I got there after Daryl had landed. The field is
quite suited for PPGing: large, flat, some
grass patches, no vertical obstructions, and a
large windsock. The winds were nil, and
seemed to change direction in 1-2 mph puffs
every few minutes, probably due to the
thermals.
My first takeoff was not successful, after a long
run. I was airborne on the second attempt, but
had a VERY long run. Once airborne, I had a
hard time gaining altitude, probably due to the
altitude of Benson. I flew for maybe 20
minutes.
When I came in for landing it seemed like I
was smoking along the ground, easily going
25 mph or more, even though I was flaring. I
didn't attempt to run since I knew I would fall
flat on my face. I put my feet out and prepared
for a skid landing that would turn into a run.
This was definitely the fastest landing I have
had. I must have left 8 foot skid marks in the
field!
Once I had stopped moving, my wing wanted
to keep flying in front of me. I noticed by the
grass that I landed away from the wind...
which helped to explain this fast landing.
My observations about Benson is that it is a
hard place to PPG in due to the altitude,
especially in no wind conditions. No wind or
light wind launches and landings are not for
the faint hearted or conservative beginners. I
found I had a tougher time gaining altitude
here and my motor seemed to sputter more
than usual, probably due to the reduced
oxygen from the thin air.
On the other hand, Benson is spectacularly
beautiful from the air.
