Magdalena Rim NW of Las Cruces NM (USA)

[Bob Kuczewski]

Nice flight Robin!!!   

Nice video editing Bill!!!   

It makes me want to make my next flying trip to Las Cruces!!   

By the way, I'm not sure if it was the video angle and lens playing tricks on me, but there might have been a few moments of cross controlling there (head on one side and feet on the other). Take a look, and take my comment with a grain of salt ... since you were there in real life.

Keep looking up, RGSA!!!   

[RobinHastings]

Thanks for your comments, Bob - and thank you, Bill, for the video and the flying day. It was a sled run, again, but a pleasant one, and it's hard to complain with a landing like that one. Your turn next, Bill...
-Robin

[RobinHastings]

Wednesday, October 10, 2018:
A good day at Magdalena Rim! We've been having (well, I've been having) a lot of sled runs there over the summer. With autumn conditions now making an appearance, Bill Cummings had a good flight. We left Las Cruces at noon, and Bill launched right at 3:31 pm MDT. Winds were southwest, coming in as light as 12 mph and as strong as 28. Conditions were clear, with some cumies in the far distance over Deming. Balmy temperatures, too. Bill took a 15-20 mph cycle, and just ascended - if he got three steps in, I'd be surprised. He soared around in his Sport 2 145, gaining several hundred feet as I packed up the gear and the cart and headed back down to the truck. Back down at the LZ I watched as he alternately came down to 5600 ft MSL (100 over launch height) and thermalled back up to 6500. He hung out for an hour, in sometimes bumpy, sometimes pleasant air (he said it was glass smooth between 6250 and 6300) and then came over the Arroyo LZ where I waited with a camera and the truck. Whoa! Turbulent as hell! He abruptly fled to the older, Rectangle LZ, clearing the power lines at the road and bringing it in to a perfect touchdown there. We were just packing up when Hadley came by, with a student, heading for an evening flight at the Rim. We wished them well and gave them all the local intelligence we had to offer, then they went one way and we drove the other. We took some dirt roads while getting out there and the same ones going home (recent rainstorms left some puddles in the dips) but still arrived well before 7:00 pm. Clear skies, a 70-degree day, good airtime - why, this surely beats a Cat 4 Florida hurricane, doesn't it? Welcome to the Land of Enchantment...
-Robin

[Bill Cummings]

Wednesday, October 10, 2018:
A good day at Magdalena Rim! We've been having (well, I've been having) a lot of sled runs there over the summer. With autumn conditions now making an appearance, Bill Cummings had a good flight. We left Las Cruces at noon, and Bill launched right at 3:31 pm MDT. Winds were southwest, coming in as light as 12 mph and as strong as 28. Conditions were clear, with some cumies in the far distance over Deming. Balmy temperatures, too. Bill took a 15-20 mph cycle, and just ascended - if he got three steps in, I'd be surprised. He soared around in his Sport 2 145, gaining several hundred feet as I packed up the gear and the cart and headed back down to the truck. Back down at the LZ I watched as he alternately came down to 5600 ft MSL (100 over launch height) and thermalled back up to 6500. He hung out for an hour, in sometimes bumpy, sometimes pleasant air (he said it was glass smooth between 6250 and 6300) and then came over the Arroyo LZ where I waited with a camera and the truck. Whoa! Turbulent as hell! He abruptly fled to the older, Rectangle LZ, clearing the power lines at the road and bringing it in to a perfect touchdown there. We were just packing up when Hadley came by, with a student, heading for an evening flight at the Rim. We wished them well and gave them all the local intelligence we had to offer, then they went one way and we drove the other. We took some dirt roads while getting out there and the same ones going home (recent rainstorms left some puddles in the dips) but still arrived well before 7:00 pm. Clear skies, a 70-degree day, good airtime - why, this surely beats a Cat 4 Florida hurricane, doesn't it? Welcome to the Land of Enchantment...
-Robin

I'm fatter than a 145 sq'. I'm flying a 155 sq'
https://youtu.be/MOxwt5titqM

[Bob Kuczewski]

Holy Cow Bill !!!
Nice Flight !!!!!!!!!!

[RobinHastings]

Good decision making, Bill. That turbulence over the Arroyo LZ was pretty awful. The flag kept shifting directions while I was standing there with the camera. And what a plummet you had! You made a real nice landing at the end.
-Robin

[RobinHastings]

Thursday, Nov. 22, 2018 (Thanksgiving Day)
Juan Mira and I went up to Magdalena Rim this morning, to have him make his first flight there. We rolled the glider up to launch and had him all set up to fly at 12:11 pm MST. Conditions were overcast, but the winds were smooth (well, smooth for New Mexico) and southwest, about 15-18 mph. He had a fine launch, and did a perfect job of soaring the site in his Airwaves Vision Mark IV 17. He had about 12 minutes in the air and a perfect landing in the Rectangle LZ. We packed up his glider and went back to the launch, where I took off in my Airwaves Formula 144 at 2:05 pm. I soared the site for 20 minutes or so, getting up to 300 feet over launch. When I saw that Juan had the truck parked at the Rectangle LZ I headed over there, and had a decent landing despite a weak flare. We got home in time for Thanksgiving dinner, courtesy of Keighley and her remarkable culinary skills. Since the East Coast is currently freezing, and the West Coast is soaking, I'd say we have a lot to be thankful for - like airtime. On to the Little Floridas tomorrow!

Juan Mira, with the airtime determination the RGSA is known for...

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Juan doing fine, shortly after his first launch at Mag Rim.

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[RobinHastings]

Thursday, Nov. 22, 2018 (Thanksgiving Day)
Juan Mira and I went up to Magdalena Rim this morning, to have him make his first flight there. We rolled the glider up to launch and had him all set up to fly at 12:11 pm MST. Conditions were overcast, but the winds were smooth (well, smooth for New Mexico) and southwest, about 15-18 mph. He had a fine launch, and did a perfect job of soaring the site in his Airwaves Vision Mark IV 17. He had about 12 minutes in the air and a perfect landing in the Rectangle LZ. We packed up his glider and went back to the launch, where I took off in my Airwaves Formula 144 at 2:05 pm. I soared the site for 20 minutes or so, getting up to 300 feet over launch. When I saw that Juan had the truck parked at the Rectangle LZ I headed over there, and had a decent landing despite a weak flare. We got home in time for Thanksgiving dinner, courtesy of Keighley and her remarkable culinary skills. Since the East Coast is currently freezing, and the West Coast is soaking, I'd say we have a lot to be thankful for - like airtime. On to the Little Floridas tomorrow!

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-ZOjqqSbxU

Juan Mira heading for his first launch at Mag Rim.

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[Bill Cummings]

Looking at 6 weather models last night Mag Rim looked too light and too cross for my liking.
Robin checked this morning and the last minute change looked like too strong and cross.
It was honking at the parking area near the fence. So we walked up without Robin's flying
gear which saved him the work getting up to launch to find out that, yes, it was too strong
and cross.
So back to the LZ to gather up the flag and head for Love's for junk food.

[RobinHastings]

Tuesday, December 11, 2018:
Bill Cummings and I were at the Mag Rim launch by noon today. Conditions were mostly cloudy, with winds light to moderate out of the southwest. I launched at 1:45 pm MST into 10-15 mph, in my Wills Wing U2. I made one pass across the ridge, and (probably from being too far out) was just below launch. Heading back along the ridge I was still too low, though there were patches of lift, and I headed to the LZ. All was well as I set up a perfect approach down the arroyo. The last few seconds, though, right after I deproned, I could not keep the glider tracking - it kept leaning to the right. I avoided cartwheeling the glider, but the landing wasn't pretty. I wound up under the wires and the nose in the dirt. After I extricated myself I was pleased to discover no significant damage, to me or the glider. (Well, I'm hobbling a bit, with a bruise on my calf muscle - but is that significant? No - if you can limp, you can launch!) Bill picked me up and helped me get the glider in the bag, and then off we went to see what the GoPro had to say about such a landing. Unfortunately, the GoPro had nothing to contribute - somehow it didn't get turned on before I flew. So I will have to treasure this 3-minute flight in my memory alone. Or maybe just delete it - and keep up more airspeed the next time I come skimming in for the flag. It was certainly an educational expedition!
-Robin