As I was driving up the mountain, heading to Henson's for the 2ND day of the Tennessee Tree Toppers Team Challenge '09, I wasn't for sure if anyone was going to be outside when I got there, or in a storm cellar somewhere. Fortunately,,this disturbance passed, and only left 30 mph winds ALL day, and into the night.
What happens at a hang gliding meet, when it isn't flyable. Seminars is what goes on! Priceless, vital information passes on to all that wanted to learn about what ever subject. Mike Barber started off with a pilots debriefing and discussion about yesterdays conditions and flying. Then, Ollie picked up with some pearls of knowledge, not to be missed.

Next on deck, after lunch, was Dennis Pagan. THE hang gliding GURU. Remember Yoda?? He's got nothing on this guy ! Bring it ! This afternoon, his seminar was about weather. Specifically, cloud suck & thunderstorms. When to play and when to Run Forest Run !

Next Seminar was about the instruments in which we use during flight. This one was targeted at our GPS. A pilots choice on instruments, are as varied as the rack systems that we build for our vehicles. All the pilots that wanted to learn about their particular GPS, broke into separate group by manufactures, and models. After the seminar,, a true test was put to 4-5 teams. A scavenger hunt for 5 items.

Steve Kroop will be pleased to hear that out of all of them,,, the Flytec 6030 team won. After all, they are the most expensive, they have got to be the best right ? Right, and we proved it! Of course, when you have Jeff Laughtery(shown below with the first item, a Pay Day), Dennis Pagan, Ollie Gregory, Tom Lanning on the same team,,,some might get the idea that it was a stacked deck. What did we win??? Bragging rights !

No, Dennis and Ollie are not doing some Italian or Russian dance below. They are giving the next seminar which was: Thermalling etiquette & procedures. When & how to join a gaggle of pilots in a thermal, direction, speed, mid-airs, etc... Since the Team Challenge is designed for the new or very low time XC pilots, it was demonstrated to make us all better at this delicate maneuver. This was a must for some, as they have never flown in a gaggle of other pilots before.

Have to admit tho,,,they do look good doing this ! And a beer would never be in a pilots hand while performing these type maneuvers !

The next 2 shots are 2 of the best that I've taken in a while. The wind was still honkin' at sunset! !

Everyone ran out to the ramp to see the space station go overhead. Fabulous site to watch ! !

I do hope that the wind calms down a bit for everyone tomorrow. All of us need some airtime! More importantly, you can't put into application anything that you've learned in the seminars, standing on the ground, looking up in the empty sky. More later !

I posted all the pictures that I took today on my face book page.