The airport was abuzz with activity today as pilots were unpacking and assembling gliders, registering, paying tow fees, getting waypoints loaded onto flight computers, and of course flying. The local volunteers were busy posting signs, setting up chairs for the dinner tonight and putting the finishing touches on the covered viewing platforms for spectators.
There wasn’t any high level clouds today; fields of white puffy cummies glowed in front of the crystal blue sky. I wasn’t going to fly, but as I told Jeff O, “the sky is calling”! I had another “bouncy” tow behind Lisa (who did everything she could to stay in front of this squid) and pinned off in a nice climb over the field. I went to zip up and caught my shoelaces in the zipper. Crap. I struggled for a long time to free my foot so I could eventually land on my feet. I eventually got it free but no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t zip up the harness without catching laces from one of my shoes. I finally gave in and decided to re-tie my shoes in the air. I was just about done with one when I started climbing through another pilot. I ran off into the sink to get back below and then dove back in and started tying again. I finished one shoe when I caught up with the same pilot again. I ran off into the sink again, but this time I spent more time there so I could finish before dealing with traffic again. I finally got both shoes tied and my harness zipped. By then I was downwind of the airfield and had to push back upwind.
I thought I was doomed to land when I found a scrappy little climb at the corner of the airfield that eventually turned into the real thing. Pilots slowly gathered as we floated up and towards a cloud that was dumping rain over town. We flew as close as we dare and then headed upwind. Rain was falling from several clouds in the area but it wasn’t threatening since the coverage was limited. After a couple more trips around the field I went to land when I noticed a large crowd of gliders in front of the hanger. (You can see them in the picture of the airfield). Um, should I land and stand in the heat or fly until the crowd thins. Ok, fly. I found a sweet climb just to the west of the hanger that took be back to base. Meanwhile rain was becoming more widespread and the storm to the north now had a gust front that was tossing dust a couple thousand feet into the air. The clouds upwind were also looking “too good” and I was starting to get sprinkled on so I decided it was time to land. Most other pilots still in the air had the same idea. I got to watch Johnny spin his way down as I made my boring approach. I landed and “flew” my glider into the hanger and it started raining just as I set the glider down.
We have a dinner and safety meeting tonight and the competition starts tomorrow. Let the games begin!
There wasn’t any high level clouds today; fields of white puffy cummies glowed in front of the crystal blue sky. I wasn’t going to fly, but as I told Jeff O, “the sky is calling”! I had another “bouncy” tow behind Lisa (who did everything she could to stay in front of this squid) and pinned off in a nice climb over the field. I went to zip up and caught my shoelaces in the zipper. Crap. I struggled for a long time to free my foot so I could eventually land on my feet. I eventually got it free but no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t zip up the harness without catching laces from one of my shoes. I finally gave in and decided to re-tie my shoes in the air. I was just about done with one when I started climbing through another pilot. I ran off into the sink to get back below and then dove back in and started tying again. I finished one shoe when I caught up with the same pilot again. I ran off into the sink again, but this time I spent more time there so I could finish before dealing with traffic again. I finally got both shoes tied and my harness zipped. By then I was downwind of the airfield and had to push back upwind.
I thought I was doomed to land when I found a scrappy little climb at the corner of the airfield that eventually turned into the real thing. Pilots slowly gathered as we floated up and towards a cloud that was dumping rain over town. We flew as close as we dare and then headed upwind. Rain was falling from several clouds in the area but it wasn’t threatening since the coverage was limited. After a couple more trips around the field I went to land when I noticed a large crowd of gliders in front of the hanger. (You can see them in the picture of the airfield). Um, should I land and stand in the heat or fly until the crowd thins. Ok, fly. I found a sweet climb just to the west of the hanger that took be back to base. Meanwhile rain was becoming more widespread and the storm to the north now had a gust front that was tossing dust a couple thousand feet into the air. The clouds upwind were also looking “too good” and I was starting to get sprinkled on so I decided it was time to land. Most other pilots still in the air had the same idea. I got to watch Johnny spin his way down as I made my boring approach. I landed and “flew” my glider into the hanger and it started raining just as I set the glider down.
We have a dinner and safety meeting tonight and the competition starts tomorrow. Let the games begin!
1 comment:
Maybe you should get those shoes with velcro straps instead of laces? :-)
Good luck in the contest! Amy
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