Day 3 update - Day 4 todayl

I think I came in 14th or so for yesterday, went about 70 miles and chose to land from about 4,000'. Russell was in a sail plane and came through that helped us out a bit, then he was gone pretty fast - made me jealous of my little wing ('sail-envy'?).

Today started overcast, there are still high clouds but not as bad. Pilot meeting now . . .

Day 2 - No one makes goal

Tom Lanning and Eric Donaldson - we all three landed in the same field at almost the same exact time.

Quest

Yesterday was a tough day, with the last 20 miles into a headwind from the seabreeze and high clouds shutting a lot of the lift down.

No one made goal, see results here. I came in 8th yesterday! The highest I've ever placed for a day. I also got some good footage of thermaling with some guys. That's why I don't have any great pics for this post - and I don't have time to upload the video, but will use it in the next video I make.

Today is supposed to be 140 mile task, the longest of the meet, but the goal has 60% thunderstorms for today and the task would be in a crosswind. It will be interesting to see what the task committee decides, because it also doesn't look like it will get better any time soon.

Day 1 - Flytec Race and Rally

There are gliders in this picture, click on it for a bigger version

Sunrise this morning - wish I didn't have to setup my glider again!

Day one results here.

I had a fun, but ultimately disappointing day yesterday.

It started out great, I was even in front of the rigids by a couple miles, and we had all taken the same start time. I managed my lead for maybe 50 miles or so and they caught up to me, which I knew they would, but I was still going pretty fast (for me at least).

I ended up landing 11 miles short of the 128 mile task. Just one more thermal short, pretty frustrating, but I can't really complain since I went 117 miles, and beat my longest distance by one mile, and I was going faster than I have before.

Looking forward to today for another chance to make goal.

Documentary update: I'm getting a bunch of footage and have done interviews with Dustin Martin, Andre Wolf, and Jonny Durand. I think it will come together well. Once I get home I'll have time to work on all that so stay tuned for some videos here in a couple weeks.

Something funny here.

Florida Ridge Over - Flytec Rally to begin

Dustin, Andre, and Jonny, went 1, 2, 3 for the overall results.

I came in 20th, despite coming in goal 3/4 days. I guess that shows how important speed is. Someone would easily beat me if they only made goal one day, but were fast.

I think I'll be pushing a little harder for the Rally to see if I can go faster.

Total for this meet: 4 days of flying, 13.5 hours, and 292 miles.

Today is check-in/pilots meeting for the Rally, tomorrow it starts!

Last Day of Florida Ridge Comp

Getting in launch line today

Didn't make goal today - went 60 of the 101 miles. It was tough, for me, there was really high clouds that I think made it harder. But there were still some cummies popping way off in the distance that when I finally reached the edge of them, they were dying and I was low at 2,000.

I'm looking forward to the rest day tomorrow, before the Flytec Rally where we'll fly to my front yard (LZ at lookout). I hope it will happen, I haven't had time to check the weather.

I think 10 people made goal today, everyone is hanging around the florida ridge eating and drinking, waiting on the results. I don't know where I placed yesterday because Davis printed out the results without a lot of people scores, and he hasn't updated them. We'll see.

I'm just glad I have had safe launches and landings this whole comp.

Ollie made goal, maybe first, Eric landed short as well as James. We were lucky to have a nice landowner let us back in his field to pick up James' glider otherwise it would have been over a mile hike out (picture of car above). We lost Stump, he decided to head home and skip the Rally.

Got another bird analogy for today: there was one thermal I just started turning in and bird came in from the left maybe 15 feet away from me and below (pretty close). It was like he was the school bully who cuts in the lunch line and looks over their shoulder to see if you make a fuss. Anyways, the bird flew in fast right in front of me and hung there for a minute while it looked over its shoulder (wing) at me.

Day 3 - On way home

Today was a much tougher than yesterday. It took me 4h45m to go 90 miles today where yesterday I went 86 miles in 3h10m. My vario also showed, at least the air I flew in, that the 10 second average of thermals was almost half as strong as yesterday too.

But I did make goal again, I was last and the sun was setting. I had to take 150 fpm and milk it to make the final glide into goal. And of course once there I couldn't get down and hit like 400 fpm, typical. Today also had a little crosswind in the course line which made it a little hard too.

Some highlights for me was thermaling with a bunch of straw. And it wasn't just little strands but entire chunks. Some even got caught in my side wires. Imagine a straw bale being scattered over your head from high above, now just reverse that image and be in a hang glider at 5,000' - the straw was coming up at me! I also enjoyed the many birds that came close to me as if we were like strangers passing by on a side walk.

Me and Eric in the launch line

in-flight

goal field

Day 3 (of flying) - beginning

90 mile goal today, there are 2 waypoints before goal waypoint, so a little more complicated course today. The winds are supposed to be a lot lighter today too, so it might be even a harder day than yesterday. I just hope I make goal again!

The results from yesterday are here.

Eric came in 10th and I came in 13th. I'm in 15th overall, definately the highest placing I've had in a meet, but we're only two days in. Paul Tjaden clipped a pole that was in the middle of the landing field yesterday and hurt his shoulder so he's heading home to recover, but might be back for the rally. Other than that everyone has stayed safe so far.

The 'Dream Team' got a big lead from yesterday, they're 2,000 points ahead of the US team.

FL Ridge Day 2 - end

Made goal again!

Tougher day than yesterday, it was an 86 mile task and I almost decked it in no-man's land only about 35 miles into the task. Even with that I was much faster today than yesterday. It took 2h10m for 46 miles yesterday and today it was 3h10m for 86 miles.

I went on glide from about 5,200' and didn't hit anything substantial and got down to 900' - plus my radio wasn't working so I couldn't tell our awesome driver, Dale, where I was.

I picked out a landing field and got over it and started working 200 fpm and waffled in that for about 30 minutes and finally got a boomer at about 700 fpm. Got back up and took off again, and never got below 3,500' for the rest of the flight.

Coming into the the small goal LZ I came into ground effect and was whizzing past all these animal bones beneath my feet - pretty intimidating scene as I'm trying to have a safe landing.

All the Treetoppers made goal today too!

I've also got to thank Steve Kroop over at Flytec for the 6030 - that thing is awesome!

Launch line today

GOAL FIELD!

FL Ridge Day 2 - beginning

Installed the carbon fiber inserts into the leading edge this morning

Yesterday was a very fun day/task. See yesterday's post for pictures.

I ended up in 20th out of 28 in the open class - Results are here. But it says I'm 'HC' which means officially not competing, which is not right. I asked Davis about it and he says he'd check into, that he didn't know why that would happen.

The Australian/Brazil 'Dream Team' edged out the US team for points yesterday. Looks like it will be a good competition for them.

1pm start time - 86 mile goal, with one turnpoint. It's a bluer day so this will be pretty hard it seems.

First Day Flying - Made Goal!!!

3,000' over goal - need to get dialed into my new Flytec 6030 a little better so I come in more like 500' over

Goal Field

The forest fire thermal - that's not clouds thats smoke!

GOAL!

Made Goal - it was like a 75 km goal. Quite a few people made goal today, I'm waiting for my GPS to be uploaded right now, we'll see how the standings are tomorrow.

I was pretty slow, but am just glad I made it to goal at all. The lowest I got was about 1,200'. About a dozen birds saved me near the forest fire and I climbed up at about 800 fps.

Ollie and James also made it, Eric landed short and Stump chose not to fly.

Pictures to come tonight - they're taking too long to upload!!!!!!

Day 3 and more photos from yesterday

Today was just called. They say we'll fly starting tomorrow and for the rest of the week.

Testing the wind today

US World Team - there are some other teams that have been put together to challenge them this meet. There's money on the line too. If the US team wins, then they'll get a bunch of money to fund their trip to Worlds.

Photos from yesterday. Eric also put a video together, there's a link to his 'art and aviation' blog in the right side bar --->

Day 2 (still) - Woohoo! This was awesome!

This was an off day because it was blown out, but still freaking awesome because Dustin got people psyched to go to the atlantic coast and soar an abandoned hotel.

I think it got hit by a hurricane and they never fixed it up. So we 'man-towed,' by people pulling on a rope, then we'd release and soar!



Eric took the picture of me flying and the video of my launch below and there's a group picture of the Treetoppers (sans Stump).

Day 2 - this is getting expensive

Another day that is blown out. There was a little more debate today though because there was a long lull cycle (10-15mph), but tomorrow looks the same as today. Some people got towed up early in the morning just to get in the air.

Yesterday Eric and I played a round of golf. Jeff got a picture of us the other day HERE.

Maybe more golf today or going with some people to watch them soar the beach. I hope this hang gliding trip doesn't turn into a golf trip, I suck at golf.

Here are a couple pics from the day: One is from Zippy after a test flight and everyone wanting to know the conditions. The other is from the pilots meeting.

Blown Out - Florida Ridge Comp

Today, it's pretty blown out. Tomorrow doesn't look that great either. People are just hanging out and lounging around

Mike Barber is giving a talk this afternoon and Zac Majors gave a little lesson on GPS, not all is lost for the day.

The tow picture is from yesterday, it was still really rough but some of the top guys flew around anyways.

On the way!

Only 3 hours away from the Ridge now. Below are some pictures of our departure yesterday.

Apparently the weather isn't looking too good for the next couple days. Will keep updating . . .

chargers . . .

Leaving today, this is just the charges I have to bring for my laptop, camcorder, vario, radio, and cell phone! I think I'm going to have to bring an extension cord. The documentary is coming along well too. More on that later

Comps!

Getting ready for the upcoming comps - I've got some of the best equipment around so I won't be able to use that as an excuse when I come in last place! Thanks to Moyes and Flytec!

• Vertex VX-150 radio
• Steve Prater PTT system (email: pttguy -at sign- gmail.com)
  
• Moyes Matrix Race harness
• Moyes Litespeed S (with cf inserts)
• Flytec 6030 vario

Great HG Picture

Check out Mark's Blog to see a very cool HG pic that he has in a contest, and vote for him!
http://www.dowsett.ca/cube_rankingdown_40_spots_help_me

-Getting ready for the Florida comps, we leave this Thursday!

-I will be posting as much as I can each day from these comps so come back and check it out.

Fly-in Video

Eric's video from his fly-in:

As promised . . . Still Shots and Eric's Fly-In

Eric had a fly-in to his field yesterday. There was about 9 of us that took sled runs in a slight tail wind. I think Mark Fink won the spot landing contest, then it was beer and hot dogs around a bon fire. I'll have some video or stills from that coming soon as well.

From the day before yesterday: it was a cloudy day which I think affected the quality of these images, but I don't think these images do the actual video justice. There are some good clips we got, which will probably go into the upcoming documentary.