Joy Ride

I had a genuine cloud base joy-ride today.

The usual gang, plus John C and Judy M from upstate New York and the recently missing-in-action Jon N, showed up for a possibly over-developed day at Mount Ascutney. However this season, any day without rain in the forecast is a good day. We were surprised to find the wind was blowing into launch instead of crossing from the west as predicted. It would be easy to dive off the rock today.

We launched rapid-fire style into light lift. I snooped around the western ridgeline, but not finding anything I flew over to the ski area. I was just above ridge height when I felt the tell-tale signs of a thermal on the “backside” of the ridge. If I went back there and didn’t find a thermal, I would probably spend most of my remaining altitude circling back around to the front of the mountain so I could land. Ah, go for it! I popped over the ridgeline, “enjoyed” a few minutes of amusement-park style shake-and-bake, and then locked into a nice 500 fpm climb. I looked around and everyone else was cruising back and forth on the conveyor belt at launch height to the south. I announced on the radio, “If anyone is interested, I have 500 at the north end. No wait, make that 700.” It brought a smile to my face as I watched the other gliders, except Rodger who didn’t have a radio, turn in unison to the north. My climb steadily grew to 1200 fpm as I was rocketed to cloud base. I dove for the blue as I was thrown at the cloud. The transition from lift to sink, as expected, was invigorating. I could see everyone climbing towards me so I jumped back in and then out a second time. Jeff then announced he found strong lift. I warned him and everyone else about the serious cloud suck. I watched Jeff take two more turns before he was diving for the edge. We dove back out, lost some height, and went back in. Jake, just as Jeff before him, announced he found a sweet climb, took two turns, and was soon running for the blue!

Although a couple of pilots were not yet synced with the group, I didn’t want to push my luck by crossing the edge of that thermal any more than necessary. I drove off to a line of clouds over Claremont. John followed me, while Jake and Jeff took a more direct line through the blue towards Green Mountain to the east. I was treated to a buoyant glide, while Jake and Jeff were crushed. Jake and Jeff soon hooked up with Greg for a slow drifting climb while I raced under clouds just to keep out of the “white room”. I slowed up for a few turns at the edge of a cloud at the eastern edge of town so I could mark a climb for John and the rest of the group. However, I was soon at base and moving on.

As I was diving from cloud to cloud regaining altitude by just gliding under them in 500 fpm lift, the pilots below were settling for 100 or 200 fpm. Bummer! I flew over Kellyville, Newport, to Mount Sunapee before I needed to stop for a climb. By that time the sky was filling with clouds. I parked in a weak climb hoping to survive until the clouds decayed enough for some sun to hit the ground.

John raced in far below me and continued on towards the ski area. John was soon trapped at the top of the mountain. He needed more altitude to move on but didn’t have a safe glide to anywhere else. Even the LZ at the ski area, a bunny hill in the rotor of a ridge in front of the main mountain, was not inviting. As I turned to continue down wind, I saw John still hovering around the top of the mountain.

The day was no longer a joy ride. I began to hear fellow pilots landing. Greg, who will typically talk to anyone at anytime, was suddenly “too busy”. The blow-off from the explosive development now smeared across the sky shading the ground below. I still had an easy time moving south but needed to push east if I wanted to continue past the controlled airspace at Manchester. The sky to the east, unlike that behind me, was mostly blue. The area in front of me to the east had been shaded most of the day by a departing front. I considered heading further south, but only forest awaits pilots heading that way. I flew around Henniker hoping something would develop to the east. When nothing materialized I turned around and flew back to a private airfield with a wind sock, shade, and a mowed lawn.

I later learned John managed to climb away from the ski area and flew to one of the last fields before the large forested area south of me. Greg, who was “busy”, managed a nail-biting climb over Lake Sunapee and flew to his new favorite field along Route 89.

Although I didn’t set any personal bests, traverse any new territory, or push any boundaries, it’s hard to not smile after such a sweet joy ride through the sky. (The flight is available online.)