US Hawks Hang Gliding Association

FRIDAY, OCT. 23 through SUNDAY, OCT. 25, 2020:
This looks like another dry, warm weekend - though there is a faint chance that rain may finally come our way, briefly, on Monday or Tuesday. It's been a long drought. Winds will be generally west and southwest this weekend, high temperatures about 80-90 F (25-30 C). The jetstream may loop down our way, especially on Sunday. It looks like Friday will have winds about 8-10 mph, SSW in Alamogordo, Las Cruces and Deming, SSE in El Paso. On Saturday, SW 8-10 all over the area. On Sunday it looks like a blowout, winds 15-20 on the ground from the west-southwest. On Friday I see the flyable sites being Dry Canyon, La Luz, Magdalena Rim and Little Floridas. On Saturday, add Agave Hill and Nelson's Launch to that total, plus Kilbourne Hole - looks good all over. Sunday, those sites might work again, but go out early! You might watch a football game or something, that afternoon. I hope to be taking some PG pilots to Mag Rim on Friday, and might even try for a flight myself if the logistics work out right - come and join us if you can! Saturday looks pretty open, too. Fly while you can - if we can't get rain, let's get some airtime, at least!
-Robin
575-541-5744 home
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FRIDAY, OCT. 30 through SUNDAY, NOV. 1, 2020:
This Halloween weekend holds some flying possibilities, and should be a very pleasant one. Expect temperatures in the 60-70 F range. No precipitation anywhere. Winds will be light and days will be sunny. On Friday, expect very light winds, WSW in Alamogordo and SE elsewhere. Saturday, again very light, coming from the north and northwest. On Sunday we again get very light WSW in Alamogordo, but east winds elsewhere. I recommend Dry Canyon as about the only good bet on Friday, and possibly La Luz on Saturday. On Sunday, maybe Dry Canyon, but certainly Anapra and Torrey Paso should be flyable. It's not going to be epic, but airtime is available if you want to try for it. Stay healthy, everyone, both on the ground (coronavirus is spiking) and in the air. And if you haven't voted already - get out there and let your wishes be known!
-Robin

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6 through SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2020:
I'm afraid this is not going to be one of our better flying weekends. We will have a weather front and jetstream coming in. On Friday the winds will be fairly strong southeast, which does not work well for any of our sites except the Exit 116 tow road, west of Las Cruces. On Saturday strong southwest winds will be coming in. If you get to a site real early, you might catch a flight at Magdalena Rim, Dry Canyon or La Luz, but I wouldn't make a big bet on that. By Saturday evening the winds will be blowing hard and the rain may start. By Sunday the rains will be gone, but the southwest winds will be even stronger. This may be the perfect weekend to work on your equipment, or just do some indoor projects - but it does not look optimal for flying in our area. Sorry about that, Chief...
-Robin

FRIDAY, NOV. 13 through SUNDAY, Nov. 15, 2020:
It looks like Friday the 13th could be our lucky day this weekend. First, it'll be a lovely weekend unless you were praying for rain (which most of us are). Dry, and high temperatures about 70 F. Saturday gets pretty windy, about 15-20 mph over the area, except in Alamogordo. Sunday the winds get very light, and easterly - except, again, in Alamogordo, where they'll be light from the west. Friday, though, looks pretty good, with southwest winds about 8-10 mph over the area. It looks like you can fly Dry Canyon, La Luz, Mag Rim, Little Floridas, Agave Hill and Nelson's Launch on Friday. On Saturday I wouldn't plan to fly anywhere. On Sunday it looks like Dry Canyon may be your only bet. Both PG and HG can probably get some decent flights in the afternoon up there. Maybe Anapra will work for a PG. Given my choice, I'd fly on Sunday afternoon at Dry Canyon, if there's a driver available. Let me know if you feel like taking a try at it that day!
-Robin
575-541-5744 home
575-386-8212 cell

FRIDAY, NOV. 20 through SUNDAY, NOV. 22, 2020:
We've been having mild, westerly winds all week - and now, alas, they all turn east on us. Expect another warm, clear weekend, with perhaps some cloudiness on Sunday as a weak front comes in from the east. No precipitation, yet again. On Friday, it looks like we can expect some light south to southeast winds. Magdalena Rim might be flyable in the afternoon, as well as Dry Canyon and La Luz. (I expect winds more southwesterly in Alamogordo.) On Saturday, the winds get more southeasterly, though still light southwest in Alamogordo - Dry Canyon and La Luz, again, might be your only bet. On Sunday winds get considerably stronger and more easterly. We may see 15 mph or more through southern Dona Ana County. Torrey Paso might be flyable early, as well as Anapra - but I don't see any sites flyable later on. Not the brightest of forecasts, I'm afraid, but if anyone wants to go to Alamogordo on Saturday I'd be up for a try there. Keep in touch, and if you fly, be safe!
-Robin
575-541-5744 home
575-386-8212 cell

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27 through SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2020:
Our Thanksgiving Day weekend will be an interesting one, I'm sure. Feasts will be smaller, as we gather in tight-knit family groups due to COVID, and temperatures will be a little lower at last (50-60 F for highs). Still dry, though. It looks like Friday will be a blowout for our area, unless you go out pretty early; I expect southerly winds all over the area, as a low-pressure cell moves through, at 15+ mph all around. When it has passed, we should see the usual north/northwest tail on Saturday. Fairly light - expect northerly winds 5-8 mph in El Paso and Las Cruces, very light west in Deming, and NW 8-10 in Alamogordo. On Sunday, very light (i.e., virtually calm) all around, mostly from the north and east. My recommendation is to lay low and digest your Thanksgiving feast(s) on Friday. On Saturday La Luz could be pretty good. (I think it will be too light for Volcanic Peak.) On Sunday, practice kiting with a paraglider, if you have one - though there might not even be enough wind for that. I'd love to go out and fly La Luz on Saturday if anyone feels like trying it - give me a call! Otherwise, stay safe and well, everyone. Vaccines are coming, if we can just hold out...
-Robin
575-541-5744 home
575-386-8212 cell

FRIDAY, DEC. 4 through SUNDAY, DEC. 6, 2020:
Hey, is winter finally here? A few weeks before the solstice, it's finally turned cool in the Southwest. Our high temperatures this weekend will be in the 50 to 60 degree range (12-15 C). Once again, dry, though there may be a chance of some rain next Thursday, December 10th. Winds will be very light this weekend. A low pressure system will pass south of us, through northern Mexico, but it's not real strong. It will swirl in light winds from the east and northeast. Here's the forecast then, as the models see it. Friday, in Alamogordo west about 5 mph, north & northeast in Las Cruces and El Paso (about 5 mph) and ENE in Deming, 8-10. On Saturday, NW in Alamogordo, LC and El Paso, ENE again in Deming. All very light. Sunday, WNW about 5 in Alamogordo, WSW (almost calm) in LC and El Paso, SSE 5 mph in Deming. Recommendations? Not too encouraging. Dry Canyon might be flyable on Friday, especially for PG. Saturday, it's possible that La Luz will work, but it won't be great. Sunday, a PG might see enough wind to launch at Agave Hill or Nelson's Launch in El Paso, and possibly at Magdalena Rim - but again, too light to be tempting to a hang glider. Not much else even worth considering, unless you do some towing, or PPG. These are forecasts, of course, and your mileage may differ - and it's certain that if you don't go out, you won't be flying. Let's keep our fingers crossed for airtime next weekend, the 11th through the 13th. We live in hope... Meanwhile, stay safe, with the coronavirus attacking us all like the Zombie Apocalypse. And if you do fly, stay warm, and let me know about it!
-Robin

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11 through SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2020:
This weekend's forecast looks a lot more promising than last weekend's. Flyable conditions - at last! Be sure to dress warm, though. High temperatures will be 50 to 60 degrees F (10 - 15 C) and we could get some rain on Thursday, all gone by Friday. The weekend will be dry, and windier than we've been seeing lately. On Friday expect a blowout from the west, all over the area, as the precipitation moves out. Saturday looks more promising, though. Fairly light, southwest winds in Alamogordo that day, a little stronger (8-10) from the west in El Paso, Las Cruces and Deming. On Sunday, winds could be north to northwest in Alamogordo, pretty light, east 10-12 in El Paso, NE 10-12 in Las Cruces, and NE 10-15 in Deming. Here's what I see as potential flying spots this weekend. On Friday - don't bother. On Saturday, Dry Canyon and La Luz should work, Agave Hill and Nelson's Launch in El Paso might be good, and the Little Floridas if you get out there early. On Sunday, La Luz NW launch might be good, though pretty light for hang gliders. Torrey Paso and Anapra might be soarable, especially in a PG. And Volcanic Peak ought to be good - get out there early, before the winds turn east in the later afternoon. (Expect high temps of 50 F that day, however.) For my own flying schedule, I'd love to take a try at Volcanic Peak on Sunday if anyone is willing to trade off driving duties. (Turn around time there is about 15 minutes.) Get some airtime while you can, everyone, and stay healthy and safe.
-Robin
575-541-5744 home
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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18 through SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20:
Our weather this weekend seems to be very typical for the Southwest at winter. Dry, warm (highs 50-60 degrees) and mostly calm. Winds on Friday are light west to southwest for the area. Same for Saturday, except that Alamogordo should see light WNW. Sunday, similar again - winds 5-8 mph in Alamogordo, light and variable everywhere else. I would recommend Dry Canyon and maybe Agave Hill or Nelson's Launch for Friday. On Saturday, La Luz might work, Magdalena Rim (might be too light for hang gliders) and again, Nelson's Launch and Agave Hill. On Sunday, La Luz looks pretty good, being just a bit stronger than Saturday. This is the time of year when winds, thermals and turbulence tend to be pretty light, but I wouldn't mind trying La Luz on Sunday if anyone wants some airtime. Let me know!
-Robin
575-541-5744 home
575-386-8212 cell

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25 through SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2020:
This Christmas weekend, our last weekend for 2020, looks OK for getting some airtime in our area. A couple of sites look bleak for that, but others should be well within our tolerances. Friday (Christmas Day) will start out chilly. with highs about 50 - 55 F (10 -12 C) but it gets pretty nice, in the low 60's, by Saturday and Sunday. Winds are light on Friday, west to northwest, less than 5 mph, though Deming gets slightly stronger east winds. On Saturday winds are 5-8 mph, westerly in Alamogordo and El Paso, WSW in Las Cruces - and west 15+ mph in Deming, probably blown out there. Sunday looks like a pretty good day all over, same as Saturday but lighter in Deming, about 10-12 mph. Here's how things look to me for our flying sites. If you can tear yourself away from Christmas celebrations on Friday, Dry Canyon might provide a somewhat chilly sled ride that day. On Saturday it looks like Dry Canyon, La Luz, Mag Rim, Agave Hill and Nelson's Launch all could work, though things will be pretty light. The Little Floridas will probably be blown out, however. On Sunday, the Saturday sites should all work again, and lighter winds in Deming will make the Little Floridas worth a visit, if you go somewhat early. We could see a good deal of wind around Tuesday and Wednesday next week, but otherwise it may not be bad for some airtime. Happy Holidays, everyone! I wouldn't mind going out for some flying on Saturday or Sunday this weekend - give me a call if you'd like to go!
-Robin
575-541-5744 home
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