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How do I log this one?

By Mike_Zeller at 2008-05-17 19:52

Today up on Marshall I carelessly let a dust devil take my glider 10 feet into the air, spinning like a top much of the time, after which it “came back to earth” sort of nose first 100 feet away in the parking lot.

The question is, how do I log this 8 second flight? Is it Solo or Unmanned? Does this count as a top landing?

Mike Z


‹ Elsinore Sat 5-17Elsinore 5/16 ›

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Re How do I log this one?

By whack at Sat, 2008-05-17 20:35

You might have caught something from Rebar???


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How do I log this one

By Fixinair at Sat, 2008-05-17 21:18

Well, the day had potential and was challenging. Clear air, good lapse rate. Light north winds at Crestline switching to SSE at Marshall Peak as we drove in and for times while we were setting up there was no wind at all. Then later a few of us would be pounded be north winds again.

Paul, Bruce and Dan were the first to launch and did not find much lift at first then all three climbed to what looked like 9K or better. 15 minutes later Dusty launched and was stuck at 300 feet over for 15 minutes. Stan was next in launch line and the North wind pushed through again at about 5 mph with some east gusts at 7mph that may have been thermals. Stan finally ran off in a no/low winder and just cleared the end and soon found himself in sink and 10 minutes later was landing into a 15 mph NW. Paul who was at 10K 15 minutes ago found the same sink and was now close to setting up for a landing in the same NW wind. The pilot in front of me on launch decided not to wait for any up at all and ran with a 2 mph tailwind and his left wing tip inches from the slope for the full length of the launch area. He pulled it off and happened to stumble into nice lift to 12K with Dusty At 10K as his witness :) (Flap faster dusty, you can catch up).

I was set to go next but wanted to wait for the cross winds to settle down and since Stan and the others were just forced to land due to big sink I was not in a hurry to go do the same. I saw Ken Howells set up on the 750 launch with his Falcon 225 waiting as well. We waited 10 more minutes only to have the East gusts turn into a consistent north wind for the next 3 hours. Kyle knew I was going to be a LAUNCH POTATO and happened to launch from the Top of Marshall early on when I should have taken the cross wind launch run. He did a low fly by past me with a huge grin on his face :) I gave up on it switching back to south and walked it back up to the top to break down my glider. Mike Zeller told me his glider was flipped over from the wind switching fast (sound familiar Dan). Mike Z, Mike B. Joel and I broke down in stronger winds now and 2 more gliders were flipped about.

Rob drove back up to give us a ride back down to the LZ (Thanks Rob)

Bruce and Dan were long gone by now on there Atos Wings. I hope the have some good flight details posted soon.



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Without you, your glider is a Hang 0

By Ken Howells at Sat, 2008-05-17 20:54

Without you, your glider is a Hang 0, so it doesn't have the necessary ratings and/or sign-off for solo flight from Marshall/Crestline. Better to not log it lest questions be asked later.

==================
I stood under my Falcon 225 on the 750 from about 1:15 to 2:40 waiting for that one "in" cycle, listening to tunes. Saw a couple of gliders from Marshall sky out, saw a couple not quite make the LZ in the NW flow. Saw some huge dust devils rip off from Muscoy, and a dark house fire farther south. Tried to convince myself they were going toward the NE, but the NW flow behind me just got steadier and stronger (except for when it was strong NE). The wind was pushing down on my wing hard. I finally got out of my harness and my soaked shirt dried in 10-15 minutes. A south cycle came in and I had to pull the nose down hard, afraid the north would take over and flip the wing. I got back in my harness and decided to hang out until 3 PM. By 2:30 there had been a couple of north cycles where I was worried about the glider, so at 2:40 I got unencumbered and pulled it back to the top and broke down. My four 1/2" 6061 inboard battens had mucho extra reflex from the wind pushing on the sail; would have been a lot of bar pressure had I launched. At 3:10 there was another lull and south cycle, about one minute long, then the north again. At the LZ I heard Dusty's tale and Stan's tale and the 12k guy's tale. Then it started HONKING in from the west, even moving chairs around a couple of times. That would have been no fun to land in anyway.

I could have flown if I'd launched in a lull at the very beginning, but I probably would have been on the ground shortly, maybe even near the LZ.

Tomorrow!




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Elsinore

By eteamjack at Sun, 2008-05-18 08:12

Elsinore experienced same conditions. Everyone began launching E at
about 12:15. Most climbed out easily. I took off at the very beginning of a major flush cycle. Struggled for 5 mins and then started my glide to LZ. When I reached the A frame found weak lift and began to scratch by myself. Next thing I knew everyone was low in the Edwards canyon. I was working a possible flight saving thermal, but there was alot of traffic and scratching going on.
I hadn't pulled enough VG and got shoved out of my elevator ride.
Pretty soon the LZ was filled with wings including mine. Bill Sod never gets flushed, but he came really close. On final and scratched back up over the Church and specked out and went cross country. Couple of paragliders trekked off to the beach. Strange day for one that had so much potential. Conditions at Crestline were similiar to what we had on Friday. Giant dust devils and
water spouts and people hanging onto gliders for dear life. One
unlucky pilot blown completely out of LZ.


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Weird day

By Dusty at Sun, 2008-05-18 09:25

Captured one of the three Big Jets that came through. Two lower than me, one higher. I was not fast enough to snap the two f-16's way off in the valley.

big fish in the pondbig fish in the pond


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