The Flatland Flyer
The Flatland Flyer |
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| Volume 5, Issue 2 | June 2007 |
This is going to be another short issue because summer's here and I really should be out flying; or at the very least flying vicariously through others' exploits. The opportunities to fly may not be as numerous, but we do get some quality time out at the flying sites. In this issue, Doug Beckingham explains why we didn't get much flying done at the Valley on the May long weekend, but we did have a good time. I also give a brief report on a few firsts for a couple of our members.
So to help you carry on the dream of flying, here is the latest issue of the Flatland Flyer. Enjoy!
Well, I knew that it would happen, even though I secretly hoped that it wouldn't. There will be no aerotowing in Steinbach this year. There just weren't enough pilots interested in buying a season's pass to fly there all year. Never mind that, there just aren't enough pilots in the province to support a full-service flight park. With only fifteen pilots currently registered in the province and eight living in Winnipeg, the numbers just weren't there to support aerotowing in Steinbach. I do hope that some day there will be enough pilots to form an aerotow club in Steinbach.
In yet another trip to the Qu’Appelle Valley I was presented with a rather common weather condition that allowed us to drive from site to site for a couple of hours. This time was different though. We were not exasperated or even surprised and as we drove there was little anticipation that we were going to soar at any given site rather, it was understood that we were simply chasing that dream.
I have spent over 125 days in the Qu’appelle Valley searching for the riches of flight. In that time, we have learned to stick to a routine of evaluating the weather and setting ourselves up for the best possible outcome given the circumstances of weather. The day often starts the eve before looking at the TV for a satellite image of what to expect over the area. In other words are we getting a southern, western, northern flow of air and is that direction going to stay reasonably consistent over the few days? Once that is seen we then look for the local forecast for wind velocity, direction and change over the next 15 hours or so.Now we are packed up, gassed up and am traveling into the valley for the day. It is a rule that no matter what the intention is when leaving Melville we will always check the wind direction on the flat. Here is where experience and guesswork come into play. From the reading on the flat we re-evaluate just where the best place to go should be. In other words, is it a “we can likely fly now at…” or is it a “ looks like its going to be…”? From here we go.
This prior May long we experienced a largely easterly in flow. East, north east, south east are all good if you know what to look for. Environment Canada was calling for winds lighter near 20 kph and changing to southeast later in the day. We know from experience that the changes can happen in the valley hours before it is predicted to happen or sometimes not at all as predicted. There were positive indicators all around us as EC was calling for east or south east in Regina, Yorkton, Broadview and Fort Qu’appelle.
Soaring an easterly site the day before brought us great results. Hoping for the south east wind to set up and allow us to fly off of Bannock Hill (Flagel's) was something most of us were optimistic about. The day started with a trip to the site we had flown the day before (The Hyde). Since it was blowing about 10+ kph on the flat we were optimistic that it could pick up in the valley due to local heating. At the Hyde there proved to be very little – almost no wind. What was there was cross from the east or left like the flow was from the north east while on the flat it had a definite southern component to it.
Mid day almost always bring a change in the weather so with little luck seeing a change at The Hyde we were off to Bannock. Upon arrival there the conditions were much the same as they were at The Hyde: cross to the left though cycling to soarable wind speeds. We set up deciding to try our hand at cycle soaring the bowl off to the left. We all gave it a go and most of us we surprised to find it as light as it was once we had launched. Afternoon gave way to early eve and conditions on launch improved only slightly over the course of the day and were picking up in velocity over the day in the form of stronger cycles but nothing yet near ideal and still often 90 cross from the east. A quick trip back to The Hyde confirmed what we had been experiencing. At The Hyde there was NO wind. Remembering that there was a long gulley to the east left of launch we investigated and found it blowing quite strong in the base and sides of the gulley only 4 km away. This corresponded exactly to the speed and direction on launch at Bannock Hill. Time for an experiment. No one likes hang driving or chasing the wind but I wanted to find out. From Bannock I was looking at East Indian Point all day thinking that the wind may be going up there from the effects of the water below. Getting to the easterly portions (left road at the top) of East Indian Point confirmed to us what we had experienced all day. The wind was blowing from our left yet again, 45 to 90 degrees cross depending on where we positioned ourselves on the hill. So here is the give away. Once at the top we could see the cycle lines, wind lines and waves follow the direction of the floor of the valley. Occasionally the wind “spilled” up a spine or cycled up the ridge 45 to 90 degrees cross but there was a definite flow of wind down the valley. Ah, the not so elusive valley flow experienced once again.
Looking to the far end of the lake we could see the spots where the wind would spill in or be drawn into the cooler, well forested area and simply spill around the valley increasing in speed around points and spines and appearing to decrease in speed in wider and areas of smoother terrain occasionally picking up some heated air from local spines or contrasting terrain nearby.
So we parked the truck and had a drink, enjoying the great view of a somewhat limited but enjoyable end to another flying day.
A couple of our novices managed some firsts in the last few months. First off, Corey got his first two platform tows in smooth evening air on May 12 at High Bluff. Now that was a perfect ending to a great day. Quinn and I managed two flights each and Dean got one. As evening approached, Quinn volunteered to be the wind dummy to see how smooth the air was. As it turned out, he deemed it smooth enough for Corey to fly his first platform launch. So we gave Corey the quick pre-launch talk and had him repeat the mantra"Eyes on the horizon, keep your wing level." And after two smooth flights, Corey was pumped, but alas, the sun was about to set and the skeeters were beginning to swarm us, so it was time to quit.
Corey also achieved another milestone the following weekend as he got his first ridge-soaring flight. After about twelve minutes, he had to land because of diminishing wind, but he sure was in high spirits for the rest of the weekend. He also learned patience as he waited for a retrieve after a sled run.
Curtis Reimer is the other novice to get his first platform launches a few weeks later at the beginning of June. Lloyd Taylor had come down from Snow Lake with his new winch and was itching to try it out. So after an afternoon of testing the tow pressures and finally getting glass smooth air in the early evening, Curtis got his turn. Again, the rookie was given the talk and told the mantra. Scare had the honour of presiding over this event.
So after the talk, it was time to go: Curtis was ready. We taxied down the road and staged for for this all-important flight.
With road and air traffic clear, it was time to make the call: "Go to cruise...Accelerate...Clear!" And so Curtis and his wing floated off the cradles in to the smooth evening air. We estimate that we towed Curtis to over twenty-five hundred feet AGL but since he does not yet own a vario, we'll never really know. Curtis' second tow was actually another first for him. The sun set just as we were staging for the tow and he was able to launch in time to see a second sunset. Landing in the aviation twilight, the mosquitoes swarmed him, but he was still "flying" and I'm sure he hardly felt a thing; in fact, I believe he was "flying" all the way home after the exhilaration of these two first platform launches.
The spring competitions may be over, but the results should now be available on Mark Dowsett's Site.
Of course, we shouldn't forget the 2007 Worlds being held in Big Spring, Texas from August 7th to 19th. That's almost in our own back yard and it's not very often that a world class competition gets held that close to home. That would be a fascinating one to watch from up close.
For upcoming events like the Lakeside Event or the Willi, check the HPAC Events page. If you're planning to travel this summer, that's one page you should check before heading out. Who knows, you could see some amazing flying or maybe even get some done yourself.
Although I haven't heard much from around the province, you can always check our group on Yahoo!Groups for the latest buzz. If you're not a member, you can always join here. There's also the regular monthly meetings on the first Monday of every month (except when a long weekend is involved, in which case the following Monday is chosen), where you'll be able to find out more about what's going on.
Well, that completes another issue of the Flatland Flyer. Remember, if you have any stories or articles you'd like to share, send them on to me. I'm always looking for some fresh contributions. In the meantime, have a great summer and wherever you fly, please, fly high, fly far, fly safe...
The Flatland Flyer is published four times per year, in March, June, September and December. If you have any questions or comments, please forward them to Gilles Normandeau.