Falcon League, April 10, 2010

[Ken Andrews]

It's a Falcon League week, and the weather looks flyable on Saturday! It has been a mighty long time since those two things happened on the same day.

I'm thinking this might be a week for a GPS-based competition task. Unless someone has a better suggestion, consider being in the LZ at 11:00 on Saturday morning with a single-surface glider and a competition vario.

[ericbrown]

I'm in. The competition task sounds fun.

Last Saturday Jay, Phil and I had an impromptu Falcon day. The task was West Towers to Lances and then possibly onward east if we got high enough. Jay and Phil made it to Lances and could've made the jump but decided to head in. I landed at the hospital.

This week...revenge!

[JD]

I'm in too. I showed up late last Saturday with my Falcon and didn't know what the others were up to. I did make it to/from both Lances and West Towers just barely. I was actually trying to tag Brown Mountain and land at JPL but launched too late to catch the good cycle. I saw everyone else in his Falcon up stinking high near Little T road and was wishing I'd been there too.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0ZvInqVB3o[/youtube]

[JD]

Does everyone who plans to compete have the set of the old SHGA race waypoints loaded?

[JD]

Due to the questionable forecast I made other plans at the last minute on Saturday morning. Was there any Falcon flying? Oscar, Jason and me, opted for Marshall Peak and all had long, fun flights.

I tried real hard to reach the lenticular clouds behind Mt San Gorgonio........

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5siUzYsI0Ro[/youtube]

Here's Oscar.........

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5Db0I1brSk[/youtube]

[ericbrown]

It didn't happen. It was blowing pretty good up there (25 and over on launch) so we opted for our other wings.

[Steve90266]

Hey Oscar, nice landing. Looking better on that Northwing!

[Ken Andrews]

Saturday, April 24, should be a Falcon League day. It looks like I'm grounded by work on Saturday, but I'll encourage others to carry on the tradition. All going well, I hope to be out on Sunday for the Forest Service work party, and to fly. Is there interest in flying Falcons on Sunday instead?

[ericbrown]

are we falconing tomorrow?

[Ken Andrews]

Sadly the "we" won't include me (I'm still afflicted by overwork), but it would be great if the Falcon League continues in my absence. If the Falcon League is genuinely a good idea, it shouldn't depend on any single person. Please help convince me that this is true!

[JD]

Saturday's forecast looks decent w/ SW wind at 7 mph and climbs to 4300'. I spent my weekend hall pass on Friday and will be playing hooky from the Falcon League rather than the other was around for a change.

Remember, it only takes one Falcon pilot with a task to keep the league active on any given alternate Saturday.

[noack]

I will carry on the flag and pretend to be a falcon leauge member(One day I hope to be). Allthough I will be the first to take off, and therefore the first to land


Matt

[JD]

Change of plans - I'm coming out w/ my Falcon to go far!

[noack]

It was either that I was inspired by the hope of being a falcoln leaguer, or that it was dummy flyin today, but I broke all my personal record today. I even went to locals for the first time. Watch out you falconeers! If I keep flyin like this I will be kicking your butts in about 15 years


Matt

[JD]

It was either that I was inspired by the hope of being a falcoln leaguer...............

Atta Boy, Matt!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was commenting on launch that you appeared to be setting some personal bests today. You looked very much in control from my vantage point. Here's the scene on launch. I landed at Dino's Plateau and David VanNoppen followed me on his U2.

[JD]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUkDS94dkZg[/youtube]

Emily's blown launch (in the distance), some tight climbs (including Chippy), scratching down really low (at Little T), drogue chute landing at Dino's Plateau, DVN's broken downtube, my pep-talk to him about Dino's bail-out.