind, but at least I was near my spot. My next 2 tows to 2500' around 12:00pm resulted in 12min and 8min each. Tried another at 1:00pm with similar results. My last tow was at 2:30pm, resulting in 4200' AGL and 57min. Total air time was close to 1:45 |
| 2002-05-04 | 12:00 | Oregon Ridge | E 2-10 | Adjusted battens. The nose batten was waaay off. Initial flight in very bouyant air resulting in much altitude followed by equal sink. 2 step landing. The second in a bit of a cross turning dumpy. Resulted in a rolling landing not too far down the hill. |
| 2002-02-?? | 2:00ish | Long Green Hill | variable 5-15 | I forgot to record this until >1 month later. 3 nice flights in good conditions. One launch in a 45 degree cross, followed by a quick turn into the wind, made for a nice educational flight. |
| 2001-09-29 | 4:30, 5:00 | Oregon Ridge | N 0-15 | Two quick rides down the hill on a strong day. Wind was smooth, but the storm & clouds caused it to change direction every hour. Waited for 45 minutes for lighter wind when it shut down completely. Dead wind flight from 2/3 up. Next flight from top, wind picked up with a strong cross. Very very lifty, lots of fun despite the cross. Kept up speed to fight the cross, else I would have been above launch! Running landings. I hang 1" too low on the bar (not that that caused my running landings). |
| 2001-09-08 | 4:30, 5:30 | Ridgely | S 10-15 | 2 x 15 mins. Bought a Flytec 4005, which was very educational. Lots of dark clouds, but no one found any lift. I'm pumped to go back next weekend and practice thermalling. Approaches were reasonable, resulting in a no-step landing and a running landing. Missed my spot a whole lot though. |
| 2001-09-01 | 5:30 | High Rock | NNW 5-10 | 0:15 on a good thermal day with no ridge lift. Gliders fell from the sky in 30 seconds after hitting >1000 over. Launched late in the day hoping for "magic" but got a sled. 50% from lack of a vario, 50% from lack of confidence. Landing was terrible - came in too slow, got knocked around going through the slot. Bad flare, but a no-step landing(?!?) Falcons are a novice's best friend. |
| 2001-07-22 | 6:15 | Fisher Road | SW 10-15 | 45min. Launched just before the magic. Due to the cross, everyone had to fly along the ridge to the SW facing side to catch the ridge lift. As conditions lightened up, I did not feel comfortable in the limited lift so I bailed. Probably could have scratched along another 15-30min. Landing approach was waay to high and ate up too much LZ. WORK ON THE ANGLES! |
| 2001-07-15 | 3:50 | Ridgely | NW 5-15 | Two 10 minute sleds. The first flight was in bumpy air. I flew through some thermals but they just rocked me. Second flight was smooth. The first landing I was too late to flare and I landed on my knees (no skid though), the other was a no-step. |
| 2001-06-09 | 6:50 | High Rock | NW 10-15 | 1:15 in lifty smooth air going magic. Uneventful launch, too low on approach and wheeled in. |
| 2001-05-19 | 12:30... | Oregon Ridge | light NE | 2 flights, nice lift despite low winds. I need to be more aggressive on my final turn around the spring house else I'll hit the road one day. 1 flight on George's Falcon 195, a no-wind launch from 1/2 way up. |
| 2001-04-17 | 4:45, 5:10 | Ridgely | ?? 10 | 2 10 minute sleds. The wind howled until 4:15pm. Got off when conditions were quiet. Light lift lasted <45mins, but I got none. Noone got significant air time except TadErcksn@aol.com who got 57 minutes. Apparently someone knows how to find lift, eh? |
| 2001-02-17 | 2:00 | High Rock | N 10-15 | First crashing flight! Takeoff good, landing bad. Soared waay too close to the trees. Caught a thermal near the ridge and got pushed too far back. Made it back to the ridge but I stupidly turned into the trees and decided to provide tree rescue practice for the clubmembers. Not fun. |
| 2001-02-03 | 3:30 | High Rock | NW 10-15 | First soaring flight! Didn't yell clear loud enough on takeoff. Soaring 35mins on the ridge. Good landing but my lazy approach cut too close to the trees. |
| 2001-01-13 | 1:30, 4:00 | Fisher Road | light NE | First mountain flight! Uneventful takeoff and landing. 2 sleds down, flew too fast on the first flight and barely made it to the LZ. |