Monday, May 14, 2012

Slipping Out

I was outside working in the yard shortly after 6 am this morning watching high clouds choke the rising sun.  A couple hours later Amy and I met our son for brunch to celebrate Mother's Day.  When we got back home around 1pm the sky was clearing and a few high cumulus clouds were starting to pop.  The cut-off time for a fly or no-fly decision has typically been 10am but with the opening of Hang Glide New England in New Braintree MA, I proved yesterday I can now leave home at 1:30pm and still go soaring.

Allen, Kip, Matt, and Randy were already setup when I arrived at the airfield around 2:30.  Randy said there were strong gusts ripping through, but most of the time conditions were good with the wind blowing down the runway.  I quickly rigged and was second in the launch line behind Randy.

I had a civilized tow out of the field behind Rhett.

Tanner-Hiller Airport

I lost track of my altitude as I watched the Quabbin Reservoir provide a backdrop to Rhett's green tug.


I paid for my hasty rigging when my harness unzipped from the top when I went prone after releasing.  I still had a buckle across my chest, but without the zipper, I can slip through the shoulder straps.  Not wanting to leave a good glider and parachute behind, I rocked up and tried to correct the problem.  I might have been able to unzip and re-set the zipper, but I couldn't get the zipper head to pass under my chest buckle with my gloves on.  I definitely didn't want to accidentally release the buckle, so I gave up on that idea.  I next tried using my tow bridle to tie the shoulder straps together.  That also didn't work well with gloves on and the uncooperative thermal I was climbing in.  I struggled to weaved the tow bridle around the straps, but nothing provided the tightness and security I needed.  In hind sight, I should have taken my gloves off, wrapped the bridle around the shoulder straps, and simply tied a square knot to secure the whole thing.  Sigh.  I finally decided to fly around rocked up in my standard landing position.  I considered heading off downwind but the conservative voice in my head won out and I decided to land back at the airfield.

While I was flailing with my harness, Randy was waiting for me overhead wondering why I wasn't climbing better or joining Paul who was soaring a powered Mitchell Wing nearby.  I finally got on the radio and announced my intention to stay.  I watched Randy leave when we were both above 7500 feet (2300m) near cloud base.

I drifted a bit north into the trees before heading crosswind to the center of Barre MA.

Trees (It is New England after all!)

Barre

It was tough watching Kip turn and head downwind as I plowed upwind near base.  I played around for a short time, but was concerned that any rough turbulence might turn my day of hang gliding into a day of sky diving.  I cruised off my excess altitude and headed back.

Rhett, Louie, and passenger climbing out.

View of the airfield from the west.

I had a exciting approach into the field.  One of those "occasional blasts" was ripping through the field as I rounded base and final.  It was challenging, but I managed a no-step landing near our launch spot.  (Matt landed later in totally benign conditions; so much for timing!)

I packed up and was rolling by 5pm.  I offered to help Allen find Randy who was now out of radio range.  We drove to the high ground at Princeton but still could not raise him.  Kip called and said he landed in Pepperell which isn't far from home so I continued on with Allen.  We later discovered Kip had actually landed in Dunstable, the next town over.  I definitely liked the huge flat field he found, but hated driving by all the great ice cream stands on the way there!

By the time we packed up Kip, we learned Randy had landed at the Steck Farm Airport in Pelham NH.  I was already late for dinner at home so I lead the way in the opposite direction to Randy's LZ.  We briefly spoke with the owner Paul before heading to Martha's Exchange in Nausha NH for a late dinner.

It definitely stung turning back as Randy and then Kip left for ~50 mile (80km) and ~40 mile (65km) flights over my home territory.  Although checking my zipper is part of my pre-flight, I obviously need to either eliminate the risk of incorrectly starting the zipper or develop a better way of ensuring it is correct before launch.  Needless to say, it was better to miss a good XC flight than to slip out for a quick speed glide to the ground.

Update:  Randy wrote about the day on his blog.

Flights: 1, Duration: 0:59

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