Finally, another flight Friday 7-25

morey · Post by **morey** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 5:44 am

Bolted out of work on Friday afternoon and ran to Brace Mountain. Big fly-in there this weekend, with demos, a comp, Chris Santacroce coming out, etc. However, due to family obligations, can't fly this weekend. Tents were being set up and a few dozen pilots were out there on Friday in prep. Plus, Friday was just a pretty day.

Got to launch around 3:30 pm with a couple pilots high under the clouds, but everyone else slowly sinking, as cloud cover moved in and shut things down. At about 4pm the clouds drifted off and blue sky blessed Brace for the rest of the afternoon. Lift was wonderful until about 5pm, smooth 200-400 up, with well shaped sizeable thermies that drifted ever so slowly from the SW. I tagged 1500ft over one time, worked my way north a few miles along the range and managed 1Kft over a number of times. Many wings dotted the ridgeline, and I found myself on top of the stack more times than not. After that the thermal gods took a siesta and we were living in scratch city. Pilots all cowered close to the ridge, following the vultures and the wind in the trees as best we could. One by one, every wing succumbed- well, every wing but mine. I flew solo for a while, new pilots launched and in a few minutes, I was alone again. Total flight time, a bit under 2hrs with most of that time testing the min sink capabilities of my new Atis2, which made me look good today. Only my second flight this year, but the grin on my face will last a couple weeks.

OK, I realize that this post is a bit braggart, but it's always fun to toast the locals.

edit: I weighed myself. My new wing is a bit lighter than my last wing, as is the harness. I found that I'm hooking it at 81Kg on a wing with a range of 75-95kg. Certainly, being on the low side of the weight range gave me an advantage when conditions got light. Gotta' eat more pies once I return to the desert.

jlowery · Post by **jlowery** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 7:37 am

Great Flight, Morey! I'm glad you're finding time to enjoy that new wing.

Eric · Post by **Eric** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 11:33 am

Glad to hear some one got some AT this week! Plus it is sweet to skyout!
May be a little sweeter when the other pilots sink out!

Taking a break today, from flying, 70% chance of rain seemed a little high to risk going to SV. Hate to miss a weekend the Tandem students list is getting longer!

Eric

Fred · Post by **Fred** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 6:14 pm

Congratulations! So, is it safe to assume you like your new wing? We'll be looking forward to a glider evaluation like the one you did for your Sport 2.

Whitney T · Post by **Whitney T** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 6:28 pm

Hi Guys,

I'm leaving Denver tomorrow to PG in Vail CO launch time 9:30. Today's 2nd launch (9:30) was over an hour tandem so I'm psyched. I'll have pics. See you...

morey · Post by **morey** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 7:56 pm

Fred,
Not nearly ready for a glider evaluation, and given that I have about 1/10th the experience in PGs as I do in HGs, I don't know if I'm capable. But, that's never stopped me before:

I know a few things so far.
1. I miss having split A risers. Wing tips want to fly first on launch.
2. Brake pressure is similar to the Rookie and a fair amount higher than my Carbon. It's reasonably easy until just below the shoulder, and then it gets very firm. I haven't figured out if this is telling me something, or if I really can pull another 30cm before I stall a wing. This may be typical of DHV1 and low 1-2 wings. I need an SIV course to explore the envelope.
3. It's more agile, but perhaps not as 'fun' as I had hoped. Or maybe it is. Undecided here. It seems to require a bit more coordination to maintain a smooth bank than the rookie, but less than my Carbon. That's OK I guess.
4. I think I'm too light on the wing. Fine for the 200fpm east coast thermals, but I need to fly it in some stronger stuff to really feel her reactions and controllability. I'm so used to being 'over' the placard.
5. It's got a lot more strings than the Rookie. (not desirable)
6. It turns flatter than the rookie (desirable)
7. It apparently has a killer sink rate. really killer. (really desirable)
8. All wings, more or less, feel the same to me. If I didn't look above me, I probably wouldn't know what I was flying. Kind of like drinking wine- you need to read the label to decide if you like it.

9. My 2 launches and landings have gone perfectly smoothly. But, conditions were easy relative to the AZ norm. Hard to compare.

but, I've got to admit. During my flights I was thinking much more about flying, than how my wing was handling. I guess that's a good thing.

Whitney T · Post by **Whitney T** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 8:31 pm

HI Fred,

I'm flying tandem w/pilot Tom Keough of Vail Valley Paragliding.com, which I flew on my initial flight that entwined me to your club. Thanks for every instruction you can relay to me.
Whit

Fred · Post by **Fred** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 8:36 pm

Morey, thanks for the glider review. Every little bit of information helps. Hopefully when you get back to Tucson we can do a comparison in a Mustang glassoff.

Whitney, have a great flight! I'm sure Tom will take good care of you. Just relax and enjoy the view. We'll look forward to your pictures and your stories when you get back. Could be good for an Eagle of the Month nomination.

Whitney T · Post by **Whitney T** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 11:26 am

Saturday morning around 9:30 I arrived in Vail, CO after a fun fast mountain drive from Denver. We met at the LZ and drove up to the launch Bellyache Ridge. There were 3 other paragliders in addition to our tandem. The others had launched and were in the air. Wind conditions were great and it only took us to unpack and immediately launch. Bellyache Ridge is 8000 some ft. We launched into elevator mode and just kept climbing. The views were beautiful and we flew for just about an hour. Tom said it was the best tandem flight he has had all spring and summer. Lucky for me! I also experienced a collapse briefly which was quite a treat. We were in a good thermal and the colder air rushed downward on the left side of the glider and 3 lines collapsed for about 5 seconds and we felt the tug. We started to make our way to the LZ and at about 50 ft above ground we started to come down fast and hard. I didn't know any better Tom said he sure was concerned. The landing was pretty rough butt down, legs out. Apparently some PG's from South America introduced this weed called iron weed to the LZ which they inadvertently brought in seeds that hadn't germinated. This weed is nasty and hard, easy to snag on. With all the other scrub and such the LZ is pretty unfriendly and I bruised my hand but none the worse for wear. What a great day. I already made my next reservation for October which Tom tells me is optimal flying conditions.

Fred · Post by **Fred** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 4:52 pm

Congratulations Whitney! That sounds like a definite Eagle of the Month nomination.

Finally, another flight Friday 7-25

Re: Finally, another flight Friday 7-25