Capitol Hang Glider
Association
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| Sept 2001 |   1 2 3 4 5 6 7 
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Volume 39, Issue 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Expanded
Weather Radio Service 
by Cragin Shelton The National Weather Service inaugurated a new station in their weather radio system on May 17, 2001, adding coverage to our Cumberland, Maryland and Breezewood, Pennsylvania flying sites. Station WXM43 is now broadcasting from Frostburg State University campus in Frostburg, MD. This new station provides current conditions and forecasts for the following counties in three states: Maryland, Allegany, Garrett and Washington counties; Pennsylvania, Bedford, Fulton and Somerset counties West Virginia, Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Mineral and Morgan counties. WXM43 is broadcasting at 300 watts on the frequency of 162.425 MHz. Note that this is one of the newer standard weather radio frequencies. If you have an older three-channel weather radio you will not have this station available. Almost all of our 2-meter ham radios can receive this frequency without modification. There are now seven frequencies used in the Weather Radio system: 162.400, 162.425, 162.450, 162.475, 162.500, 162.525, and 162.550 MHz. Visit the web for more information on the NOAA Weather Radio system.
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US Nationalsby Raean PermenterLate last week, Fred and I returned from the U.S. Nationals in Hearne, Texas. It was exciting, challenging and exhausting. I never worked so hard at flying. The Nationals were a sanctioned aerotow race meet. If you don't make goal your distance flown over the course earns the points. Tasks included bothdown wind race to goal and triangles. There were 80 total competitors - 58 flex wings and 22 rigid (scored separately). The most staggering experience at the Nationals was being staged and waiting up to two hours for the launch window to open, gate to open, prime conditions or whatever, in ground temperatures of 115 degrees. Thank goodness they had shade tents set up. To go on the XC course line there were three start gates spaced 15 minutes apart. The start is a cylinder at a five mile radius around the airport. Your mileage and time on course starts at the gate. The flying conditions were phenomenal. Fred and I arrived early to practice and learn what the thermals and conditions were like. The first day we stayed around the airport testing the waters and studying the terrain. Fred then flew 85 miles in two practice XCs, I flew 55 miles in two. We then took a day off before the comp began - and were glad we did. We had seven consecutive and valid flying competition days. Tasks varied from 53 to 126 miles. Cloudbase ranged from a low of around 4K to 7K plus. The clouds and thermals were different in Texas. There were plentiful rocket cumulus developments and the cumulus were overall larger in size. While there are multi-core here it's nothing like Texas. We needed to search effectively as you could easily be working a 200 fpm climb while right next to you could be a 800 fpm core. The high echelon comp pilots of course made almost every goal and they did it FAST. I made goal once (last in) and Fred and I both came close a couple of other times. The first comp day earned a 100+ miler for each of us stopped before goal by a intimidating thunderstorm and lightening late day condition. In eleven days of flying I flew 36 hours and 445 miles, Fred about 33 hours and 435 miles. I placed 29th and Fred 33rd, just about middle of the pack. We're happy with our standing as the first 20 plus pilots are the best in the nation. It was a privilege to fly with all of them. Yeehaw Raean 
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