Southern Arizona Hang Glider Association
8
Miller looks good for Sat?
( I know last time It didn`t work)
The monsoons sometimes produce gerat conditions- well until it over develops! come on out and get HIGH!
I plan on being in the LZ around 8 to fly, ( we can make it earlier- but with the damp ground conditons should be mellow unit noon?)as usual I will have a 4x4 vehicle that can carry 7 to 9 PG & or Hg pilots up to launch the REEF!! into Miller canyon. All are welcome -
Eric
405-3814
Monsoon madness (report added)
Moderators:ioan, John Wolfe, aaroncromer, jlowery
Re: Monsoon madness
I'll be there!
John
John
Houghton and I10 at what time?
I'm game
Friday late-day update: The Bak40 model is predicting SE winds at 7600msl to be 15-18kts through mid-afternoon. Launchable but sporty. Plus, if we get above 12K we'll be drifting to the west awfully fast. Hope the winds abate a bit, or it's going to be a pretty exciting day in the sky.
I'm game
Friday late-day update: The Bak40 model is predicting SE winds at 7600msl to be 15-18kts through mid-afternoon. Launchable but sporty. Plus, if we get above 12K we'll be drifting to the west awfully fast. Hope the winds abate a bit, or it's going to be a pretty exciting day in the sky.
Last edited by morey on Fri Aug 28, 2009 5:20 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Re: monsoon madness
ADDS has it east or southeast all day, stronger in the morning and easing off by 5 PM. I don't know what that means for the PG guys, maybe a rare Miller glass-off?
Dr. Jack predicts the top of lift will be stinking high, 16-19k (lots of variation on terrain), with the -3 around 13-15k. Some clouds, and some OD potential, so we probably won't see that TOL. He also predicts winds in the boundary layer will average at 10-15+ kts east, pretty brisk.
John
Dr. Jack predicts the top of lift will be stinking high, 16-19k (lots of variation on terrain), with the -3 around 13-15k. Some clouds, and some OD potential, so we probably won't see that TOL. He also predicts winds in the boundary layer will average at 10-15+ kts east, pretty brisk.
John
Saturday
It's too early for a reliable wind forecast for Miller, but what I see at the moment seems to agree with John and Dr. Jack. If true, it won't be a paragliding day, and it has the potential to be too strong even for the stiffies. But I'm hoping the evening update will show mellower conditions. Any thoughts on when to meet at I-10 and Houghton? Given the forecast, 8:00 AM in the LZ may be earlier than we need.
Re: monsoon madness
I'll plan on being at Houghton and I-10 at 7:45 AM in case anyone want's to throw on. As Morey notes, early winds are stronger, we may need to hang around and wait for it to mellow out.
John
John
-
chicken hawk
- Posts:134
- Joined:Tue Aug 12, 2008 8:38 pm
Miller flight report, 09-28-09
It turned out to be an excellent day.
PGer Andy Miller, HGers Eric Smith, Fred Leonard, Morey Brown, Preston Wood, Rafael Ramirez along with drivers Debbie Hodge and Whitney Todnem all drove up to the southeast launch to find it gusty and blown out. The forcast was for conditions to mellow later in the day, so a few of us set up and a few of us just hung out waiting to see what would happen.
After noon it was looking much better, the soaring birds were teasing us, and Fred was the first to venture up to launch with an actual glider. He waited through some blustery cycles, but finally got a nice, straight-in mellow cycle that he took, and immediately climbed to over 9300 MSL.
Andy made an attempt at this point, but got blown across the PG launch and had to spend some time pulling his wing out of the little tree that caught it.
Next up was Preston, and again he had to wait but took a mellow cycle. He hit big sink after launch, and had to head toward the LZ. Later he would find a thermal over the ridge behind the LZ and climb back up almost to launch altitude. Rafael took off next, popped up maybe 100 over right off launch, and he also headed toward the LZ for some thermalling along the way.
Eric took off in his brand-new T2, caught a nice thermal over the canyon and got high.
Andy successfully took off after a few attempts. It looked like he never got below launch, floating up immediately and showing us the lift off the point.
Morey was next, getting up quckly, and I followed last having being the last to finally admit it was flyable and set up my glider.
Fred, Preston and Rafael had landed by this time, all having experienced the Miller Flush (tm) and landing within a very few minutes of each other.
Eric, Morey, Andy and I all boated around separately and occasionally together. Morey called from 15000+ MSL saying he was headed over the back and heading for Sonoita. The rest of us flew around locally, exploring the Huachucas. I passed Andy at 13000 over the back of Ramsey Canyon, and headed out to the LZ since it was becoming clear I wouldn't be able to join Morey on the XC.
I went out and landed after a very nice 1+ hour flight. Eric followed me in maybe 10-15 minutes later and Andy landed a little while after that for 2+ hour flights.
While I was packing my harness and talking, a heard a gust start to drag my glider and I turned to see it up on the keel getting ready to come down turtle on top of Eric's brand-new T2! Luck was with us, and the kingpost managed to come down behind his trailing edge. No scratches or scrapes on Eric's glider, and no damage to mine.
We packed up and went to retrieve Morey, who had landed at Elgin school at the intersection of Rt 83 and Elgin road, a 25 mile XC flight and only 4 miles short of Sonoita.
It turned out to be a really nice day. A few little high cumulous clouds, no OD, and easterly drift all day long. Everyone who went had nice flights, and all of the gliders are reusable. As always, a huge thanks to Debbie and Whitney for getting us all safely launched in the occasionally gusty conditions and for driving the vehicles.
PGer Andy Miller, HGers Eric Smith, Fred Leonard, Morey Brown, Preston Wood, Rafael Ramirez along with drivers Debbie Hodge and Whitney Todnem all drove up to the southeast launch to find it gusty and blown out. The forcast was for conditions to mellow later in the day, so a few of us set up and a few of us just hung out waiting to see what would happen.
After noon it was looking much better, the soaring birds were teasing us, and Fred was the first to venture up to launch with an actual glider. He waited through some blustery cycles, but finally got a nice, straight-in mellow cycle that he took, and immediately climbed to over 9300 MSL.
Andy made an attempt at this point, but got blown across the PG launch and had to spend some time pulling his wing out of the little tree that caught it.
Next up was Preston, and again he had to wait but took a mellow cycle. He hit big sink after launch, and had to head toward the LZ. Later he would find a thermal over the ridge behind the LZ and climb back up almost to launch altitude. Rafael took off next, popped up maybe 100 over right off launch, and he also headed toward the LZ for some thermalling along the way.
Eric took off in his brand-new T2, caught a nice thermal over the canyon and got high.
Andy successfully took off after a few attempts. It looked like he never got below launch, floating up immediately and showing us the lift off the point.
Morey was next, getting up quckly, and I followed last having being the last to finally admit it was flyable and set up my glider.
Fred, Preston and Rafael had landed by this time, all having experienced the Miller Flush (tm) and landing within a very few minutes of each other.
Eric, Morey, Andy and I all boated around separately and occasionally together. Morey called from 15000+ MSL saying he was headed over the back and heading for Sonoita. The rest of us flew around locally, exploring the Huachucas. I passed Andy at 13000 over the back of Ramsey Canyon, and headed out to the LZ since it was becoming clear I wouldn't be able to join Morey on the XC.
I went out and landed after a very nice 1+ hour flight. Eric followed me in maybe 10-15 minutes later and Andy landed a little while after that for 2+ hour flights.
While I was packing my harness and talking, a heard a gust start to drag my glider and I turned to see it up on the keel getting ready to come down turtle on top of Eric's brand-new T2! Luck was with us, and the kingpost managed to come down behind his trailing edge. No scratches or scrapes on Eric's glider, and no damage to mine.
We packed up and went to retrieve Morey, who had landed at Elgin school at the intersection of Rt 83 and Elgin road, a 25 mile XC flight and only 4 miles short of Sonoita.
It turned out to be a really nice day. A few little high cumulous clouds, no OD, and easterly drift all day long. Everyone who went had nice flights, and all of the gliders are reusable. As always, a huge thanks to Debbie and Whitney for getting us all safely launched in the occasionally gusty conditions and for driving the vehicles.
Last edited by jlowery on Sun Aug 30, 2009 9:36 am, edited 2 times in total.
Thanks
Thanks for the report John and also for hauling us down to Miller in the new and improved Jeep. Also thanks as always to Whitney and Debbie for your great company, cheerful support on launch, and for driving the vehicles back to the LZ. Welcome back Morey - not bad for your first stiffie flight in many months. It was nice to see everyone out flying and all those gliders above Miller.
Yes, what a great day.
Big thanks to the drivers and vehicle owners.
Launch was quit challenging but the conditions in the air was good for PG. Had to stay on my toes (speed bar) quit often to get back out in front of the mountain. I only had 2 collapses but nothing out of the ordinary considering the conditions (thermal activity and the wind). I even found some of the thermals big enough to make figure 8s in and till maintain claim rates at 500ft/min. I set my personal highest for Miller.
Congratulations to Morey in his cross-country flight.
This is the link to the photos I got for those interested.
http://s263.photobucket.com/albums/ii13 ... mview=grid
Andy Miller
[/url]
Big thanks to the drivers and vehicle owners.
Launch was quit challenging but the conditions in the air was good for PG. Had to stay on my toes (speed bar) quit often to get back out in front of the mountain. I only had 2 collapses but nothing out of the ordinary considering the conditions (thermal activity and the wind). I even found some of the thermals big enough to make figure 8s in and till maintain claim rates at 500ft/min. I set my personal highest for Miller.
Congratulations to Morey in his cross-country flight.
This is the link to the photos I got for those interested.
http://s263.photobucket.com/albums/ii13 ... mview=grid
Andy Miller
[/url]
Last edited by amiller on Mon Aug 31, 2009 10:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.