We were back in the air today. The wind was out of the north and there was some concern about the rotor lurking behind the treeline to the north of the runway. We packed up and towed from Phoenix Regional Airport which had a north-south runway.
The task was a 68km dog leg almost downwind to Gila Bend Airport. It was an easy task, I should be able to make it to goal. The start circle was a 29km entry circle off of the first and only turn point, which means your time started as soon as you enter the circle. Conditions looked good as people started launching, but I waited just a little and wound up near the back of the line.
The New Airfield
Jeff Towing
The task was a 68km dog leg almost downwind to Gila Bend Airport. It was an easy task, I should be able to make it to goal. The start circle was a 29km entry circle off of the first and only turn point, which means your time started as soon as you enter the circle. Conditions looked good as people started launching, but I waited just a little and wound up near the back of the line.
The New Airfield
Jeff Towing
The Phoenix Glider
Johnny, Bob, and Zip
My Can of Spinach
Dustin and Dave Gibson in the Launch Que
I didn't find anything but a scratchy lift off my first tow and I was in dangerous position close to the airplane traffic pattern. When I landed back at the field everyone was long gone. I was the only glider in sight. On the second tow the weak link broke at 800 feet. On the third Johnny took me straight up wind and waived me off in a beautiful thermal. He even took a circle to mark it for me. World class service! I climbed to about 5800 feet and went on glide to the southwest. On the way I crossed just below a big automotive test facility. There was another huge one to the south. I had a brief fantasy of rallying the M Coupe on the high speed track, but soon scolded myself for not thinking about the task. Soon I was down to about 2000 feet, but found lift over a feed lot. The air stunk, but if I could smell it it meant it was rising and that was a good thing.
Huge Test Track
Climbing Over the Feed Lot
On Glide
After another glide I found myself low again, but got a good save downwind of a Walmart parking lot. That one took me to 7000 feet and I pressed on to the west towards a small ridge. There wasn't much over the ridge, but I was able to work upwind on it. At the north point the air was trashy so I drove downwind to the west. Soon I was super low over a few houses south of the road. My back hurt and it was hot close to the ground. I unzipped, but would not let myself land until the last possible minute. At 500 feet I hit a save that took me to 5900 feet. I pressed on to the west and found consistent lift along the road. I worked between 3000 and 5000 feet all the way to 15km from goal. A couple of turkey vultures and a curious Beech Bonanza kept me company along the way.
On Glide Through the Hills
Thermalling with a Turkey Vulture
Curious Beech Bonanza
Crossing the last ridge before goal my GPS died and I was flying blind so to speak. I could see an airport that looked like goal, but as I got closer it was way to big to be uncontrolled airspace. I got the GPS on long enough to get a quick bearing to Gila Bend airport. Now all I had to do was find enough lift to get there. It was late in the day. I was the last off and alone the entire time. The air was buoyant, but I couldn't find anything solid. At a bend in the road I hooked a 200fpm climb to 1800 agl, but lost it before I topped out. I could either stay and search or drive towards goal and hope to find something. I choose the latter. I shot straight down the road turning towards the northeastern edge of the field at about 4km. I was below 1000 agl and couldn't find anything. I blew it! I hoped that if I could just hit a bubble it would carry me over the airport fence and I could walk into goal, but there was no bubble. About .5km from the airport fence I turned into the wind and landed 1.94km short of goal.
Final Glide to Goal
(the airport is just right of the road before town)
Landed 1.94km Short
It hurt getting so close only to blow it on the last thermal, but that's a good problem to have. The worst part was having to break down and get retrieved when I could literally see the airport. Nobody could see me, but Lori, Russell, and Ricker were soon there. Russell found me and Ricker helped me carry my glider a mile back to the road through rattle snake infested shrubs. Overall I'm stoked on the flight, its the best flight XC flight I've had in a long time.
Johnny, Bob, and Zip
My Can of Spinach
Dustin and Dave Gibson in the Launch Que
I didn't find anything but a scratchy lift off my first tow and I was in dangerous position close to the airplane traffic pattern. When I landed back at the field everyone was long gone. I was the only glider in sight. On the second tow the weak link broke at 800 feet. On the third Johnny took me straight up wind and waived me off in a beautiful thermal. He even took a circle to mark it for me. World class service! I climbed to about 5800 feet and went on glide to the southwest. On the way I crossed just below a big automotive test facility. There was another huge one to the south. I had a brief fantasy of rallying the M Coupe on the high speed track, but soon scolded myself for not thinking about the task. Soon I was down to about 2000 feet, but found lift over a feed lot. The air stunk, but if I could smell it it meant it was rising and that was a good thing.
Huge Test Track
Climbing Over the Feed Lot
On Glide
After another glide I found myself low again, but got a good save downwind of a Walmart parking lot. That one took me to 7000 feet and I pressed on to the west towards a small ridge. There wasn't much over the ridge, but I was able to work upwind on it. At the north point the air was trashy so I drove downwind to the west. Soon I was super low over a few houses south of the road. My back hurt and it was hot close to the ground. I unzipped, but would not let myself land until the last possible minute. At 500 feet I hit a save that took me to 5900 feet. I pressed on to the west and found consistent lift along the road. I worked between 3000 and 5000 feet all the way to 15km from goal. A couple of turkey vultures and a curious Beech Bonanza kept me company along the way.
On Glide Through the Hills
Thermalling with a Turkey Vulture
Curious Beech Bonanza
Crossing the last ridge before goal my GPS died and I was flying blind so to speak. I could see an airport that looked like goal, but as I got closer it was way to big to be uncontrolled airspace. I got the GPS on long enough to get a quick bearing to Gila Bend airport. Now all I had to do was find enough lift to get there. It was late in the day. I was the last off and alone the entire time. The air was buoyant, but I couldn't find anything solid. At a bend in the road I hooked a 200fpm climb to 1800 agl, but lost it before I topped out. I could either stay and search or drive towards goal and hope to find something. I choose the latter. I shot straight down the road turning towards the northeastern edge of the field at about 4km. I was below 1000 agl and couldn't find anything. I blew it! I hoped that if I could just hit a bubble it would carry me over the airport fence and I could walk into goal, but there was no bubble. About .5km from the airport fence I turned into the wind and landed 1.94km short of goal.
Final Glide to Goal
(the airport is just right of the road before town)
Landed 1.94km Short
It hurt getting so close only to blow it on the last thermal, but that's a good problem to have. The worst part was having to break down and get retrieved when I could literally see the airport. Nobody could see me, but Lori, Russell, and Ricker were soon there. Russell found me and Ricker helped me carry my glider a mile back to the road through rattle snake infested shrubs. Overall I'm stoked on the flight, its the best flight XC flight I've had in a long time.
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