Day 1 Lumby air races

Forcast looked unstellar, woke up to rain. Noone in a hurry to get up launch. Once up there the wind was verry light and cross. A few pg's launched and sunk out. We pushed the launch window by an hour but we had a perminant shade cloud over us all day. Noone even came close to goal. I sledded down at the end of it with only 2 other hanggliders. Tomorrow looks fantastic.
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Day 4

We all expected today to be windy out of the east. We awoke to gray calm skies. The forcasted winds were still telling us we couldn't stay here and fly do to nothing west of us. After much debate we desided to tow out of lethbridge. When we arrived it was windy and a bank of gray was moving in. I decided to leave mine bagged but most set up. The gray moved in and it was apperent the soarability was fading. When the rain drops started falling the dihards packed it in. With the next three days looking ugly, everyone packed up and left. I think I'm a bad weather troll because I hear of all the stories of seven days of flying from years past but in the four years I've been coming to Miles in May we've had ugly weather for most of it. It's really to bad for the people running it (Ross and Cathy Hunter) to go through all the work of organizing to have it all fall apart do to conditions beyond their control. I love this meet and would hate to not have it.
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Day 3

We called a task from nanton tow road, west to longview, then north to black diamond. Good for just just short of 60 K. I felt it was a great obtainable task by most of the field. The first couple tows landed back at launch even though the sky looked great. Doug towed up before me and was the first to stick. I towed up after and and made a very low save right over the trucks. That set the tone of the day for me. Low save after low save I slogged for the turn point. 13K out I reached my highest point at 10500'. I did another low save right befor the turnpoint and tagged it. Instead of taking the high road over the hills I foolishly opted to go to the
buisy highway in the valley and sunk out 5K north of longview. I was in the front of the field and watched them all pass over my head. An hour later or so Ken came and joined me in my landing field with an ill thought out landing approch. Doug first in goal but double the time of Rob, Ross third and bruce last. A great task and a fun day.
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Day 2

Finaly a fly day, the task was set from launch near nanton, to black diamond and back, good for just shy of 100k. Optomistic task given the conditions. The entire field was dotted along the landskape with Rob making it the farthest at 5K back. Ross was next at black diamond with bruce and doug not far behind. I got a good tow into gereat lift right to cloudbase at 10 grand, dolfin flew till I got away from that lift and sunk out just west of high river. I am presently in second place in my divition and I think fourth or fifth overall. Cloudbase was much to cold to get any pictures but I wanted to snap a few of high river.
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Day 1

Goal set for bow island. Goal is optomistic in my mind but the day looked great. Ross was on the tow rig just about to tow when the cops arive and shut us down. Someone must have complained to someone important. No proper aproval from the important people so towing is shut down in vulcan for this meet. The day is shot. Likely the best day too. Everyone goes seperate ways, a couple groups go towing in various directions, free flying. Nobody goes xc. Likely to head south tomorow. See what the weather gods say.
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Practice day

The trip out was boring as ever. I left Medicine Hat with rain, wind and overcast skies, and arived in Nanton with sun and spotted cloud. I didn't find anyone milling around the campground so I set up camp. Just got done when Ross texted me and let me know where they were. I got to the tow site and slowly got set up. Conditions had deteriorated to solid overcast with spotty cumulus below that. Every one got a tow or two but nobody whent anywhere. Comp starts today
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excellent day, I was late

Got out to the tow road by 2:00 and the day looked great. Wind was variable so I set up at the east side to take advantage of the long road. I took forever setting up as it was my first time towing in close to a year. As I set up the clouds dissipated slowly and by the time I launched I was in a blue hole. This was the first time towing with my new harness so I didn't know what to expect. And I had to train my driver Terry. He had towed for me once before but that was a year ago. When I launched it was apparent that my bridle connection to the harness was not going to work. It was cutting into my hips and caused a great deal of discomfort. I pinned off at the first sign of lift and tried to work it but it was slow and disorganized and I soon lost it. I opted to land at the opposite side of the road and do a retow from there. The second tow terry had a brain fart and turned the tension down instead of up as soon as I launched. I floated twenty feet off the ground for what felt like eternity hoping he would realize what he had done. Just when I was about to pull the pin the tension rose and I climbed the rest of the tow. It was a slow smooth climb with no turbulence. I pinned off and found I was in a sink hole at 600 FPM down. I was on the ground in no time. I conceded defeat at that point. And I had to fix the tow bridle attachment point. I dropped off my harness at the seamstress Thursday with a plan. I doubt I'll get out again before Miles in May competition in a week. I'm glad I found a couple bugs to fix.

At the top of my tow I could hear familiar voices on the radio. It was Mike and John. I had a brief conversation and mike had said he was at the 100 km mark from Gliechen to the north. This would mean he was 300 km away. Holy radio reception! No clue where he got to.

I found out later that day that Lief had flown 177 Km and Rob had done 150. Good flying guys.

Forecasting

It this sport you must learn about weather. I check numerous weather forecasts and compare them to what the next day turns out to be. I have gotten pretty good at forecasting but do to my lack of flying, cannot verify how great a day actually was. We had some ugly weather for the last two weeks but now the soaring forecasts are looking very promising. Miles in May is coming in under 2 weeks and I`ve been out only once this year. A crying shame and downright embarrassing. This will change tomorrow. The forecast is awesome, I rounded up a driver, and work is slow enough to take an afternoon off. This is what I`m talking about.

Ten grand cloud base, warm surface, no wind through to top of lift, fast lift rate, MASSIVE cross country potential. Not the best day to try out rusty skills but too good a day to pass up. I doubt I`ll do well but I`m game to try. Lets see how it pans out. My flight plan is to follow the hiway west from Medicine Hat.

SPRING!!

Easter Sunday, wife left for a week to visit family and I was to scrape and re texture the ceiling. I was ahead of schedule, the wind looked perfect. Good enough reasons to take the morning off and go flying. The wind was progressively get stronger throughout the day so I got up there early. On the way I noticed the lack of wind but trusted the forecast. As I set up the wind picked up as planned and when I was ready, the wind was perfect. Excellent timing. I launched with one step and smoothly climbed away. There was a large cloud bank that slowly was passing over with sunshine on the other side. I raced from the south end to the ravine a dozen times flying fast and popping a few wingovers in the smooth lift. As soon as the sun hit the air changed to gusty with week thermals blowing through. When the frequency got steady I started jumping fom one thermal to the other out front of the ridge till I got dangerously close to CFB Suffield airspace and decided to take a strong one to the clouds. I reached cloud base at 6500' at 10:45 in the morning. It was a day to go far. Problem was, I was there alone and lack of roads an traffic made retrieve very tough. I raced for the ridge and landed a half mile short and had a pretty ugly landing behind a hill in rotor. Great first flight of the year. Later that day the cloud streets set up and there was dust devils breaking off in town. Very good day for flying.

been awhile, again

It's been a while since I've posted anything. I know, I'm lacking flying time or interesting things to post. The Alberta crew put on another Octowberfest this year. We all head to the Standard tow site and tow up. The weather has never really cooperated at this meet but it gets us all out. This year it was mostly newbies and few veterans. I arrived and set up my glider after towing Graham up. Rob was doing a few tandems so I towed him up a few times. On the last tow the wind switched 90 degrees and that was the end of the towing from that road. I packed up my glider and taxied Satier to the cross roads and towed him into the wind. After a thousand feet or so the wind switched 180 degrees and I was driving 100K just to spin off line. He was in a falcon and after releasing, couldn't penetrate and ended up in the middle of a field somewhere. That was my sign to get lost.....

A couple weeks ago I got a phone call in the evening wondering if I knew who the victim of an accident at Camrose ridge was. I knew nothing about it and after a few texts was informed of the guys name and that he had died when he hit a rock pile at the ridge. I recall meeting him at the tow meet but did not get to know him. He was a yearling that was just getting started. Had a few high flights under his belt and was looking to soar. The entire circle of friends here was rocked. I'm sure his mentor took it hardest of our family. I feel bad that I didn't get to know him but on the other hand I think I was spared a hardship and heartache. From the obituary it sounded like he was a hell of a guy who lived and loved life.

Last week the wind gods smiles at me the same time as I had no other commitments. Now that I am all by myself in regards to flying partners, I didn't need to ask anyone if they wanted to go. I loaded up the truck and headed to the ridge. The wind looked slightly light but was to pick up as the afternoon wore on. Once I set up the wind was honkin. No windmeter but it took a half hour to walk the hundred feet to launch. Twice on the walk, if I could have unhooked and not been cartwheeling in the wind, I would have. But when the wind quit gusting enough to unhook, it was also good enough to walk ahead and launch. I waited for a lull and launched. Instantly gaining a hundred feet. It was fairly rough in the air, gusty and a few thermals, one of which I gained 1500' over the ridge. I flew for an hour before I was wore out fighting the wind. Landed 50' away from the truck flying the base tube till my feet touched the ground. By the time I was packed up the wind was back down to barely flyable. Lucky timing. It was close to a year since I flew the ridge last. I wasn't let down this time but I'm owed some good flight there.



Good looking wind on the ridge


Pack up time.