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Glider, I don’t need no stinking glider
This past Thursday afternoon I decided to fly my red C-172 which as it turned out was an exceptionally beautiful afternoon and a great day for soaring. A little bored and curious about the picture perfect Cu's that decorated the sky, I decided to fly up to cloud base (around 5000') and learn what I could about the day's thermal activity. This one medium sized Cu seemed to have wisps of vapor feeding into the upwind bottom edge. So, I flew around the outer edge of the cloud and looked for whatever nuances that might be revealed. (Always trying to hone my soaring skills because one day I want to be a Sky God too.) Soon, I started wondering how strong the lift was and I dove down under the cloud with the power pulled back to a little more than idle and trimmed for about 65 kts. Well this was great!! The altimeter started moving steadily up and the VSI was showing 5, 6, 7, no 800’ up and I banked into a turn as I thought to myself, "Heck, I’m not suppose to be doing this in a Cessna." Well my friends, you can if you pick the right day. "Dam!" I thought again, should have checked the newly studied up on, Thermal Index, cause it’s got to be good today. Soon, I found myself at cloud base and decided, "Let's do this some more.” I exited the thermal lost 500 to 600' and went back to the sweet spot where I found myself climbing right back up to cloud base. Needles to say, I was having a great time even if I didn't have my normal ride when playing in thermals. One thing leads to another and I decided I could do this all the way back to Sylacauga. Next cloud, after a few minutes glide, and here we go again, back up to cloud base. I am truly amazed with myself by this time but the story gets better and this is where I probably stretch my credibility as well. I was looking around while thermaling, admiring the view, and from the east there was this big bird zooming straight in toward me, intent on joining me in my thermal. As I looked this creature over, it dawns on me that this is a Bald Eagle! (And yes, I know the difference between a Bald Eagle and Turkey Buzzard, thank you very much.) Stretching credibility once again, the first turn around with this guy he was above me, the last turn around with him he was below me, and than he was gone. I must have made him mad being on top and all, because I never said him again. The truth probably is that the good sense God gave him kicked in and he went looking for less crowded lift without a ugly red bird getting in his way. Well anyway, to shorten the story, I did get back to the ridge north of the airport before I powered up again & landed. The soaring flight had to cover at least 15-mile x-country from over Logan Martin Lake. Write me up in the club records or something, even if you doubt my tale. “Most likely to BS his buddies” would be fine. PS – If I had said that I found myself flying in wave lift when I got back to the ridge at the end of this same flight, than y’all could send me back to the “X”. A place where such stories are told by “Superior Pilots” but you see I want to be a Sky God someday, so I will not make that claim. Steve Wallace
9-23-05
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