AZ PG Towing Extravaganza

John Wolfe · Post by **John Wolfe** » Tue Oct 18, 2011 11:47 am

From the AZHPA site:

Wanna have some TOW FUN!!?? NOVEMBER 4TH 5TH 6TH. FIRST EVER AZ TOW EXTRAVAGANZA AT MOTOWN. We will be training and signing off "ST" ratings for all pilots that did the "ST" ground school course but not the towing section as well as any pilots that want it and any pilots that just wanna come out and have some fun towing.

David Prentice from New Mexico will be joining us as well, he is a USHPA Tow Administrator and Advanced Instructor who has set a few state records in paragliding and has been towing for many, many years. His experience will be very valuable to everyone who attends.

MoTown is a beautiful place in the Vekol Valley about 14 miles SSW of the Estrella Glider Park. Nice dirt runway, hangar, shade, pilot lounge. Bring your own food and drink, BBQ grills are available for cooking if you don't have one. PPG and HG Trike Pilots Welcome!!!!

Mo Sheldon is letting us use his sweet facility!!!

FRIDAY, will be the TOW TECH training, we only need a few "ST" pilots for that day.

SAURDAY, we will be towing everyone ALL DAY.

SUNDAY, we will be going to nearby roads for higher tows and some secret Tow Fun. Open to all!!

Hopefully some of the PPG pilots get out there to see what it is all about and do some flying too!

Clear that weekend and Email Chandler at desertwindparagliding@gmail.com for more info.

More information on and directions to MoTown can be found here:

http://www.azppg.com/sites/#mt

More info and setting yourself up to attend can be found on the Desert Wind Paragliding Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=174623669290138

You can log into Facebook and search for Desert Wind Paragliding and like the group.

John Wolfe · Post by **John Wolfe** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 2:47 pm

I'm tentatively planning to go to MoTown on Sunday morning, returning in the late afternoon. I have room to take four additional PG pilots and their gear in relative comfort. Please contact me if you'd like to join me.

Whitney T · Post by **Whitney T** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 3:58 pm

Sounds like fun! I went last year and there was alot to see. I'll try to make it out on Saturday. It will be interesting seeing you PG's tow up, only have seen one PG tow before.

John Wolfe · Post by **John Wolfe** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 9:40 pm

Update from Chandler on the AZHPA site:

OK so the forecast for winds is nukin tmrw and yesterday was nukin for sat n Sun. They've already backed off the wind forecast for SAT and Sun so we are hoping we don't get what they are calling for tmrw. Although most models tell me we will get it or close. Parts of New Mexico were forecasted to be nuking too and they did not get near what was forecasted there.

So we are meeting a bit later towards afternoon tomorrow. We will be doing ground school no matter what and making the best of it so ALL PILOTS DOING THE TOW TECH TRAINING SHOULD COME OUT AROUND LUNCHTIME. If other pilots wanna join all good. We will be out there.

could be good for HG ridge day at South...maybe even PG....

John Wolfe · Post by **John Wolfe** » Sat Nov 05, 2011 9:18 pm

I’m thinking about heading up to MoTown tomorrow (Sunday) morning, leaving my house sometime after 7:00 a.m., probably closer to 8:00 a.m. Looks like it will take us just under 3 hours to get there assuming we don’t get lost.

I probably won’t go alone, so please send me e-mail or post here if you want to go, as I’m headed to bed shortly.

tlkowing · Post by **tlkowing** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 9:42 am

I got there early Saturday morning and the PG towing (and training) was good. Andy showed up soon after and lots of others too. Weather was pretty good.

There were 3 tow rigs, 3 or 4 tow techs in training, several instructors/tow directors, and a dozen pilots cranking out lots of low tows down Mo's runway, then after noon moved over to Schumaker road for some 2 mile horizontal (2-3 K vertical) tows. I think I made 8 tows Saturday and learned a lot on my (almost) new Niviuk Artik 2.

Sunday was more of the same. Light breeze right down Mo's runway for a morning of good short tows, then off to Schumaker for higher tows, including a 90 degree left wide turn at 2 miles, then continuing the tow for another mile for extra altitude. I made 5 tows Sunday, and left about 3PM while lots of others were still lining up for more. There was even a couple tandem tows. Several pilots were thermaling up later.

It was a good time and there was talk of another tow fest in the future.

Terry Kowing