Unexpectedly nice SE ridge day! Bill Thar and I made a nice run down SW and back. It was unusual flying with someone who was more optimistic about the weather and the cross country potential than me! We launched into a really cruddy looking sky, typical Hot Hazy Humid (HHH), muggy mess. The wind barely worked, but we hung out for a while on the local ridge. Little by little, the low scud started to rise and we floated along toward the Bangor Offset. It was quite reassuring having both of us there! After we made it around the offset, we plopped onto the ridge and started making good progress. It got a bit soft near Slatington and we fell a good 150ft below ridge top there. Dicey!
Finally, nearing Hawk, I chickened out early and went for a thermal and Bill kept going. I had a pretty successful jump, but Bill smoked me across! I had to work quite hard to catch up to him and I nearly did at Swatara Gap. It got soft again after Manada Gap, but we floated across and I finally caught up to him at the Susquehanna River. There, as I passed, I turned around at the river, trying to egg him to go home. Bill would have none of that and crossed! Grumble, mumble, away I went behind him. The ridge worked very well there and through Doubling Gap, our turn. 90 Knots in a club ship ain’t shabby! Turned around, the run to the Pinnacle was fast, but now we had to find some lift to get back across. That was a bit sporty, but I hooked into a weak thermal and drifted downwind some before going over the gorge/wall. After that, it was clean sailing on solid ridge down to Cliffhouse- Flying M – Blairstown, landing in smooth air almost at sunset.
Find the flight here.
Soaring Economist 