Timing

I agreed to meet David A, a pilot from Michigan who wanted to test fly the glider I had for sale, at Morningside on Tuesday.  David and his wife had been exploring New England while we waited for the weather to improve.  Although Tuesday was no "gem", the rest of the week looked worse.  I thought about posting a message on the local pilot mailing list asking if anyone wanted to join me.  I envisioned local pilots wondering if "Lanning had gone crazy" when they saw the predicted low cloud cover, rain, and generally crappy conditions.  It would have been a masterful move given how the day eventually turned out.

It was sprinkling when I arrived at Morningside around 11:00 AM.  A few low ragged cumulus clouds floated from the north under a solid deck of mid-level clouds.  Since the forecast called for scattered showers and thunderstorms after 2:00 PM, I began to wonder if even a short sled-ride for David was impossible.  I setup the glider around 12:00 when the sprinkles stopped and the clouds thinned a bit.  David timed his drive from Maine perfectly; arriving shortly after I completed rigging and as a bit of sun poked through the upper deck of clouds.  We inspected the glider, talked about its handling characteristics, and with Rhett's help got David rigged for towing.

David had perfect test flight conditions.  He launched into a glassy smooth headwind behind Rhett.  They headed north to an opening below the upper clouds where some cumulus were forming.  Rhett described the tow as a "zen experience" it was so smooth.  Well, until they saw a twin-engine plane coming directly at them around 6000 feet (1800m).  Rhett sized up the situation and decided a quick turn was in order.  That ended the "zen tow"!

While they were climbing, the upper deck broke up and a nice cumulus field formed underneath.  Sweet!  David could explore the valley and stay up as long as he wanted.

Meanwhile, I sat on the ground watching bees and drooling over the sky above.

David finally had to search for sink so he could land in the perfectly calm conditions on the ground.  I wish the weather was so accommodating on my test flights.  I guess timing is everything.

Oh, by the way, David is now driving around with a new glider on his truck.