Debbie & I are heading for the Craters 10 / 11 & 12th. Come join, if not - have fun - be safe.

It looks like Friday will be better than Saturday or Sunday for Mingus, so Eric and I are leaving 6 AM tomorrow for a day trip to try to fly there.

According to Bill Bennett and Allen Housel, Sunday might work for South Mountain. Don't know if I'll be making that trip after the Mingus round-trip, though.

John

What do you guys see that makes you think it is better for Friday? It looks like it is going to be blowing over the back in the afternoon.

Inquiry minds want to know.


<img src="/album_pic.php?pic_id=827" border="0" vspace="10" alt="XC Skies for Mingus 6/11/11" title="XC Skies for Mingus 6/11/11">

what is Mingus rated?

Andy: It will be, in the afternoon, but under 10 kts. Mingus is a lee-side site, you launch in the morning. Soaring Predictor (http://www.soaringpredictor.info/flagstaff/Mingus.htm) forecasts east 0-3 kts until two PM. No idea if it will actually work out that way. I'm told that Mingus launch pulls pretty well, so tolerates a little over-the-back.

Tucker: H3/P3 according to http://www.azhpa.org/index.php?option=c ... Itemid=172, but give Eric Smith a call and check with him to see if there's a sponsorship policy. If Mingus doesn't work out, I know that Rafael and Debbie plan on being at the Craters this weekend, but I'm trying to do this as a day trip.

We're going to try for an 11 AM or so launch window.

Thanks John,

I wish you guys luck. Have a good launch, get high, go far and have a good landing.

Let us know how the flights turn out and how the weather turns out compared to the forcast.


AM

Eric Smith and I met Eric Tucker and Raquel at Mingus around 11 AM. We found three HG's already set up, and no PG pilots.

On the way up the back we noticed it had already started blowing southwest in the Chino valley. At launch it was blowing in pretty strong (10-12) and mostly crossing slightly right, with occasional straight-in cycles. The forecast had been for light east winds at launch - so much for that. The local pilots didn't seem in a huge hurry, though, as we started setting up.

Dale Majors and Ole took off #1 and #2 around noon. They spent some time along the ridge at around 8000, then worked their way up. I was up next around 20-30 minutes later, got up a little but never finding a big one. Eric Tucker went off right around the time I was in a sink cycle, and we both had trouble maintaining launch altitude

Then I hit a big patch of sink that put me uncomfortably low so I turned and ran for the airport, still in big sink. I was getting drilled, and for a while it didn't even look like I'd make the bail-out. I found a little thermal northwest of the bailout, though, and managed to work back up to launch altitude. Eric Tucker flew under me, missed the thermal I was in, but found something a little later as he was setting up to land in the bail-out and got high enough to make the airport.

I headed for the 10th street LZ. The best lift of the day was (of course) directly off the northwest end of the runway where I couldn't loiter and work it. I had a fairly close encounter with a twin Beech that came in from directly in front of me, pasing about 200 or so below and 300 or so to my right.

I didn't find any more organized lift before landing at 10th street. Dale landed about 15 minutes after I did. I heard that Eric Tucker and one of the local pilots landed at the airport. Ole was still in the air overhead when I left 10th street, stinking high, maybe 10k msl.

Dale had made about 11500, and Ole reported altitudes of up to 13k, so it was there if your timing was good and flying was skilled. I got maybe 200 over launch maximum and 30 minutes or so. Eric Tucker got his first Mingus flight. Eric Smith elected not to fly because conditions were deteriorating rapidly after Tucker launched.

Thanks to Raquel for picking up up at the 10th street LZ, and to Eric Smith for driving my truck down. Oh, one other thing - congratulations to Eric Tucker for his brand-new H3 rating!

I heard from Tucker this morning that he and Raquel went to the Craters after that, and he flew Sheba with Rafael Ramirez in the afternoon.

John

Debbie & I arrived at the Craters at 10:00 am on Friday, June 10th. The wind was coming out of the ESE, so headed over to Marrian. Found Carlos, a PG instructor, with a couple of students. The winds on top of Marrian were light, 5-8 MPH, so I flew the Falcon. Heading straight out not much lift, flew out 500' above LZ, found some lift and worked my way back up to launch and was able to get to 1000' over for a nice 50 minute flight. Unfortunately, we neglected to tie off the Sport II, so coming down off the mountain it slid off the rack onto the road. Headed to campgrounds for lunch and to inspect the Sport II, dodged a bullet, no damage. We headed back to Sheba around 4 PM.

The winds were SSW 15-20 MPH. Hung out with the PG'ers at launch, trying to decide if conditions were going to get stronger. While waiting Tucker and Raquel showed up. We drove to the top to check things out, the winds were 20-25, gusting to 30+. We elected to launch off lower bench, where conditions were less rowdy. Tucker launched first at around 5 pm, I follow about 15 minutes later. Had a good time soaring back and forth for 45 minutes or so. I was able to bench my way back to the top, at about 500' over. I noticed with 1/2 VG and pulling in that I was drifting back. Pulled full VG and started inching forward but sinking out at the same time. Not sure I could make the front LZ, so crabbed off to the west of Sheba and landed west of Leupp Rd in a 20 MPH wind for a no-step landing.

Saturday morning around 9:30 AM flew lower bench at Sheba, wind SSE 12-15. Not wanting to get blown back again, I went straight out in front of LZ. Hit turbulence which rocked my wing 45 degrees back and forth. I won't lie, my heart was in my throat and I went up 800' per minute to about 200' above Sheba. As fast as things turned on they shut down, resulting in a 15 minute flight.

PS: Great running into Tucker and Raquel and flying with him. Congrats Tucker on your Hang 3#.

Congrats to Raphael for his soaring flights off of the Craters. He had two really good soaring flights in one day....he's doing really well.

Saturday was blown out for me by the time we arrived at Sheba. Sunday we arrived at the top of Sheba and saw a speed glider launch off the top. It was blowing 20 to 25, but just a few minutes later increased up to 35 mph and I elected not to launch. Even the lower bench was a little too much with only one wire person. So we moved much lower to the beginning of the shallow terrain and launched from there. Plenty of lift but it turned out to be way too rowdy to safely bench up. So after a few passes I flew out and landed.

Tucker