What Dave and Tom Did This Summer

Tom McGowan

After a very successful trip to the Quest Air/FlyTec Meet in Florida in April, Dave and I decided to take our chances in Big Spring, Texas. The local legend was that a pilot flew 287 miles there back in 1987, and with the World Record Encampment pilots flying over Big Spring on their way to set distance records, Big Spring sounded like the ticket for some great flying. There isn't an airpark there (or any local pilots it seemed), so David Glover arranged for tugs to come from other parts of the country (as far away as Quest). In all, we had 6 tugs and 1 trike for 30 pilots. Just as importantly, Bruce Engen earned a lifetime of good karma for volunteering at the meet, including retrieval driving for us. We couldn't have done it without his help.

Dave and I got started the big drive at 1:00 Thursday afternoon and arrived in Abilene, Texas (about 100 miles from Big Spring) around 10:00 Friday night. The meet started on Sunday, but we had heard that tugs were available if we wanted to have a practice day. Saturday turned out very much like the rest of the week. Beautiful cummies, strong lift, and moderate winds aloft from the SE. I flew for 2 ½ hours doing an 11 mile out and back into the strong wind. Lift was 600 up and base was 8k agl, or 11,000 msl. Remembering the hours in the air in Florida, Dave took a shorter flight so he would be fresh for the meet.

The meet was held at an old Air Force base covering a couple of thousand acres. It was essentially unused, except for the prisons, one of which was ½ mile downwind of our hangar. Oh, did I mention that David Glover had arranged for us to set up in a hangar, so we not only stayed out of the sun, but we had an air conditioned pilot lounge to hang out in.

Sunday, Day 1
A 76 mile triangle to the east and north. It sure looked like an easy 100 mile day, but we had to fight our way into a quartering headwind for 22 miles to the first turnpoint. That took several low saves and 2 ½ hours, but I made it! The downwind leg to the second turnpoint went more quickly, but I still managed to get low and blown downwind of the course line. After 3 ½ hours I was beat, and the last leg was straight up wind. It proved to be too much for me. However, I did get 64 miles and 4 hours of airtime.

Monday, Day 2
Another triangle, 71 miles to the south and west. This was a tough task, straight in to a 15 mph headwind. I beamed out in a 1,200 up thermal and started the long struggle to the first turnpoint with Dave. Unlike the day before, we pretty much stayed together on this flight, especially on the first leg. After gliding and drifting back while thermaling a number of times, Dave and I could still look down on the airport. We had to change tactics and take more chances if we were going to make the first turnpoint. We both took turns getting low, and I used a dust/cotton plant devil at 1,500 agl to get up just short of first turnpoint. The only thing keeping us going was the thought of a downwind leg and easy miles. Dave hit the turnpoint first and started downwind. I made it a few minutes later while I climbed to base at 8k agl. Only 4 hours to do the first 25 miles!

The day was fading fast, and we had only completed the first leg of the triangle. However, there is nothing like doing a pair of 15 miles glides from 8000' agl to make up time. We both hit the second turnpoint in about an hour, but Dave was low and landed a couple of miles past it. I arrived 5 minutes after him and climbed out under a nice cummy, but started getting rained on while still climbing at 400' up. In a brief moment of good judgment I left the thermal and headed upwind to goal. Looking back ½ an hour later, I saw a huge cell, dumping rain, and a gust front. Meanwhile, heading to goal, I thought I had no chance, but small cummies kept forming and I tried to following lift bands into the wind. I actually had made 6 miles toward goal and was still 3,000 agl when David Glover got on the radio and said that we had done the wrong task! That explained why we hadn't seen any other gliders. What a waste. I told Dave he was bursting my bubble; I had assumed Dave and I were in the lead gaggle for the past 6 hours!

Anyway, I picked out three alternate LZs a couple of miles in the distance: two dry lakes, and beyond them and over the interstate - a cow pasture. As I got closer I discovered that not all lakes in Texas in August were dry. In fact, both looked wet and I realized the pasture was my best bet (it was also closer to goal). However, the lower I got, the stronger the headwind. When I got down the 1000 agl, I realized that I needed to stuff the bar to make any progress (did I mention I was now directly over the interstate?). I made the field with 100 yards to spare. I landed in a 25 mph wind, probably associated with the gust front of the storm 10 miles behind me. Still, a good day. 62.6 miles of the triangle. Dave Glover later gave us credit for the day. It seemed Dave Proctor and I were the only ones smart enough to kill time in the air conditioned airport terminal while waiting for the launch window to open when the change in the task was announced.

Tuesday, Day 3
76 Mile triangle. First, it looked like rain, then it rained, then most comp pilots launched and headed out in the rain. Dave was smart enough to not fly. I launched and started climbing (while in the rain) and watched a nice cell dump heavy rain on the course line. Fortunately, about that time, I remembered that I had really planned to spend my afternoon watching a movie playing in town, so I landed at the airport to catch the afternoon matinee. The other pilots who decided to try the task went on to have a nice day, although it rained quite a bit on course and no one made goal.

Wednesday, Day 4
44 mile out and back. First, it looked like rain, then it sprinkled, so of course Dave and I put our gliders out in the launch line. Then a funny thing happened: it poured and a big gust front came through. Earlier, Dave and I thought how smart we were to be the first in line to launch, way down past the hangar. We now got to carry our gliders back in a downpour with 30 mph winds. It would have been worse for me, but I stayed relatively dry in my glider's control frame while Bruce got soaked holding my nose wires. Well, I did run out to help Claire with her glider, but I made her get in the rain and took the control frame again. However, it didn't seem to give me bad karma as the rain quickly stopped, it got sunny and actually looked pretty good. A few minutes later, the trike dropped me off 5 miles out on course in a thermal. However, after the rain it was a tough day. It became overcast late in the day, but no real rain. After 3 ½ hours, I actually made goal!

Thursday, Day 5
150 mile straight line task. The big day, a downwind straight line task of 150 miles, the longest task ever in a hang gliding meet. We would fly slightly cross wind, but we could make some time now with a crossing tail wind. Nevertheless, I flew too slowly and just about everyone in the comp passed me. Still, it was the most fun day of the meet for both Dave and me. As I was approaching a small, shallow lake or tailing pond, I notice a something making whipping up quite a bit of water at a narrow end of the lake right below me. I looked for a boat or jet ski but couldn't see anything that would cause so much disturbance on the water. Then, I saw it was a dust devil moving across the lake. It formed a perfect circle filling the narrow end of the lake and was strong enough to whip the water along the shores. I felt lucky to be at base while watching this so that I could head out before I found out how strong the lift would be over that dust devil. Although I didn't make goal, I made 103 miles, my personal record. As I broke down by the road, I noticed something hanging on the fence post. I walked over to take a closer look, and realized it was a coyote carcass. Then I looked down the fence row and counted 26 carcasses (but I admit I didn't follow the fence into the bush to see if there were more farther down). Needless to say, I broke down quickly and called for Bruce. I had a funny feeling Bruce might arrive to find me hanging from one of the posts.

Dave also had a personal best of 93 miles and 7 hours in the air. We were both shut down by a line of storms over to our west. The storms were far enough away that they were not a problem, but their shadows effectively killed the thermals we needed to keep going. No one made goal that day, but several rigid wings were close.

Friday, Day 6
74 miles triangle. This was a tough day. Lift was a little weaker, and the first leg was into a quartering head wind again. Both Dave and I bombed trying to make the first turnpoint, despite climbing in what Dave identified as a junk yard, dirty oil smelling thermal. Still, I had 16.5 miles and 2 ½ hours, so it beat going to the movies.

Saturday, Day 7
63 miles triangle. The last day, and the lowest cloudbase - beginning 3,500' agl but later getting close the 6,000'. The first leg was pretty much 90 degrees cross wind. Lift was light, but improved during the day. Approaching the first turnpoint, cummies were popping and lift was good. However, 12 miles straight up wind to the second turnpoint in the center of a small town would be tough. I spent an hour going the first 3 miles (and felt good about the progress given the strong head wind), but decided I needed to try some long glides if I ever was going to make it. Sure enough, I got low after another 5 miles, but got up from below 1,000 feet to base and tried for the turnpoint 4 miles away. 0.4 miles out from the turnpoint and 500 agl, I chickened out and turned away from the center of town to land in a vacant lot. 3:45 hours and 38 miles.

Overall, Big Spring was incredible. I had over 28 hours and 350 XC miles in 8 days of flying. I set personal records for open distance, miles done in a triangle, and my out and back record. Dave had 21 hours and 200 miles. Bruce Engen was great. He picked us up each day almost always before we could finish breaking down (on the 100 mile day, I had finished breaking down, but was still talking on my cell phone bragging to anyone I could reach). Aerotowing in desert conditions was more challenging than here, but as long as you look out for dust devils on the runway, it wasn't too bad. The lift was very strong, but not as turbulent as Sandia. LZs were everywhere. These competitions are fun, but I would still like to arrive a little earlier to try for a long distance flight on a practice day. Will I go back? - you bet. And Bruce, Dave and I owe you big time,
thanks again!