One must understand that the 1 hour hike to the Washington Pass PG launch is perhaps one of the most scenic hikes in the state of Washington. However, the nearly 2000' of climbing is rewarded by the opportunity to thermal around the Liberty Bell and Early Winter Spires. Pilots also have to accept the fact that conditions may not prevail in their favor and might require an ardous hike down the mountain. On this particular Fall September Day, conditions were not the most favorable for the pilots. Only Chaffy, Bill and myself would be flying on this late Friday afternoon. The flight ended up being what is known as a "sledder". If you're going to have sledder...nothing's better than landing at the meadow at the Washington Pass Overlook, especially if you have cold beer waiting in your car.
The launch, which faces NW, lends itself to easy two step take-offs, but also is not for the faint of heart. Bill Morris was the first pilot to take-off and the air wasn't very foregiving. Plenty of surge control was required for wing stablization. Bill's flight was probably under 10 minutes, but most flights up at the pass are probably in excess of an hour. Chaffy launched second and had a little cleaner air than bill, but didn't attempt to extend his flight any longer than needed.
My flight was short, but sweet. I had an excellent hike with great views and was rewarded with a nice evening with Bill and Darlene in Winthrop. The NW flying season is soon to be over, and I was happy to have at least one flight up at the pass...even if it was a sledder!
One must understand that the 1 hour hike to the Washington Pass PG launch is perhaps one of the most scenic hikes in the state of Washington. However, the nearly 2000' of climbing is rewarded by the opportunity to thermal around the Liberty Bell and Early Winter Spires. Pilots also have to accept the fact that conditions may not prevail in their favor and might require an ardous hike down the mountain. On this particular Fall September Day, conditions were not the most favorable for the pilots. Only Chaffy, Bill and myself would be flying on this late Friday afternoon. The flight ended up being what is known as a "sledder". If you're going to have sledder...nothing's better than landing at the meadow at the Washington Pass Overlook, especially if you have cold beer waiting in your car.
The launch, which faces NW, lends itself to easy two step take-offs, but also is not for the faint of heart. Bill Morris was the first pilot to take-off and the air wasn't very foregiving. Plenty of surge control was required for wing stablization. Bill's flight was probably under 10 minutes, but most flights up at the pass are probably in excess of an hour. Chaffy launched second and had a little cleaner air than bill, but didn't attempt to extend his flight any longer than needed.
My flight was short, but sweet. I had an excellent hike with great views and was rewarded with a nice evening with Bill and Darlene in Winthrop. The NW flying season is soon to be over, and I was happy to have at least one flight up at the pass...even if it was a sledder!
Stacy, after reading about your Washington Pass flight, I can understand why you said (after I said the last step off the zipline platform was a bit scary) that PG's don't necessarily love that last step either!
ReplyDeleteIt's really funny to me that the only person that follows this blog is my Mom! I love you for that Mom.....and many more reasons!
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