Big Spring - Day 3

We had concerns about the day being blown out even before we left the motel for the airfield.  I talked with Derreck, who did a few tandems earlier, and he said it was probably 25 mph just above the surface.  After the pilot's meeting the safety committee asked Jim to take a tug up and check things out.  Shortly after he landed the day was called.

Since all the gliders were rigged, we tightly stacked everything so the gliders and tugs could fit into our half of the hanger.

Although it remained breezy, the sky looked gorgeous.

Some of us joined the rest of the kids at the water park in town.  Definitely a good time.

Big Spring Family Aquatic Center

We had an impromptu party back at the dry swimming pool at the motel.  Someone forgot to mention the "dry" part to Joe.

Why does someone bring a wet suit to a flying competition in draught-stricken semi-arid location?

Big Spring - Day 2

I had an easy morning since I made it into goal and into hanger on the first day.  I chatted with the pilots that landed out as they rigged.

"Chilling" in the hanger

Dave Proctor

The task was a 80.7 mile (130 km) dogleg north-northwest to an intersection and then northwest to an airfield at Brownfield.

We used assigned staging positions which helped avoid the stress (and heat) of racing to the staging area.

Zak

I had a sweet tow behind Zak and was on my way.

The flight was typical Texas flying with a scenic turn-point at an intersection in a "canyon".  I made two decisions near that turn point that cost me points, but was never close to landing out.  The only fly-in-the-ointment was the final glide into goal.  I had extra altitude I could have turned into speed but watched a 1500 foot (500m) dust devil form just upwind and slightly beyond the goal field.  Intuition told me I would be landing just about the time the dusty reached the LZ.  Being the cautious type, I slowed up and let the whirling tower blow by the field before landing.

Most competitors made goal, including all of my retrieve crew.  We continued the high-fives at dinner in Lamesa before heading back to Big Spring.

Scores for the day are available on Soaring Spot.

Flights: 1, Duration: 3:31, Distance: 80.9 miles

Big Spring - Day 1

The first day was filled with adventures that make good storytelling.  We staged in hot blue conditions with light southerly winds.  The task was a 61.9 mile (100 km) triangle to the northwest, then directly south, then back to the airfield.

I was relieved to see pilots remaining airborne and then seeing cummies pop just before I launched.  My tow was uncomfortably rowdy behind the trike right from the start.  I recovered from the most slack tow rope I've ever seen. Finally having enough, I released low hoping the turbulence beating me up was thermal induced.  I fought with the sharp-edged bronco as I slowly rode it to the top floor.

John on tow over the airport.  Photo by John Beckley.

Luckily for me, the entire field was waiting for the last start so I was in a reasonably good position for a race start.  I hung back with several other pilots as we stumbled into a good climb just as the start clock ticked over.  Although risky, the move payed off as I had enough extra altitude to directly glide to a strong climb.  Jeff O'Brian and I climbed quickly and snatched the turn point ahead of the pack.

The day turned on as we raced along the second leg; large clouds started forming atop strong climbs.  It was along the second leg that I watched a 737 fly through a gaggle of gliders I was racing to.  I have seen close calls over the years, but I thought this one was going to end in a collision.  Luckily, especially for Jonny, the plane sliced through the gaggle narrowly missing the wide-eyed glider pilots.

Flying over Texas.  Photo by John Beckley.

The next challenge immediately presented itself on both sides of the course line.  Rain was falling just right of the course line but heavy rain and lightning ahead to the far left was the real challenge since it blocked the final leg back to the airport.  Some pilots decided it was unsafe and landed, some charged ahead and flew close to (or through) the storm, and others, like me, slowed up and waited to see if the storm would continue to grow or rain itself out.  I sat in extremely weak climbs for almost 45 minutes before I was convinced the storm was dissipating and I could safely move on.  I lost many points but I was comfortable with my decision to slow up.

After one last tall climb, I started a long smooth final glide over the recently watered countryside towards goal.  A line of storms beyond the airport to the north were dropping rain and lightning bolts.  I watched the smoke from a fire in town go from leaning towards the north to leaning towards the south as I approached the airfield.  (You can see the smoke earlier in the day to the right of the trike in the first photo above).  I was now racing a gust front.  I landed next to the wind sock in the middle of the field just in case the gust front was passing through as I touched down.  I landed in a light south wind and was just entering the hanger when the wind switched 180 degrees and started to blow.

The rest of my retrieve crew was still in the air, along with Dave Proctor who was sharing our radio frequency.  Dave made goal, but was unable to lose altitude as the outflow from the storms were plowing under the warm air.  He flew south until it was safe to land.  Teammates PK and John Beckley were forced to do the same.

The adventure was still not over though.  Driver extraordinaire, Ryan Crawford, and I drove to fetch PK and John.  PK landed along a nice road, but John landed deep within a ranch to the southwest.  We drove his trusty Subaru Outback along a maze of tiny ranch roads and finally found him talking with the ranch foreman.  We talked about the drought and how it has affected everyone in the area.  I explained we were doing our part by having a hang gliding competition; that always seems to bring rain.  ;-)

John's LZ

We shared tall stories of the day as we drove back to town before eating, working on equipment, and preparing for day two and the rest of the adventure.

Update:  Scores for the day are available at Soaring Spot.

Flights: 1, Duration: 3:25, Distance: 61.9 miles

Big Spring - Day 0

The trip to Big Spring Texas started at 2:45am Saturday morning.  PK drove from Vermont and slept a few hours at my place before we loaded into Randy's car, picked up John, and sleepily found our way to the airport in Boston.  After a quick stop in Dallas and another short flight over Big Spring, we arrived in Midland.

Ryan, who drove John's car and our gliders half-way across the country, did his first retrieve of the meet at our high-end LZ.  We decided to eat lunch in Midland, before continuing onto Big Spring.  We stopped at an acceptable-sounding eatery only to find it was closed.  Lacking any alternatives we asked a gentleman walking to his SUV parked in front of us.  He recommended Michael's Charcoal Grill on the north side of town.  We talked about being here for a hang gliding competition before he returned to his vehicle.  He paused before getting in, walked back, and gave us a $100 bill telling us "lunch is on us".  We gratefully tried to return the money, but he graciously refused and told us to enjoy our time in Texas.  Needless to say we were impressed.

Our generous stranger sent us to the right place.  The restaurant was totally decked out with pictures and models of aircraft of all kinds.  We were immediately at home.

The food was good and, in Ryan's case, plentiful.  Ryan's double-decker hamburger was as big as the plate.  Massive would be a fair description!

PK and Ryan marveling at the size of the hamburger.

Photo by John Beckley

We dragged our full bellies to airfield at Big Spring, registered, setup our gliders in the hanger, and talked with other arriving pilots before cleaning up for a dinner sponsored by the town of Big Spring.  Various local officials, including the mayor, welcomed us (back).  I'm continually impressed by the friendliness of the people in this town and state.

Get in Your Bag and Go

Allen, Peter, Randy, and I had high hopes for Tuesday at the Mohawk Trail in western Massachusetts.  Although I joked about joining other pilots at Mount Ascutney to the north, we settled on a plan to fly back along Route 2 towards home.

It was blowing stronger than forecasted when we arrived at launch.  It wasn't a problem for launching or soaring, but would be for landing in the valley 700 feet (200m) below.  Since the forecast predicted diminishing winds, we rigged and waited.

Like Goldilocks' porridge that was either too hard hot or too cold, our wind was either too strong or too light.  Thermals blocking the wind produced non-soarable conditions only to be replaced by hang-on-to-your-hat blasts when those thermals passed through.  As the day wore on and thick cirrus strangled thermal development, the light non-soarable conditions started to dominate.  Conditions switched so quickly that Peter, the first pilot to launch, struggled to get above the ridge and warned the rest of us to "stay on the ground" before he settled into the "less than desirable" bailout LZ directly below us.

Unimpressed by Peter's performance, we decided to wait for the sun to warm launch and the western flanks of the valley before placing our bet.  We were unprepared when the last good blast of the day blew through and missed our ride out.  The wind became so light I could set my glider down facing into the wind on launch.  Sigh.

A hiker sat down next to us and got ready for some action.  My video camera timed out; repeatedly.  I waited.  I waited some more.  We scanned trees for any sign of thermal activity.  (I was waiting for a sign but realized that maybe I was getting that sign; don't fly!)  Our new impatient friend wanted to see a hang glider launch.  She told me to "Get in your bag and go!"  I just had to laugh.  A moment later Allen spotted a bird fly past, turn, and then climb a little.  That was the sign I was looking for.

There was something there, but it was small and weak.  I was well below launch before I found it and started wiggling back and forth in the buoyant air.  I slowly rose to launch height and finally high enough to complete a full circle.  Once I was clear, Randy ran off and started sipping the same stream of rising air.  We gingerly circled in the weak climb together.  I waved to Peter when he made it back to my car on top before moving south to the taller part of the ridge.  

Northeast

Southeast

I enjoyed the weak little climbs originating in the valley below once I escaped the unpleasant bail-out LZ.  It was odd thermaling under an overcast sky.

Randy

Randy

North Adams

Allen decided not to fly.  I saw him and Peter drive by on their way to The Range, where Randy, and then I, landed in perfectly calm conditions.

Allen and Peter

We stopped for ice cream before heading east to Greenfield for a late dinner.  The pilots at Ascutney were also greeted with stronger than expected wind, but had better conditions than we did later in the afternoon.  We also found out on the way home that Dustin Martin and Jonny Durand set a new distance world record that very afternoon.  Randy suggested we donated or sacrificed our flight karma for them.  Whatever, it is humbling to think we flew 3 miles when they flew 475 in Texas.

Flights: 1, Duration: 1:32