The AHGA's XC Contest 2009

Randy and Graeme were already on launch when I arrived, but there was no sense of urgency as the prevailing breeze was over the back from the Nth. Kent and his wife were already set up in lawn chairs with a PPG instructor Kraik (sorry if that’s wrong) who I hadn’t met before.
It took some extensive site litter removal to appease the elements into giving us short windows for launching… So short in fact that I was setting up to forward when it began cycling just enough to reverse. I launched in a nice cycle and managed to get above launch in a few turns. The house thermal to the right of launch was working smoothly and I stayed in in to ceiling.

As the lift slowed, Graeme and Randy both launched but had less to work with. Getting that sinking feeling I decided to push out and see what I could find. It was still early and there were no signs of the desert heat bearing its fangs. Nothing over the rocky outcrop adjacent to the school.

Drifting further east I found some great lift over a monster “water” tank, and climbed back to ceiling. Now I’m thinking, it’s on and I’m goin’ baby! Punch out on speed-bar again toward I-10/202 thinking about all that airspace past Firebird lake, loads of lift at the stack took me back to the roof. Graeme and Randy radioed to say they would chase (u guys rock) and the game was afoot!

As I headed Sth I hit the first real obstacle, some SW that as I tracked another thermal pushed me back toward the 202 and Stellar airpark. Yeh, I did notice a bit of extra air traffic… like when I heard a plane and then saw it and then realized the engine noise was from anther plane coming up behind me. And absolutely, I shoulda studied the local sectional harder, but as it was I over 3K (and as I read it now) that’s fine. Not long after Graeme calls on the radio to say there’s some strong SW developing behind me. Time is now around 11:15 and the lift is getting more “sporty” so I call it and start looking for a good green lz. A more experience hand could have milked it for miles, but I was happy (well at least satisfied) to take my miles and go home.

From the air, I found what looked like a nearly deserted park just Nth of the 202. On final approach, however, a flood of red shirts streams from under the shade-structures (like angry swarming ants) toward my intended lz. Well, I’m committed so proceed without incident and glide over said ants to a gentle touch down.

End of the adventure? Hardly! The angry (now gleeful) ants are ignorning the claxon whistles of their teachers and only halt there advance thanks to an old Jedi trick I learned on Alderaan. Anyway, as I’m packing up the local constabulary arrives and calls for backup to deal with my alarming invasion of the elementary school recess. I explained to the officer that my ground crew had warned of deteriorating conditions, which precipitated my immediate and unavoidable descent onto the nearest safe lz.

As my “ground crew” arrives, the officer, who is apparently immune to Jedi mind tricks refers me he colleague while my wing is packed up for me. Suddenly, I’m liking this guy. His colleague is all business. How long have you been doing this? Uhuh. And you’ve never been arrested for this kind of behavior? Really? Well in all my years… Thankfully the elements again came into play as that SW buster began ripping through the trees and my plight was self evident. We all said “Yes sir, three bags full” and got our deeply repentant asses outa there.

Huge thanks to Randy and Graeme for chasing and keeping me updated on wx.
WHOOOHOOO!
Max Gain 472 ft/min
Max Sink 669 ft/min

I pull my wing up at 1010am and was in the air just a step after turning from reversed.

Lift was still inconsistent. After a few passes along the ridge I tracked one from in front of launch, back above the towers. The uppers were moving toward Sedona, so around 11.5K asl I made the call and punched on speed-bar. Nothing but sinkity-sink-sink across town until the hills behind 10th St.

A little watering hole in the red dirt on the other side was kicking enough to turn in. Hung around maintaining for a few minutes and then it really started popping. Back up to 7870 (3850 agl), and what seemed to be the top as the cycle ended so I pushed out again toward the water treatment pond.

Loads of sink (max -770 ft/min) all the way there and thought it was game over when I hooked a puff while setting up my approach and took it back to 6K (2K agl). Not sure if it was the time of day, now past 11, or the terrain, but this one was jagged and pushy, making me surge and turn as I battled to stay in the lift. Tracked across 89A to the Sedona Pines Inn, my previous best distance.

Lift turned to sink and given the time of day and a new personal best, I decided not to turn back. No more late saves, as I landed in a nice big mowed farm field past the equestrian complex.

Juggling a few too many honey-dos in the AM meant I was late to launch, arriving about 11AM. With the forecast high of 90F yesterday’s overcast, I felt comfortable and all the more so when I got a call as I drove through the gates to say all pilots were on the ground and most had sunk out just 10 mins earlier.

On launch it was blowing straight in at 10-12 and seemed ideal. No issues launching and indeed there seemed little sustained lift initially. Hooked the first serious lift just short of “Randy’s corner” and followed it up and behind launch to about 2K over (4606ft). My plan had been to land at the high school or top land, but when I got a call on the radio that I could get a ride from the cart track, all good sense went out the window.

There has been some debate about hitting rotor when going over the back. I found nothing but smooth air as I punched speed-bar and headed to the valley. However, when I began thermalling above the cart track, the air became extremely “sporty” when I reached almost parallel with the saddle.

As I continued to climb the lift hit in surges and accelerated my turns. Shortly after I took my first full frontal, or at least I think that’s what it was. Basically the entire wing went soft and deformed, more like a flag or when you try to launch in light conditions and the thing just weakly flails around. There was no strong front edge deforming, but neither did it seem like a huge asymmetrical, where one side goes and hangs limp. It just seemed like something squished all the air out.

The Sigma7 is amazing piece of technology, as are others in its class, and it came back quickly and cleanly. I had turned about 180 degrees and was expecting to sink to the lz when another whack did exactly the same thing. Another clean recovery and I’d had enough fun for the day. Looking for sink to core down in I found little, but noticed the wing seemed most stable flying downwind. Radioed that I was aborting the cart track and heading North. Air became smoother on the far side of the Nth range and I toyed with the thought of extending my mini-xc, but figured I’d had my share of luck for the day.

Landed in a big dirt field at S19th and W Latona, without incident and within moments Randy pulled up with a van load of pilots and Sean followed shortly after.

Second flight of the day launched 1244pm for another shot after seeing Carlos top land. Bigger lift and easily topped the towers, so went over the back.

More ratty air over the valley and strong surging lift. Took me to over 4k and considered heading Nth, but was taking a beating and short of time so opted for a quick retrieve.

Had to core the best sink to get out of the rough stuff. Actually thought I might come up short of the the track, but once over the dirt I started climbing. Took a l-o-n-g glide and braced to P-L-F before getting my feet down without incident. 35 min.

Looking for a little glass off after the sweet xc, so headed up to Sth mtn Sth launch.

Patience paid off, after watching soft winds over the back die and then a slow build up the face, I launched and was soon over the towers and headed W again. Lift continued across the saddle almost to the Nth launch. A few soft cycles were drifting up by the prevailing W made them ratty. I thought about pushing it for another run down the ridge but instead went into the valley where it was buoyant but gusty. I found enough lift to get another half hour airtime but not enough to clear the Nth range and so landed at the cart track.