Date: 5-26-2001; 14:15-19:45 (duration 5:30) Distance: 128sm Glider: G102 (SS) Predeclared: yes Turnpoints: BFF (Scottsbluff), TOR (Torrington), 7V6 (Camp Guernsey), BFF
Although it was a great day, I stayed high (except on the last segment) so that I was within the glide range of either TOR or BFF. The thermals were not really strong at that altitude. Cloud bases were at 12Kft. At one time I managed to get a little above cloud bases to 12.5Kft on the leading edge of a cloud. On the way back, just over Torrington, I did not have enough altitude for the glide back to BFF, and thermals were not working anymore (late day cycling). It was either I stay and land at TOR, or try to fly back and possibly landout in a field. I decided to push toward BFF since the sky was looking most promising in that direction, and if I landout I get a shorter retrieve (there are plenty good landout fields around). Nothing was really working, I had my field(s) selected, until ~12nm away from BFF at 2000' agl I finally got into 0 sink, which after a while became smooth 1kt and eventually 2kt. I climbed unnecessarily high, glided back towards BFF, flew around over the city to get rid of the altitude and landed. This was my first xc flight.
Date: 6-10-2001 Distance: around 250km (155sm) total Glider: G102 (SS) Predeclared: Yes (Silver) Turnpoints (all): 1V5, Idaho Springs, Estes, Red Feathers Lakes, Estes, 1V5 Turnpoints (for silver): Idaho Springs (remote start), Estes (remote finish) IGC track: 20010610-1.igc
Released just above pattern altitude. Took forever to get altitude and to get going towards Idaho Springs (remote start). Flew over continental divide and Longs to Estes Park (remote finish). From Estes, flew to Red Feathers Lakes. Conditions deteriorated in the direction towards 1V5. Flew around virga, but it still got me and I lost 2-3Kft for that. Managed to get 1500' in a thermal just over Estes which got me back home. This flight gets me silver distance, duration, altitude, and gold altitude.
Date: 6-16-2001 Distance: around 250km (155sm) Glider: Ventus B (N5) Predeclared: No IGC track: 20010616-2.igc Turnpoints: Mt Evans, Grays Pk, Keystone, Granby (small lake), Longs Pk, 5mi N of Estes
Launched earlier that day to 9Kft, but dropped out. It wasn't really working below 11Kft. On the second tow released at 11Kft, found a thermal that got me to 18Kft. Stayed high for the rest of the flight. Tour of local fourteeners (Mt Evans, Grays, Longs). Great day --- great lift everywhere. Over Estes it OD'd (again). As the lift started dying I flew around virga at good distance back home.
Date: 6-23-2001 Distance: 330km (205sm) Glider: Ventus B (N5) Predeclared: NO Turnpoints: Kossler, Halligan, Bailey, Kossler Glider: Ventus B (N5) IGC track: 20010623-1.igc
I picked turnpoints so that I can do 300km triangle and yet always be within glide distance of 1V5. Learning from the previous two flights, the first tp was Halligan (N), since there was a tendency to OD around Estes. This turned out to be a good decision since later in the afternoon it looked pretty bad in that direction, much worse than to the SW. Great streets everywhere with cloudbases above 18Kft. GPS batteries died on Halligan-Bailey leg; GPS would not stay on around Bailey tp. OD'd in the direction back to the field (i.e., SW of the field), and the ceiling was getting lower to 13-14Kft. Got around it at the safe distance. After finishing the triangle, played around in house thermals for another hour or so.
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