Jägermonkey

Final Task Cancelled

2009-07-07T16:57:00.000-07:00

Today's last task of the comp seemed very reasonable, and I was hopeful that I might be lucky enough to finally make it into goal this year. But as we prepared for the day up on launch, we began to feel incredibly strong thermal cycles blasting through the launch area, enough to make the trees shake and whistle. We saw wind techs getting flushed hard in massive sink below launch, and at the same time wind tech Nicole was getting blasted into the sky above launch. She made it up above 11,000 feet at one point! About two thirds of the field launched and began to rocket up in the strong lift, with me at the tail end of that bunch. I felt kind of parked, and when I looked up I could see the other pilots specking out above me, but not turning circles in any kind of organized start gaggles like on previous days, just spread out and hanging there. Some pilots were reporting altitudes of over 13,000 feet, which sets a new altitude record for Woodrat, along with climbs of 2000 feet per minute. They were also reporting a fairly strong wind up there. The wind picked up and filled in on launch shortly after I got airborne, and the call was made to cancel the day, out of concern for newer comp pilots and those flying lower rated wings. I had actually already decided to call it for myself: when they announced the official decision, I was already halfway to the nice landing field at the Longsword Vineyard, chugging along into the wind on a slow and bumpy trajectory, anticipating a nice refreshing complimentary glass of sparking white wine. Which turned out to be a whole bottle, thanks to Bonnie and Pete!

Long Task, Short Flight

2009-07-07T16:44:00.000-07:00

Today they expected the conditions to take us even higher than on the previous days, and they called a huge task with a long upwind section to start out. But the expected lifty conditions didn't quite materialize, so it was hard to get high enough to fly such a long starting leg into the wind, which also turned out to be a bit stronger than we'd expected. I got an okay start, tagging the start cylinder and thermalling well enough to get ready for the first leg, but when the guys I was with began to head towards the first turnpoint, I couldn't seem to float up and maintain my height the way they were able to, so I ended up following a lower line by myself. After a while I found myself low over the ridgeline, desperately shooting through a low gap between hilltops into a small gully to look for a last minute low save. After scratching there for a while with a few other unlucky pilots, I finally set down in a field near the Troon vineyard. I hadn't even reached the first turnpoint. Many pilots made it around a few of the turnpoints, but only one made goal: Seattle comp star Meredyth. At least I had some consolation for the early outlanding - I shared a nice bottle of cool and sweet white wine with Roger Marsh and Tom Moock while we waited for the retrieve.

Happy circles

2009-07-03T09:51:00.000-07:00

Wow. The fifth day gave us even more smooth strong bounteous thermal lift, with big developing clouds over the surrounding valleys a welcome change from the clear blue skies of the previous days. Today pilots got higher than any previous day - I heard a few got to 12 grand. I got over nine grand and thought that was pretty stratospheric. I was thermalling well and sticking with good people for the first few turnpoints, but somehow I ended up alone as I tagged the second to last turnpoint after a long upwind leg. After that I got too low to hit the last turnpoint before goal, so I landed at the LZ under mammatus clouds. I think my main error today was not being patient enough to get as high as the little specks above me before tagging that upwind turnpoint. I think around half the field of pilots made it into goal today - usually that's my ticket, but I just couldn't quite put all the pieces together. Nick made it into goal again, his third goal in three days! He has to leave the next day so that will stand as his perfect record of making goal every day he flew. When I grow up I want to be like Nick. So now we have two task days remaining, with conditions predicted to be similar to this day - so I have two more chances to make it into goal. I'm very happy with all the thermal practice I'm getting, and I'm learning to make better strategic decisions to follow the courseline. Flying into goal would be a real bonus, but even without that distinction, I am turning many happy circles here and flying many difficult kilometers. I hope more people will join me here next year!

Friends

2009-07-02T09:55:00.000-07:00

Our fourth task day was another truly stellar day of textbook thermal conditions, maybe even nicer air than the previous day. I got my highest altitude yet, more than seven thousand, in the longest and strongest smooth thermal ride I've ever made. I topped it out with Hawaii state champion Nick and Seattle Chris, but after that thermal ride I was flooded with overconfidence and flew a different line to the next turnpoint than they took. There was no good reason to choose the line I took - and it put me over the next turnpoint alone, too far to catch up with the other guys. They joined up with the gaggle that made it to goal, while I struggled over the foothills in the Rogue valley and had to land in a big field. One of the guys I landed with was Tom Moock, and he helped me analyze my flight to identify the most significant mistake I made: leaving Chris and Nick to fly alone. Unless you're one of the top guys with good odds of pioneering the best line to a given spot, you should always try to take a line that puts you in the vicinity of other pilots. There is strength in numbers. As Tom reminded me, "If you don't have friends you don't have anything at all." I hope I can take that lesson to heart and stick with my buddies next time.

At least five people made it to goal for their first time. I made it to the final turnpoint but never got high after that, just like on the previous day, but I guess I made it a few valleys further along the course. Nick and Chris made goal, of course! I have the cleverest friends - I just need to wise up and appreciate them more.

Real Thermals

2009-07-01T09:38:00.000-07:00

Today was an amazing day graced with perfect thermals, straight out of the textbook. They had promised another day like the last two, but thankfully the whimsical weather gods decided to throw us a bone. We didn't get a lot higher than the previous days but the thermals were working nicely all around the valley, and you could really crank it up smoothly and ride them up quite a while, staring across at whoever might be turning with you. I made all the turnpoints before goal today but I was really too low at the last one to get back up and shoot the last long leg to goal. Nick made it though - he flew the whole course even though he's not entered in the race. He is surely the real state champion. I guess I'll have to settle for vice champion. In the evening we went with local pilot Paul to see one of my favorite bands, Wilco, at a really nice outdoor venue.

A lot of Rat Race pilots here remember Bob fondly from the three competitions he was in over the last few years, and they all send their love and sympathy. He sure made a big impression on everyone that met him. I am focusing on the flying right now, but I can't keep all the great memories of my big friend from swirling around in my head at every spare moment.

Consolation

2009-07-01T09:28:00.000-07:00

The second task day was tougher than the first. It seemed okay at first, and lots of folks got high, but once again just before the start window opened, we got a massive flush cycle that I never quite recovered from. The air was not doing anything I recognized, it just felt trashy, and I ended up at the LZ without making the first turnpoint across the valley. I had lots of company down there, at least. I think only a small group of pilots really made something out of the day. Anyway, a few of us went to the winery to salve our bruised egos, including Don and Motorhead Paul, and we enjoyed a nice mellow afternoon in the cool indoor tasting house at Fiasco Winery. After that we enjoyed a nice mellow glass off flight, floating up high over the middle of the Ruch valley as the sun was setting.

First Task

2009-06-28T19:55:00.000-07:00

Me and Don are here at Paul's house, along with four Ozzie pilots and two Seattlites. Great weather and great task today, although I had a tough time with it. Made three turnpoints out of five. I flew for two and a half hours, and made three incredibly low saves down by the LZ between turnpoints. The leaders made goal in about 45 minutes. Hmmm. I definitely have a lot to learn. But it was nice to get tons of serious thermal flying in. Conditions were kind of ratty and rough but everyone else seemed to be handling it without complaint, so I forced myself to stay in the game as long as I could. Which was actually pretty long, although I wasn't making much progress along the course. Whew. Let's see what tomorrow brings. They say the weather is supposed to be good all week - I should pace myself better.

Aborted Launch

2009-06-28T19:45:00.001-07:00

It was a bit of a disaster trying to get myself launched off the island. But I'm finally on my way, and I'm trying to remind myself that I have a lot to be thankful for.

I had initially been a bit leery about the price tags for the flights over to Oregon this year, and I was actually thinking of skipping this year's Rat Race because of that, but then Don generously offered to share one of Yolie's inexpensive United buddy passes to help me get over here. He was able to get me listed on the last flight of the day yesterday, which looked really empty and perfect for standby travel, probably even good for first class. Woohoo! The plan was for me to get there on the early side this morning to do some practice flying before tomorrow's first task.

I remember when I had told Paul earlier that I would be flying standby, I was surprised that he seemed kind of taken aback that I'd risk a late arrival at the comp. Somehow it just seemed like a sure thing to me. But it turns out Paul's apprehensions were well founded. While I was sitting in the waiting area dreaming about a sweet first class overnighter, they announced that another flight had just been cancelled and they were going to put all those stranded passengers on my flight. So much for the standby plan! I was stuck in Honolulu for the night. And the passenger loads for the next day were looking very grim for standby travel.

So not only was I going to miss my practice flying, and also the first pilot meeting and party the night before the comp, now I wasn't sure I'd even make it in time for the first task. At this point I wasn't even sure I wanted to go through with any of it. But to make matters even more complicated, I found out my luggage and wing were on their way to Medford without me.

After some agonized soul searching as I sat there in the now empty airport lounge, I finally decided to double down, and after a quick search of available flights on my phone, I booked and paid for a last-minute Alaska Air flight through Seattle, leaving just after noon the next day, that would put me in Medford by midnight. Paying full price for the ticket was a bitter pill, but at least it was a confirmed flight and I would be there just in time to fly the first task. Thanks to Don for the buddy pass offer - I appreciate it even if it didn't quite work out for me this time. I didn't realize that standby travel can be its own adventure. This is how Don travels all the time - I give him credit for being a flexible traveler.

The Honolulu airport is a lonely and surreal place after the last flights have departed. By this time it was almost midnight, and rather than ask Dorothy to drive four hours shuttling me home and then back to the airport, I hit the sack at one of the airport motels. Another surreal place - like a classic midwestern motel squirreled away under the H1. And of course it was another unexpected expense, but it seemed worth saving Dorothy the trouble - she's already doing a lot just to make it possible for me do the Rat Race for the fourth year in a row.

This morning, before getting on the flight, I confirmed that my suitcase and wing had gone to Medford without me on the standby flight the night before. I also found out that the luggage counter in Medford closes well before my midnight arrival time, which would mean I'd probably have to try to run out to the airport at the crack of dawn tomorrow, hoping to make it back in time for a late check-in before the first task meeting. But thankfully, meet director Mike Haley happened to be at the airport when I called, and he was able to grab my stuff! Actually he was on his way out but he turned around before he got too far. That was some lucky timing. Thanks, Mike!

I still have a couple hours before I land in Seattle. I don't know when I'll get a minute to post this - probably not til tomorrow night. I'll date it for today in any case.

Rat Race Revisited

2009-06-23T15:33:00.000-07:00

I am leaving this Friday for Oregon, to take part in the annual Rat Race competition. This will be my fourth consecutive year competing in this beginner's event - I guess I'll always be a beginner at this stuff. This year I have the lonely distinction of being the only Hawaii pilot signed up to compete, down from about 12 in our biggest year, 2007. I guess that makes me the state champion this year before I even launch the first task! It's already my best statewide result. Whew, that sure takes some of the pressure off.

Pete will be volunteering again, as retrieve driver and launch monitor, and Motorhead Paul, Don, Nick and Marc are coming for some free flying.

I'll try to keep this Rat Race blog updated with stories and pictures each day. Hopefully it's interesting to someone out there, or at the very least, some of my faithful family members!

For anyone that is curious about the history of Hawaii pilots going to the Rat Race, check out our previous year's accounts here:

[2006]

Alex's Wrapup: Hawaii Heroes: Twelve Monkeys at the Rat Race

[2007]

Daily blog: Monkeys in Oregon
Alex's Wrapup: 2007 Oregon Competition Wrap-up
Nick's Epic Tale: Rat Race 07: a Personal Perspective
Reaper's Story: What a Trip...

[2008]

Daily blog: Many Rivers to Cross
Alex's Wrapup: Addicted to the Rat Race