SCFR
Moderator: Comp Committee
SCFR
DAY 1: was what economist call a mixed market. Jamie is using an ordered start. Since Greg has world team points he has a reasonable start position. Ken was at the back. There is a 15 miute widow after the ridgids that they let anybody go. The disadvantage is that you have to fly around for an hour before the clock starts. Also, if the day hasn’t turned on yet, you risk sinking out. Ken went early. When Greg was on the cart and next in line he couldn’t find his water tube. He had to pull out of line and take off his harness to get at it. He ended up the last topless to launch. Ken hung with the gaggle. The climbs were slow. They ended up downwind of the start circle just before the third and last start time. Ken was high and went with it. The top pilots went back and taged the 5k circle for the third start. And all were on their way. About half way on the first leg Ken radiod down that his VG broke. It got stuck half way on. He played with it for a while and got it stuck all the way off. He flew like that. Further down that leg he transmitted that he was at the top of the lead gaggle. “This is fun�, he said. Greg was strugging to catch up. Some of the top pilots sunk out. I arrived at the turn point and could see the lead gagle and even a ridgd with them. Ken was toward the bottem at that time and they left him. I waited at the turn point for Greg. He came in with Soderquist, although they didn’t see each other. They got a slow climb to a reasonable altitude so I dove on to the second turn point. When I got there I saw Cambell Bowen on the ground. Ken had made it past and was heading for goal 35 miles upwind. Greg drifted downwind of the second turn point in slow climbs a couple of times. He finally got the happy music and headed home. I picked him up about 10k up the road. Ken made it as far as the Casa Grande mountains just south of town and 10 miles from goal. On the ride back to Francisco Grande we speculatd that about half the field made it. When we got there we found out only theSwifts did. One rigid was about 3k short and so was Joe Bostik. No one had made goal!
eat right, exercise, die anyway!
Day 2: Ken left a message with Kraig about the vg pully. Kraig missed the first day because he had some big sale he had to accomplish. Zippy pointed Ken in the toward Ben Dunn and Conrad for help. It is nice how even the other guys will help you out. Kraig used me as a mediator and said the same thing as Zippy. Ken had his part installed before Kraig showed up Monday morning. I again breakfasted with Dustin, Greg, and JonnyT (the Dragon Fly pilot from Kittyhawk). I told Jonny about Todd and Megan’s wedding and that made him smile. He said, “I like Megan. She’s a tough girl�). We talked flying, RC’s physics, philosophy, religion and politics. Later Greg left and Ken joined us. As way of introduction, I told Jonny that Ken was protection us against asteroids. Jonny said, “Good job so far�.
At the pilot’s briefing they set a shorter task to the north. There were clouds on the mountains at the horizon. Later they changed the task to an out and back south toward the clouds. By the time launch came around there were Casper clouds all over the place. The ordered start was reversed with the lowest guys going first. With the clouds in the air and everybody anxious to get going the order fell apart. There was a lot of grumbling. By the time Ken got to the front of the line, dust devils were popping and launches were getting rowdy. Ken broke a weak link at a thousand and scratched up from there. Tim Helms, an old flying buddy of mine from Arizona, got rolled 90 degrees and was given the rope. He coiled it up, stuck it in his harness and kept flying. I hung out at the first turn point with Marilyn Soderquist. She is fun company. I watched Greg come through and later Ken. I drove on south through endless cotton fields. The gaggles didn’t seem to be getting that high and I couldn’t foresee them getting past that. I set up at the far turn point. I heard a loud low jet. Greg radioed that an A10 just passed a thousand feet below him. Greg headed north again. I heard a scratchy radio report from Ken say saying he was landing a private airstrip with RED BULL painted on it. I told him to text coordinates when he landed. When I plugged them into the GPS it took me to a private road with a locked gate. The mansion was about a mile away but I saw to more gliders a couple hundred meters over a barbed wire fence. I went looking for another road but only found some very soft sand. Fortunately I didn’t get stuck. I went back to the gate and took a closer look. The lock was only draped over and not really closed. I went in. The other pilots were Bill Russell and Linda Salamone. She was an old friend of mine. I told them to pack up and I would be back. I picked up Ken and we were driving out on this cement runway when some locals caught up with us. They were friendly. I went back and picked up Bill and Linda and headed home. I couldn’t reach Greg on the radio. Tem miles up the road we came across Tim and picked him up. I had a full truck now. Still heading north I got a text from Greg. He made goal. Back at Francisco Grande I got an unsolicited kiss from Linda. It was a good day.
At the pilot’s briefing they set a shorter task to the north. There were clouds on the mountains at the horizon. Later they changed the task to an out and back south toward the clouds. By the time launch came around there were Casper clouds all over the place. The ordered start was reversed with the lowest guys going first. With the clouds in the air and everybody anxious to get going the order fell apart. There was a lot of grumbling. By the time Ken got to the front of the line, dust devils were popping and launches were getting rowdy. Ken broke a weak link at a thousand and scratched up from there. Tim Helms, an old flying buddy of mine from Arizona, got rolled 90 degrees and was given the rope. He coiled it up, stuck it in his harness and kept flying. I hung out at the first turn point with Marilyn Soderquist. She is fun company. I watched Greg come through and later Ken. I drove on south through endless cotton fields. The gaggles didn’t seem to be getting that high and I couldn’t foresee them getting past that. I set up at the far turn point. I heard a loud low jet. Greg radioed that an A10 just passed a thousand feet below him. Greg headed north again. I heard a scratchy radio report from Ken say saying he was landing a private airstrip with RED BULL painted on it. I told him to text coordinates when he landed. When I plugged them into the GPS it took me to a private road with a locked gate. The mansion was about a mile away but I saw to more gliders a couple hundred meters over a barbed wire fence. I went looking for another road but only found some very soft sand. Fortunately I didn’t get stuck. I went back to the gate and took a closer look. The lock was only draped over and not really closed. I went in. The other pilots were Bill Russell and Linda Salamone. She was an old friend of mine. I told them to pack up and I would be back. I picked up Ken and we were driving out on this cement runway when some locals caught up with us. They were friendly. I went back and picked up Bill and Linda and headed home. I couldn’t reach Greg on the radio. Tem miles up the road we came across Tim and picked him up. I had a full truck now. Still heading north I got a text from Greg. He made goal. Back at Francisco Grande I got an unsolicited kiss from Linda. It was a good day.
eat right, exercise, die anyway!
2nd JD's Comment
Keep up the postings.
Wish there were more SHGA pilots there.
Wish there were more SHGA pilots there.