Flying possibilities

[RobinHastings]

Thanks, Bob. I sure appreciate all you've done for the RGSA, and for hang gliding as a sport. Someone has to stand for safety and proper protocol, and that's you, I think. When we were mentoring that new pilot a year ago, out at our training site, I sure enjoyed having you there with your good advice. Stay in touch, and keep flying safely out there in San Diego.
-Robin

[Bob Kuczewski]

Thanks, Bob. I sure appreciate all you've done for the RGSA, and for hang gliding as a sport.

That's what the US Hawks is all about - pilots helping pilots!!

That's exactly the feeling I got from you and your club when I was out there. You guys give your time for the love of the sport, and you deserve a national association that honors that tradition in return. The US Hawks is about bringing us all together as peers to help preserve and protect our great sport. Thanks so very very much for joining us!!

[JanZ]

Anybody up for some flying at Dry this afternoon?

[Bill Cummings]

Robin and I can't go out and play today.

[JanZ]

Robin and I can't go out and play today.

[Bill Cummings]

RGSA Hawks,
With the Christmas holiday approaching I will be preoccupied with family and unavailable for hang gliding or driver duties. Sometime around the New Year I should be looking at my harness bag and checking it twice and hoping Mother Nature will not be naughty but nice. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

[RobinHastings]

Sunday, January 11th:
Well! 2 + 1 = 0. That means, 2 HG plus 1 PG = 0 soaring flights. Or, 3 sled runs. Conditions were pretty light today at Dry Canyon. Jan Zschenderlein launched first, in his PG at 1:00 or so, and had a buoyant but non-thermalling flight to the Cox Field LZ. About 2:00 pm Mike Ellsworth launched in a Wills Wing U2. He actually circled a few times in the house thermal down the ridge - and in 10 minutes he, too, was in the LZ. At 2:20, I launched, and had the flight of the day - for me. I circled a couple of times, lost altitude in each so-called thermal, and in 10 minutes had my usual harrowing, no-wind landing in my Airwaves Formula. But, no problems. No runs, no hits, but really, no errors. Tom Krajcik from Cloudcroft, a new sailplane pilot, drove my truck down, and Keighley Hastings drove Jan's. Keighley and I drove for Jan once more, as he tried for the evening glassoff, but with the wind coming over the back at a steady 2 miles per hour, reality finally intruded on our plans, and we all drove back down again. I will say, though, that the weather was lovely, so the day was certainly not wasted. And any day you get your feet off the ground is not a bad one.

See you all at the meeting this Saturday!
-Robin
575-541-5744

[Bill Cummings]

RGSA/Hawks,
On Sunday, Jan., 18, 2015, Mike Ellsworth and I explored the 57’ high cone area at the west side of our arroyo LZ at Magdalena Rim, AKA Blue Mesa.

Mike was in search of ancient artifacts while I was having way less luck finding the elusive (less than one hundred years old) northwest corner, iron pin, marker for the only 0.5 by 0.5 mile private property area in the ---- well ----um --- immediate area. (I may have to return and edit this paragraph.)

This private land I avoid since I haven’t made a search for the owner to asked for permission to land my hang glider. I prefer landing on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land.

I found the NE corner pin and marked a waypoint on my GPS. I would like to find the other pin (NW) so that I can respond with conviction that I have not entered private property if so accused by some officious blithering stranger.

By way of example the late great Rod Houser demonstrated to me that there can be immense satisfaction having your ducks in a row when you are being questioned.
A person accused can speak softly, put a polite smile on their face (oft times confused with a smirk.) and tell the antagonist where to go.
Admittedly I’ve modified Rod’s procedure. He would never have been so crass.

The day Rod said, “There sir, I’ve shown you my authorization to be here. Would you be so kind as to show me yours?” Well! --- You should have seen the spinning tires and the spitting gravel as the irate rancher, with only BLM grazing rights, (and not ready to hand,) disappeared in a cloud of dust.

I’m thinking the NW pin has been buried by a landslide.

Pin.JPG (45.45 KiB) Viewed 5278 times

While there it was soarable for a while so I checked with WX history KLRU = Las Cruces, KDMN = Deming today and I may have guessed right.

KLRU Sun 18,.JPG (44.97 KiB) Viewed 5278 times

and

KDMN Sun 18,.JPG (43.85 KiB) Viewed 5278 times

Robin and Hadley will pick me up at 10:30 and we are headed for Mag Rim

[Bill Cummings]

RGSA/Hawks,
Robin called and told me that Hadley doesn’t feel the forecast is solid enough to drive the distance.

I checked the conditions and it does look 50/50 and I’ll show you why.
Below Deming:

KDMN.JPG (45.31 KiB) Viewed 5273 times

Below Las Cruces:

KLRU.JPG (40.53 KiB) Viewed 5273 times

We are going to wait to see if conditions get better around 11:00 am.
Below Deming:

4CAST KDMN.JPG (27.47 KiB) Viewed 5273 times

Below Las Cruces:

4CAST KLRU.JPG (26.79 KiB) Viewed 5273 times

We would like SSW to SW. 5 at the airports would be 12 to 15 at the Rim.

[Bill Cummings]

At 11:17 it's still not switching for Mag Rim.

not good for Mag.JPG (43.13 KiB) Viewed 5270 times