Rainy and chilly

Six more annual inspections - OR, 55, RM, GP, JCZ, and TR; the Puchacz needs to be put into the trailer for winter storage.  Thanks to Steve S for getting us ready for storage.

A call for volunteers to help with woodcutting resulted in two people working hard to lay in some wood for the winter. Pictures attached.  We still need more cut, and what we did needs to be split and stacked in the green and brown sheds.  We could not get the splitter out since the Puchacz' wings are in the way. Thanks to Jarek for lending his trailer to get the lengths from where they were cut to the current location.  For those who intend to help this weekend, don't forget to bring ear protection - the chain saws and gas-powered splitter make quite a racket... 

Dan D #1 - a wood cutting machine

Dan D #2 - apprentice woodcutter

Glider Annual inspections - Thursday, Oct 24

The gliders we fly are required to have periodic inspections, in terms of time, and hours flown; the most common inspection is the annual inspection.  Many pilots back-load their inspections, so that they don't have to find a mechanic in the most popular (and busy) time of the year - spring and summer.  Also, if something is found to be amiss, you have 5-6 months to sort out the problem, order parts (typically from Europe), and get a new inspection.  If you do your annual in the spring and a problem is found, it is conceiveable that you could lose most of the season.

Last weekend, two gliders were inspected; on Thursday, four more were done - Ron's Lak-12, my SZD-55, and two club gliders - the L-23, and the ASK-13 two seaters.  Steve S is our mechanic.  Here are some pictures from the annuals. Martin L and Ron S got the club gliders ready, and had the ASK-13 finished by the time I had put my glider back together.

For new students and pilots, you can learn a lot about glider structures and how they work by helping with inspections. I highly recommend offering to help.  Learning how to adjust brakes, what 'looks right' for your Daily Inspections, etc will help you throughout your gliding career.

The weather; well, summer is over... the club house thermometer read 2C when I got there, and was up to 18C after a lot of firewood went into the stove.  We do have a shortage of wood, folks, let's work at that on Sunday and the days following.  Wood needs to dry for a season before it's usable; let's fill the sheds with the trees that have fallen this summer.

BQN ready for another year.  Good DI on the first flight, folks!

All inspection panels off, and in a cramped position checking the internals

Facing a way you don't experience often (this is in fact more uncomfortable than it seems; the rear stick keeps trying to 'get familiar')

Light drizzle just starting to fall; ops overseen by the barn owl

2D goes to the Ridge

With Lake Placid done, I took 2D, my SZD-55, to the Ridge in Pennsylvania, to Tom Knauff's Ridge Soaring Gliderport. Though the forecast was challenging, it was more or less on the way home (actually, an 8 hour detour...).  I arrived on Sunday the 13th (Penn State beat Michigan on Saturday in fourth OT, and you couldn't get a room), and left the following Saturday.
I stayed at a State Park (no sequester) about 10 miles north of the field, on the plateau.
 Here are a couple of pictures of me roughing it:

Cabin, viewed from the fire pit

eat-in kitchen

bring your own linens... you can't see the snoring but it's there

modern appliances, you bring all your own cutlery/plates/pots...

There were supposed to be two more, but various things popped up - you have to book months in advance, and life goes on. 

Flying.  There were two flying days - the first, on Tuesday the 15th, the second, on the 18th.  The rest of the time, a bit of low cloud and rain. Here I am assessing the conditions:

"Nope"

The first was a weak thermal day, but pleasant flying; light south-west winds, so a "back ridge day".

Better than sitting around

The second was a "soft" ridge day, winds west at 11-15 kts, and thus too westerly to really go anywhere (best winds are 290 - 315 and perhaps a bit stronger).  The normal fall northwesterly winds were not to be found...  Still, I flew almost 4 hours, went 160 km, and flew with Walter Weir in 2W, who had celebrated a birthday the day before (many happy returns Walter - nice dinner with Barbara, and Tom and Doris among others at the Tavern near Penn State in State College.  Ominously, it was raining...).  Walter flew 244 km; here are our two flights on the Online Contest website:

My flight.  Learning the front Ridge; winds close to parallel to the Ridge

Walter comprehensively kicking my butt the day after his Birthday

      It's always interesting to fly in different places, and I enjoy the Ridge a lot.  I will be booking a couple of weeks in the spring, in order to finally finish my pesky FAI Diamond Badge (need a 500 km/310sm flight -still). I'll be back! 
     The forecast for Sunday - the day after I left - was supposed to be more northerly, and I am embarrassed to say I see on the OLC that it was just about like Friday and I am happy I came home when I did...  For those that don't soar, when you pull in with your glider trailer, it's always "you should have been here yesterday!", and when you pull out to leave, it's "you should stay, tomorrow looks great"!
     On my way home, I hit bit traffic from the "Pumpkin Chunkin' "event just north of  Ridge Soaring (Howard Country Fire Department event, just south of the Howard Dam turnpoint) - they throw (with air, catapults, trebuchets) pumpkins amazing distances...

From Center Daily... Wow. That's goin' a far piece...

but, I wanted to get on with an 8 hr drive to GGC, drop the trailer, and an hour home.
     We're now two weekends from disassembling the gliders, and packing the hangar for the long, cold, dark winter.  We're catching up on maintenance, doing annual inspections this week, hopefully flying this weekend, and getting ready for the traditional bean supper after hangar packing. Our wood supply is low, and we're laying in a supply of wood.  There's always something to do at GGC!

Dan
2D

Sunday October 20th - a good fall day

From Doug LL:

GGC Members:

It was beautiful sunny day at Pendleton, with myriads of cumuli floating overhead, and this halcyon picture only slightly spoiled by the seasonal Autumnal winds. Nevertheless a few stalwart pilots ventured aloft, with instruction by Karl B and later Paul G.  I ventured forth to aviate with newly qualified Glider Pilot, Roberto F to watch over his erstwhile instructor. The wind was breaking up what thermals remained and the first flight to 3,000 ft., just succeeded in maintaining that altitude for about 30 minutes before landing. A second flight to 2,000 ft., struck a lucky thermal which took us up to about 3,000 ft., when we intercepted a radio call that Tango Romeo had landed out just east a couple of kms from the village of Pendleton, and so we landed in order to rally together the small number of troops to retrieve an embarrassed John C.

Norm towing TR to trailer; nice field choice...

The hitch on the L-33 trailer wouldn't lock and so we took the ASK-13 traiIer behind my Subaru together with a load of cushions, etc. Norm F was able to tow TR out of the ploughed field gently with his SUV. Then, Norm, Jim McC, Roberto, John and myself de-rigged "TR' and took the fuselage back to the Carpenter Shop first, and then returned for the wings and tail.

Well done John in executing a safe landing (his first off-site), and especially Norm F whose experience and expertise always enables a successful de-rig and retrieve exercise.

Regards,

Douglas

Dan Duclos pictures from Lake Placid Wave and Golf camp

 

 

 

 

 

Click on any picture to view full size.

 

Tuesday/Wednesday at Lake Placid NY wave camp UPDATED

A good number of club members are enjoying flying in semi-mountainous Lake Placid, NY, with the Montreal Soaring Council, and one from Rideau Valley.  We hear YW is coming, but haven't seen him yet.

On Tuesday, Oct 8, it was a very nice day, following Monday's rainstorm. The first up was the MSC Duo, and they released over Whiteface parking lot in 2 kts of wave, which was possible but not likely according to the forecast.  An orderly rush to the launch area ensued, and those who got up in the late morning had the highest altitudes - below 18,000', but with the wave windows ready to be opened if they were needed.  The rotor was very minor, easy to maintain position behind the tow plane.  Lift was generally smooth 2-3 knots, with the wind about 25 kts at 12,000, so we had to zig-zag to maintain contact with the wave. There are several flights on the OLC.

So, who's here?  Rick S; Dan Du; Dan Da; Roger; Lucile; Jarek; Martin; Norm.  3 55's, 1 ASW24, 1 SZD-50 and a Discus 2 from Gatineau, with a DG200/17 to come.  The weather tomorrow, Thursday, is great for flying; winds will be lighter than today (multiple multi-hour flights).  M7 and the Puchacz spend a lot of time sitting on the ground, instead of flying in perfect conditions... odd.

I enjoyed my check flight yesterday - 2 hours 22 mins with Martin, and had a thermal flight of 1 1/2 hours today (had a snag with loose valve stem innards that took a while to nail down and fix...); isn't it always the way.  Thanks to Norm, Jarek, and George from RVSS for the help and advice for the fix.  Otherwise, I could have flown 4 or 5 hours.

Thursday and Friday are currently looking good.  Why not come down on the weekend and see all that Lake Placid (the town) and Lake Placid (the airport) have to offer?

Roger ready to launch on Tuesday (crew Lucile) in AT



Dan's knees and feet enjoying coasting along in wave at 12,000'; got to 13,000' in the Puchacz with Martin L.

Over Whiteface at 13,000' in JCZ looking right (north) to Ester Mountain; the town of Wilmington to the right. Leaves are near peak colour.



MSC Duo Discus in the wave passing about 500 meters in front and a little higher on his way to Heart Lake to see if the wave was working there (it was)

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Martin landing DYI on the grass!



Jarek in 55 off in the distance; the SZD-55 is amazing in light wave, he climbed right past us in the Puchacz...

Looking south from Whiteface. Lake Placid on right; town near centre of pic; airport just left of centre. Note rotor cloud line to the left of the airport. One eagle-eyed viewer noted a glider in the lower right (bigger if you double click on the picture).



September ends nicely

From Martin L:

We had two beautiful days of flying at the club.

Although we had a slow start on Saturday only getting flying around 11:15 Am, most people enjoyed the day and a good group stayed for supper at the club house.

I am happy to announce that we have a new member and tow pilot, Pascal Lepage, joined our club a few weeks ago and has completed his required tail dragger check out with me. He did 5 dual tows on Saturday and should be ready to tow solo shortly. He is keen pilot and wants to help around the club.

Sunday had a brisk wind but the thermals were more consistent, several people came to fly guests, JM Chadourne brought his uncle visiting from France for a ride in the L-23. (His Uncle was the president of a club in France for many years and took Jean Marc up for his first glider flight when he was just 6 years old). I had the pleaseure of taking my golf partner and then his wife Lucie up for a glider flight in the L-23. Herb Deopner and Susan came in for a visit in their ultalight on wheel floats from Westport. Their Sun Andrew was in from Comox BC (flies Search and Rescue Buffalos now for the Air Force) and also came for a visit to the club. It was nice to see them again.

We managed to get the Puchatz in the trailer in the morning before we went flying and also derigged the ASW-24; both will be going to Lake Placid next Saturday. Both are equipped with oxygen systems if the wave gods smile on us again this year.

Rick Sudeyko flew the Pawnee to Lake Placid leaving around noon; after a thorough customs clearance at Massena, he arrived at Lake Placid at about 2:30 pm, and departed for home with Dan Daly about 3:00.  After a stop at the Saranac Lake Chinese Buffet to refuel, and a wait of about an hour at the Cornwall border crossing, he was reunited with his car at just after 7 pm.

All in all a great weekend.

FYI

Martin

******

It was mid-70's F, about 26C on both Saturday and Sunday at Lake Placid; I had 3 different outfits with me for different levels of cold, and I was overdressed...  I will pack better for fly week.

One interesting tidbit; one of the RVSS pilots who came for the weekend had an interesting border crossing, where the sensitive instruments detected radiation coming from his trailer.  The radium paint on an old compass was the culprit, and after a close inspection, he was allowed to proceed... 

I thought when I arrived I'd have to sort out the airfield from the diagrams in the MSC briefing, but the Saratoga Springs club was there, with about 13 gliders, for their first wave camp at Lake Placid.  I found a quiet place (between AT and XS) to tie the trailer down.  Two Duo Discii, a Grob 103, a DG1000... nice!

For a look at what Lake Placid is like, look at Dan Duclos' excellent youtube video: GGC Wave Camp at Lake Placid October 2011 (just google search it).  Nice work!  We should be able to get a few good ones this year.  The leaves are just starting to turn, and Lake Placid is wonderful (last weekend was my first trip there).  Amazing flying in the mountains, only a couple of hours away!

 Dan Daly

See you under a Cu (or lennie)