For a Big Walker panorama, click here.

Parawaiting.

TGreg tests the air.

Med builds a wall and checks his lines.

Med launches.

Go, Med, go.

Tim gives his wing a quick check before stepping into the air.

Tim in flight.

Tim on final approach.

Touchdown.

As far as my X/C went, I estimate that I traveled about 21 miles of ridge with another two to three miles behind the ridge for around 23 miles. Probably a couple of miles less via GPS. I had problems getting above the ridge for the first few miles and thought I'd have to go out more than twice but finally found some altitude due to some good pockets of ridge lift. I just kept LZ's within range behind me and then in front as I headed Eastward. I didn't have to stop and play in lift for altitude too many times. My average altitude above the ridge was only 300 feet and I find it interesting that the lift actually got a little better where the ridge makes a right turn towards the South. I was on the bar so much that my legs were shaking. I'm starting to like the leading edge trimmer concept more and more. It was an interesting experiment to cross "The Gap", the ridge on the far side is not defined at first and so I wasn't for sure I could stay up but the air was buoyant. I did veer out from the gap being worried about weird air and then eased back over and never hit a bump. I had problems as I approached the power lines, again there is an area where the ridge is not sharp and the lift stopped along with most of my forward progress. I think there is a little venturi there. I went back a half mile or so to the last lift area to get higher before crossing the lines and then turned East again but would hit sink and weird air (not scary just weird) at the same point. I did this back and forth thing three times before I finally made it past. Then it was over the lines and smooth sailing the rest of the way at least until arriving at "The River". The air became very smooth as I approached the river and I found it real peaceful to be all on my own although I would have preferred to have continuous radio contact. That's just part of it and thanks to TGW we had a backup contact base for just this reason. When I neared the river, I started to survey the landscape and found that there was another mountain range that simply pops up just in front of the BW ridge. I was concerned. I was concerned that I could experience rotor because it was so close along with the fact that there is a river gap on both the ridge out front and the BW ridge. I'm sure you would visualize strange air occurring in this area to put it mildly. When I was around a quarter of a mile from the big river gap (400 to 500 over) and still in glass smooth air, it was time to make some decisions. I considered all options except one and that is to turn back and go for a conservative but even more remote LZ behind me. I had locked in (mental lock) to cross the river. At that point my decision was easy although less than conservative. Some may say bad judgment and I would agree and I don't think I'll do it again. I knew potential rotor was a risk landing in front as well as going over the back and also that the fields extended for miles behind and there was very few LZ options in front so I turned and ran. I stayed on the bar but ready to come off with the first jiggle. I was a mile or more behind and only 300 or so below (buoyant air) when I had a front surge (came off the bar) that required full brakes and it stopped and I let up and waited for more discipline from the mountain gods for my sin. I decided to deploy big ears to stabilize and more importantly to descend quickly below the rotor. I leaned right and it would not turn. I leaned more and it would not turn so I decided to go with what ever had me and turn left. I lost some altitude in OK air popped out the ears and continued away from the mountain. I picked a field as far out as I could go and it was nice and big. (Two to three miles out) Went into big ears to loose a 100 feet or so and turned, popped them out and glided towards near by homes and landed. Had a beer, caught a taxi and met my friend and yours Mr. TGreg Willey.

It was weird man, really weird watching you head out toward 42 flying straight as a chalk line and just NOT LOOSING ALTITUDE! Thats a first for an XC in that particular direction (as far as I am aware!). Excellent job my man!!! Now folks, there were several other FIRST'S at BW this weekend. In my opinion the biggest was Bill ("Hawk Man") Jenkin's XC WAY beyond Route 100! Understand now, this fine lad showed up late on Friday and didn't even get airborne till around 7:00pm. Anyway, Bill launches. I've been in the air for 1:44:00 (w/max gain of 3363' over launch so say's the Vario). I met Rickey way up in wispy clouds earlier that day and, damn was that strong lad STOKED . Understand, at this point it was all very "active" flying. It is my favorite kind of air activity and I'll take 1/2 hour of good thermals to an all damn day "Glass-off") and it's my excuse to really make some TURNS. So, by now I was a bit tired and headed out in front to find easy lift or land (and I didn't much care which at that point). Bill was talking XC in a big way but at that hour I was skeptical (oh foolish lad, TGreg). I had tried to find an XC partner earlier when way high, but there were no takers as the clouds did indeed look a wee bit threatening from up in the air (impossible to tell how BIG some of them actually were). I get myself down safely, happy as hell for the fine flight! I'm of course tuned into the squawk on the radio and it's certainly clear that the "Hawk Man" is wanting to cover ground and move East on down the ridge. I offer chase. Yet, for the longest time I was bull crapping in the LZ and thought Bill was really quite near launch . . . when Ben T points out I'm really looking at Tim (he was enjoying just 'boating around" after having extended himself earlier with the Route 42 XC - trail blazing stuff, that!). Well, I discover Bill is BARELY VISIBLE down the ridge. Yeeeeeaks! I jump in the car and tear on out after him. A friendly word of advice - when you "Chase", do yourself a favor and take someone else with you. Looking at maps, driving, keeping visual AND radio contact going is a bit much for one person. Don't hesitate to do it, just take help along if available! But I didn't think of this as I took off to catch up the Hawk - hell, this was MY "first time" as chase man. I got on down to around the Amish farms when I picked up visual again, and Bill was still well ahead of me. The road snakes so that you really have to hustle to keep up with glider moving straight down the ridge. I was just kind of tooling along up to this point, but it quickly became apparent that Mr. Jenkins was on a mission. No horse shit here, just solid blue sky desire. Bill was talking about making it over the "Gap". Hell, I'd never known a paraglider to do that particular thing before, which got my blood up. The man had a goal and he was for sure focused. It's my opinion (Bill's too) that XC's are 90% mental, and Mr. Jenkin's was THERE. As I chased and fretted over how to keep up (freeman beer can spills, map folds . . . ah shit, the map is for another state, my ass itches . . . radio squawks static . . . well, you get the drift) it became increasingly apparent Bill would do whatever necessary to cross East, on beyond Route 100. I'd lost visual for some little while but picked up on the radio that he was at the Gap. I had to head AWAY from the BW to get back to 42 and then East, so just about then I pass a sign on 42 that said I had 4 miles to go to Route 100! Damn, I was loosing ground!! By the time I got to 100 and turned to Dublin Bill had made it over with plenty to spare. Now I really worried cause he's talking just like someone you has no thought at all about landing and I didn't know how to continue on East down the ridge to stay with him. Bill was flying like Hell and I was driving like Hell. Damn, why hadn't I studied the maps better; I should know how the roads run all down both sides of BW by this time! But I didn't. Bill was really feeling his oats after making it over Rt. 100 and was talking about Power Lines up ahead. I doubled back on 100 away from Dublin (north) and then took the first right east. About 3 miles up that road it climbed up a bit and then there was this grand opening which reveled BW and the Power Lines . . .and there Bill was. I parked on the side of the road (on a turn of course) and just watched Bill make several tentative runs at the High Lines! He tooled around a good 15 min. - making several runs - just trying to gain as much altitude as possible to get on over. It's got to be after 8:30 by now. I'm not sure how well I'll be able to keep up with Hawk Man, as the map I had finally retrieved sucked for this type work. Finally Bill makes his run and . . . he's over!! Nope, he don't want to land THERE, where I can SEE HIM; hell no, he's going on till either air or light runs out! I suggest we have a plan if we get separated. Bill suggested using Jim Bogle as a contact point. He heads on East and I try to follow on, but the road seems to move further away from BW and I loose all confidence in my ability to track Bill. I've lost radio contact and double back, but cant get contact re-established. I head back east and try several roads that seem to go back toward BW, but they don't work. I'm real concerned now. It's getting on near dark and I don't know where Bill is, or how the hell to get to him! Not thinking with blinding speed, I decide to head back to Jim's (I should have gone to a local store on 100 and made CALLS to JB's to monitor if Bill made contact). By the time I get back it's plum dark . . . but Bill calls just as Irma heads to the phone to see if there were any messages (they'd been out back). I get a location - Irma provides directions - and I'm off again. Well, I got to Bill perhaps 1 hr. later. He was standing on the side of the road next to a Citco with this little blinking red light fixed on his tee shirt! He can tell the rest! We got back to BW motel at 12:00ish and . . . I was beat . . . worse than him! Bill made it way beyond the High Lines and had a stupendous BW ParaXC of some 27 miles! Now that's something to shoot for . . . cause hell, we now know it can be done! PS: It's awesome fun, but your first chase is a bit nerve racking. Hell, lads I'd rather fly!

As a matter of fact XC was the word of the day. T Greg, Benjamin, Ricky, and I had wonderful day of XC adventure. I don't know if Wayne, Alexis and the others got any XC in, but certainly some good flying. As I was making my way to BW, I passed Ben T and Andrew chasing down Greg and Ricky (or Andrew was in the air and Ricky was chasing), so I knew it was already a good day to have some fun in the skies. I met Stefan at the top and headed out to set up and check out the conditions on launch...wow it was perfect. Nice thermals popping around us and a steady base wind of about 15. I had my first official XC's Saturday. After launching, I immediately got 300-400 ft above launch and spent a good hour just having fun along the ridge. I hooked into a few thermals and gained 2000 ft right away each time. And one of them took me all the way up to cloud base which was about 2400 over. So off I went towards Bland. I had made it to the first set of power lines with about 400 ft. Since this was rather unnerving I wanted to gain some altitude before making it across. I caught another thermal and gained about 1200. But I made the mistake of heading out too far into the valley where I was being wooed by the thermals I was finding out there. I quickly started loosing altitude and didn't have that lovely ridge helping me along. So down I came. Probably just a little bit further than my first "unofficial XC", so I was happy about that. What a great way to meet the neighbors. I landed in Edgar Wimmer's field about 5.5 miles down the ridge towards Bland. He was kind enough to bring me back to the LZ, where I caught a ride up with Andrew for round 2. By the time we got up top, Benjamin had arrived and was ready to get his first flight at BW in a long time. He quickly gained altitude and i was up right behind him. After we played around a bit, Bill J called in on the radio and asked if anyone was ready for a XC as he was driving up! Benjamin and I were ready for the trip and were deciding which direction to go while el TiGre was joining us in the skies. I still have the desire to make it to the tunnel, so off we went again towards Bland. We steadily cruised along the ridge, catching thermals along the way where ever we could. Once again we reached the power lines and gained some height to cross over. Perhaps another 1.5/2 miles down the ridge we were having trouble maintaining, as the base wind was dying down, so we came out and landed in a great field close to the mountain. (next time we shall try to land closer to 42 for easier pick up) But el TiGre hooked in to another thermal and showed us how his experience has paid off by flying another couple of miles down the ridge. It was tricky for Bill J to hunt each LZ down but he did a stupendous job. Thanks again BIll. One of these days, I'll make it to the tunnel. So on the second trip Benjamin and I made it down the ridge about 7 miles while el TiGre made it about 9 miles down. The 5 hour drive from the flatlands certainly was worth the effort. After a long day, a load of hungry pilots made their way to the Peking and devoured a table of great food. Bill had the pleasure of trying the Newberry special....which looked fantastic!

Pictures by Ricky. As with all pictures posted on FlyRoanoke.com, the originals
are much larger and better quality. If you want copies of the originals,
e-mail Ricky (ra003sd@roanoke.infi.net) or the webmaster (webmaster@flyroanoke.com).