Gray Hill flying and directions.

[RobinHastings]

That was a nice little flight Mike had. He is soaring a lot higher than I ever have at that site!
-Robin

[Andy]

Brian and I flew Gray hill on Saturday. We got there around 2:00 PM to a smooth 20 mph wind blowing pretty much straight in. We set up the U2s and I took off first. I had to work it really close but managed to maintain about 50 over making a bunch of short passes. There were patches of stronger lift along the spine to the left and the face which faces north, so I tried to stay in those as much as I could. Eventually I caught a bubble which took me just above the radio tower, but it either dissipated or I fell out of it, and was quickly back at ridge height. I chickened out and went out to land, on the left side of the road. I had 12 minutes of flight time. Then Brian took off, made a few passes, and landed. Thanks to Adam and Brian's friend Wren for the launch assistance!

Looking forward to going back!

[Bob Kuczewski]

I chickened out and went out to land ...

Better known as "exhibited good judgement".     

[Bill Cummings]

Gray Hill directions are to be found on page one of this thread.
2018 Memorial Day Weekend at Gray Hill for camping and flying is looking good on the forecast.
Fri - Mon. conditions at noon each day is showing SW 11mph to 9 mph but climbing later each day
to around 20mph to 16mph.
Day temperatures will be 88º to 84º moving through the weekend.
Night temperatures will be 52º moving through the weekend.
Elevation is plus 7,000' msl so these temperatures are approximately ten degrees lower than
southern New Mexico.
Go to site below and click on, "10 - Day."
https://www.wunderground.com/weather/us/nm/magdalena/KNMMAGDA8?cm_ven=pwsdash_cityforecast
https://firerestrictions.us/nm/nm-blm/
Rio Puerco Field Office, New Mexico BLM at Stage II
from 2018 May 11 midnight until rescinded
The BLM Albuquerque Districts Rio Puerco and Socorro Field Offices are implementing fire restrictions on BLM administered public lands in Bernalillo, Catron, Cibola, McKinley, Sandoval, Socorro, Torrance and Valencia Counties. Due to record warm temperatures, exceptionally dry fuel moisture levels and increasing fire danger, the BLM will implement the following fire restrictions effective May 11, 2018, to help prevent wildfires and ensure public and firefighter safety.
Effective at 12:01 a.m., Friday, May 11, 2018, and until rescinded, the following acts are prohibited:
1.Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire, campfire, charcoal, coal, or wood stove except for: inside established campfire rings and grills within Datil Well and Joe Skeen Campgrounds.
Exceptions: The use of petroleum-fueled stoves, lanterns or heating devices are allowed provided such devices meet the fire underwriter’s specifications for safety and they are used in areas free of flammable materials.
2.Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site/improved site or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable material.
3.The use/discharge of explosives of any kind, incendiary or chemical devices, pyrotechnic devices, fireworks, or exploding targets.
4.Cutting or grinding metal, or using a welder, either arc or gas, or operating acetylene or other torch with open flame, except in areas cleared of flammable materials at least 10 feet in diameter and equipped with a chemical pressurized fire extinguisher of not less than 8 ounces, and one round point shovel with an overall length of at least 36 inches.
5.Operating a chainsaw or any other internal or external combustion engine without a USDA or SAE approved spark arrester properly installed and working, a chemical pressurized fire extinguisher of not less than 8 ounces capacity by weight, and one round point shovel with an overall length of at least 36 inches.
6.Possessing or using a motor vehicle off roads, except when parking in an area devoid of vegetation within 10 feet of the roadway.

[Bill Cummings]

https://www.wunderground.com/forecast/us/nm/magdalena/KNMMAGDA8?cm_ven=localwx_10day
Saturday at Gray Hill is now looking windy. (Saturday May 26, 2018)
It will be stronger at launch.
Wouldn't you know --- Tuesday after Memorial Day looks good.

[Frank Colver]

Blown out? Well then all of you should come out to Dockweiler Beach, CA, for the 47th HG anniversary Otto Lilienthal meet on Sunday. Looks like nice smooth ocean breeze: straight in west at 14 mph.

Sorry, no PG's, (by LA County's rules).

Frank Colver

[Bill Cummings]

Very tempting Frank. I still have to fill out my Doc. papers and mail them in.
Unless the forecast changes I'll be picking up Mike Reedy Sunday late afternoon.
We should be pulling into Gray Hill before sunset to set up camp.
I received a call from Milk Ellsworth and he will be waiting for us there.
DC was over today and he is tossing around the idea of stopping by at Gray Hill.

DC gave me a baby portage cart..JPG (65.99 KiB) Viewed 9167 times

[Bill Cummings]

Forest fire up wind will have smoke at Gray Hill. Smoke warning sign was
spotted along highway # 60 near the Very Large Array (VLA). Mike E was
at the turn off leading to Gray Hill and called me with the news. He left
for Home. I contacted the people that I knew were planning for the trip
that the camping/flying outing would be canceled due to smoke.

[Andy]

Well we took a trip up to Gray Hill on Monday around 5:30 PM and didn't find the smoke to be too bad. It was blowing in SW around 20, and pretty smooth, so I put together Brian's Falcon 170, which he was letting me use. I hooked in and Brian, Gilles, and Josiah assisted me over to the front of the hill. It was really turbulent about halfway in between the towers, so I tried just in front of the big tower, where it was even more turbulent, so we walked over to left, in front of the little tower, where it was extremely smooth. I did my first basetube launch, and pretty much just floated off the hill. I tried going back and forth to say close to the ridge, but didn't find much lift...so I went out in front a bit more and found extremely smooth, consistent lift that took me to the altitude of the top of the tower (7900 ft indicated on my vario). I found I could just hover there, pretty much directly above the road up to launch...slowing down to go backwards and up, or speeding up to go forwards and down. It was really neat, and I could see a lot of the VLA from the air. After a while I went to land...and I decided to just land straight ahead instead of trying to make it over to the right. Guess I need a little bit more practice judging the wind from the air without a flag because I took a bit of a crosswind on landing and had a gentle whack and slightly bent Brian's downtube (sorry Brian). Still, it was an awesome flight and I'm looking forward to going back. Got 20 minutes this time.

[Bob Kuczewski]

Nice flying Andy!!!

It's fun when you can hover like that. It's also a good way to understand and internalize the effect of air speed on both lift and penetration.