Balloonists
and friends:
After
tonightÕs weather review, we are looking excellent for my long promised, long
dreamed cluster flight early morning, Saturday June 7th.
We
have light winds, zero precipitation, little likelihood of fog. What we
do have is HEAT. Looking to be 95+ degrees on the surface at
mid-day. This means the likelihood of significant thermals is substantial
(for non-pilots, this means significant danger.)
This
would dictate either landing early, before the thermals kick up, or flying high
and long. High: flying above 5,000 feet, perhaps up to 7,000 or higher,
as needed to be above the thermal soups. Long: well-- letÕs just
say long. If IÕm up past 10:00am, I better stay there. There would
be significant risk coming down into the thermal soup mid-day, on a 95-degree
day.
I
am attaching the NOAA Hysplit trajectory projections, as of tonight. They
are in meters AGL, but what they translate to is every thousand feet, from 1000
to 9000.
Three
maps:
1000/2000/3000
4000/5000/6000
7000/8000/9000
YouÕll
notice that, when I go higher, I go less distance. This is GREAT.
Around 4,000 to 6,000 feet, I have trajectories that keep me well inland.
It means I can climb up above the thermal activity, without picking up
the speed that would send me out to sea.
One
thing: I need dedicated people that can show up at 3:00am! Without
you, there is no cluster flight!
Without
this community of people, on this list-- I wouldnÕt be on the threshold of
accomplishing this dream.
If
you are on this communiquˇ, it means you have contributed to this flight.
I
thank you.
Jonathan
R. Trappe
Aeronaut