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Strung like a "ribbon of sand" stretching across the entire N. Carolina coast, the Outer Banks are nothing but sand dunes created by wind and water. As the map shows, From the north they trend SE through S, take an abrupt turn W and then SW at Buxton, and keep going off the map to due west at the Emerald Isle terminus.In the 1930's a Federal work project paved the first road the full length of the islands andbuilt a barrier dune to protect it using snow fence. The fences slowed the wind, causing sand to drop until the fence was buried. Another fence was put on the top, and now a 6 to 20 foot dune lies continuously between the road and sea. Additionally there are three large natural freestanding dunes at Kitty Hawk, used by our heroes the Wrights to launch themselves in gliders into 30 knot winds.Those Ohio pilots chose to ship their disassembled aircraft here by train and boat because the winds are the most reliable in the country. All summer the SW breezes pick up in the afternoon to 10 or 15 knots, interupted now and then by fierce thunderstorms. Even into August occasional northers blow through, but last only a day. In Spring and Fall northers or easterly winds can blow considerably longer and one NE storm can undo all the sand transport of a year's SW breezes.Composed of a mixture of grey and reddish sand, the beach's width varies from 50 to 150 yards between the surf and the dune. When the wind hits 25 knots the sand becomes airborne and the beach is untenable. North of Cape Hatteras the beaches are steep and the surfing isn't as good as to the south. Tides are only about 18 inches. Nowhere are the beaches crowded except in Nags Head. May through September the water is perfectly comfortable for unlimited immersion.Behind the dune lies Pamlico and Albemarle sounds, shallow brackish non-tidal water as much as 30 miles wide to the mainland. Hatteras island is joined to the northern section by a bridge over Oregon inlet, and there are free ferries to Ocracoke Island and from there to two ports on the mainland, Cedar Island and Swan Quarter. |
Plane yogaI've had the best luck with the Zagi THL flying wing although on big dunes the Mongo Jr.6 foot wing works well. On the giant, Jockey Ridge in Nags Head, any penetrating 2 meter would be good- but EPP foam is perfect for the turbulence and impacts with sand dunes. On the more typical 10 foot dunes, a 30 inch flying wing might be great for weaving your way through the vegetation at low altitudes - quick response time is definitely useful due to turbulence. |
It's important to seal the radio gear against the sand, and since humidity is high wood should be painted. I haven't had much trouble with sand in transmitters (although you can see some near the gimbals) but I store them in a sealed container during flying breaks. Unfortunately the sand is sticky (maybe from oil) and a small amount always stays on stubbornly. I've bungeed and high-started successfully but it really isn't necessary - either the lift is there or it isn't. |
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<-- Tom Pack Flies his ME 163 on Jockey's Ridge near Nags head - the mainland is just visible in the background to the South West. This dune is about 100 feet high and is a state park.Flying yogaUsually I stand at the foot of the dune, throw directly into the wind and immediately skate back to "the position": just upwind of the top lip and maybe 2 feet above the sea oats. It's easier to see your position (okay, the plane's position) while standing on top, but climbing up there is considered erosive since there's nothing protecting those millon-dollar beach houses except this pile of sand. The dunes are mistaken for natural formations by those rabid environmentalists sitting in the beach houses.You fly upwind and down, maintaining position atop the dune by crabbing sideways, steering left and right as necessary to keep from being blown back over the top and out of the lift. When the wind's blowing 10-15 knots and intersects the dune at 20 &endash; 40 degrees, almost always the case in my experience, the lift is limited to a specific area above and in front of the dune. Sustainable flight can only be found at most 10 feet above the dune, and maybe 20 feet in front to 2 feet behind. There's a little lift at the bottom, say one foot above your toes, which gently increases as you fly higher. It's normal practice to have to work your way up the face, dodging vegetation until you can finally soar free above all obstacles. I find it best to stand in the middle of the flying range, and pass the glider back and forth over my head- because it keeps you from getting sunburned on one side! |
Here's Tom with two of his favorite things. (He's the hood ornament). This is typical Frisco-area flying in the prevailing 10-15 knot SW breeze. ---->The difference between flying upwind along the dune and then flying back the exact same path is more than just the speed difference- even though the the plane may be traveling 4 or 5 times faster going downwind as measured along the dune. The upwind leg is a constant, dodging struggle for altitude, but you have lots of time to chip the plane up bit by bit and gain the maximum height possible. Downwind the plane wobbles drunkenly, and you use large control movements to stay in position and some back elevator to keep what altitude you've got. It seems impossible to gain height. Turns are correspondingly different too. |
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Walking to the ocean dune (behind me) through the inter-capes zone. Just North of here is loblolly pine forest, but Cape Hatteras to Cape Lookout is all low scrub. |
