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Rio Grande Soaring Association Forum
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Flying possibilitiesRe: Flying possibilities Memorial Day Dry Canyon Fly-In
Upcoming Events
Memorial Day Dry Canyon Fly-In, Alamogordo, New Mexico May 22-25, 2015 Meet location: Cox Field LZ, off Fairgrounds Drive east of Florida Avenue and the Griggs Sports Complex. Meet times: 8:00 am until sunset. Entry fee: $25 Reasons to come: Good flying and big air; contests; barbecue; good friends! Contact: Robin Hastings 575-541-5744 RNHastings@zianet.com
Re: Flying possibilities
The Dry Canyon Fly-In 2015:
Another success for the RGSA! We had a good fly-in this Memorial Day Weekend. (And THANK YOU for your service to this country, Bill and Ted and all other veterans. I and a whole lot of others appreciate what you've done for all of us.) A BIG thank you from me to Bill Cummings, Mike Ellsworth, Matt Hayes, Lee Boone, and Had Robinson for setting up this whole event while I was out of the country - and not to forget, all the pilots who showed up to make it happen. We had 15 pilots who saw some airtime. (Bill selflessly volunteered to run the LZ while I was up playing and shuttling pilots.) Mike Reedy, our former RGSA member, also showed up on Sunday to be the Launch Director, and not only helped me to soar, but 10 or 12 others, who had amazing glassoff flights in the evening. You don't find better folks than these. Friday May 22nd kicked things off; I went up to launch with my daughter Keighley Hastings as driver, and Colorado pilot Tom Hubble. Tom got his first Dry Canyon flight, soaring for several minutes in small thermals before heading to the LZ where Mike Ellsworth guided him in. Conditions were squirrely in the LZ when I came in a few minutes later. I wound up skimming the entire LZ about 30 feet up and finally, completely out of available LZ, winning the Golden Hammer Award by crashing in the arroyo at the very end. No pain, no gain, and one downtube bent. That was the flying for Friday, as the winds picked up quite a bit later in the day. Bill, Mike, Matt and others put up tarps on the cabana, set up tables and chairs and a light, and made our base a going concern for the next three days. I headed back to Las Cruces, knowing that things were a lot better organized with them than I could possibly do. There was one PG pilot, Patrick Harvey-Collard of Albuquerque, who flew on Saturday morning in his mini-wing, but conditions got too strong the rest of the morning and afternoon. Some of us enjoyed the sights of Cloudcroft and Alamogordo, including the IMAX Theater and various coffee shops. The evening, though, was wonderful - winds were strong, but the glassoff was happening. Those who launched their gliders after 7:00 pm did not regret it. Mike Ellsworth led the parade, and about eight others followed, including Patrick in his mini-wing again. All were treated to smooth altitude gains and magic air. In the LZ, when twilight was vanishing and the first quarter moon was high above, they put away gliders as fast as they could and then were treated to Bill's Grill - hot dogs, hamburgers, potato salad and other delectables that Bill had waiting. We visited that evening under the cabana, occasionally looking through my telescope at the moon, Jupiter and Saturn in a glass-clear sky. About midnight people started heading for bed around the LZ, in tents and trailers and just sleeping under the stars. A very pleasant evening, though surprisingly cool for late May in Southern New Mexico. On Sunday morning, with the winds not howling quite so strong, PG pilots went to launch early and got some flying in. Almost everyone reached the Cox Field LZ, a 9:1 glide from the PG launch. Hang gliders flew then, too, with Keighley doing the driving for some of them. Flights of an hour and more were common that morning. I went up with Mike Reedy and Finis Miller for drivers and support crew, as well as Mario Manzo, and launched about 1:20 pm. I got to 12,000 ft MSL (5000 over launch) and soared for 90 minutes before settling in at the LZ (with a much better landing than Friday's!) The evening glassoff again was superb, and with Mike Reedy, George Woodcock and Finis to run the launch, almost everyone stepped off and skyed out. As visitors arrived in the LZ for the barbecue (among them our former RGSA President Tommy West and his family) we had the moon high above, the sun dropping low, and pilots specked out but dropping in for smooth landings all around the field. Bill had hamburgers and pork chops to give out, George and Velma had brought a big pot of pasole, and there were brownies and other potluck contributions to ingest. Lots of great food awaited all who needed it - pilots, drivers, friends and family. Nobody went XC this day, as the west winds were strong, but nobody felt the lack, either. There were awards for Spot Landing, Bomb Drop and Duration that evening, after Bill and I figured out just who did what; First Place trophies were beautiful agave walking sticks that Mike Ellsworth had made, smooth and varnished. The visiting went on to midnight. On Monday the winds were a little lighter, and again the PG pilots launched early, with everyone making the LZ except Jim Steltzer - no worries, the down air had dumped him by the Space Hall, and he was picked up within minutes. This was the day that XC finally took place, as Ted Sullivan of Austin, Texas flew his HG 20 miles north, out past Tularosa - in a single-surface Freedom, no less! He hit 13,000 ft MSL on the way. Ann Dunlap of Colorado finally had her first Dry Canyon flight that evening, too, launching in her Wills Wing Sport 2 135 - the last pilot to get some airtime this Fly-In. She was thrilled. Mike, Bill, et. al., got the site cleaned up and we visited around a lantern at the last, enjoying pizza that Jan Zschenderlein had generously brought for us all. We called it quits about 9:30 pm and headed for home, leaving behind another fine fly-in for the RGSA. And, hey - Columbus Day will be here soon! Put it on your calendar... (October 10 - 12, folks!) -Robin
Re: Flying possibilities
Bill was surely missed at the Otto event and our first US Hawks Board meeting ... but ...
It appears he served a much higher calling!!   Bill was with us in spirit anyway:
 Join a National Hang Gliding Organization: US Hawks at ushawks.org
View my rating at: US Hang Gliding Rating System Every human at every point in history has an opportunity to choose courage over cowardice. Look around and you will find that opportunity in your own time.
Re: Flying possibilities
Here are some photos taken by Reese Broughton of Alamogordo on Sunday evening at the Fly-In.
-Robin
Re: Flying possibilities
Here's a few more pictures by Reese Broughton. Sunday evening, May 24, 2015.
-Robin
Re: Flying possibilities
The above two posts Robin did here at my house on my sign in since it was up and running already but mostly because we spaced it out and he didn't sign in on his account.
Re: Flying possibilities for 5-28-2015
Flying possibilities for Thursday May 28, 2015.
Ted Sullivan and wife Laura Brooks with obedient little boy Joss (dog) will be headed for Mag., Rim (Magdalena Rim) tomorrow. They were out from Austin, TX for the Memorial Day Fly-In and to explore and hike the area. Mag., Rim is on BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land and is an uncontrolled site that doesn’t require third party insurance since we will be the only ones in the area and mostly out of cell phone coverage. We will be leaving my house between 9 and 9:30. On the map below the yellow pin is take off and the round pin is the LZ.
From my house in west Las Cruces Mag, Rim is 24 air miles @ 302 degrees (GN). Launch faces SW. Launch is at 5550’ msl and the Landing Zone (LZ) is at 4880’ msl. This gives us 670’ vertical. The ground level out in front of launch is at 5050’ on average which gives us 500’ vertical. Landing in the wide Arroyo a mile from launch practically grantees landing into the wind. A sinking flight path to the LZ requires 1.6 miles if you include the DBF (Downwind Base and Final approach) There is an alternate LZ but it is private land east of the paved road and on the far side of the power lines that parallels the road. As of this date we have not contacted the land owner for permission to land on his/her (?) property. (I don’t see the need to land there.) I would rate the site H3 - P2 but Hadley Robinson will know best about the P rating.
Re: Flying possibilities
Thanks for all the site information, Bill! And thanks again for being my driver today, Thursday May 28th. Let's see, the last time you flew Mag Rim I was your driver, you had an hour or more in the air, and you reached 10,000 ft MSL. This time, when you drove and I launched, I had 2 minutes in the air, plummeted like a paralyzed falcon, and half landed, half crashed out in the desert. Very shrewd choice of flying days, Bill! Ted Sullivan, watching me swoop off the launch and then sink from there, decided that he really didn't need to flatter me with imitation, and with his wife Laura Brooks he packed up his Freedom 190 and carted it back down to his waiting truck. In the meantime Bill Cummings was on his way along a torturous "road" through the desert in my Toyota Tacoma, ending up about 50 feet from where I was puzzling over how to pack up my Airborne Blade with a broken downtube. We got it packed, we got back to the pavement, we picked up the cart, and eventually we all 4 ended up in Las Cruces, along with my wife and daughter, enjoying good food and good stories at Cracker Barrel. All's well that ends well, eh? But, hey - does anyone know where I can get a downtube for an Airborne Blade?
-Robin
Re: Flying possibilities
Deming, NM Airport (KDMN) area is 37.5 miles and from Mag Rim on a heading of 246 deg. (GN) is about 20 deg., to the right of straight out from launch.
Keep in mind that a 37.5 mile per hour wind from 246 degrees will take an hour to get to launch. At best this recording station at KDMN airport only paints a very broad average for the day’s weather history as it applies to Mag Rim. The forecast for the (KDMN) area for the 28th was: 9am 270 @ 5 mph. Noon 260 @ 5 mph. 3pm 250 @ 11 mph. Below is a Snipping Tool capture of the history at KDMN.
Las Cruces International Airport (KLRU) weather station is 18.6 away from launch on a heading of 137 degrees. It is near 45 degrees to the right of paralleling the ridge or left of launch by 112 degrees. Again this recording/reporting station is a good distance from our remote desert flying site. AT&T has 4G coverage there but Verizon 40/60, no coverage/coverage (sort of). The forecast for the KLRU area was: Noon 230 @ 6 mph. 3pm. 240 @ 10 mph. 6pm. 250 @ 14 mph. Below is the capture of the KLRU history.
Interestingly enough it appears that a wind on the average of 250 degrees on very generous estimate which is 25 degrees to the right of straight into the rim will still yield a straight in wind spilling into the saddle where we launch giving us a wind at launch out of 225 degrees. (Straight in.) Because of the topography I think that the wind is even more cross from the right because there is higher ground to the right of launch, Magdalena Peak. Not only that but there is higher ground in front of Magdalena Peak than we have in front of launch. This surly must also block a right cross wind directing it to a greater right cross wind angle in front of launch. All the while still spilling over the saddle area where we launch giving us a launching wind that can be straight in out of 225 degrees. I’m still of the opinion that any direction west of 225 degrees will be turbulent and will reveal itself by a non laminar flow at launch. The ambient wind will be good at launch and then almost die down to nothing. When the direction is truly straight in there is nothing out front but thermals to disrupt a laminar flow. I’ll pack along my thermal snooper. This will be all the proof needed to separate thermals disrupting the wind from a cross wind beyond launch affecting wind speed fluctuation. We can expect a good launching wind at launch, in the saddle, when there is little to no ridge lift at all.
From our Middle Launch my best guess is an ideal direction is 200 degrees to 225 degrees. If we could drive up to South Launch we would have a much wider site to fly.
Re: Flying possibilities 6-1-15 Monday
Robin is going to pick me up at about 9:50 and we are shooting for being in the Cox LZ in Alamogordo, New Mexico (USA) around 11:30:ish. Mike will be there.
SW @ 8 on the ground is the forecast. Hope their right for once. (*#$@%!) 
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