September Hangola

by Ellis Kim

If you like the Hangola, please consider volunteering to write it or otherwise help out with the newsletter. Note: numbers are given in feet and MSL for flight parks, AGL (above ground at launch) for mountain flying.

Saturday, Sept. 1
Must have been a good day. Flying was to be had just about anywhere:

Sacramento: Bacil Dickert went to 1500 (higher woulda been too cold), got an hour and a half. Rich Green found cloudsuck and went to 3300. Bill Buffam went XC for 17 miles to the Susquehanna. No doubt practising for his next long one.

Pulpit: Ed Reno had a wuffo launch, went over the back for 8 miles.

High Rock: Thermally day, no ridge lift, NW5-10, gusting to 15mph. Cragin Shelton got 35 mins, Juergen had a sled, Sparky had two nice late afternoon flights on two different gliders, 700 over. Brian vant-Hull tried out his formula and had a 30 mins flight in magic air. Doug Henderson caught a nice thermal and took it to 2900 over. Ed Reno flew after flying at the Pulpit. Pete Schuman and Tom McGowan both flew forever. Mark Cavanaugh, Carlos Weill, Curtis Kemerer were some of the other pilots who flew.

North Mountain: Crossing from the north. Kelvin Pierce eeked out 30 mins.

Ridgely: Joe Gregor got to HG-fly and bagged a two hour+ flight.

Sunday, Sept. 2
Spruce Knob: Kelvin Pierce, Christy Huddle and Mike Chevalier had a couple of nice half hour flights.

High Rock: Nice, sunny, L&V. Sparky self-launched for an extendo. Brian Hardwick milked some marginal lift for an hour flight to 1000 over. Sparky flew again as did Juergen Wolf and Cragin Shelton. Cragin got to 1500 over.

Manquin: CHGA pilots: Terry Spencer and Greg deWolf.

Ridgely: Cumies, Cloud Base 4k, no wind, Bill Buffam soared with a bald eagle and he and Ric Niehaus and Rich Green all had plenty of airtime.

Fairfield, Maine: Ellis Kim and Marc Fink aerotowed. L&V, very light thermals. Ellis got 40 mins and 3500 MSL. Marc eeeked out a little more.

Monday, Sept 3
Ridgely: Joe Gregor found Bill Buffam's eagle and soared with her (all eagles are female - the males are in the nest watching reruns of Monday night football. Don't kill me, I just want to see if anybody reads the hangola). Joe got 5300 MSL and 3 hours.

Fisher Road: Ed Reno got a dozen passes. Dave Johnson made a couple of passes. John Middleton got 15 mins and 150 over. John went for a second flight with his bag, soaring the evening magic.

Friday, Sept 7
Fisher Road: Steve Kinsley, Dave Proctor, Tom McGowan, Joe Schad, Doug Wakefield all flew in the marginal conditions.

Saturday, Sept 8
Joe Schad, Joe McManus, Mitch Shipley, Dave Johnson, Mark Cavanaugh, Tom McGowan, Carlos Weill and Ed Reno cleared the Pulpit launch. Mike Chevalier cleared Fisher Road. KUDOS. All had satisfying flights at Fisher Road afterwards. Most made it to Ritchie's knob. Some even made it back. Mitch (no, Brian, he doesn't count), even ran the ridge twice.

BLACK DAYS: Sept 11-20
I suppose I should say something appropriately somber here, but how bout you just close your eyes and put in a minute of silence before you read on?

By Friday, Sept 21 flying commenced again.
Ridgely: Cumies, Streets. Brian Vant-Hull and Matthew Graham checked out Brian's Formula. Ed Reno got 1:15, Steve Kinsley went 18 miles. Ric Niehaus, Fred and Raean Permenter, Tom McGowan never did come down (which is why you don't see a Prez Sez column in this newsletter). Mike Chevalier reported corn devils.

Saturday, Sept 22
Pulpit: Bob Gillessee, Matthew Graham and Mark Cavanaugh jumped over the back. Bob landed among parachutists at the airport for 17 miles. Matthew got 24 and landed at Shippensburg after 2:45, got to 5200 over. Mark landed after 26 miles just north of Shippensburg. Ellis Kim couldn't make the jump and hung out on the ridge for 3:50. Cragin Shelton got 15 mins, Karen Carra 15 mins, Brian Vant-Hull got 45 mins, Sparky 34 mins and Carlos Weill 20 mins.

Manquin: Terry Spencer got 4200 and a couple of hours, Greg deWolf beat him by 200 feet, also got a couple of hours. Roland Owens even flew (instead of tugging) and got 3000 and 30 mins.

Sunday, Sept 23
Manquin: Terry Spencer and Greg deWolf specked out again in not too booming conditions.
Ridgely: Bill Buffam got an hour and to 3650.

Tuesday, Sept 25
Woodstock: West Cross, 5-8mph gusting. Terry Spencer and Joe Schad both got 2 hours.

Saturday, Sept 29
Sacramento: 15-25 mph, north crossed. Bacil Dickert had a sled, then dicked around in rotor for an hour and a half. Bill Buffam took a sled. Mark Cavanaugh and Ellis Kim launched later in the day and each got about an hour in light lift.