Below is the glider cart that we use --- they use actually, -- since I can hardly walk the 700 yards up hill just carrying the clothes I have on. This probably due to all the cholesterol and blood in my alcohol system.
Near the bottom right of the picture you can see the support post idea I came up with and Robin supplied. It’s a two by two to support the top wire near the metal fence post so as to not mess up the top wire while we flip the cart out of the truck over the fence. I leave a mini C- clamp on the metal fence post so that the top wire won’t slide down the metal post while the cart is resting on the top wire as we flip the cart over the fence. Alas, no motor vehicles beyond the fence. (@$#%)
- Glider cart. 6-1-15.JPG (95.06 KiB) Viewed 3939 times
April 10, 2015 Mag., Rim Launch. Robin Hastings at high tea.
- 4-10-15 Mag., Rim Launch..JPG (86.43 KiB) Viewed 3939 times
May 1, 2015 Magdalena Rim NW of Las Cruces, New Mexico (USA).
The picture below is : The desert in bloom on the way to launch.
- Desert in bloom short of Mag., Rim..JPG (98.85 KiB) Viewed 3939 times
Dry Canyon Launch, but really we only drive up the back side called Dry Canyon and the launch is on Horse Ridge and we launch out over Indian Wells Canyon.
When I arrived here 18 years ago the locals had all this information jumbled up. I finally got this all straightened out today when Robin recited the facts. (Again.)
May 3, 2015 Horse Ridge (Oh alright Dry Canyon Launch AKA).
- Dry Canyon Launch.JPG (63.36 KiB) Viewed 3939 times
So today June 1, 2015 at the same place -- whatever you want to call it, I took off first at 2:34 and beamed up but got flushed anywhere out of thermals. Mike held off launching from our SW launch (somewhere in NM) until 2:55 after seeing me disappearing low around the point to the west of launch. This would be my lowest exit ever from the canyon on the way to the 3.4 mile distant landing zone (LZ).
My 2004 Wills Wing Sport 2 155sq’ glider has some tip flap on the second panel in from each tip. Thank goodness for the extra flapping it did or I don’t think I would have made it out of the canyon to my next thermal.
Just before launch (from wherever we were) I took this picture below.
My glider SP2, Mike’s glider T2C, Robin’s Air Wave (one of five gliders in his stable.) Mike left and Robin in his muscle shirt trying to get a tan. Mike calls it a wife beater shirt????
- June 1, 2015.JPG (81.84 KiB) Viewed 3939 times
Below is a picture of where Mike and I knocked down the gliders. My shade tree is on the right and Mike can be seen at his shade tree. Big George enjoying retirement. (seated)
I made it up past 14 thousand. Cloud base looked to me 15 thousand.
Take off is at 7 thousand.
The worst sink I hand between thermals was 1,500’/min. (damn)
I received one hour and 27 min. and Mike had one our and fifteen minutes.
We each landed 12 feet from the bulls eye. Me long and Mike short.
We both had to be happy with the 8 miles to the Big G LZ due to Virga and the gust/dust front that got to us just as we were putting on the glider bag.
- The Big G LZ..JPG (90.84 KiB) Viewed 3939 times
Velma Woodcock gave Robin and me some hot banana bread. I was so good I wished I could have given a slice to all the Hawks to share it with you. I took the bread with me to fetch my camera since this would be as close as any of you could get to this banana bread. But by the time I returned to the China plate with my camera I had already wolfed it down.
- Previous resting place of banana bread..JPG (80.52 KiB) Viewed 3939 times
On the bottom of the China plate it had one word, --- “Japan.”
Mike knocking down in the shade. Mike left and George right
- Mike knocking down in the shade..JPG (73.5 KiB) Viewed 3939 times
Sunburned Robin didn’t get to go back and launch due to all the Virga and gust fronts.
- Sunburned Robin.JPG (66.68 KiB) Viewed 3939 times
