2 sledders at Dog 01-03-15

We thought we were going to get skunked. After hours of waiting at launch, five pilots flew (Alfredo, Glenn, Luis, Enrique and myself) and three of us flew twice in another challenging east winds day. Conditions was similar as the last time (2 days ago) we flew , a lot of East component and we had hoped that the West or North winds, or even thermals cycles could overpower the East wind. Unfortunately, that didn't happen, so we basically waited for the launchable zero wind window to punch off before the East wind increases again.

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Led by our fearless (unwitting) leader Rick, six pilots gathered at Dog. (Alfredo, Luis, Glenn, Stas, Rick and Enrique) The fog banks swayed gently, veiling and unveiling the landing area. The wind direction was East, at from 0 to 3 miles per hour. I wish I had taken a selfie of all of us posing under the wind streamers pointing to the back of launch, and another of all of us huddled in Stas’ car waiting for the lulls to increase!
Rick tried to improve things by rotating the wind streamer mast. It must have worked, because the wind slowed down to a condition we felt we could manage. Ever ready, he showed the way with an impeccable and solid run. The rest of the team followed except Stas, who decided it was not worth the effort, the one sane guy.
I was the only one who launched from the West launch, as the windsock consistently showed some slight South, and the only one who, in spite of mental conditioning and good advice, popped the nose up and received the mildly rebuking but well intentioned commentary “Scaary”. Everybody had good landings. Rick, Alfredo and Luis managed to squeeze a second flight.
If one looks at things from the cost-benefit point of view, our five-minute sledders look extremely onerous compared to a couple of hours each way of driving, plus setting up over snow and sludge, plus the wet cold wait (and wait and yet more waiting) but the grin in our faces told a different story. Here’s to a rewarding new year of flying.
from Enrique.