Dashing downwind

Making a run southeast from Sunflower in Kansas. Hoping to launch at 11 central. Follow on SSA Tracker or glideport.aero

SGS. Spring Go South!
Have fun, we'll be watching later on.
Jim

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?

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 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, that's right. In the "ooooold" days when the hot ship was the 1-23 or K-6
it was the way to get the Gold Distance. Nowadays with higher performance
ships it can be a way to generate a multi-day retrieve!

Matt

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!

http://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-2.0...htId=446477652

On Thursday, February 25, 2016 at 5:47:23 PM UTC-5, Tony wrote:
http://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-2.0...htId=446477652

"If your feet are cold, wear a bigger hat".

Nice flight, Tony. Beats watching it snow...

Dan