The First Meeting of the Officers

Of course the fun part was the flying and much was done. Chris and Tammy Bowles were gracious hosts and showed us some of great spots to fly in their nook of North Carolina.
This was a reservoir we flew over during a motoring flight on day 2.

They have a roomy and well laid out shop at the base of Moore Mountain...THEIR favorite launch site. That is, in fact, why they moved there! Everyone enjoyed some of the spectacular flying available in the lush mountains of tall trees.

Alan Chuculate and Chris Bowles landed going opposite directions and were both about 12 inches before touchdown when this was snapped.

Big Walker Mountain

This was our first exposure to the grand scene available...an 800 foot high smallish grassy launch with a hilly LZ and plentiful lift. This spot only works during the rare Northerly winds which thankfully blew at the time of our arrival. 

If you didn't get into the lift right away though it was difficult to stay up. A group of the local "Buzzards" club made everyone feel welcome before and after flying.

Many enjoyed two hour flights in the combination ridge and thermal lift with altitude gains averaging 2000 feet above launch.

Motoring the Fields

Day 2 dawned sunny and calm with an irresistible "motor me" written all over the sky.

Chris provided a variety of motors...Fresh Breeze, Miniplane and a new creation using a 4-stroke honda motor. This motor (Chris flew) uses regular gas and weighs the same as the Fresh Breeze.

Tammy on the left, "Check" launching in the middle and Tammy's Mom on the right. 

The scenery is beautiful deep green and hilly with lots of trees...BIG trees. Thankfully there are also quite a few emergency landing areas available so cross countries are possible using 800 to 2000 foot  cruising altitudes.

Moore Mountain

This is where Chris and Tammy settled 5 years ago because of the easy launch site and frequent soarable conditions. Their school teaches both free flying and motoring so this was an important part.

We arrived to find the wind blowing down the field but, as predicted by Chris, the wind turned around and, although light, became launchable.

At the top of Moore Mountain this sight is what we were waiting for...the wind finally oozing in for a launchable, though not soarable, condition.
L to R is Jeff Goin, Alan Chuculate and Chris Bowles.

The launch is plenty wide, nestled among apple orchards about 1000 feet above a narrow LZ a couple miles in front.

Jeff Goin shortly after launch from Moore Mountain. Then the landing area is about a mile away and if you don't mind your altitude a tree top retrieval is likely (and there have been a few of those!).