Dashing downwind

On Thursday, February 25, 2016 at 2:38:49 PM UTC-5, Chris Snyder wrote:
On Thursday, February 25, 2016 at 11:35:36 AM UTC-5, Tony wrote:
Making a run southeast from Sunflower in Kansas. Hoping to launch at 11 central. Follow on SSA Tracker or glideport.aero

Newbie question: Downwind? Is this a one-way trip to maximize ground covered?

Yes. He's flying to maximize distance. He did a 750 km Diplome flight a year or two ago this way ( see write-up at http://soaringcafe.com/2014/03/spring-go-south/ ; actually 844 km ). At 2:50 Eastern time, he's already past 300 km. He's working a band 5-6000, occasionally to 6500' (you see this on the tracker at glideport.aero - the "K" tracker, not "YYY"). About 70 mph/112 kph achieved spped so far - which is very good... probably the Cirrus (first flight in March 1969; very nice, but not state of the art now). Best L/D of 36:1.

Now over 325 km in 2 hrs 53 mins; excellent! Looks like a cross-wind, then turning east for a tailwind at the end of the flight ( https://www.windyty..com/?850h,2016-....952,-89.187,6 ). Select 5,000' for the wind he's in. You can also see some clouds up ahead (but there are ridges down there to run).

Always on a weekday...

Go Tony!

On 2/25/2016 1:06 PM, Dan Daly wrote:
On Thursday, February 25, 2016 at 2:38:49 PM UTC-5, Chris Snyder wrote:
On Thursday, February 25, 2016 at 11:35:36 AM UTC-5, Tony wrote:
Making a run southeast from Sunflower in Kansas. Hoping to launch at 11
central. Follow on SSA Tracker or glideport.aero

Newbie question: Downwind? Is this a one-way trip to maximize ground
covered?

Yes. He's flying to maximize distance. He did a 750 km Diplome flight a
year or two ago this way ( see write-up at
http://soaringcafe.com/2014/03/spring-go-south/ ; actually 844 km ). Snip...

Chris,

You'll better understand the allure of what's nowadays often,
generally-fondly, referred to as "a vulgar downwind dash" once you've a bit
more experience under your belt...say, when you begin seriously considering
flying your Silver Distance badge leg in your club's 1-26! Based on last year,
Tony's probably trying for a seashore landing this year, or maybe the Caymans.

All levity aside, many (most?) soaring pilots will admit to - at one time or
another - seriously daydreaming of simply attempting to soar as far in a
single (meaning, downwind) direction as a decent day will allow. It's a
"freedom of flight" thing harking back to the early days of the sport of
soaring when the whole idea of powerless flight was new, and penetrating into
the wind was more a concept than a reasonable possibility, given the ships of
the day. See anything written by Philip Wills...

In U.S. latitudes, unstable air trailing springly cold fronts combined with
typically strong northerly winds behind the front, make for Real Temptation,
depending upon one's starting geographical location. Tony doesn't merely dream
about it, though!

Bob W.

On Thursday, February 25, 2016 at 2:06:36 PM UTC-6, Dan Daly wrote:
On Thursday, February 25, 2016 at 2:38:49 PM UTC-5, Chris Snyder wrote:
On Thursday, February 25, 2016 at 11:35:36 AM UTC-5, Tony wrote:
Making a run southeast from Sunflower in Kansas. Hoping to launch at 11 central. Follow on SSA Tracker or glideport.aero

Newbie question: Downwind? Is this a one-way trip to maximize ground covered?

Yes. He's flying to maximize distance. He did a 750 km Diplome flight a year or two ago this way ( see write-up at http://soaringcafe.com/2014/03/spring-go-south/ ; actually 844 km ). At 2:50 Eastern time, he's already past 300 km. He's working a band 5-6000, occasionally to 6500' (you see this on the tracker at glideport.aero - the "K" tracker, not "YYY"). About 70 mph/112 kph achieved spped so far - which is very good... probably the Cirrus (first flight in March 1969; very nice, but not state of the art now). Best L/D of 36:1.

Now over 325 km in 2 hrs 53 mins; excellent! Looks like a cross-wind, then turning east for a tailwind at the end of the flight ( https://www.windyty.com/?850h,2016-0....952,-89.187,6 ). Select 5,000' for the wind he's in. You can also see some clouds up ahead (but there are ridges down there to run).

Always on a weekday...

Go Tony!

Hmm, the wind has him coming straight towards me. Maybe I need to get the guest bedroom ready...

Made it to declared goal of Talihina, OK with not much trouble. Spent a little more time below 5500 msl than I'd have liked in the last 40 miles there.

Got back up to.cloudbase at Talihina. Wind had turned a bit westerly aloft and i wasnt sure about the velocity on the ground so I didn't drop down to the ridges.

Decided to head crosswind to Mena. Nice airport. FBO, and HEAT. My toes are cold!!

Still some nice cu up there but I could see the southern end of the cu field. Did I mention.my toes were cold.

Diamond Distance in February! Woot!

Tony,

Congratulations on a fine winter flight! Will be interested in hearing the story ... and comparison between TopMeteo, DrJack and XCSkies forecasts if you get to it.

Walt Rogers WX

Walt,

TopeMeteo was showing the cu field (and higher PFD associated with that to be further east. In fact until I saw the cu develop at the airport I was planning to angle North of Tulsa towards Ft Smaith Arkansas based in that forecast.

The Dr. Jack RAP was also showing that I would be in dry air. The NAM however seems to have reflected the cu reality the best.

Forecasting is tricky as you know. I did not spend a lot of time looking at the forecast due to time constraints. I was pretty busy the day before the flight getting the little things in order like charging batteries and figuring out where I put the total energy tube! Due to the early start we had a really early departure time from home so I only spent 15 minutes or so scanning the forecasts in the morning. By that point I already had everything in place to make the flight so I would just fly whatever weather presented itself.

On Thursday, February 25, 2016 at 5:25:33 PM UTC-5, Tony wrote:
Made it to declared goal of Talihina, OK with not much trouble. Spent a little more time below 5500 msl than I'd have liked in the last 40 miles there.


Truly amazing! That's farther than I ever flew in a POWERED airplane.

Thank you all for explaining. There's a lot to learn in this sport!

We're forecast to get 5k' in Central Virginia on Saturday. Maybe I should give this "downwind dash" a try in the club 2-33.

Chris,

My personal best is 525 miles. That may be farther than I've ever flown in a powered aircraft too. The US National free distance record is just a hair over 900 miles. Something to strive for

On 2/26/2016 6:36 AM, Chris Snyder wrote:
On Thursday, February 25, 2016 at 5:25:33 PM UTC-5, Tony wrote:
Made it to declared goal of Talihina, OK with not much trouble. Spent a
little more time below 5500 msl than I'd have liked in the last 40 miles
there.


Truly amazing! That's farther than I ever flew in a POWERED airplane.

Thank you all for explaining. There's a lot to learn in this sport!

We're forecast to get 5k' in Central Virginia on Saturday. Maybe I should
give this "downwind dash" a try in the club 2-33.


Here, now - don't be dissing the 2-33! The first guy in the world to ever soar
farther than 1000km, got his Gold distance and Diamond goal in the 2-33's
predecessor, the 2-22. (Exceeded 200 miles! Vulgar downwind dash! A claimed
17:1 [on a good day?].) Guy by the name of Al Parker - you can read all about
some of his more major exploits in "Soaring" mag's archives (great resource
for SSA members!).

Bob W.

Ya, Al Parker was a STUD!

I suppose i should mention that I flew this flight with a Bumper MkIV yaw string and without it I would've never known what direction inwas pointed.