Silver Distance Flight
June 7, 1998

I got to Stanton early on Sunday morning. It looked like it might
be a good day, so I got the K8 trailer ready and claimed the club
barograph for the day. I was ready to go just before noon, but
instruction was still going on so I decided to wait for the K21 to launch
again. While waiting, a certain unnamed instructor told me I wouldn't
need to wear my leather jacket since it was very warm at altitude. That
turned out not to be good advice for a flight in the K8 that day. At the
last minute, I discovered that the battery for the electric variometer
was dead. I couldn't find one anywhere and finally decided to just use
the mechanical one. Now, on the flight line, waiting for the tow plane, I
saw an experienced cross country pilot land after a 20 minute flight. Not
a good sign. I told the tow pilot that I wanted to release below 2000
feet AGL and about a mile north of Stanton. He towed me to a large cloud
a little north of Randolph. I was a little nervous about even being able
to get back to Stanton, but it seemed like there was workable lift so I
released. After notching the barograph, I scratched around in zero sink
for a while until I had drifted close enough back toward Stanton where I
felt comfortable again. I had lost about 500 feet and was thinking I
would have to land but I got back up again. It was a beautiful day with
lots of cu and light north winds. When I got to 4000 feet AGL I headed
south. At first, following advice, I worked every thermal I could find.
It seemed like a long time just to get to Dennison, so I started to skip
some of the weaker thermals. Even before reaching Kenyon, I could see the
runway at Dodge Center. I never got low, and knew I had Dodge Center made
when I passed West Concord. I arrived at Dodge Center at 6000 feet AGL
and thought maybe I could stretch the flight into a 5 hour duration.
However, I started to get cold because I wasn't wearing my jacket and
decided to land. Then I saw another glider had already landed and was
wondering who it could be. I landed on the concrete runway near the
threshold end because I thought I might get an aero retrieve. While
securing the glider, a golf cart was heading my way with a couple of kids
and Roger Urban, who had landed earlier in his PW5. Rogers' wife came
with his trailer and I helped derig and trailer his PW5. We drove back to
Stanton and were getting ready to go back to get the K8 when Jim Hard
volunteered to aero retrieve the K8 with the club tow plane. When we got
back, it was late and starting to get dark, so we put the K8 in one of
the hangers. Needless to say, I was rather pleased with myself after this
flight. It was exhilarating and I am looking forward to next year for
more cross country flights.


Mark Cleare