Thermal:
Lance Brown (labrown)
Glider name: Radian
Thermal or Slope: Thermal
Date and Time of flight: February 18th 2012, start of flight 3:25PM Eastern
Duration of flight: 18:32 (30 sec / 200M CAM limiter)
Location: Farmer's market field, Raleigh, NC USA
Weather: partly cloudy, 0-3mph breeze at ground, faster above

Slight wind at ground level, but good breeze at height, enough to let me pretty much just surf the wind most of time. Radian barely penetrated. Today was my first experience catching a thermal as well! I had two shorter flights (14:21 and 12:18) where I launched, did my best to stretch the flight, and then hit a thermal coming off the center of the field when I was about tree top height. Turned into it and the Radian went up like an elevator both times. Ugliest thermal turns I've even seen! :-) Watching my plane going up like that was a real rush.

Originally Posted by labrown

Thermal:
Lance Brown (labrown)
Glider name: Radian
Thermal or Slope: Thermal
Date and Time of flight: February 18th 2012, start of flight 3:25PM Eastern
Duration of flight: 18:32 (30 sec / 200M CAM limiter)
Location: Farmer's market field, Raleigh, NC USA
Weather: partly cloudy, 0-3mph breeze at ground, faster above

Slight wind at ground level, but good breeze at height, enough to let me pretty much just surf the wind most of time. Radian barely penetrated. Today was my first experience catching a thermal as well! I had two shorter flights (14:21 and 12:18) where I launched, did my best to stretch the flight, and then hit a thermal coming off the center of the field when I was about tree top height. Turned into it and the Radian went up like an elevator both times. Ugliest thermal turns I've even seen! :-) Watching my plane going up like that was a real rush.

Welcome to the contest Lance.
Careful, it's habit forming!

JumpySticks
Plane: Radian pro
Date: 2/20/12
Time: 11:00 am
Duration of flight: 11:21
Location: Milton, Louisiana

Still a little windy for steady thermal action today.

Way cool love the googel earth view hope to do the same this week

Much less wind today. Thermals were moving about.
JumpySticks
Plane: Radian pro
Date: 2/21/12
Time: 1:30 pm
Duration of flight: 21:48
Location: Milton, Louisiana

NOTICE: For the March contest, the motor run will be shortened to 30 seconds max, to fall more in line with standard ALES limitations.

That will put me at a distinct disadvantage with my stock Radian Pro, but it's best for those who may want to eventually move up to ALES competition.

Maybe it's time I repowered???

Originally Posted by JumpySticks

NOTICE: For the March contest, the motor run will be shortened to 30 seconds max, to fall more in line with standard ALES limitations.

That will put me at a distinct disadvantage with my stock Radian Pro, but it's best for those who may want to eventually move up to ALES competition.

Maybe it's time I repowered???

Do I remember correctly that you are using the stock prop/spinner JS? I use a 50mm BB Aluminum spinner and 11x6 Graupner blades on my RP and it makes 200m in 30 seconds no problem; 25 seconds if I don't range upwind after launch. I'm using all the other stock power components.

I can't catch a break wind-wise, the daily average is 15-20mph with no relief in sight. I have had the chance to fly an ALES comp inland, but with assigned tasks of 6-8 min there's no use posting those flights here, as I didn't get the chance to go for maximum duration. I just can't get away from the wind long enough to actually do a dedicated duration flight! Maybe March will be better?

I'm going to travel to one of the only "drive up" slope sites in the area tomorrow, maybe I can get a slope time posted, but I'm told the wind has been running the wrong direction at that slope lately, so I'll just have to show up and see what the conditions are. I'm taking every flyable sailplane, powered & non-powered both, that I have with me; maybe I'll get lucky?

Sonny

Originally Posted by sonny1

Do I remember correctly that you are using the stock prop/spinner JS? I use a 50mm BB Aluminum spinner and 11x6 Graupner blades on my RP and it makes 200m in 30 seconds no problem; 25 seconds if I don't range upwind after launch. I'm using all the other stock power components.

I can't catch a break wind-wise, the daily average is 15-20mph with no relief in sight. I have had the chance to fly an ALES comp inland, but with assigned tasks of 6-8 min there's no use posting those flights here, as I didn't get the chance to go for maximum duration. I just can't get away from the wind long enough to actually do a dedicated duration flight! Maybe March will be better?

I'm going to travel to one of the only "drive up" slope sites in the area tomorrow, maybe I can get a slope time posted, but I'm told the wind has been running the wrong direction at that slope lately, so I'll just have to show up and see what the conditions are. I'm taking every flyable sailplane, powered & non-powered both, that I have with me; maybe I'll get lucky?

Sonny

Good luck on the slope Sonny!
With the March winds coming, I sure wish I had a slope around here.

Originally Posted by JumpySticks

Good luck on the slope Sonny!
With the March winds coming, I sure wish I had a slope around here.

Here's a Google Earth link to the site. Where the cultivated fields end, there is a 500' sheer bluff going straight up to the dirt road at the top next to the edge. Absolutely beautiful view out over those fields to the sand dunes and ocean beyond, but it's south facing and the wind is normally from north/west, sometimes even blowing straight away from the mesa. In the fall/early winter though it rocks, as storms usually come straight in from the south. Never had so much fun crashing planes in my life, (it develops a wicked rotor 20' back from the lip; a real plane killer in 30+ winds), but when flying a dedicated slope plane it's a blast. I might try the RP there no matter where the wind is because I can motor back if needed, but for a non-powered sailplane that can become an issue because if you loose lift and end up at the bottom, you have to drive back around and down the mesa through the fields below to retrieve your plane, (you'd need climbing ropes to go down the bluff). I'll report back, I gotta go there anyway, so I may as well try.

Sonny

Originally Posted by sonny1

Here's a Google Earth link to the site. Where the cultivated fields end, there is a 500' sheer bluff going straight up to the dirt road at the top next to the edge. Absolutely beautiful view out over those fields to the sand dunes and ocean beyond, but it's south facing and the wind is normally from north/west, sometimes even blowing straight away from the mesa. In the fall/early winter though it rocks, as storms usually come straight in from the south. Never had so much fun crashing planes in my life, (it develops a wicked rotor 20' back from the lip; a real plane killer in 30+ winds), but when flying a dedicated slope plane it's a blast. I might try the RP there no matter where the wind is because I can motor back if needed, but for a non-powered sailplane that can become an issue because if you loose lift and end up at the bottom, you have to drive back around and down the mesa through the fields below to retrieve your plane, (you'd need climbing ropes to go down the bluff). I'll report back, I gotta go there anyway, so I may as well try.

Sonny

Your winds look North-Northeast for tomorrow. If you had our wind forecast you'd be in great shape, southerly 15-20.
Neat flying location for sure.

Originally Posted by JumpySticks

Your winds look North-Northeast for tomorrow. If you had our wind forecast you'd be in great shape, southerly 15-20.
Neat flying location for sure.

That would be perfect there. The wind comes up that sheer cliff like few other places I've seen when the wind is right. When the south winds blow you have to fight for space, the ridge will usually be lined with pilots from all over, and the word spreads quickly when it's working. However, since the wind will be opposite tomorrow I'll take the RP out anyway and see if the flat farmlands below are warming up enough to throw up some lift, or if not there's plenty of room behind the bluff to fly TD, (I hope, maybe if the wind isn't howling too much...which is always possible here).

Sonny

sonny1,
Here is a site that I use for wind forecast. I find it pretty accurate for the most part. It is set for San Luis Obispo, CA, which I think is close to the location on your avatar. You can change the location if you can find one closer.

Aviation Weather Forecast at San Luis Obispo, California

Originally Posted by chickenwing

sonny1,
Here is a site that I use for wind forecast. I find it pretty accurate for the most part. It is set for San Luis Obispo, CA, which I think is close to the location on your avatar. You can change the location if you can find one closer.

Aviation Weather Forecast at San Luis Obispo, California

Thank you! I bookmarked that link, but the site is closer to Santa Maria so I changed it to that location. SLO is near my home, but the site is 40 miles south and right off the ocean, so I sometimes use Wind Guru: http://www.windguru.cz/int/index.php?sc=194424, which is similar to the link you posted, and is often used by hang gliding enthusiasts. It's nice to have several sources of weather data, so thank you again. Nice thing about Wind Guru is you can plug in the GPS coordinates and it will tailor the forecast to that spot.
I'm heading out the door, so I'll report back later. Good air everyone!

Sonny

Weather has been poor this month so far, still windy today though did get a PB for time and altitude. Disqualified due motor overun. Have to learn to count faster

Nine Eagles Skyclimber running a 11 x 6 Graupner Cam folder
2200 mah PA 3S
19:40
Charleville
Australia

Originally Posted by mulgaman

Weather has been poor this month so far, still windy today though did get a PB for time and altitude. Disqualified due motor overun. Have to learn to count faster

Nine Eagles Skyclimber running a 11 x 6 Graupner Cam folder
2200 mah PA 3S
19:40
Charleville
Australia

Looks like a good time was had, in spite of the DQ.
2400'....man that's way up there.
Thanks for the plot.
What logger do you use?