I had a surprisingly long, smooth, beautiful flight on Sunday with Dezi as my guide in the Blanik. A front was moving through, and there were three separate layers of clouds which provided an incredible backdrop as well as magnificent lift. We saw lift as high as 1,200 ft/min and topped out at 7,100 feet, looking down at two of the cloud layers. The best lift existed in front of the roll clouds at the beginning of the front. We could see the clouds churning at their edges. At one point we were out in front of a cloud wall that looked to be about 3,000 feet straight down. What a sight! Not bad for a day that started and ended with IFR conditions.
Hi all - I'm now in Bayreuth, Germany at the World Gliding Championships, helping out with ILEC SN10 customers. Arrived a couple of days ago, after a long drive back from the US 15-meter Nationals in Hobbs, New Mexico, and a few days of actual work in the interim. GBSC member Arnd is also here for a few days. Fortunately Renee is very patient and has the wedding all organized, so I can continue with my foolishness. Thought I'd share an interesting flight at Hobbs with you; hope it's entertaining !
I arrived at Hobbs having not flown since the pre-Worlds the previous fall, except for my bi-annual check (thanks again to GBSC instructors Dave and Tony). And I hadn't flown my LS-6b for a couple of years, at the 15-meter Nationals in Albert Lea. There was definitely some thrashing around before I got settled down and stopped finding myself at the top of each thermal wondering "now what".
July 14 started with some early signs of "excessive vertical development" - early wisps looking like streamers, some cloud remnants from the prior day that hadn't dissapated because of the high moisture content, and so forth. We launched, and the advisors ignored the rapid build-ups with light rain showers in the prospective task area. This was going to be a day to get going early.
We are tasked 282 statute miles from Hobbs, to Brownfield Texas, to Big Springs Texas, and return. I head over near the start gate and get high, moving to the IP as the count-down to the task opening begins. When it's 30 seconds out I point towards the start line, hoping to get going immediately. Nope, the task is delayed while they fiddle the turnpoints and make another roll-call to confirm we've got the change. Try again, nope, now the radio's blocked with the motor-glider task info and starts are impossible. After an interminable delay I'm high enough to start again and the gate is possible. I head out with Roy McMaster, who's also eager to get going. Rain showers and build-ups to the right of the leg towards Brownfield are looking more serious, but the first leg starts great. Cruise at 110 knots, weave under the best looking clouds, pull up and climb straight ahead at 6-8 knots, then push over and accelerate towards the next cloud. SN10 says I'm averaging over 100 mph as I approach Brownfield. Too good to last, I push through "only" 4-5 knots and find myself blasting over Brownfield at 1500 feet, which gives a good view of the flooded landscape from heavy rains earlier in the month, damping the thermal activity. Ooops. Bummer. I have to take a weak thermal to get back up and moving, as a sailplane pass above. Finally get a move on, with rain and lightning just right of course to Big Springs. Its hard to make out exactly where the worst storm is, with shawdows from overdevelopment. As I proceed south I can see that a huge cell is building past Lamesa and near Big Springs. The thermals are difficult and widely spaced, and I again wind up low as I approach the storm. Head for one of the few sunny areas near the leading edge of the storm, dump some water to stay in the low gnarly thermal, and eventually it strenghtens and smooths out as it merges with the leading edge of the storm. To my right there is a dust line and a wall of rain, softening the lightning flashes from under the belly of the cell.
I cruise under the smooth strong lift at under the leading shelf, now up to 115 knots even without full ballast. The shelf of a storm like this always looks homogonous and solid from a distance, but this thing has holes in it with a beautiful view of the sunlit storm above. Almost gave myself vertigo trying to maintain warp cruise while looking straight up at this amazing sight.
Exit the storm and pass over the turnpoint at Big Springs. There were hints of sunshine out there, but as I head back towards Hobbs it is really dark, in shadow from heavy blow-off from another huge storm 100 miles upwind. None-the-less, the clouds are still pumping in the shadow, and I work back up to cloudbase a few miles past Big Springs. But, it looks really dark and grim ahead, and I'm jumping airport-to-airport on the SN10. Stanton's the next airport, made that, and next...
Maybe. I'm on final glide to a place called Maybe. The cell behind has clear air on the back side, providing an excellent view of the lightning, with the attendant glow on the ground afterwards from what-ever was just set afire by the strike. The flashes illuminate the cockpit. In front and to the south is another huge storm, towards Midland Texas. Its giving a pretty good show too. MC 2 for best glide into the 20 knot headwind. SN10 says I've got 400 over final glide (with 150 meter/500 foot arrival altitude AGL) --- to Maybe. Coast along, watching the lightning, the remaining wisps dying and yielding no lift. Still 400 feet over glideslope to Maybe.
Something odd is happening by the cell to my left, as I get closer I realize I'm looking at a tornado. This is really a sight ! Its steady for a while, then a bit of motion, then steady. Can't see if it's on the ground in the dim light. But I've still got 400 feet on Maybe. There is absolutely nothing out here but scrubland and oil derricks. 400 feet on Maybe. Landing on the roads is sometimes OK, but risky as the sometimes have stakes or obstacles that could tear up a glider. 400 feet on Maybe, descending through the gloom, instruments illuminated by lightning. I start talking to myself about taking up golf. Finally ! Maybe appears. Just on the numbers, I'm at 900 feet AGL (400 over 500 arrival). As I turn final to Maybe the funnel cloud starts to dissipate, but I'm real happy to find waiting hospitality and a hangar to stash the LS-6b when I land ! Never before saw a tornado while flying.
Joe Mabee's great-grandfather struck oil at this very spot, Mabee ranch. The original derrick is preserved for posterity, next to the ranch house and airfield. The field's main runway is 6000+ ft, suitable for Joe's Citation jet and the collection of warbirds and other aircraft he's had over the years. 6 more gliders followed, and there was plenty of room to stash them all in the hangars. There's also a winch and a few gliders here ! A new reproduction Waco, a warbird under restoration, a T-6, dozens of cars, motorcycles, etc. A world-famous restoration operation here, with Ken Shugart presiding (you've read about planes he's built and restored in Sport Aviation, yup, at Mabee Ranch). Joe was the nicest host you could imagine, including going out to flag down glider trailers at the unmarked ranch entrance. Ken showed us around, and helped with the sailplanes.
I call Renee to say hi, and she concludes I'm definitely in guy heaven. As I describe the beautiful tarantula walking across in front of the hangar my cell phone battery dies, but Renee's very patient and used to these antics (thanks honey). After we stowed the glider, the crew didn't want to leave !
Only 2 pilots completed the task, including Roy (who didn't fly too aggressively at Brownfield and waste time). The 7 of us at Maybe tied for 11th place. Surprisingly, the advisors were not lynched, perhaps as everybody was too tired from the retrieves.
Anyway, hope you enjoyed this,
Best Regards,
Dave Nadler "YO" (LS-6b and RHJ-8), and sometimes "CS" (LS-4a)
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