Glider on the loose tommorow afternoon

tonycondon

tonycondon

Gastons CRO (Chief Dinner Reservation Officer)
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Mar 9, 2005
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Wichita, KS
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Tony
Folks, the soaring is looking killer in Iowa tommorow, so off I go! Getting a tow at 1 PM and heading NW, downwind. Im really hoping to make it to Estherville, KEST, my hometown and with the forecast I am getting, it is quite possible. If so I will be claiming it for the ConUS challenge, the first glider claim I think.

So anyway my evening has been spent frantically preparing for the flight. The little things that have to be done to make a cross country go are still astounding to me. First the glider is assembled, critical assembly and positive control checks complete. Then I set up the radio, finished up and secured the landout kit, installed seat cushion and set parachute in the seat. This was after I washed off the ship, it was filthy dusty after sitting in the trailer in the hangar for a week and a half. Went to Matts and got a barograph, then set it in the cockpit so I wont forget to wind, start, and secure it. I could quite possibly get silver distance, altitude, and duration tommorrow. Heres hoping! Then I tried to fix a broken wire on the trailer, finally threw my Go Fly America paper and a Sectional in the glider, then it was back home at 10:30. All I got left is to charge radio battery, fill up Camelbak, and remember to grab my digital camera, better charge it too. The fun thing about all this is once the time comes to fly, all the hard stuff is done with!

Will post a report as soon as I can.
 
I assume you are already at the airport, but if you read this and you need someone to come haul you out of a field, give me a holler.. I can head over to Ames and snag your trailer and try to find you.. I'll PM my cell # to you. I won't be able to get away till after 5, but you can always help kill bean leaf beetles while you wait.. :D

Good luck!!

-Chris
 
tonycondon said:
Folks, the soaring is looking killer in Iowa tommorow, so off I go! Getting a tow at 1 PM and heading NW, downwind. Im really hoping to make it to Estherville, KEST, my hometown and with the forecast I am getting, it is quite possible. If so I will be claiming it for the ConUS challenge, the first glider claim I think.
Click to expand...

Cool. May the thermal and tailwind gods be with you.

Good luck, Bill
 
I helped get Tony launched a little after 1 and last I heard from him he was probably about half way to Ft Dodge. Cloud base at Ames is 4600 at 3:30 cdt and the visible satellite shows good cumulus all the way to the Iowa/MN border. Go Boy Wonder GO!
 
...I really need to get into this whole 'glider' thing.
 
I was just noticing on the visible satellite that the small thunderstorm in SE S Dakota was blowing a cirrus top over into NW Iowa. Hmmmm. Not good for sunshine reaching the ground to produce thermals for our intrepid voyager in his vintage wits-powered steed.

Ten seconds later the phone rings... Tony has landed safely on a farm access lane 5 miles short of Estherville! About 90 NM in approximately 3.5 hours.

Word has it that Chris is going to get him.

MM
 
wby0nder said:
I was just noticing on the visible satellite that the small thunderstorm in SE S Dakota was blowing a cirrus top over into NW Iowa. Hmmmm. Not good for sunshine reaching the ground to produce thermals for our intrepid voyager in his vintage wits-powered steed.

Ten seconds later the phone rings... Tony has landed safely on a farm access lane 5 miles short of Estherville! About 90 NM in approximately 3.5 hours.

Word has it that Chris is going to get him.

MM
Click to expand...

That is a pretty decent hop. I'm lucky if I can pull off 90 nautical miles in a powered plane without hitting a barn and busting up a wheel pant.
 
Sounds like you had a good flight! Hell, 5 miles away is pretty much right there, in this neck of the woods!!

Saturday, if that fool hurricane doesn't impinge upon my plans, I'm going down to Harnett County airoport for the first time in a long time and take me a sailplane lesson! Hey, ppasel/g sounds good to me!!! That plus a complex/highperf (so's I can fly the 182 they have over at TTA...)

But first, soaring!
 
well folks, i made it back to ames about 15 minutes ago. Chris helped derig in the dark and we pulled it back down. The flight was great for the most part, not making it to the airport was really a bummer, but i set a lot of personal bests today, so im satisfied.

and tired. But dont feel bad for me, feel bad for Chris, he is driving back to Boone right now and has to be to work at 7 AM!

And with that, I am going to bed. will get a full flight report and pictures posted sometime this weekend.
 
and a few initial numbers. Distance was 91.6 NM which translates to 169.6 km in about 3 hrs 40 minutes. This is about twice as far as my longes flight in the Cherokee and a good hour at least longer than my best duration in it. More to come...
 
Yeah... So I didn't even THINK to bring my camera for pics... Of course, it was about as black as the inside of a cow out in that field last night, so I'm not sure pictures would have been worthwhile... Anywho.. I can attest to the fact that Tony got VERY close to making it to Estherville.. Hey Nick - can Tony start claming "Farm driveway off of 450th St" in the ConUS challenge? ;)

Oh the well... It was a great first 'retrieve' for me.. It was pretty darn cool to pull into an old corn field and "WHOA! There's a glider right there!" Also got to meet Tony's stepmom and bro and sis -- pretty cool family chemistry they got goin on in that Condon clan.. ;)

Good trip, good fun, and OH YEAH GREAT PIZZA!! WOODY'S PIZZA IN ESTHERVILLE, IOWA ROCKS YOUR FACE OFF!! It was a long night, which is turning into a long day today, but it was DEFINITELY worth it!! I'd do it again in a heartbeat!! That's what being 'young' and crazy is all about, right?? :D

-Chris


EDIT: Oh yeah.. And Matt.. You gotta get that plane flying again soon so I... errr.. I mean YOU can fly it!! ;)
 
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good to see you made it to "work" alright chris. Maybe I can start claiming my landouts in the "custom claim" section? :)
 
jangell said:
That is a pretty decent hop. I'm lucky if I can pull off 90 nautical miles in a powered plane without hitting a barn and busting up a wheel pant.
Click to expand...

:rofl:

LOL, Jesse... Good thing the pant was there, or you might have blown a tire! :rofl:
 
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