Dry Canyon Alamogordo, NM (USA)

[Bob Kuczewski]

Saturday, December 1, 2018:
I came, I saw, I floundered ...
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... that downtube will never be the same again ...
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... Despite the landing, I enjoyed the day - it was nice to be out with some friends!

Robin, you must have one of the most positive attitudes in hang gliding or paragliding!!

[RobinHastings]

Sunday, December 23, 2018:
Probably my last flight this year, but what a lovely day to do it in. Bill Cummings and I headed for Dry Canyon launch about 10:00 am today. The skies were clear and temperature about 65 F when I launched at 2:00 pm in Juan Mira's Vision Mark IV. (Yes, he said I could use it!) Bill decided to be driver again today. We had a spectator in the person of Dalton, who was scouting for barbary sheep and was just as pleased to watch something new in his experience. Winds were light, and so were the thermals I encountered after making a good, straight launch. Bill advised, after my first set of S-turns, "OK, head for the LZ." Which I did. Every now and then I hit some bits of lift, some big enough to turn in but none big enough to gain in. My Christmas gift this year was clearing the power lines on Scenic Drive, which I did at 100 ft AGL. I then set up a south approach into the bailout LZ on Fairgrounds, and put it down perfectly despite getting popped up in the last couple of seconds. That Vision Mark IV is a sweet glider, and it parachutes down very nicely. Bill pulled up as I was just rolling up the sail, and we had it all packed and loaded a few minutes later. We stopped at Caliche's for a root beer float and Dr. Pepper, and then on to Casa de Cummings, where Bill can return to the home renovations that make any hang gliding day look worthwhile - even driving! I suspect today might have been a dream for PG's, but a little on the light side for good HG soaring. I was glad we went there, though - a warm winter day at Dry Canyon is a pleasure just to be walking around in.
-Robin

[Bill Cummings]

Sunday, December 23, 2018:
Probably my last flight this year, but what a lovely day to do it in. Bill Cummings and I headed for Dry Canyon launch about 10:00 am today. The skies were clear and temperature about 65 F when I launched at 2:00 pm in Juan Mira's Vision Mark IV. (Yes, he said I could use it!) Bill decided to be driver again today. We had a spectator in the person of Dalton, who was scouting for barbary sheep and was just as pleased to watch something new in his experience. Winds were light, and so were the thermals I encountered after making a good, straight launch. Bill advised, after my first set of S-turns, "OK, head for the LZ." Which I did. Every now and then I hit some bits of lift, some big enough to turn in but none big enough to gain in. My Christmas gift this year was clearing the power lines on Scenic Drive, which I did at 100 ft AGL. I then set up a south approach into the bailout LZ on Fairgrounds, and put it down perfectly despite getting popped up in the last couple of seconds. That Vision Mark IV is a sweet glider, and it parachutes down very nicely. Bill pulled up as I was just rolling up the sail, and we had it all packed and loaded a few minutes later. We stopped at Caliche's for a root beer float and Dr. Pepper, and then on to Casa de Cummings, where Bill can return to the home renovations that make any hang gliding day look worthwhile - even driving! I suspect today might have been a dream for PG's, but a little on the light side for good HG soaring. I was glad we went there, though - a warm winter day at Dry Canyon is a pleasure just to be walking around in.
-Robin

https://youtu.be/CpB4AkyaeFg

[RobinHastings]

I gotta stop making such dramatic flights! Something with some altitude would be a pleasant change... Thanks for a very instructive video, Bill!
-Robin

[Bob Kuczewski]

Good flight Robin!!!

Good choices along the way, and a good landing in the best LZ available.

    "Gripping the bar tighter helps sometimes."

I've noticed that too!!!     

[RobinHastings]

December 30, 2018
Nancy and I drove up to see our friends in High Rolls today. We stopped on the way up Hwy 82 for some photos. Hey, we might not be driving up to Dry Canyon launch for a week or two...
-Robin

Dry Canyon seen from the north side - Hwy 82 turnoff.

DryCyn-Dec30-2018.JPG (42.3 KiB) Viewed 5744 times

Fire danger? Not a problem...

FireDangerLowToday.JPG (61.41 KiB) Viewed 5744 times

[Bill Cummings]

File Footage

Robin at Dry Canyon Alamogordo NM.JPG (69.16 KiB) Viewed 5703 times

[RobinHastings]

Wednesday, March 6, 2019:
A good day at Dry Canyon. Bill Cummings and I met up with Keith Campbell (a beginning PG pilot living in Alamogordo) about 11:45 this morning. We drove up to Dry Canyon launch - hey, the road needs grading again - and got there by 12:15 pm. Keith is new to this, so we were very methodical in our setup and instructions for launching - but no problem, he handled it all perfectly. Bill took off in his Sport2 155 at 2:49 pm, I was off in my U2-160 fifteen minutes later. Conditions were clear, with south-southwest winds about 15-18 mph at launch. Thermals were small and not real strong, but there were quite a few of them. Bill got up to 900 feet over launch, I managed only 300; Bill had 52 minutes in the air, I had half of that. (Notice a trend here?) We both had good landings - I put it down in the middle of the field, Bill flared perfectly right next to the flag. (There's that trend again!) Keith got down with the truck just in time to see Bill come in, so he got the complete picture. He took off for dinner with his wife Rena (both are super nice people) and Mr. Cummings and I had fine food and a flight review at Rockin' BZ Burgers. Sharing the sky is something we haven't done in a while. With 70-degree weather and non-hurricane winds, it was a really nice day to be in the air. And we're expecting a blowout tomorrow...
-Robin

[Bill Cummings]

Wednesday, March 6, 2019:
A good day at Dry Canyon. Bill Cummings and I met up with Keith Campbell (a beginning PG pilot living in Alamogordo) about 11:45 this morning. We drove up to Dry Canyon launch - hey, the road needs grading again - and got there by 12:15 pm. Keith is new to this, so we were very methodical in our setup and instructions for launching - but no problem, he handled it all perfectly. Bill took off in his Sport2 155 at 2:49 pm, I was off in my U2-160 fifteen minutes later. Conditions were clear, with south-southwest winds about 15-18 mph at launch. Thermals were small and not real strong, but there were quite a few of them. Bill got up to 900 feet over launch, I managed only 300; Bill had 52 minutes in the air, I had half of that. (Notice a trend here?) We both had good landings - I put it down in the middle of the field, Bill flared perfectly right next to the flag. (There's that trend again!) Keith got down with the truck just in time to see Bill come in, so he got the complete picture. He took off for dinner with his wife Rena (both are super nice people) and Mr. Cummings and I had fine food and a flight review at Rockin' BZ Burgers. Sharing the sky is something we haven't done in a while. With 70-degree weather and non-hurricane winds, it was a really nice day to be in the air. And we're expecting a blowout tomorrow...
-Robin

https://youtu.be/HiPZIkpcrJY

Bill and Robin Dry Canyon Mar. 6 2019.JPG (44.33 KiB) Viewed 5397 times

[Bob Kuczewski]

Batman and Robin ... my favorite winged crusaders!

file-23.jpg (44.33 KiB) Viewed 5367 times

It's nice to see you both in the same picture for a change!!