Baud had been telling us for 2-3 days now that Friday might be a ridge day, and last night at the banquet the rumor was getting stronger. This morning about 0800 when I checked the weather, BMapper was predicting winds at top of lift of about 350-360 degrees – way too far north for everything but the far northern ridges, up near and north of Mifflin. At the 0930 pilot’s meeting, Baud gave his usual extensive weather briefing, including the issue of the winds possibly being too northerly. In addition, the cold front that was going to produce those winds hadn’t quite made it here, and wouldn’t until late morning/early afternoon. All the usual suspects (late start due to the frontal passage, downwind/downhill takeoff, and an anticipated early end to the day) for a bad outcome were rapidly falling into place. I was starting to hyperventilate already (I scare easily), but CD Erik Mann stuck to his guns and declared that Task Alpha would be a 2.5hr MAT with the first (and only mandatory) turn at 06 Burnt Cabins. To address the downhill/downwind issue, the Fairfield conga-line grid procedure was implemented, where we first grid as normal, but instead of compressing to the back of the runway, most of the grid compresses back around onto the taxiway, leaving only 8 gliders at a time on the active runway. To address the late start/early end issue, Erik sent a towplane off to the west to investigate conditions beyond the western hills, and kept one eye glued to the satellite loop. As soon as there was any indication that conditions were improving, sniffers were sent aloft. The sniffers stuck, although with some difficulty, and so Erik immediately started launching the fleet. The FAI class was first, and I happened to be in the first group of 8 gliders, so my glider’s tail was almost out into the road at the end of the runway. I said my prayers and got ready to go, but it turned out the takeoff was a non-event, and I was able to find decent lift right off tow.
Meanwhile, the anticipated and hoped-for cloud streets had materialized (at Fairfield you really need the cloud streets to get you the 30 miles over to the ridges and back again at the end of the day), so things were looking up, but the late start on the day meant that the FAI gate didn’t open until 2:30 pm or so, with a 2.5 hour min time that would put us home after 5pm IF we were lucky enough to get home in the first place. I tried to get started as soon as possible, but couldn’t get out the door until 2:42pm, making my best possible return time well after 5 – yikes! Fortunately, things went pretty well going upwind over the Chambersburg valley, and most of us got onto the ridge at Burnt Cabin in good order. After that it was ‘put the hammer down’ time to try and make as much distance as possible before the day died and the lift streets home disappeared. A number of the top pilots elected to go all the way up to 02 Beavertown (well past Mifflin on Shade Mountain), but I thought that was too much of a gamble and decided to stay ‘local’ on the TTown ridge. The winds turned out not to be as northerly as we feared, so all but a tiny section of the ridge between Burnt Cabins and McConnelsburg worked like gangbusters (and even the soft section was OK). Then came the task of finding a climb or climbs to get home. The good news is that any climb at all was good, as the drift during the climb was right toward home. The bad news was that all of the good cloud streets had disappeared by this time, leaving us with scraggly dots that seemed to line up on the wind line. I found a decent climb at Burnt Cabins to about 1000′ below final glide, and then waffled out into the valley looking for that get-home thermal (and incidentally dodging those two small pesky restricted areas that seem to move to get in your flight path). I eventually found another decent climb that I took up to almost 1000′ over final glide and then was VERY glad that I did, as the last 15 miles or so was just full of bad air. I wound up surfing over the high ground west of Fairfield, and then crossing into the finish circle at 60kt with 100′ to spare over minimum height (I don’t think my arrival was ever really in doubt, but it sure looks scary coming in from that direction). Baud Litt (LBL) showed us his Championship form, winning the day easily, with Greg Leslie (GL) holding onto 1st overall.
At the end of the day, most people made it around, and CD Erik Mann’s insistence that “It’s going to be GOOD!” carried the day, in spite of my grousing about ‘suicide missions’ and ‘impossible tasks’, etc. ;-).
Dinner tonight was several varieties of Chili, and it was spectacular. I had Mary Nelson’s Turkey Chili, and it was great! Then I had some of the beef and sausage chili, and it was every bit as good. For dessert, the contest staff arranged for an ice cream truck, and they even had sherbet so I could have some too (Lactose intolerance, you know…).
Popular weather for tomorrow is calling for sunny (read BLUE). The CD was heard to say “if you liked Day 1 (blue and weak), you’ll LOVE tomorrow” – ugh. Stay tuned!
Frank (TA)
