Flying possibilities

[RobinHastings]

Bill called it right, I think. We had a nice lunch at a chicken place off Artcraft Road near Santa Teresa, then got to the launch at Anapra about 12:30. Winds were moderate, out of the east, coming right in, and Bill took off in his Wills Wing Sport 2 at 1:26 by my watch. He went up! He soared the site, cruising back and forth between 50 and 100 feet up, for the next 25 minutes, while I drove down to pick him up. By the time we got back to launch, where I had left my Airwaves Formula, Hadley Robinson was up on top, contemplating a flight in his PG. His student Marcie Gillespie was also there, and we had a real nice visit as I set up my glider. I finally took off about 4:45. Unlike Bill I did not go up, and I very quickly found myself headed out to the LZ for a brief sled run (terminated by a drop into a mesquite bush in a shallow arroyo). It wasn't emblematic of my Hang 4 status, no. As Bill and I departed near sunset we still saw no paragliders ready to launch, but we surely hope that Had got some airtime on what was, really, a lovely day. More east winds are due tomorrow (Saturday, March 7) and then north winds the day after that. Let us know if you get some airtime, and be safe!
-Robin

[Bill Cummings]

RGSA/Hawks,
Hang gliding flights at Anapra, NM. (The site is actually divided by the US-Mexico border fence.)
I was held up picking up Robin H. this morning because I first had to pick up the mess on the avenue in front of my house.

Some drunk on a cell phone (probably) ran over my pine bow branches at the curb for pick up by the grappler truck. This tore apart the bundles fastened with twine and scattered them farther along the curb.
If someone could give me the unlisted phone number of either Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys I could hand over the plastic red taillight lens fragments and have them returned to the rightful owner.

Since the forecast had winds building throughout the day we thought we had it MADE. We could pick our launch time from a sliding launch window of too light, light but possibly soarable, soarable we think, oh for sure this has to be soarable, and oh man is this too windy?

Decisions are so much easier when whatever the conditions are they are steady all day.

Directly in front of the east facing ridge of Anapra and at a safe distance is Mount Christo Rey. (Hadley do I have that name right?)
It’s between El Paso and Mexico. It tends to make the wind go around it and come into the ridge a little from the right or switch and come in with a little left cross. Some times there is a convergence and rarely you can ride the convergence way out in front of the ridge.
Possibly thermals in front of Mt. Rey decide which way most of the wind will go around Rey to the north side or the south side.
There might be a convergence tail wagging it’s way back and forth along the ridge of Anapra but this is speculation on my part.
Some pilots may find this air movement theory very interesting ---
But not me --- let’s move on to today’s flying.
Robin H. held my nose.
(that last phrase could mislead some non pilots)
The launch wasn’t a nose wire twanger but more like a no step lean into it launch. Soon after launch Rey did its thing and was giving the wind into the ridge a right cross. The ridge down near the US-Mexico fence had a better angle so I got the highest there and returned the hand waving of several Mexican Nationals that were on top of ridge sitting on the monument on the Mexican side of the fence. I did some swooping and shallow wingovers on the US side of the ten foot high border fence much to the cheers and delight of the Mexicans.

As the wind died I thought that I was scratching too close to the rim and headed for the LZ (AKA goat head heaven.)
The Mexicans came down the ridge face to be even with me and tried to engage me in conversation but all I could do was shout back, “No hablo Espanol.” With them still calling out I started taking down my glider and the friendly Mexicans started throwing rocks at my car when Robin H. arrived and at my glider. I was j-u-s-t slightly beyond a stones throw away.

I’m thinking now that my swooping and wingovers were perceived as an -- In your face you losers, --artful aerial display.
Next time at Anapra I’ll have to come equipped with the reciprocal Spanish cuss words.
Robin had come down with my car and we went back up top to set up his glider for his flight. Paragliding student Marcy and paragliding instructor Hadley Robinson were on each wing wire and I was on Robin’s nose (wtf dose that mean-right?)
Robin had a turn issue with his glider so he headed out to land.
It’s too late to call Hadley R. to see if he was able to get a flight in so I’ll just have to check tomorrow on his elpasoparagliding website.

[Bill Cummings]

I just checked Hadley's website and found a youtube video of Robin H.s launch at Anapra yesterday. I didn't know he was videoing (is that a word?)
Hadley did get a paragliding flight after we packed up and left the LZ.
Robins launch 3-6-15 by Hadley Robinson.

and here is a link to Hadley's website for more pictures.
http://southwestairsports.com/

[Bob Kuczewski]

Very cool !!!!!     

Was that you on the nose wires Bill? I think I recognize that hat.     

[Bill Cummings]

Yup!
My lucky nose assist hat-- never been killed in it yet!

[Bill Cummings]

Some PG's went to Agave Hill today so I looked up wind at Deming and here is the history at Deming for today.

Agave east of Deming reading.JPG (37.71 KiB) Viewed 4239 times

So how did it go?

[Bill Cummings]

2014 Canadian national hang gliding champion John Theoret, Robin Hastings and I (Bill Cummings) went to Magdalena Rim today but once there the wind was not to anyone’s liking. Crossing from the right (westerly) for this SW facing site.
So off we hiked looking for Indian (American) grind holes, arrow heads but came up doubting the holes were anything other than volcanic holes in nature.
John told us about the Worlds Hang Gliding event and the kafuffle with Live Tracker and other interesting stories. So off to the Love’s station store for Sub sandwiches and more HG stories.

Tomorrow we will head for Dry Canyon Alamogordo, New Mexico and see if we made the right choice.

We plan to be in the LZ between 11:30 and noon.
Below is getting ready and for nothing.

Robin, Keighley, John.JPG (43.87 KiB) Viewed 4232 times

Rock kickers.JPG (30.95 KiB) Viewed 4232 times

[Bill Cummings]

I just checked Launch Code for today at Alamogordo New Mexico (USA). It's still looking good.
http://www.usairnet.com/cgi-bin/launch/code.cgi?sta=KALM&model=avn&state=NM
click on captured picture to expand it or use scroll bar.

Launch Code.JPG (50.75 KiB) Viewed 4226 times

[Bill Cummings]

We had a great day of flying at Dry Canyon, Alamogordo, New Mexico (USA)
We got back into town last night late. I got to my house and it was 10:30 pm MDST.
Woke up at 4 am this morning and thought about the great flying and couldn't fall back to sleep.
I'll let Robin fill everyone in on the particulars later but for now here are a few pictures.

Where Canadian Flag.JPG (57.78 KiB) Viewed 4216 times

Buddy Check.JPG (78.19 KiB) Viewed 4216 times

3-24-2015 Dry Canyon.JPG (74.26 KiB) Viewed 4216 times

Time to launch..JPG (65.98 KiB) Viewed 4216 times

We might get to fly again today.
EDIT:
Dang I checked three weather models and they are showing West with a little North for wind direction.
If anyone wants to try it I'll drive today to get that job out of my way.

[RobinHastings]

Well, it's Thursday - and we're going up to try it again. This time Bill is driving. I had some trouble finding a driver on Tuesday the 24th, so we did our hang gliding on the shuttle plan. John Theoret, Bill Cummings and I met Mike Ellsworth in the Cox Field LZ of Alamogordo at noon, and we took all 4 gliders on my truck up to the Dry Canyon launch. Winds were sort of north at Cox Field, but turning west; by the time we were at launch they were coming in strong southwest. Skies were clear, and the air was warm. John was the first one to launch, about 2:30 pm. He didn't just shoot up into the sky - but it was only minutes before he was at 9000 ft MSL (about 2000 ft over launch). Mike took off next, at 2:40, and then Bill at 2:50. They all got up - and up, and up. Average height for each flight was about 10,000 ft MSL, just soaring. Meanwhile I had the most relaxing afternoon I'd enjoyed in quite a while, napping in the truck and listening to the radio, occasionally checking on progress of the little specks in the sky that held my friends. Eventually everyone landed. Bill had about 55 minutes in the air, Mike almost two hours, and John (who'd reached 13,200 ft MSL) had three or more. About 6:15 Mike and Bill arrived at launch in Mike's truck, and by 6:20 I was in the air in my U2. I shot up at launch, but quickly found the sink and had to cruise the ridge to the sunlit West Face, where the lift still lived. I went from 6000 MSL up to 8000 and hung around there and the LZ, until I decided that if I was going to have any light to break down the glider, I'd better be landing, for a 35 minute flight. All of our touchdowns this day could have been better, but none were the kind where aluminum has to be replaced. When at last the sun was down and all gliders were on the trucks, John, Bill and I had some supper at the Rustic Cafe and made it back to Las Cruces by 10:00 pm. It was a long day, but pretty relaxed, so I still had energy to work through Astronomy 110 papers before bed appealed to me. I understand that SOME portions of our country are digging out of snow, still, and maybe aren't flying at all. Alas for them...
-Robin