Orrin, Eric and I are trying Miller tomorrow, with Whitney graciously offering to drive.

Sunday does look better, but Saturday is the day we've got, so...

We'll be meeting at Orrin's place around 8, should be at the Miller LZ by 9.

John
520 444 8105

It looks really cloudy tomorrow, but I hope it works out for you guys.

We're leaning toward Lemmon on Sunday and planning to make a decision tomorrow afternoon. Given the NW winds forecast, perhaps some subset of the HG crew will join us on the Lemmon? We would really love to fly with you guys up there.

Andy, Mike, and I are headed to Box Canyon. Gunter will drive us to the top. Aaron and Aaron are considering joining us, and Ewan is still AWOL.

We're meeting at Houghton and Sahuarita at 8:30 a.m.

It was great everybody launched and soared. I'll let the pilots tell their tales...

We had a record turnout at Box on Sunday with five baggers, three hangies, and three drivers.

After a good launch Mike had a great flight in abundant rising air and a nice landing in the front LZ. Ewan, Aaron, Andy, and I then followed as rapidly as the very light cycles allowed.

Since Gunter had graciously agreed to drive the vehicle down for us, goal was his house. Andy suggested a task that involved some back and forth between the upper launch, the lower launch, and the LZ before heading out toward Gunter's house.

Ewan eschewed the task and flew straight to Gunter's house as if he hadn't eaten a few weeks. Aaron mumbled something about not knowing how to program a GPS, so he followed Ewan and was with him for a bit until being swallowed by a sink hole and landed in the LZ.

After completing most of the early part of the task Andy ended up in the LZ as well, watching me grovel up the ridge to the top launch after the trip to the LZ. Once above the mountain the lift was smooth and plentiful, with thermals giving way to cloud suck around 7500 MSL.

Ewan and I both had the pleasure of lovely fairway landings near Gunter's house followed by a golf-cart retrieve courtesy of Lee.

Thanks again to Gunter for driving and to both Gunter and Lee for sharing their home with us and providing a wonderful dinner to cap a great day of flying.

Box Sunday,

Debbie, Eric & I reached the front lz around noon. Several pgs were in the air. On are way up to hg launch we placed a bright red pipe at every right hand turn for future retrival vehicles coming off the mountain.
We reached launch around 1 - 1:30 to find Eric & Rachael trying to decide whether to set up or not. We decided to set-up in hope of conditions improving. Wind was 2 to 4mi. with plenty of humidity.
Tucker launched around 3pm in a lite thermal for an extended slay ride to lz. Eric & I hung out for conditions to better. Around 4 - 4:30pm winds coming in 6 -10mi. Tucker radioed from lz winds 8 - 10mi. w / sw.
I launched around 4:30, good take-off, but no lift. Couldn't even make the saddle gap to the left. Went around to small spine in front of lanuch, nothing but sink.
I had to ditch approx. a half mile short of lz. My feet scrapped over a large ocotillo, 100 feet from there I smacked into a large mesquite tree breaking both uprights. Pilot sustained abrasions & bruises, but no broken uprights.
Hauling that wing & harness out made a half mile seem like ten. Eric Tucker met me half way down to assiset in hauling out my gear, ( Thanks Tucker).
I've had some good flights from Box in the past, but from here on out conditions gotta be A+ before I launch from the road again.

Thanks for everyones company & help.
Rafael

Dang, Rafael. I'm sorry to hear about your accident.

I don't like Box in a southwest - it's just too freakin' far to the LZ to be messing around looking for lift on the north side of the canyon. Even due west makes me skittish because in that case you never really know which side of the ridge the rotor and sink will be on. Your plan to fly there only in A+ conditions sounds like a good one and is something I plan to do as well.

The two down tubs and the damaged dignity sting but will all fix - I'm glad you weren't serously hurt.

John

Eric Smith, Orrin Smith and I went to Miller with Whitney Todnem driving and Taylor Smith along to help.

We weren't expecting much, the morning started out solidly overcast and driving through Benson the wind was 8-10 out of the west. We almost went to Box instead. But in Mustang corners there was essentially no wind and it was starting to clear, so we took a chance and headed for Miller.

Eric Tucker and Raquel joined us a little later, and by the time we were ready to launch we were getting occasional periods of sunlight on the Reefs.

Orrin took a very light cycle, spent a few passes at launch altitude, and then found a thermal and got several hundred over. Eric Smith, I and Eric Tucker all got launched in light conditions, and we all got over launch (briefly, in my case).

I soared around launch altitude for about 10-15 minutes, but since this was a test flight for my newly-repaired glider (new keel) and I wasn't feeling very current, I didn't hang out very long. I headed for the LZ and had a poor no-wind landing, rolling out on the wheels, for about 20 minutes total.

The other three guys soared their butts off, not getting very high but having very nice flights of an hour or more at altitudes of up to 8800 MSL, enjoying the monsoonal conditions.

It turned out to be a surprisingly nice day. Big thanks to Whitney for once again giving her day to help us fly.

By the way, the road from the gate to launch is in terrible shape, serously eroded and washed out. It's a hazard. We really need a work party on that.

John

Last Saturdays flight was awesome. cloud base was about 8500 feet. I spent over an hour just boating around in and next to the cloud. at times the cloud would start to form below me. I could actually see the air. I climbed up the side of the cloud doing half a turn in the cloud and half a turn out of the cloud. My flytec gps vario gave a good compass heading so wasn't too worried about getting lost in the cloud. The air was nice and smooth for most of the flight.

Over the landing zone already unzipped expecting to land soon I found a little thermal with a slow climb and gained about 2000'. Eric smith came and joined me and we cored it up together wing tip to wing tip.

If only I could brag about my landing. I flaired a little late and wacked. It was a crazy day... We all wacked on landing. But a flight I shall never forget.

Orrin