Task 1 (Dave Cutter)
Task #1 8/7/05
Triangle: Start to T38 to 2100KN and back to start.
Duration: 2:48min
Total mileage: 29mi
I was doing good with my staging timing until I went back to the motel to get my back up Tangent for Chris. That put me behind schedule and I was at the end of the staging line. I got my harness on fast. I was able to get in the launch line and still be in the first third of people launching. Towed OK but thought I was in good lift and pinned off in barely 100 up. I ended up sinking out. Landed good.
Got in to the end of the line and still half of the flex wings were still on the ground. I launch again and this time I'm not going to pin off no matter what. I went a little higher than the first time but again was convinced I was in good lift. Pinned off and again it was not great and I sank out..again. Good landing again. Now there's only 5 gliders still in line. I get back on tow And just before I get hooked to a tug, I heard a crash behind me and wreckage sliding on the ground behind me. I cringe and then it stops. I look back and ouch. A dragon fly landed and the wingtip hit the wingtip of a sail plane called a silent. Both aircraft did 90° ground loops and the damage didn't look bad..(Later I heard the sailplanes winglet was broken and there was some pretty good abrasions done on the trailing edge.) Then I was hooked to a plane and pulled out there right of f the dolly. I see the dragonfly's left wing dip. and them my left wing dips and the glider drops back down to about 5 ft off the ground. Then I climb out. Whew.
I take the tow until Bobby waves me off. I'm in much better lift but still it's sort of weak and I think I might have to land again. Everyone is gone. It's starts getting better as I get nearer to the prison. I go on glide at 4800ft heading just upwind of course line. It's 3:45pm. It's 45minutes after the last start time. Pathetic. I'm alone and I have to go fast just to have enough time to get around the course. Not to mention catching people. I'm eyeing a decent looking cloud and I see a few ponds which are good ground triggers. On glide I spot another pilot a bit lower but by the time I get there he will be higher. At least I'm not alone anymore. I come in under him, climb past him and go on glide at just over 5K. I'm heading toward another cloud. and sure enough it works. I'm alone again although the other pilot I saw earlier is following me but he's too low to think about.
The lift is getting better I get back to 5400ft and continue gliding slightly upwind of course line against a 6-8mph headwind. It's actually a cross wind. We are heading WNW 20miles to the first turnpoint. About halfway I haven't seen anyone in the air. I know Larry is 4 miles ahead of me and George is at the first turnpoint. I start getting lowish and I see gliders on the ground. I'm about to have my first save. Not real low but definitely down in the slow lift zone. I find some decent lift and as I get about 5500ft it turns on and I zoom up to over 7K. Lift averaging 600fpm.I glide toward the turnpoint and I'm thinking I should head for this good looking cloud up ahead and since I'm only about 4 miles from the turnpoint, find the lift under the cloud and then go get the turnpoint and come back to the lift. As I'm gliding I realize that I'm close enough and still high enough that I should just grab the turnpoint and then go to the cloud. I see guys turning under the cloud. I get the turnpoint and I head south toward the cloud which is a little upwind of the course line.
I'm starting to see lots of gliders around now. I think good job going fast and catching people. I see a yellow and black glider. Yeah, I caught up to either Phill or Kraig. I'm climbing under them but the lift starts to peter out just above 6K. I go on glide There's a couple gaggles to choose from. I head towards one of them but the lift is gone by the time I get there. I keep heading upwind of course line. This leg of the course is another 20mile straight into the wind. It's about a 16 mph headwind. I'm starting to get a 1000fpm down so I zag to the right 45° to get onto less of sink line. It seems to help. There's good clouds ahead and guys are climbing under them but I can't seem to get there in time. I'm starting to get in low territory and I see gliders on the ground (Later I learned that Rick landed in this area, George and Chris did also I was down to about 800ft over a field that one person had landed in when I finally hooked something decent. There was another pilot at my altitude who circled with me (Later Chip said he came in under me but that he was at 300ft and tried to get the thermal but ended up landing. I outclimbed the other pilot I was circling with to the point that when I left I was over 1000 ft above him.
I went on glide alone from 7500ft. I didn't see anyone ahead at the moment. I headed up wind of course line. The clouds were starting to dissipate. It was blue hole city. It was already getting close to 5:30pmI dribble around looking for something. I see someone landing. Great. I see some one turning back on the course line. I head for that pilot and get there pretty low and under him. but there's some lift. but it gets weak and dies. The other pilot is about 500 ft above me and goes on glide. So it died for him too. I follow but I'm only now about 1,000ft AGL. I lose sight of the other guy. I catch a few more teasers but nothing that gets me anywhere. I'm over cultivated fields with furrows that run in every direction but parallel to the wind. I pick a road running directly upwind with a big tractor sitting on it. Avoid the tractor. Just before the tractor, there's a round patch of very green forested area. Less than 100ft across. As I cross it, I feel some decent lift. I try to turn it seems like it's going to work but no. After 3 turns I'm low enough to complete my turn onto final, over the tractor, and ground effect and flare into the 1 ft tall plants. Nice. All my landings today were good.
Triangle: Start to T38 to 2100KN and back to start.
Duration: 2:48min
Total mileage: 29mi
I was doing good with my staging timing until I went back to the motel to get my back up Tangent for Chris. That put me behind schedule and I was at the end of the staging line. I got my harness on fast. I was able to get in the launch line and still be in the first third of people launching. Towed OK but thought I was in good lift and pinned off in barely 100 up. I ended up sinking out. Landed good.
Got in to the end of the line and still half of the flex wings were still on the ground. I launch again and this time I'm not going to pin off no matter what. I went a little higher than the first time but again was convinced I was in good lift. Pinned off and again it was not great and I sank out..again. Good landing again. Now there's only 5 gliders still in line. I get back on tow And just before I get hooked to a tug, I heard a crash behind me and wreckage sliding on the ground behind me. I cringe and then it stops. I look back and ouch. A dragon fly landed and the wingtip hit the wingtip of a sail plane called a silent. Both aircraft did 90° ground loops and the damage didn't look bad..(Later I heard the sailplanes winglet was broken and there was some pretty good abrasions done on the trailing edge.) Then I was hooked to a plane and pulled out there right of f the dolly. I see the dragonfly's left wing dip. and them my left wing dips and the glider drops back down to about 5 ft off the ground. Then I climb out. Whew.
I take the tow until Bobby waves me off. I'm in much better lift but still it's sort of weak and I think I might have to land again. Everyone is gone. It's starts getting better as I get nearer to the prison. I go on glide at 4800ft heading just upwind of course line. It's 3:45pm. It's 45minutes after the last start time. Pathetic. I'm alone and I have to go fast just to have enough time to get around the course. Not to mention catching people. I'm eyeing a decent looking cloud and I see a few ponds which are good ground triggers. On glide I spot another pilot a bit lower but by the time I get there he will be higher. At least I'm not alone anymore. I come in under him, climb past him and go on glide at just over 5K. I'm heading toward another cloud. and sure enough it works. I'm alone again although the other pilot I saw earlier is following me but he's too low to think about.
The lift is getting better I get back to 5400ft and continue gliding slightly upwind of course line against a 6-8mph headwind. It's actually a cross wind. We are heading WNW 20miles to the first turnpoint. About halfway I haven't seen anyone in the air. I know Larry is 4 miles ahead of me and George is at the first turnpoint. I start getting lowish and I see gliders on the ground. I'm about to have my first save. Not real low but definitely down in the slow lift zone. I find some decent lift and as I get about 5500ft it turns on and I zoom up to over 7K. Lift averaging 600fpm.I glide toward the turnpoint and I'm thinking I should head for this good looking cloud up ahead and since I'm only about 4 miles from the turnpoint, find the lift under the cloud and then go get the turnpoint and come back to the lift. As I'm gliding I realize that I'm close enough and still high enough that I should just grab the turnpoint and then go to the cloud. I see guys turning under the cloud. I get the turnpoint and I head south toward the cloud which is a little upwind of the course line.
I'm starting to see lots of gliders around now. I think good job going fast and catching people. I see a yellow and black glider. Yeah, I caught up to either Phill or Kraig. I'm climbing under them but the lift starts to peter out just above 6K. I go on glide There's a couple gaggles to choose from. I head towards one of them but the lift is gone by the time I get there. I keep heading upwind of course line. This leg of the course is another 20mile straight into the wind. It's about a 16 mph headwind. I'm starting to get a 1000fpm down so I zag to the right 45° to get onto less of sink line. It seems to help. There's good clouds ahead and guys are climbing under them but I can't seem to get there in time. I'm starting to get in low territory and I see gliders on the ground (Later I learned that Rick landed in this area, George and Chris did also I was down to about 800ft over a field that one person had landed in when I finally hooked something decent. There was another pilot at my altitude who circled with me (Later Chip said he came in under me but that he was at 300ft and tried to get the thermal but ended up landing. I outclimbed the other pilot I was circling with to the point that when I left I was over 1000 ft above him.
I went on glide alone from 7500ft. I didn't see anyone ahead at the moment. I headed up wind of course line. The clouds were starting to dissipate. It was blue hole city. It was already getting close to 5:30pmI dribble around looking for something. I see someone landing. Great. I see some one turning back on the course line. I head for that pilot and get there pretty low and under him. but there's some lift. but it gets weak and dies. The other pilot is about 500 ft above me and goes on glide. So it died for him too. I follow but I'm only now about 1,000ft AGL. I lose sight of the other guy. I catch a few more teasers but nothing that gets me anywhere. I'm over cultivated fields with furrows that run in every direction but parallel to the wind. I pick a road running directly upwind with a big tractor sitting on it. Avoid the tractor. Just before the tractor, there's a round patch of very green forested area. Less than 100ft across. As I cross it, I feel some decent lift. I try to turn it seems like it's going to work but no. After 3 turns I'm low enough to complete my turn onto final, over the tractor, and ground effect and flare into the 1 ft tall plants. Nice. All my landings today were good.
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