Flying possibilities

[Bob Kuczewski]

Now everybody's going to want one! (Guess they'll just have to come to New Mexico for it...)

We've got them here in California too. I saw one at "Little Black" when I was taking my first paragliding lessons around 1990, and I've seen many more in the years since. But yours looked much meaner!!   

[Bill Cummings]

So no orders for snake? All righty then.
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RGSA/Hawks,
Dry Canyon Alamogordo, New Mexico (USA) has favorable winds 8 - 10 on the ground which should be 14 - 15 at the ramp, direction is SW (230°).
Mostly cloudy @ Noon. Cloudy @ three pm. Cloudy @ six pm. Temp. 94°.

Robin’s and my new battery packs came in the mail Saturday (to my neighbor four houses west of my place wtf.) He walked them to my place today (Sunday).

I just may take a glider over since the wind on the east side of the mountains is not toward the mountains. I’m thinking the chance of rain on our side will be acceptably low.
We may be in the LZ around 11 am. Phone calls tomorrow morning to finalize.

[Bill Cummings]

The forecasters shook the chicken bones one more time and after the latest reading of the bones prophesied that the wind direction would be better and more soarable. But at a cost of thundershowers. We canceled the day for lack of interest.

[Bill Cummings]

The possibilities for flying at Mag Rim NM (USA) may be delayed due to the rainfall and flash flooding.
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road to Mag Rim NM.JPG (92.01 KiB) Viewed 3671 times

[RobinHastings]

Hi, Bill. Nancy and I carefully negotiated this lake of the desert today, and continued on, encountering a few others less extensive. We turned around when we got to the steep part of the Corralitos Road, deciding that we'd seen enough. The desert wasteland is wonderfully green right now! It was a good little drive, out there and back, and the cows all looked pretty happy. Grass like this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for them...
-Robin

[Bill Cummings]

How was the way in to the west side LZ? Filled in? or washed out?

[RobinHastings]

The "road" in to the Arroyo LZ looked just fine. It should be easily negotiable. I wonder how long the Rectangle LZ is going to be distinguishable from the rest of the desert, with all this growth? And when all the creosotes are going to become the Corralitos National Forest? Ah, well, we should still have a few good months of desert flying left... Meanwhile, Nancy and I went up to the Sacramentos yesterday (Sunday) and the road up to Dry Canyon looked reasonably dry. (Coincidence? You decide!) If anyone wants to fly this week, I'm up for it! (Depending on how many papers I have to grade...) Stay in touch!
-Robin

[RobinHastings]

SATURDAY, AUGUST 8th:
I drove to Alamogordo this morning and in the Cox Field LZ met up with Julia Morgan, who wanted to learn about hang gliding. Byron Stevens came by as well, and he did a great job in mentoring her with me. We used my See-Saw Simulator and had her learn the basics of launch technique. When we were all done, we drove up to the La Luz northwest launch. Conditions were dark, far east over the Sacramentos, but kind of high pressure with clouds out in front to the west. I launched my Formula 144 at 1:35 MDT and had an extended sled ride. I hit a few thermals, but they were small and sketchy. I didn't get much gain out of them, and there was a good deal of sink in between. I reached the power lines in the LZ with 50 feet to spare, which isn't nearly enough for my comfort. Still, I made a decent landing. Byron and Julia were impressed, even by a sled run, and, hey, I got some airtime - which isn't bad at all for La Luz, in August. I think that both of my drivers, Julia and Byron, are eager to become pilots, too, so it was a pretty good day all around.
-Robin

[RobinHastings]

SUNDAY EVENING, AUGUST 24th:
We've had a busy weekend. On Friday I drove for Bill Cummings, who had a flight at Dry Canyon; he launched at 12:46 pm MDT, and landed an hour later in the Cox Field LZ. He said the thermals were small and rough; despite big clouds building off to the east, there seemed to be a high pressure condition over Alamogordo. Bill being Bill, he still got up to 1400 feet over launch, and had a perfect, no-wind landing right at the west edge of the field, just a few feet from a bridge over the ditch. (Thanks for the bridges, Mike!) Doing it for 30 years, I guess you pick up a few skills... Today, Sunday, he and I were mentors to Julia Morgan, who is interested in learning more about this sport. We took her to the Hospital Hill on Lohman Avenue in Las Cruces, where she learned more about what makes gliders fly, and watched me get a couple of short flights from the top, with perfect landings. (So there, Bill!) We all went to lunch afterwards, and managed to convince Julia that we're not all crazy, or at least not all the time. Back at my house, Bill and I made an adjustment on the nose batten of the RGSA's Gemini 134, and called it a day not badly spent. (What our wives would call it might differ.) See you all in the air, sometime!
-Robin

[Bob Kuczewski]

Great report Robin!!!!

I liked the "Bill being Bill" comments, but I especially liked the outreach you guys are doing with new folks. That was the most fun part of my last visit, and it's great to see that's woven into the fabric of your club.