Sunday, November 7, 2010

End of season disassembly day


With a good member turnout and organization, disassembly and storage of the club ships went quick and easy. This was good since with a breeze the upper-40's afternoon temperatures started feeling a little cool towards the end.



Jack, Greg and Joe


Jack encouraging a bolt to slide out


Jay removing a fairing from the 2-33


Brett on the wing strut


Stop everything, watch Phil landing his Cessna 140!


Greg tensioning line supporting the 1-26


Our Sunday towpilot Kevin


Gliders in storage for another long Central New York winter


Jeff piloting my 150


Interesting clouds on the way back drew us on top for a while


Glory


Monday, November 1, 2010

George’s and Jeff’s Excellent Motorglider Adventure

Predictions were that the passage of the low pressure system, that brought hurricane force winds to the Midwest last week, might produce great ridge soaring conditions Friday, October 29, on the Allegheny ridges. George and I reckoned to find out just how great.

We planned a launch from Skaneateles in the Lambada at sunrise on Friday morning, figuring we’d power to the north end of the main ridge at Williamsport PA by 0930, then head south along the ridge, with the engine idling, and we’d see how far south we could soar by sunset.

Friday morning approached and the short term weather predictions were not looking favorable for an early start. Rain and snow were forecast for the Skaneateles-Williamsport leg, with ceilings possibly down on the high ground south of Elmira NY.

At least it wasn’t snowing when we pulled the ship from the hanger and refueled at 0800, so convinced that though the ceilings were low, the temperature/dew point separation was good and holding, we launched into the dark overcast sky. We figured making a decision first 20 miles on at Ithaca, then again another 30 miles further at Elmira, and that we would be prepared to turn around if the ceiling was not lifting or if some really nasty weather developed. The winds were high and building, we required a 30 degree crab flying in a 25kt crosswind.

Ithaca looked good, as did Elmira as we passed over at 3500msl. The surface layer, at 1000-1500 agl seemed to be breaking up, so we thought to fly above that and below the upper ceiling at 6500 msl. That didn’t work, as the upper layer filled in below as we headed south. The view ahead looked reasonable, though, with acceptable cloud clearances above the high ground. After flying in a bit of snow, and maneuvering around a ridgetop wind farm, we were within sight of Williamsport. We made an initial assessment of winds on the ridge, then landed at Williamsport for a short break.

We relaunched at Williamsport around 1000, powered to the ridge and proceeded south initially with the engine idled. It was tough going, that end of the ridge running mostly SW and not favorable for the particular WSW wind conditions. We had to power up a couple of times, particularly to cross the short water gaps in the ridge. Finally, less than 10 miles south of Loch Haven, where the ridge had turned more SSW, we were able to sustain flight using only the winds on the ridge. I was flying 70-80kts mostly at ridge level, in bumpy air, as we passed Tom and Doris Knauff’s Ridge Soaring near Julian. Several sailplanes were being prepared for launch. We still had solid ceilings only 200-800’ above the ridge.

We reached the gap in the ridge at Altoona. That gap is 8 miles wide, and normally requires stronger ridge winds or thermals to cross, and as I was flying low on the ridge I did not have the altitude to coast across. I had to power up to cross the gap, so I classified that as a land-out. I would have a total of 3 land-outs on that first part of the ridge. The ridge was working really well south of Altoona, the ceiling was rising, so George chose to fly higher above the ridge at a slower speed. He was banking the altitude. Approaching Bedford, the next significant 8 mile gap in the ridge, we observed that the ceiling was breaking up and seemed to be organizing itself with the alignment of the ridge. Curious! With only 1000’ in the bank, and no thermals yet as the sun had not reached the ground, George pushed on into the gap, planning to power up when necessary. Well, to our surprise, we were not losing altitude! Flying best L/D, George kept finding and following little bits of lift, and by the time we crossed the gap and were back on the ridge, we had lost only a few hundred feet of altitude. The Eureka! moment came when we realized that WAVE was developing, and that we had been flying across the gap under the up side of a wave rotor cloud. We proudly announced that fact over the radio to the sailplane pilots at Knauff’s, who were either already launched and flying back and forth on the ridge, or were still on the ground, waiting for thermals to develop in order that they could cross the Altoona and Bedford gaps.

We initially attempted to climb out of rotor and into wave, but that was not yet possible as the wave was still too weak and high, but the ridge was working well south of Bedford, so we proceeded on toward Cumberland, flying at treetop level on the ridge. We negotiated the Cumberland gap, although there was a moment when we were both eyeing a prison yard for a possible land-out field, and we soared on south over the Knobley’s, a very low and uneven part of the ridge. We tried again to stay high and bank the altitude, and that worked until we reached Keyser, where I made my final “land-out”. From Keyser we soared the ridge all the way to Petersburg, WV, where we tested the wave, then landed for a short break. It was only 1300, and already we had flown 120 miles under power from Skaneateles to Williamsport, and 200 miles on the ridge (with only about 10 minutes of powered flight.)

We met with our good friend Larry Stahl, the airport manager at Petersburg, consulted the maps, and considered whether to keep heading south, to see if we could soar another 200 miles to reach Tennessee by sunset. We decided to go for it!

Departing Petersburg, we powered to the ridge, idled the engine and soared in wave to near 9000’, with the variometer indicating 6-18kts lift. We continued south in wave, jumping back to the secondary then the tertiary wave as the primary wave weakened and filled-in. Finally about 40 miles south of Petersburg, the sky cleared and the wave quit working, so we made a long descent back down to the main ridge.

We met a significant challenge 90 miles south of Petersburg, 10 miles north of Covington, VA. There the front ridge ended at a remote reservoir, so we had to climb as high as possible then push downwind and east over the reservoir across a 4 mile gap to the back ridge. Reaching the back ridge, we arrived low, so traversed the face of the ridge several times, gaining 50-100’ of altitude with each traverse, until we reached the ridge top and could proceed south. It turned out that the planning and execution of that transition was terrific training for the several difficult transitions that lay ahead.

We pushed on to Covington VA, where we negotiated a 6 mile gap across a smelly industrial valley full of highways, railroads, power lines, rivers and smokestacks. The next 80 miles involved flying closer and closer to the ridge as the winds diminished in the late afternoon. The transitions were managed, and we found ourselves with the goal in sight. We made a last climb on the ridge to near 3000’ msl, turned south, pointed 20 miles downwind to a reservoir on the Tennessee border with Virginia, and hoped for the best, flying at slightly slower than best L/D speed. To our great relief, we kept finding little bits of lift. And the tailwind didn’t hurt either, as we reached the reservoir and the Tennessee border at 300’ agl, with the sun preparing to set. I powered up and made a high speed approach and pattern to the nearby Virginia Highlands airfield at Abingdon, VA. We unpacked and secured the Lambada in the dark, and took a taxi into town.

Abingdon is a wonderful historic Virginia town, with many fine taverns and an fabulous old hotel, the Martha Washington. That restored hotel was once a private residence, then a “finishing school” for young ladies, a hospital during the Civil War, and finally a hotel with spa. We dined at the oldest tavern in town and treated ourselves to a nice room at the Martha Washington, then slept in until mid morning.

We didn’t get into the air until 1000 or so Saturday morning, but with the tailwind that approached 50kts at 7500’ msl, we did manage to do quite a bit of touring and sightseeing on our 520 mile flight back to Skaneateles NY. We briefly visited North Carolina, then turned north and headed initially up the Blue Ridge Mountains toward Roanoke VA. We overflew and wagged our wings at the folks assembling gliders and preparing to launch at the New Castle VA Blue Ridge Soaring Society near Roanoke. Then we headed back over Covington and pointed at Petersburg, WV again. A short stop at Petersburg, to visit Larry and to refuel, and we were back in the air at 1500. At 7500’, with a 30kt tailwind, we were able to burn up the last miles, landing at Skaneateles at 1730.

An epic adventure, possible only in a touring motorglider like the Lambada.

Jefferson Shingleton [jefferson@shingleton.com]
George M Hernandez [george.m.hernandez@gmail.com]



Just south of Elmira. Note snow showers in the not too far distance


Beginning of the main ridge on the Susquehanna at Williamsport, PA


Moist air capped some of the hills with clouds


Passing Ridge Soaring we had some company from a Duo Discus?


Our first signs of wave south of Bedford


Roll clouds over Petersburg, WV


Jeff climbing in rotor


In wave at 8,500'


George


We were quite low after shifting downwind to the next ridge. It took quite a few passes to regain altitude in the easing afternoon winds


Mountains and haze just past Peterstown, WV


Our last ridge at days end. We worked this for all it was worth to bank altitude for the final glide to TN


We needed every bit of energy to cross the border, arriving under 300'!


Martha Washington Hotel and Spa in Abingdon, VA


Inside looking back at the front entrance


Frost left dew on the Lambada as the morning sun nicely warmed the air


Martha Washington from the air


Slow flight into a 25kt wind. (note GPS and airspeed difference)


Looking back over the foothills of the Blue Mountains


New Castle Gliding Club


There was still some color in the remaining leaves


Ingles Airport located onto the ridge over a resort called Homestead.



What a view!


Ridge crest just south of Petersburg, WV


Over NY again as the sun was getting low in the sky


Descending towards landing at Skaneateles


Sunday, June 13, 2010

Jay's Flight to Humphery Peak, AZ

The forecast was for 9000 ft thermals in the Agulia valley where we were flying out of Samply airport, a small grass strip West of Phoenix about 75 miles. The famous Tony Smolder ask if any one wanted to fly to the Grand Canyon. Of course I did and 2 others also wanted to try it, Robert and Eric.

Tony led the flight and waited till we all got to 8000 over the valley. We then we headed toward the Bradshaw Mt's. and Prescott . We got to 12000 working lift over the Bradshaw's and easily glided over Prescott valley and on towards Mingus Mt.. At Mingus we climbed to 12 to 13000 ft. and then flew NE over the Cottonwood valley and toward Sedona where some clouds in the mountains formed a street towards Humphrey peak. We stopped for fuel up to 12 to 13 again and we would glide down to around 8000 and then search for lift . We all stayed together and used each others thermals . Tony somehow always found the good ones 8 to 900 FPM lift and was always ahead of us. We climbed under the clouds over the red rock formations at Sedona and then past Flagstaff to snow covered Humphrey peak where we had to stop because there were no clouds further towards the Canyon . Tony then called it off and said, this is what we call drag and drop and he left us there! ....

So I was a little worried about this . I was 125 miles from anything familiar and had the least XC air time of anyone in the group. I was at 14500 and wanted to make to 15 and turn the peak so I worked near the peak for a while wasting valuable time, till I hit 15000 then flew and turned directly over it and then aimed toward Sedona where Tony and Eric were , at least 30 miles away. I could not see anyone but they said there was lift where we found it on the way up..By the time I got there the lift was gone and so were they ..I was at 8500 and scratched back to 10 before I tried to cross the huge Cottonwood valley . Cottonwood airport is on the East side of Mingus Mt. in the valley so I knew I could land there. I made it to the East side of Mingus at 7500 which is about the same height as the Mountain . I scratched and scratched and called Robert on the radio and ask where he hit any lift around Mingus. He said under the small clouds to the South which did save my ass and got up to 9000 .

I only got to 9000 one more time and made back after a long time struggling late in the day with few weak thermals to work . I was happy to see the melon fields near Samply come into view....
























Sunday, June 6, 2010

Flight to Sensenich At Lancaster, PA


Neither Kate and her instructor or myself have been too happy with the acceleration and climb on our little Cessna, so a trip to the Sensenich propeller shop in Lancaster was needed.

Departing Marcellus in the morning we were headed towards MVFR or IFR weather that was forecast to improve within the next hour or two.

A short hop over some low clouds on the way to top off the tanks in Cortland. Skies below opened as we passed Homer and we easily descended for landing at Cortland.




With full tanks it was a slow climb to 4,500, then about 5,500 to avoid could tops as we passed through Binghamton's airspace to the VOR and V499 south. Smooth easy cruising above the clouds. Eventually we settled in at 6,500. A nice WNW breeze at altitude gave us a good wind correction angle and we cruised along at 90 mph over the high forests of northern PA.


About an hour and a half out it was time for a short break. A slight diversion from our route brought us to Bloomsburg PA nestled up against the Susquehanna River. With all of its meandering through the hills we pass over this river about 3 times as we head south.


Parked at Bloomsburg.


The downside to river front property...


At Sensenich hanger.
It was decided on the advice of the technician there, that our prop was due for an overhaul. After 23 years in service it had developed enough roughness that it needed to be profiled as well as re-pitched about 2".


Lancaster's terminal (side view).
Jeff and I had lunch at the Fiorintino's Resturant inside. The special was soup and crabcake sandwiches. It was good. While eating I watched a continuous stream of aircraft departing on RWY 31 directly in front of us. I noticed how they all seemed to climb so fast and strong and wondered how we were going to look in comparison...


The down side to airplanes...
Another fuel stop at Hazleton, PA.


With full fuel, again it was a slow climb. Fortunately, with 2 glider pilots onboard we knew what to do as we entered a thermal.
Pull up and circle!


Power plant along the Susquehanna.


Jeff and I


Back in NY we swung by Frozen Ocean where Jeff's Lambada is living while Skaneateles has its runway repaved.


Skaneateles.
The main runway has been closed for a few weeks, but the 3,000' grass cross strip remained open.


Our propeller.