Flying possibilities

by **RobinHastings** » Fri Jan 22, 2016 6:50 pm

ANNUAL RGSA MEETING!
FEBRUARY 6, 2016: Annual RGSA meeting, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, at International Delights Restaurant in Las Cruces. Northeast corner of Idaho Avenue and El Paseo Road, next to Albertsons supermarket. Everyone is welcome! We'll discuss events for the year, how to add new pilots to the club, and what to do about national insurance. See you there!
-Robin Hastings, RGSA President
575-541-5744
rnhastings@zianet.com

by **RobinHastings** » Thu Jan 28, 2016 2:38 pm

I held another mentoring session today with David M. and his roommate, Jason. We went to the Hospital Hill training site in Las Cruces. Winds were calm, and that worked out well. Both Jason and David were able to get their feet off the ground four times (first flights for Jason!) and had successful landings each time. We were done by 11:00, and everyone was pretty happy with the day's progress. I might go out tomorrow with David to the Mesquite Dam site, if the winds cooperate again. Another day of lovely weather in Southern New Mexico - get it while it lasts, folks! Next week is going to get a whole lot colder and windier.
-Robin

by **RobinHastings** » Fri Jan 29, 2016 9:53 pm

Friday, January 29th was another balmy, lovely day in Southern New Mexico - temperatures probably hit the low 70's today, and I used the air conditioning in my truck. I took David M. and his brother Patrick to the Mesquite Dam site today. Winds were light but cooperative, coming up the hill; David got 3 more flights in the RGSA Gemini 134, and Patrick got a step or two into the air on his first lesson. We had lunch with their mother and youngest brother afterward, at the little bakery/diner in Mesquite. A good day all around, and some good potential pilots coming up. It looks like we're in for a run of unpleasant winds and frigid temperatures this week - but Thursday might be nice to do more mentoring at the Hospital Hill training site. And don't forget the RGSA Club Meeting, on February 6th in Las Cruces!
-Robin
575-541-5744

by **JanZ** » Sat Jan 30, 2016 3:56 pm

Hi Guy's,
I feel like we miss a lot of camaraderie and airtime because we just don't tell each other that we're out having fun,
so we should figure out a system, where you just send an short massage, like "I'll be @ Mag 1400 today" so everybody else knows when somebody is out flying or training, even if it's on short notice.
Send another on when you actually head out, so everybody can see that you're actually going, because it happened to me that I went to Mag and nobody showed.
I set up a WhatsApp group for motoring in Alamo, and think it's a nice thing. WhatApp is for free and runs on any Smartphone as far as I know, downside: it drains your Battery 5-20% more a day, uses some amount of Data and not everybody has a Smartphone. Another Idea is that everybody sends out a short message via SMS, I think you can set up groups of recipients in almost every cell phone nowadays. It would be great if you guy's think about it and we can discuss it on Saturday.

by **RobinHastings** » Mon Feb 01, 2016 4:59 pm

Hello, Jan! That's a great suggestion. We used to have that when our bulletin board was working well on the RGSA site. So, here's my plan for the week: I've been mentoring some new pilots. I think the conditions will be good for the Hospital Hill training site this Thursday, and I plan to be out there from about 10:00 to noon or 1:00 pm. (That is at the intersection of Lohman Avenue and Sonoma Ranch Blvd. in Las Cruces, just east of Mountain View Hospital.) Anyone who wants to join us would be very welcome! On Saturday I'm not sure yet just what the winds will be doing. If folks come up for the meeting, and the winds are north, we probably can't fly Mag Rim - though there is a north launch there, maybe suitable for PG's, that's never been tried. A mentoring day at Hospital Hill could be done as well. Keep in touch! I was in Tucson last weekend, but I don't plan any more expeditions until the Guadalupes in about two weeks.
-Robin

by **RobinHastings** » Sat Feb 06, 2016 11:43 pm

I did some successful hang glider mentoring on Friday at the Hospital Hill in Las Cruces. David M. and his roommate Jason both did very well in some stiff north winds; each one got 4 flights. We worked a good deal on the landings. More training should take place on Sunday at the same location, about 1:30 pm, and concluding well before the Super Bowl. Nathan is planning to be there, and maybe David as well. Any others? Come out and join us!
-Robin
541-5744 home
621-1118 cell

by **RobinHastings** » Mon Feb 08, 2016 7:03 am

Sunday, Feb. 7th was a good day for hang gliding (though a bad day for the Carolina Panthers). Nathan Bowers came out from Alamogordo for another mentoring session. With decent winds from the north and northwest (and northeast - it was a little switchy) Nathan had about a dozen launches today. And today, for the first time, he had some actual flying time, getting his feet off the ground and landing. We need to work on airspeed control and flares, but he's doing very well. Additionally a spectator, Robert Gonzales, came by, asked about what we're doing, and came back for a first lesson in the Gemini. He had a couple of runs while wearing the harness, got light on his feet, and might indeed be hooked. More pilots! Nathan is in the Air Force at Holloman AFB, Robert is studying Electrical Engineering at NMSU. These are encouraging times, indeed.
-Robin

by **Bill Cummings** » Mon Feb 08, 2016 7:12 pm

Robin and I may be headed for Anapra, NM tomorrow with the old 135 Gemini (sp?) to do some refresher runs down at the bottom of the hill.
He was going to make some calls for car pooling down there and if we go I will ride down with him. My vehicle has to stay in the driveway tomorrow to be fitted with a new front windshield. (Noon to 5pm.)
So if anyone else is going let us know so that we can arrange rides.

by **Bill Cummings** » Tue Feb 09, 2016 10:50 am

billcummings wrote:Robin and I may be headed for Anapra, NM tomorrow with the old 135 Gemini (sp?) to do some refresher runs down at the bottom of the hill.
He was going to make some calls for car pooling down there and if we go I will ride down with him. My vehicle has to stay in the driveway tomorrow to be fitted with a new front windshield. (Noon to 5pm.)
So if anyone else is going let us know so that we can arrange rides.

NOPE!! EVERYBODY IS BUSY WITH LESS IMPORTANT STUFF TO GO FLYING! :thumbdown:

by **Bill Cummings** » Thu Feb 11, 2016 7:04 pm

Seven or was it eight people showed up at the bunny hill across from the hospital to play on the hill with the small 134 sq' Gemini today.
I just don't have enough time to edit and post the GoPro video of the wing running and flying due to packing for the weekend of flying at the Guadalupe Rim this Presidents' Day Weekend.
I'll put up some stills of Dan M. doing his 1st day of wing running and eventually he got his feet off of the ground. His son David had some flights as did others.
Good thing I'm retired because I don't have enough time for work with all the fun flying going on here.