This is from Rick Rolke and aimed mostly at those with their own gliders and those with a license who could use the clubs 304 (maybe).

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Somewhat to my surprise I have been getting emails about the Mifflin trip for 2013.  With it this cold out, I am impressed that our stalwart glider pilots are thinking positive thoughts about the awesome spring flying at Reedsville.  So as long as it is on someone’s mind, it is time to extend an invitation to all (including other R1 Clubs and Friends), for our annual pilgrimage to Mifflin County Airport, in Reedsville PA.   To avoid conflict with Sports Class nationals, we will be looking at the last partial week in April.   The current plan would be to go from Saturday April 27 th – Sunday May 5th.  This gets us down there early enough to avoid the crops and the nationals, but late enough to avoid the snow…

For those who have never flown in Mifflin, this encampment is typically attended by licensed pilots flying single place ships (club or private), but there is always the possibility of bringing a two place ship.

The Mifflin valley is a wonderful place to fly.  It is surrounded by ridges that work in NW or SE winds and within the confines of the valley, has some of the best out landing options to be found anywhere.   It can provide wonderful thermal flying, but is best known for the ridge systems where some very long flights have been made (2000 +km last year).  Like the Wave Camp, the organization for this trip is carried out on a separate email list to keep the chatter off the main lists.   If you are not on the Mifflin list, and would like to be, just let me know.  This will likely be the last notice on the main club lists of what is happening…

One interesting thing we have done in the past is to organize an online introduction via condor.  There is remarkable scenery for the Mifflin area (downright spooky real for those who have flown it before).  We have done a kind of mass lead / follow to show the popular ridge routes “in person”.  There are sometimes several qualified guides flying, so the group can be well covered.  I expect we will organize another round of these flights, if we have new folks that are not familiar with the area.  Once on the Mifflin list, feel free to ask any questions, from lodging, to retrieve logistics, to good tasks.  There is no shortage of knowledgeable folks on that list…

This announcement is mostly to let those interested in coming, to put a mark on their calendar now so it does not come up on short notice, and for any newcomers that are not currently on the Mifflin list, to drop me a note to keep abreast of the plans…

Note, I will send a note out on the Mifflin list that says “if you can read this, you are on the Mifflin list”.  If you get such a note, there is NO reason to contact me at this time.  Just wait for the chatter to show up on the Mifflin list…

Hope to see you there…

Rick

RR/304cz