First Marfa Landing

What an experience. I'll have to go again!!!. Bill Paris and I Trailered our gliders to Marfa without our wives that unfortunately had work related events that precluded them from originally going with us. The drive to Marfa was tough on us but we manage with lots of stops on the way. It took us two full days of driving with no car problems and good weather (Hot) to go with it. We stayed at the Riatta Inn just outside of Marfa for the duration of our stay. Riatta Inn was a pleasant surprise for all of us that stayed there. Big rooms and clean. Saturday morning rigged and ready, We, (Nyal Williams, Jeff Melin, Bill Paris and myself) had our orientation meeting with Burt Compton and his wife Kathy. The sky had started building fields of cumulus early and by 11:00 I was concerned of over development which by the way did that afternoon in three of four sectors so landing became exciting. After Burt's informative meeting at 12:30, we waited for things to get better? Well, we waited too long. I was the only one to get off because by the time we got our gliders out to the runway things looked iffy at best which made my first launch a nerving experience. With rain clouds looming over the Davis mountains NNW, and out east of us and southeast as well Burt towed me off without problem at 3:27 and things looking bad from the getgo. I'm thinking is this normal around here to tow out in what looked like pending rain in the area. Once off tow I hooked up immediately with a good 4 knotter and did the best I could dodging rain clouds with 4 to 8kt lift occasionally getting sprinkled on under working clouds and I mean working! Being up an hour or so getting up to 11000msl skirting rain clouds and lighting I decided to land. I manage to land safely into a 30kt wind after having to make an abbreviated landing on 12. I had radioed down to BP for the latest on active winds at the airport which were at the time out of the east or 060 at 15kts. Once I called base to final for runway 3, Burt radioed to me that winds shifted to the south and had increased recommending I take runway 12. I was able to make a low coordinated S turn with just enough altitude to make the taxiway and land in some very turbulent winds. I guess it was something to see from the ground. My view was looking south with a large dust storm advancing on Marfa Airport (blowing like *#@?) from the south followed by Marfa town being dumped on by a big raincloud. This was without doubt my scariest landing to date. I learned a lot from this flight but was able to get five more great flights for a total of thirteen hours stick time. I didn't achieve my only goal 9842' to complete my gold badge. but did manage 7179' not bad! Got as high as 13500'msl on a 4hr+ flight with allot of flying around Alpine and the Fort Davis mountain area. What a trip. My pictures should give you a taste for the week we were there.

- Terry Wools, TTT

On the road to Marfa.

Great scenery.

Nyal Williams, Jeff Melin, Bill Paris (way in the back) and Burt Compton.