An adventure indeed

T'was Libelle H201B, Ariel and I, riding upon the sky.

Above Gainesville Regional Airport, around 1800hrs, I did some "sharp turns" up there for awhile in sunlight high at angle where tower operators might see me if looking up. Doubted they would ever see but guess I put on a catching display to giving sun-on-wings signals. Confirmed they witnessed "aerobatics," they said, but those were only sharp turns. They said they shot me a Green Light. Nice of them. Must have been when my turn was opposed to their light. Told them later that I would have passed tower for a light if I had needed it to signal impending landing. They were good that day. Capt. Bob Oehl told me later as I walked soaking wet into hangar that they had seen me. I called them later and said hello.

Your eyes, David, are very sharp. 20/15 or better. I rose there to 55O0 ft and danced upon the face of clouds. Spent a good amount of time over Gainesville town and back to above airfield a number of times, watching the lightning displays and observing the black mass; I considered landing. At 55oo ft I decided tentatively to penetrate against the frontal blackness watching altituder with a 180degree in mind at all times, keeping in mind alt necessary to rtn Gainesville Regional. Rain fell in streams running in rivulets back across canopy so nothing visible outside canopy much, now attention to rate of climb indicator, airspeed, and altimeter much with slow to 50knots to minimize laminar disturbances going on rain slaughtered laminar foil. When it subsided periodically, airspeed back to 7o. Luck had it that most showed r.o.c. or descent in 1knot up or O or 1 knot down. So thus, on I went only on whiskey compass heading. No way to see either Santa Fe Lake or Keystone Air Park. Dang. Gotta get GPS.

Became concerned in heavy rain, ground hard to see, and no Keystone air field in sight. down to 3500 ft and with quite a few lakes all unidentified, especially no Santa Fe Lake... my main landmark sought. No visible known landmark, in the rain in a glider on a general ol magnetic compass heading losing alt in rain and on and not a good time to do off airport landing (as if there ever is one). Saw flashing light far ahead, so took heading to it. As I got within a few miles of it...Rats, commercial light in town flashing...oughta be an airnav law against that...thought i had an airfield beacon, any beacon would do, as would any airfield... musta been Starke FL.

Then, a few moments of clear no rain air, canopy cleared and clean, nice. Lightning in most quadrants. All dark shadow throughout everywhere and some big areas of absolute blackness, and visibility restricted in distance by rain fall tendrilly gray streams drifting steamily and streamily down to gray hide all that they covered in large areas. Much rain everywhere else. Then. Bingo! We, Ariel and I, discern a triangular area of pasture like ground in distance...gotta be keystone air park. Over there right where the lightning display bursts brilliant about every 30 seconds just to west about half mile from what may be hangar. Turn 11o degrees right. Roll. Glide on...yep yep Yes. Keystone. Nose at field far ahead. 120, then 135 speed with nose pointed dead-on in slope and direction to airfield still far but on fast glide slope. Maybe for a pass in front of hangar doors depending on energy sum at the time of crossing airfield boundary. On. On slope, speed superb. Movin. Across higway 100 heading and banking to align with runway orientation, cross boundary, high rate, sum good...wow acrossfield, passing hangar, sum good, hangar, rain there so everyone inside I suppose, good golly miss molly pull bank left converting airspeed to altitude and back along rw 22, gear down, spoilers check, to emerald green view... landing in grass. Nice green and wet and cool now. Bike grip brake on stick and full spoilers at stick-on moment. Roll, beautiful. Now. nice, white flexy wing down. At stop. Wow. Did it.

Canopy off. Breath freshest cool air. Climb out put chute in pull spoilers, set canopy back on and do Libelle canopy locking with its interesting mechanism. Chute safe from wetness now under canopy and spoilers on full. Walk back in rain. Lightning danger, happening here now. Wow this walk is dangerous. Thunder clapping POW! Into hangar door soaking and dripping now but not lightning struck. A quick recount of adventure, guys emerging as ants at a disturbed ant hill.

Nice one and half hour gliding flight late in Florida August 16 1999 day with spectacular weather display. Log it. Let's see, 1700 ft tow (more than needed but being the conservative, took it), local. Keystone. Nice day with friends of sky and earth and heaven above.

Dancing on clouds, Keep it up! Jim