Southern Arizona Hang Glider Association
Saturday and Sunday are looking like perfect monsoon flying conditions. Light southeast or east all day long both days. The weather channel predicts Saturday isolated T-storms, 30% chance of rain, Sunday scattered T-storms, 40%.
Anyone feel like flying around some clouds this weekend?
John
Weekend flying
Moderators:ioan, John Wolfe, aaroncromer, jlowery
Saturday
I know it's too early for a valid prediction for tomorrow, but I'm going to be out this evening and won't be back until late. If the decision is made to fly tomorrow could someone post a meeting time and place? Also we have a new paraglider pilot in town, Terry Knowing. He would like to go to Miller with us if we fly. I told him to check the board to see when and where people are planning to meet.
Saturday Update
I just spoke to John. We're planning on meeting at Houghton and I-10 at 7:15 for the carpool to Miller.
Miller report
Eric Smith, tandem student Whitney Todnem, Fred Leonard, Rafael Ramirez and Debbie Hodge and I all came out on to find it overcast but blowing something like the right direction in the LZ. New Tucson PG pilots Terry and Sherry came out to check out the site. Terry thought he might fly if conditions permitted.
When we got to launch it was still solidly overcast, and blowing strong and fairly gusty on launch. Whitney's hopes of a tandem flight were dashed early on, it was well outside of reasonable tandem conditions. Terry couldn't use the PG launch, there was too much south in it, so he observed instead.
As we kicked rocks and tried to decide what to do it finally cleared up a little and the launch conditions got a little more reasonable. So we HG guys set up.
Fred volunteered to be wind technician, and took off from the southeast launch into clearing but still mostly cloudy skies. He managed to maintain for a few passes along the reef but the thermals weren't there yet and the ridge lift wasn't quite strong or consistent enough, so he headed to the LZ for a fairly short flight. I thought that it was as good as it was going to get and took off about 20 minutes later, working the ridge in as close as I dared. I had the same sort of flight Fred did, and landed with only 15 minutes.
Rafael and Eric waited a while until further clearing and improving launch conditions made it actually look pretty good. Rafael had a good launch, soared a bit and had a pretty good landing. He's getting the hang of this Miller thing.
Eric took off last, and found enough little, tiny thermals to stay up for well over an hour. He came down when the trucks got back to the LZ.
It wasn't an epic day, but there were four successful HG flights and no aluminum bill. Thanks once again to Debbie Hodge and Terry for driving, and condolences to Whitney and Terry over the lack of flight opportunities.
John
When we got to launch it was still solidly overcast, and blowing strong and fairly gusty on launch. Whitney's hopes of a tandem flight were dashed early on, it was well outside of reasonable tandem conditions. Terry couldn't use the PG launch, there was too much south in it, so he observed instead.
As we kicked rocks and tried to decide what to do it finally cleared up a little and the launch conditions got a little more reasonable. So we HG guys set up.
Fred volunteered to be wind technician, and took off from the southeast launch into clearing but still mostly cloudy skies. He managed to maintain for a few passes along the reef but the thermals weren't there yet and the ridge lift wasn't quite strong or consistent enough, so he headed to the LZ for a fairly short flight. I thought that it was as good as it was going to get and took off about 20 minutes later, working the ridge in as close as I dared. I had the same sort of flight Fred did, and landed with only 15 minutes.
Rafael and Eric waited a while until further clearing and improving launch conditions made it actually look pretty good. Rafael had a good launch, soared a bit and had a pretty good landing. He's getting the hang of this Miller thing.
Eric took off last, and found enough little, tiny thermals to stay up for well over an hour. He came down when the trucks got back to the LZ.
It wasn't an epic day, but there were four successful HG flights and no aluminum bill. Thanks once again to Debbie Hodge and Terry for driving, and condolences to Whitney and Terry over the lack of flight opportunities.
John
FYI
Rafael and I did not do any waiting.
After you launched John, Rafael observed you soaring in the canyon above launch and decided he would like to fly.
So we set his glider up, in 15 minutes! Ater a preflight he suited up and launched. He seemed to get the same lift you and Fred had encountered.
I launched and worked in close, getting above launch several hundred feet. I found a small thermal that took me to 8800ft. It drifted from the north around that altitude ,so I flew across Miller canyon with it. Rose to 9600 over Miller Peak in and out of the mist. left the lift an glided to the LZ to land in time to go to the training hill for the afternoon fun!
Eric
Rafael and I did not do any waiting.
After you launched John, Rafael observed you soaring in the canyon above launch and decided he would like to fly.
So we set his glider up, in 15 minutes! Ater a preflight he suited up and launched. He seemed to get the same lift you and Fred had encountered.
I launched and worked in close, getting above launch several hundred feet. I found a small thermal that took me to 8800ft. It drifted from the north around that altitude ,so I flew across Miller canyon with it. Rose to 9600 over Miller Peak in and out of the mist. left the lift an glided to the LZ to land in time to go to the training hill for the afternoon fun!
Eric
well, it's about time you guys posted the flight report from the weekend.
Personally- I bolted out of work last thursday afternoon and drove to Mt. Tom. (55 min drive to LZ, then 3 min drive and 20 min hike to launch). Got to launch- which is 5 steps and a cliff, and there wasn't a drop of wind. Hot, sticky, stagnant. Wasn't a launch that I was willing to do a forward off of for a sledder, so we hiked down and drove home. Tues, Wed, Fri and Saturday were all good, flyable days. I managed to pick the only day that sucked.
Big fly-in and demo days at Brace mountain this weekend- 50 min from my house, then requires a 40 min drive and a 40 min hike to get up the mountain, plus then a 80 min retrieve for vehicles. I'm hoping to get there at least one day. Fingers crossed for good weather.
Personally- I bolted out of work last thursday afternoon and drove to Mt. Tom. (55 min drive to LZ, then 3 min drive and 20 min hike to launch). Got to launch- which is 5 steps and a cliff, and there wasn't a drop of wind. Hot, sticky, stagnant. Wasn't a launch that I was willing to do a forward off of for a sledder, so we hiked down and drove home. Tues, Wed, Fri and Saturday were all good, flyable days. I managed to pick the only day that sucked.
Big fly-in and demo days at Brace mountain this weekend- 50 min from my house, then requires a 40 min drive and a 40 min hike to get up the mountain, plus then a 80 min retrieve for vehicles. I'm hoping to get there at least one day. Fingers crossed for good weather.